Hitmaka – “Even with all my success with records and streams, I’m still in the studio every day”

In this exclusive Studio Talks interview with legendary producer Hitmaka, we dive deep into his remarkable journey in the music industry. From his early days as a rapper, “Yung Berg,” to becoming a powerhouse producer, Hitmaka reflects on the evolution of his sound, his creative process, and the future of music. With over 100 million records sold and an impressive resume featuring records with the world’s biggest artists, his contributions have shaped some of the biggest hits of the past two decades. In this conversation, Hitmaka opens up about his career, the artists he's worked with, and his vision for the next generation of artists and producers. The interview was conducted by Andrej Aroch via video call on January 7th, 2025.

You started out as a rapper, “Yung Berg.” What inspired you to transition to being “Hitmaka,” the producer?

A lot of people didn’t know I was already producing my own records when I was Yung Berg. I produced tracks like “The Business,” “Sexy Lady,” and “Sexy Can I,” as well as most of my debut album, were produced by me, along with my producer friend Rob Holladay, who’s now signed to me. We worked closely together, but at the time, I wasn’t really making it known that I was behind the production that I was writing R&B hooks and producing.

When I transitioned, I was at a turning point. My rap career had started to feel a bit weird, and things weren’t going the best way. But I’ve been making music since I was a kid, and I knew I had to keep creating. It hit me that the songs were still great—they just didn’t want me as the face of the product anymore.

That’s when I decided to change my name. I was in Miami, working with my collaborator and friend Jordan Hollywood at a studio owned by Cyclone (check). I was recording a bunch of hooks and doing demos. One day, at the start of a song, I just randomly said “Hitmaka.” I don’t know why it came to me, but it did. I thought, Yo, I’m going to run with that. Jordan agreed, saying it was a great idea. From there, I started positioning myself differently, circulating the records under this new name, and it was like a sneak attack on the industry.

Do you think your production approach changes because you were also a rapper? Does that give you an artist’s perspective?

Yes and no. It only changes when I’m working directly with an artist who has a specific direction they want me to take. Otherwise, my process is pretty consistent. I go into the studio with my team—which includes a group of young producers I’m grooming and helping build. I collect ideas from my team and friends, whether it’s samples or different creative approaches.

The core of our work is being in the studio together almost six days a week, creating songs. Most of the songs you’ve heard start as demos with me and my team. For example, I might create a demo and present it to Chris Brown, who then sings it, or to someone like Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, or even rappers like King Von or Lil Durk.

For example, “Still Trappin’” went platinum and nearly hit number one on radio. It started with a rap hook we demoed. King Von took that and transformed it, making it his own. That’s the process for a lot of our work. We create demos, then I approach the artist and say, I think this fits you. Let’s make it yours.