Career
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Hollis got his start in professional music production upon receiving a message from high-profile record producer Polow da Don on Myspace which read: "Let's get this paper, pimp". [5] He received his first major production credit in tandem with the producer for the 2009 More than a Game documentary soundtrack, which was released by Polow's label Zone 4, to which he signed as an in-house producer. He co-produced the song "Stronger" by Mary J. Blige, which entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Hollins is also a founding member of the collective Surf Club, which he formed with fellow producers Chase N. Cashe, BCarr, and Chili Chill. [6]
While continuing to receive production credits with Zone 4, he became acquainted with rapper Kanye West and produced his 2010 GOOD Friday song, "Christmas in Harlem". [7] On May 2, 2011, [8] he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music label as an in-house producer, allowing him to work directly with West and the label's further releases. West and Jay-Z's 2011 single, "Niggas in Paris" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, won two Grammy Awards, and received diamond certification by the RIAA.
On June 7, 2012, Hollis released his first single as a recording artist, "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 then-GOOD Music cohort Kid Cudi. These two tracks appeared on his first full-length project, a mixtape titled HITstory, which was released for free download on his website. Also in 2012, he produced three songs from his label GOOD Music's compilation album Cruel Summer , and produced ASAP Rocky's single "Goldie". On December 23, 2012, Hollis secured a solo recording contract with Interscope Records (the former parent label of Zone 4), 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." [9] On January 23, 2013, his record label, Hits Since '87, became an imprint of Interscope. [10] On June 29, 2013, parted ways with GOOD Music, but instated that he was still on good terms with West and his labelmates. [11] [12]
Hollins and Los Angeles rapper Dom Kennedy released the joint mixtape Half-A-Mil EP in December 2017, subsequently adopting the name as an alias for the duo. [13] The mixtape consisted of five songs, and was led by the single "100 Rounds". It was followed by the sequel, Half-A-Mil 2 on February 24, 2017, [14] and Half-A-Mil 3 followed thereafter in August 2017. [15] The mixtape only had two features; from 24hrs on "Don't Run" and Quentin Miller on the tracks "Might as Well" and "In The Hills". [16] Their debut collaborative album, Courtesy of Half-a-Mil was released in November of that year. [17] [18]
From 2020 to 2022, Hollins teamed up with Nas to serve as executive producer on the King's Disease series— King's Disease , King's Disease II , and most recently King's Disease III —to close out 2022. King's Disease I and II were consecutively nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rap Album of the Year, with the former winning and awarding Nas with the artist’s first Grammy award throughout his storied career. They also collaborated on Nas's fifteenth studio album, Magic , in late 2022.
In 2023, Hollins worked on and released a multitude of projects, including beginning with his albums SURF OR DROWN in March, which featured guest appearances from Nas, The Alchemist, and Curren$y. Two months later, he followed up the album with its sequel, SURF OR DROWN Vol. 2, on Father's Day in June alongside his father, Big Hit, who appears on nine of the ten songs. In May 2023, Big Hit was released from prison after serving nine years and got right back to the studio to pick up where he left off. Before his incarceration in 2014, Big Hit had grown a fanbase following the release of the 2013 singles, "Grindin' My Whole Life" and "G'z Don't Cry", both produced by Hit-Boy. SURF OR DROWN Vol. 2 is a celebration of the reunification of the father son rap duo, and the continuation of Big Hit's career. Hollins executive produced Big Hit's debut solo album, The Truth Is In My Eyes (2023).
Hollins executive produced a number albums in 2023, including three Nas albums (King's Disease III, Magic 2, and Magic 3), Musiq Soulchild's Victims & Villains, and Benny the Butcher's album Everybody Can't Go (alongside the Alchemist), and Madden 2024 video game soundtrack. He worked on two songs from Don Toliver's third album Love Sick , as well as the song "Delresto (Echoes)" by Travis Scott and Beyoncé from Scott's Utopia .
In January 2024, Hollins produced and executive produced the project Paisley Dreams by the Game and Big Hit. The nine song album was made in one session, the first time the Game and Big Hit had met. Hollins also produced Jennifer Lopez's single "Can't Get Enough" alongside Rogét Chahayed for her eighth album, This Is Me...Now.
