Hit-Boy made an announcement via Twitter last night that he’d be hanging up his production hat in what we assume is a move to focus on his rap career and label HS87. Although short-lived, Hit-Boy’s impact on modern Hip-Hop production has been monumental, working with the greats and bringing through a new electronic sound into the mainstream.
Hopefully this isn’t truly the end for his work behind the boards but it’s inspired us to look back and compile a top 5 list of our favourite Hit-Boy produced beats from the past few years:
5) This was the first single off of Rocky‘s much-anticipated debut studio LP Long.Live.A$AP, and Hit-Boy made a statement slowing down a killer drum break from a 1970s library record and transforming it with twisted vocals and distant chants
4) Kanye West, Big Sean and Jay Z – Clique
The standout hit from Kanye‘s Cruel Summer project, Hit-Boy builds the track perfectly with electronic pulses alongside glorious gospel vocals and finishes things off with an awesome loop from an African Vocal sample pack
Another A$AP track from Long.Live.A$AP, this time a posse cut with all the underground rappers of the moment (in 2013 at least) with Hit-Boy providing a choice sample of swelling strings from an obscure Egyptian track by Assala
2) Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
Delivering the hardest track on Kendrick’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d City LP Hit-Boy loops up another world music vocal sample with a straight to the point jingling production with enough low-end to guarantee a screw-faced listen
1) Kanye West and Jay Z – Niggas in Paris
This was undoubtably Hit-Boy’s breakout moment, when the world learnt his name. This now iconic beat and juxtaposed sample combo (Reverend W.A. Donaldson Baptizing Scene vs. Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory) became the standout track of 2011 and is still smashing it in cars/bars/clubs and headphones to this day
Words – Ethan Illingworth (@illersss)
