Chauncey “Hit-Boy” Hollis Jr. is inarguably one of the most successful Hip Hop producers of the last twenty years. His résumé contains crafting hit records for acts like Lil Wayne, Drake, Beyoncé, Travis Scott, Nipsey Hussle, and more.
Hit-Boy was one of the production minds behind Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “N##### in Paris” off the Watch The Throne album. However, life apparently took a turn for Hollis following the release of that Grammy-winning classic from 2011.
During a recent episode of DJ Akademiks’s Off the Record podcast, Hit-Boy discussed his financial situation back in the late 2010s. Apparently, things became extremely difficult for the California native at the time.
“I turned up 2012, got dumb bread. By 2017, I was laying on my ground with zero dollars in my account after having millions, balled up [like] a fetus, crying. Nobody around me, by myself, and I was living in a mansion in Beverly Hills. I blew it. I was investing in the homies, I was putting up money for everybody around me.”
Hit-Boy went on to explain that he was still producing huge records for chart-topping artists around that time. The HITstory mixtape creator also mentioned not being supported by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management company.
“And mind you, ‘Sicko Mode’ had been recorded, at least Drake’s first part to my part of the beat that I gave Travis,” recalled Hit-Boy, referring to the 2018 track placed on Travis Scott’s Astroworld album. “All type of s### was going on.”
Hit-Boy added, “But I still was like, ‘Yo, I got no money in my account.’ I can’t reach the n##### that manage me. At the time it was Roc Nation. I’m trying to get n##### to hit me back, f### with me. I’m just completely on my own. I had no money in my account.”
Over the last four years, Hit-Boy continued to be productive with music. He eventually connected with Hip Hop legend Nas to put out the critically-acclaimed King’s Disease album series. King’s Disease III just dropped on November 11.
“I’ve dealt with it all, bro,” Hit-Boy told DJ Akademiks. “So just to be in this position, God really made this s### happen for me. Like me being on a run with the Nas s###, just being nicer than I’ve ever been. I’m so much iller than I’ve ever f###### been right now.”