Hit-Boy

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Hit-Boy
Birth nameChauncey Alexander Hollis Jr.
Born (1987-05-21) May 21, 1987 (age 34)
OriginFontana, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
Years active2003–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitehit-boy.com

Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr.[1] (born May 21, 1987), better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. With this stimulus, he produced singles such as "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Trophies" by Drake, "Clique" by GOOD Music, and "Racks in the Middle" by Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch. "Racks in the Middle" won Best Rap Performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards.[2]

In December 2012, Hit-Boy signed a recording contract with Interscope Records and subsequently founded his own record label imprint, Hits Since '87.[3] He has since expanded his production catalog with singles such as "Drop the World" by Lil Wayne, "Sorry" by Beyoncé, and "Sicko Mode" by Travis Scott, all of which have been certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Career[]

Hollis got his start on Myspace when he received a message from Polow Da Don stating simply "Let's get this paper, pimp", and reached out to say he wanted to meet Hollis and discuss signing him professionally.[4] He has produced for big-name artists such as Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Nas, Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez and several others. The California native is one of the founding members of the collective brand Surf Club (along with fellow beat makers Chase N.Cashe, BCarr, and Chili Chill). Surf Club has become a team to host a number of artists as well as songwriters and other producers. Surf Club originated in southern California. They got their start in the industry in 2007, after linking with Polow Da Don's Zone 4, an imprint of Interscope Records. He began his work with Kanye West when he produced his GOOD Friday track, "Christmas in Harlem",[5] Big Sean, Pusha T, Musiq Soulchild and Cyhi Da Prynce. On May 2, 2011,[6] he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music Label, produced the single "Niggas in Paris", on the collaborative "Watch the Throne" album created by Kanye West and Jay-Z, and produced the singles "Goldie" and "1 Train" for ASAP Rocky.

On June 7, 2012, Hollis released his first official song in which he raps, the promotional single "Jay-Z Interview", which was produced by Bink!. Later in July 2012, Hollis was featured rapping on CyHi The Prynce's mixtape Ivy League Club, on the song "Entourage". Hollis then released the self-produced track "Old School Caddy", which features fellow GOOD Music member Kid Cudi. These two tracks appeared on his first full-length project, a mixtape titled HITstory, which was released for free download on his official website. On December 23, 2012, Hollis secured a recording contract with Interscope Records, under the record label Blueprint Group, along with the L.E.P. Bogus Boys. Soon after, he tweeted: "2012 has been great to me and my fam. Feeling more blessed than ever. Excited to see what God has planned for 2013. TU."[7] On January 23, 2013, it was announced that his record label Hits Since '87, is now an imprint of Interscope Records.[8]

On June 29, 2013, he announced that he is no longer signed to GOOD Music, but still on good terms with everybody in the label.[9]

In 2016, Hit-Boy and Local Los Angeles rapper Dom Kennedy came together to work on a joint mixtape named Half-A-Mil EP, subsequently adopting the name (dropping the EP) as an alias for the duo. Half-A-Mil EP was released on December 11, 2016.[10] The mixtape consisted of five songs, with "100 Rounds" being the lead single off the mixtape. Following the release of their first mixtape, the pair decided to put out another mixtape a few months after their previous mixtape. Half-A-Mil 2 EP released on February 24, 2017.[11] The mixtape contained six songs with one guest feature from B.Carr. The duo would take a break and would not release music under the Half-A-Mil name. After some time, the frequent collaborators released Half-A-Mil 3 EP, continuing the mixtape series and being the last one in the saga. Half-A-Mil 3 EP was August 8, 2017.[12] The mixtape only had two feature from 24hrs on "Don't run" and Quentin Miller on the tracks "Might as Well" and "In The Hills". Also, the duo released a music video for both songs on September 7, 2017.[13] After releasing all three mixtapes, the pair finally released their first commercial album, Courtesy of Half-a-Mil, on November 29, 2017.[14] The album contains 14 tracks and numerous features such as Larry June, TYuS, B.Carr, Jay 305, and Ty Dolla Sign. The Tandem would go on to take a hiatus and not release any new music. Nearly two and half years later, the group would release their second studio. "Also Known As" was released on July 31, 2020.[15] The album consists of 11 tracks and features from 03 Greedo, 24hrs, and Nas.

Production style[]

Hit-Boy uses FL Studio and custom music plug-ins to make his beats.[16][17]

Personal life[]

Hit-Boy is the nephew of Rodney Benford, from the R&B group Troop.[18] He grew up in Fontana, California.[19]

Discography[]

Main article: Hit-Boy production discography

Studio albums[]

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
R&B/HH 		US Rap
We the Plug
(with HS87)
  • Released: May 27, 2014
  • Label: Hits Since '87, Interscope
  • Format: Digital download
 27 15
Courtesy of Half-A-Mil (with Dom Kennedy)
  • Released: November 29, 2017
  • Label: The Other Peoples Money Company
  • Formats: digital download
 — —
Family Not a Group (with SOB X RBE)
  • Released: April 16, 2019
  • Label: Def Jam
  • Formats: digital download
 — —

EPs[]

List of EPs, with year released
Title EP details Peak chart positions
US
[20]
What You Expect
(with Big Sean)
  • Released: October 29, 2021[21]
  • Label: FF to Def Entertainment, Def Jam
  • Formats: digital download, streaming
 76

Mixtapes[]

List of mixtapes, with year released
Title Album details
A Hit-Boy Christmas
  • Released: December 24, 2010
  • Label: HS87
  • Format: Digital download
Love Notes[22]
  • Released: February 14, 2011
  • Label: HS87
  • Format: Digital download
HITstory[23]
  • Released: August 7, 2012
  • Label: GOOD Music, HS87
  • Format: Digital download
All I've Ever Dreamed Of
(with HS87)
Zoomin
  • Released: September 2, 2015
  • Label: HS87
  • Format: Digital download
Half-A-Mil
  • Released: December 12, 2016
  • Format: Digital download
Tony Fontana
  • Released: May 22, 2018
  • Label: HS87
  • Format: Digital download

Guest appearances[]

Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Entourage" 2012 Cyhi the Prynce Ivy League Club
"All Good"[24] D-Why Don't Flatter Yourself
"The Long Way"[25] Audio Push N/A
"Them Niggas"[26] Inland Empire
"The Right One" Wale Folarin
"Do Me Now"[27] 2013 K. Roosevelt RoseGold
"Scream & Shout" (Hit-Boy Remix)[28] will.i.am, Britney Spears, Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Wayne, Diddy #willpower
"Joy"[29] Ryan McDermott Ryan vs. the Sandman: The Tale of the Sleepwalkers
"Feel It"[30] Deezo, Problem Ten10Eighty7
"Funeral Season"[31] Statik Selektah, Styles P, Bun B Extended Play
"What Ya Used To"[citation needed] Rockie Fresh Self Made Vol. 3
"Circle" Casey Veggies, Rockie Fresh Fresh Veggies
"Money ($ * / ...)" 2014 Mariah Carey, Fabolous Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse
"Boomerang"[32] 2015 Sevyn Streeter Shoulda Been There, Pt. 1
"I Mean It" PJ Walking Around Pools
"Composure" 2021 Nas King's Disease II

Awards and nominations[]

BET Hip Hop Awards[]

The BET Hip Hop Awards were established in 2006 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate hip-hop performers, producers and music video directors.

Year Nominated work Award Result
2014 Himself (Grindin My Whole Life) Producer of the Year Nominated

Grammy Awards[]

The Grammy Award is an award presented by The Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. Hit-Boy received three awards from seven nominations.[33]

Year Nominated work Award Result
2013 "Niggas in Paris" Best Rap Song Won
2014 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City Album of the Year Nominated
2015 Beyoncé Nominated
2017 Lemonade Nominated
2019 "Sicko Mode" Best Rap Song Nominated
2020 Racks in the Middle Best Rap Song Nominated
Best Rap Performance Won
2021 King's Disease Best Rap Album Won
Deep Reverence Best Rap Performance Nominated

References[]

  1. ^ "BMI | Songview Search". repertoire.bmi.com.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Nipsey Hussle Wins Best Rap Performance". GRAMMY.com. January 26, 2020. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Hit-Boy Confirms Signing with Kanye West". May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
  4. ^ Gordon, Jeremy. "How Hit-Boy Went From Myspace to Kanye West's Speed-Dial". Bullettmedia.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  5. ^ "Hit-Boy talks signing to G.O.O.D Music".
  6. ^ "Producer Hit-Boy Joins Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music Label". Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  7. ^ Donaldson, Erich (December 21, 2012). "Hit-Boy and L.E.P. Bogus Boys Sign to Interscope". Complex. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  8. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (January 23, 2013). "Hit-Boy Announces Signing To Interscope Records | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  9. ^ MTV News Staff (January 7, 2013). "HIT-BOY PARTS WAYS WITH KANYE WEST'S G.O.O.D. MUSIC". MTV. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  10. ^ "Stream Dom Kennedy And Hit-Boy's Joint EP, Half-A-Mil". The FADER. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "Half-A-Mil 2 EP Mixtape by Dom Kennedy x Hit-Boy". www.datpiff.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  12. ^ https://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX- (August 7, 2017). "Dom Kennedy & Hit-Boy Join Forces For "Half-A-Mil 3" EP". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  13. ^ Half-A-Mil - In The Hills/Might As Well, archived from the original on August 11, 2021, retrieved April 12, 2021
  14. ^ November 30, Lindsey IndiaPublished; 2017. "Stream Dom Kennedy and Hit-Boy's 'Courtesy of Half-A-Mil' Album - XXL". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Hit-Boy & Dom Kennedy Return As Half-A-Mil For "Also Known As" » Hype Off Life". Hype Off Life. August 5, 2020. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "9 Popular Music Producers Who Use FL Studio". Hiphopmakers. Archived from the original on July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  17. ^ "Fruity Loops- From kids toy to Producer Choice". Concrete. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  18. ^ Frydenlund, Zach. "Hit-Boy's 25 Favorite Albums". article. complex.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  19. ^ "For Hit-Boy, Quality is Everything" Check |url= value (help). Complex.
  20. ^ @billboardcharts (November 8, 2021). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/3)..." (Tweet). Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "Big Sean & Hit-Boy - What You Expect - EP". Apple Music. October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  22. ^ "Hit-Boy - Love Notes (HS87)". DaMixhub. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  23. ^ "Hit Boy - HITstory (G.O.O.D. Music, HS87)". DaMixhub. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  24. ^ "D-Why - All Good (Feat. Hit-Boy)". Rap Dose. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  25. ^ "New Music: Audio Push x Hit-Boy "The Long Way"". Rap Radar. September 11, 2012. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  26. ^ "New Music: Audio Push x Hit-Boy "Them Niggas"". Rap Radar. November 5, 2012. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  27. ^ "K. Roosevelt f. Hit-Boy - Do Me Now | New Hip Hop Music & All The New Rap Songs 2011". HipHop DX. January 11, 2013. Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  28. ^ "will.i.am f. Diddy, Lil Wayne, Britney Spears, Hit-Boy & Waka Flocka Flame "Scream & Shout Remix". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. January 25, 2013. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  29. ^ Sawyer, Jonathan. "Ryan McDermott featuring Hit-Boy – Joy". Hypetrak. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  30. ^ "New Music: Deezo Ft. Problem x Hit-Boy "Feel It"". Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  31. ^ Paine, Jake (May 17, 2013). "Statik Selektah "Extended Play" Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  32. ^ "Amazon - Music - Shoulda Been There Pt. 1 by Sevyn Streeter". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  33. ^ "Hit-Boy". GRAMMY.com. The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2020.

External links[]

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