Hit-Boy, the acclaimed music producer, has revealed how Jay-Z and Roc Nation intervened to rescue his career from an unfavorable publishing deal that could have lasted indefinitely.
In a recent episode of The Shop, Hit-Boy, 37, disclosed that he signed his first publishing contract with Universal Publishing at age 19. The terms of this “ancient” deal lacked a clear end date.
“I’m actually still in my publishing situation,” Hit-Boy said. “I signed when I was 19 years old and I’m 37, so I’ve been in the deal a long time.”
Hit-Boy credited Jay-Z and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez with improving his situation. “They really got me to a place I’m in now, where I have an end date,” he said. “Before, my whole career I was working without having an actual end date to— the way we really get our money, which is through publishing.”
The producer’s relationship with Jay-Z began in 2012 when he produced “Niggas in Paris” for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne album. This led to Hit-Boy signing with Roc Nation for management in 2013.
The original contract had limited Hit-Boy’s financial opportunities. “I haven’t been able to go do other deals or go get advances in different places like my counterparts have,” he explained.
Hit-Boy’s experience highlights the importance of fair publishing deals in the music industry, especially for young artists and producers. It also underscores the role that industry veterans like Jay-Z can play in advocating for artists’ interests.
