Hit-Boy

Hit-Boy And Benny The Butcher Seem To Be Teasing Another Collaborative Album

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Is another Hit-Boy and Benny The Butcher collab in the works? The two appear to be dropping hints on social media about a follow-up to their 2020 collaboration, Burden Of Proof.

A video surfaced online of Benny and Hit-Boy listening to an instrumental track that sounded similar to the material on Burden Of Proof, according to HipHopDX.

In another video, taken from Hit-Boy’s Instagram page, the two are seen in the studio again.

Most recently, Hit-Boy shared a series of images on his Instagram page, captioned “’22 not over,” on which, Benny commented with three gold trophy emojis. This may mean that if there is another collaborative album in the works, we may be able to expect it to arrive before the end of the year.

In a 2020 interview with Complex, ahead of the release of Burden Of Proof, Benny revealed how Hit-Boy helped him tap into potential he didn’t realize he had.

“The feeling is going to be different,” Benny said. “I’m speaking about things I never spoke about on here. My confidence is different. My angle is different. It’s still me, but I discovered new things in the process of writing this album. I’m at a different level. I’m thinking a whole different way.”

Cordae And Hit-Boy Secure The Victory In Their Triumphant New Single ‘Checkmate’

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Cordae sounds very triumphant in his new record “Checkmate,” in large part due to production by Hit-Boy. The record, featured in Madden 2023, shows the “Unacceptable” artist rapping with fury despite being a downtempo record. Hit-Boy laces him with thumping drums and powerful synths, and Cordae takes the handoff all the way to the endzone, blending introspection and confidence. “I feel unstoppable, odds are not probable,” Cordae says.

This record comes after what has been a big year for Cordae. The 25-year-old shared his sophomore album From A Birds Eye View at the start of the year. The album featured Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, HER, Gunna, Freddie Gibbs, Stevie Wonder, and more. Despite the young rapper’s clear confidence, he had a moment of clarity on a road trip where he played Birds Eye View and his debut solo album The Lost Boy, and noted that the former fell short of the latter.

The Lost Boy, released in 2019, included features from Meek Mill, Pusha T, Anderson Paak, Chance The Rapper, Ty Dolla Sign, and more. The album was nominated for Rap Album Of The Year at the 2020 Grammys, ultimately losing to Tyler The Creator’s Igor.

Cordae appears to already be working toward the next era of his career, as this record comes just months after his dual release of “Unacceptable” and “So With That.” There is no set release date for his next project, but given the aforementioned moment of clarity, it would not come as a shock if Cordae is putting the finishing touches on what he hopes will right the wrongs of From A Birds Eye View.

Check out Cordae and Hit-Boy’s “Checkmate” above.

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Hit-Boy Is Fully With It On His New Single, ‘Fire Proof’

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Hit-Boy has been a force in the game for 15 years, producing tracks for the likes of Kanye West, Nas, Beyoncé, and more. On his new single, “Fire Proof,” the legendary beatmaker gives a turn at rapping.

“Fire Proof,” is further proof that Hit-Boy is equally as skilled as a rapper as he is a producer. On a particular line in the song, Hit-Boy says he’s “working on his gratitude / you don’t understand me / I say that’s understandable / I’m done with the back and forth / I’m in a territory unexplored.” Shortly after the song’s slow, downtempo intro, the beat switches into a fast, drum-driven track. over the course of the song’s two minutes, Hit-Boy maintains his momentum, riding the beat with ease the entire time.

In an interview with XXL, Hit-Boy revealed that an upcoming rap project is just one of the many musical endeavors he has in the works.

“I been seeing a lot of people saying I should do a compilation of my own with my beats and just different artists,” he said. “That’s something I wanna turn up on. Look out for that Hit-Boy compilation. My rap album, too. I got all types of joints coming.”

Check out “Fire Proof” above.

Beyoncé Reportedly Recorded ‘Thique’ From ‘Renaissance’ Eight Years Before Its Release

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It’s always fun to trace the histories and evolutions of songs’ serpentine paths through the labyrinth that is the music industry. It’s rare that a song makes it to commercial release in its original form — or even all that quickly after it’s recorded. Thanks to Hit-Boy, we’ve got a prime example from Beyoncé‘s new album Renaissance. As the California producer told Rolling Stone Music Now, he was forced to hold the beat for “Thique” for nearly a decade until Beyoncé herself was ready to release it.

“I had to sit on that beat for eight years!” he said. “That’s the way the game goes sometimes. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the game and certain people will perceive like, ‘Oh, where’s Hit-Boy been? What’s Hit-Boy been doing?’ But then I’m sitting on stuff like ‘Thique’ that just hasn’t materialized yet. Y’all don’t even know how ahead I really am… I’ve been holding onto legendary stuff, and there’s plenty more.” I think it’s fair to say that sometimes, the timing of a song’s release is more important than its quality. Perhaps the music business just wasn’t ready for a song like “Thique,” with its blend of four-on-the-floor techno and trap rap, until just now, as interest for EDM-inspired rap and R&B is cresting.

Elsewhere in the episode, Hit-Boy talks about a Beyoncé release that did come out around that time: “Bow Down” from her self-titled album. He also touches on a number of his biggest… ahem… hits. Check out the full episode here.