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Hit-Boy Narrates How He was Introduced to Nas Through Frank Ocean: A Story Revealed

Nas and Hit-Boy’s recent partnership has been legendary in the hip-hop industry. In just four years, they have released six albums, with three from the King’s Disease series and three from the Magic series. Their abundant production has received universal praise, especially the featured appearances by 50 Cent and Lil Wayne on Magic 2 and Magic 3.

In a recent interview with Rap Radar, Hit-Boy revealed the surprising origins of this fruitful partnership. According to the producer, he was introduced to Nas by none other than Frank Ocean. The introduction happened back in 2013 when Hit-Boy was working on a demo with Ocean.

“We met originally in like 2013. I did a demo with Frank Ocean and Frank Ocean played it for Nas. Me and Frank had a session of our own, we were just working on music and he did a hook he was like ‘yo I’m about to go work with Nas. I wanna play this hook for him.’ He played it and Nas was rocking with it,” Hit-Boy explained.

Eventually, the track transformed into “Royalty” from Nas’ Lost Tapes 2, but only Frank’s lyrics were kept in the final version.

In a post on Instagram last month, Hit-Boy further discussed his long-held desire to collaborate with Nas. He shared a note from his phone dated September 11th, 2011, where he expressed his wish to produce a Rihanna single and just three songs on a Nas album.

“Fast forward 12 years later and i’m 6 ALBUMS in with the God himself wow. How did we get here?!!,” Hit-Boy wrote.

The story of how Frank Ocean connected Hit-Boy and Nas is a testament to the power of networking and collaboration in the music industry. It also highlights the role of serendipity in shaping the course of music history.

As fans, we can only marvel at the string of albums that this introduction has produced and look forward to more collaborations from these talented artists in the future.

Artist Spotlight

“Empatia” by Aurien & Jab Vix set the tone for an atmospheric new era

“Empatia,“ the stunning electronic debut of Aurien, in collaboration with Jab Vix, is the start of a new creative universe under Aurien’s newly launched imprint Château Bonheur Musique. The track feels like a doorway into a curated emotional space, built from atmosphere, storytelling, and immersive sound design.

“Empatia” is founded upon a contemporary electronic aesthetics that favors texture. The production is sleek and considered, offering up soft rhythmic pulses within roomy layers that breathe. Working with Jab Vix gives texture and dynamics to Aurien’s perspective and sets the sound for the song. It’s more about feeling the music than looking for peaks of high energy. It builds slowly and invites you to sit in the mood.

A highlight is the “Elegant Mix,” which takes the original and gives it a more subdued, slicker makeover. It allows the heart of the composition to come through more intimately, and this duality reinforces the idea behind Château Bonheur Musique as environment, experience, and feeling. “Empatia” is a debut statement and manifesto for the immersive, emotionally intelligent electronic music that works as effortlessly as it does in shared spaces. It’s a thoughtful direction for Aurien, where sound is not just heard, but lived in.

Connect with Aurien on | FB | Spotify | IG |

Artist Spotlight

Hollow Shift explores emotional conflict and survival in new EP “War”

Hollow Shift’s “War” EP is a heavy electronic statement, born out of tension, memory, and emotional endurance. The project is the fulfillment of a long-standing creative chemistry between Athens-based duo Alex Zamparas and Jessica Bell, who have since moved on from earlier dream-pop explorations to a darker, more cinematic synthwave identity.

The opening track, “Hephaestus,” is a throbbing mechanical beat overlaid with synths. The production leans into metallic textures and slow-burning speed, as if something powerful is born out of chaos. “Nothing Dies Quietly” raises the emotional stakes with a melodic figure and understated electronic percussion. It is a sad, reflective piece, looking at the lingering echoes of conflict, internal and external. The vocals float above the waves of ambient sound that pulse like a fading memory.

The most experimental track to end the EP is “Frequencies Will Stumble.” The rhythms break and come apart, implying instability, like emotional disorientation. “War” is a meditation on fracture, resistance, and the fragile hope that follows disruption. Hollow Shift delivers a synth-driven tale of finely sharpened production and emotional depth that feels both intimate and expansive. This EP is a big step forward in their sound, and it is cinematic, introspective, and unapologetically human underneath the electronic surface.

Connect with Hollow Shift on | Website | X | Spotify | IG | TikTok |