In a recent interview with DJ Akademiks, Hit-Boy revealed that the beat to the hit song “Sicko Mode” almost belonged to Jay-Z. The now-legendary producer said that he held onto that particular beat for two years. Eventually, Travis Scott picked it up and incorporated it into Astroworld. “Sicko Mode” would go on to be an iconic song, get nominated for two Grammy Awards, and become certified Diamond. “Sicko Mode” was Scott’s first song to reach #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Interview with DJ Akademics
Last week, DJ Akademics interviewed Hit-Boy asking about his career. It was during this interview where Hit-Boy revealed that Jay-Z nearly snagged the beat to “Sicko Mode.”
“You know what’s funny? I played it for Hov,” Hit-Boy told DJ Akademiks. “When it dropped, [Jay-Z] was like, ‘Yo, I had this f###### “Sicko Mode” beat.’ I’m like, ‘Yep.’ [laughs].”
Jay-Z may have missed out on the sensation that was “Sicko Mode,” but he’s also had his share of success. In 2011 he and Hit-Boy worked with Kanye West to produce “N-ggas in Paris.” “Paris” would go on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2013, an award “Sicko Mode” was nominated for, but was beaten out by “God’s Plan.”
The Success of Hit-Boy
Hit-Boy is a producer, making hits and waves in the hip-hop world. For starters, he has just been awarded BET’s Hip Hop Producer of The Year award for the second year in a row. This is the fourth time Hit-Boy has won producer of the year overall.
In addition, Hit-Boy has been nominated for no less than nine Grammy Awards. He won three of those for, “N-ggas in Paris,” “Racks in the Middle,” and Nas’s King’s Disease. In an interview with Variety, Hit-Boy expresses his joy and gratefulness at his success, “We’re in a crazy era where certain people like to discredit the Grammys or discredit the award shows, period. It’s not everything, but it is a high honor.”
Hit-Boy is undoubtedly one of the most influential producers of our age. He’s worked with big names like Kanye, Beyoncé, Drake, and Nas X, and together they have created gold.
by Chris Colasurdo
@cfcolasurdo on Twitter
