Hit-Boy is no stranger to the top of the charts. As a producer and songwriter, he has helped craft anthems for hip-hop titans like Drake, Nas and Lil Wayne, as well as pop icons including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. It’s a testament to both his ear and his personable style.
“We’ve made some of our best songs in just one night off straight vibe,” said the rapper Big Sean, a frequent collaborator. “It’s never forced, always natural.”
At only 38, Hit-Boy is already a veteran of nearly two decades in the music industry. That time has seen rapid changes in how songs are composed, performed, released and consumed, giving him a unique viewpoint on the evolution of the music industry.
As an artist, he is working on an upcoming solo album, “Sftwre Updte,” after exiting a publishing deal he had been tethered to since he was a teenager. He recently talked to The Times about several of his songs and projects that illustrate how he has worked within a constantly changing musical landscape and soundscape.
‘Drop the World’
Hit-Boy, born Chauncey Hollis Jr., was inundated with diverse music at a young age. His uncle, Rodney Benford, was a member of the R&B group Troop. His mother often played Mary J. Blige, while his grandmother kept Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin on frequent rotation. Another uncle favored N.W.A, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.
“All that music was just downloading into my soul,” he said.
He got his start releasing remixes on MySpace and selling burned CDs outside a mall for $5. In 2007, he said, he signed a $50,000 copublishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and Polow da Don, a producer who mentored him after uncovering his MySpace beats.
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The post The Music Biz Has Changed. These 5 Songs Show How Hit-Boy Changed With It. appeared first on New York Times.
