The Midas Touch

By Naya Clark
Photos by Colton Chapman

When it comes to production in the R&B, rap and hip-hop realms, Hitmaka is at the top of the industry. Hitmaka built his reputation with No. 1 hits including “Sexy Lady” and “Sexy Can I,” and solidified it by working with artists including Nicki Minaj, Ray J, T.I., Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa. These days Hitmaka is the vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records where he recently released “Down Bad,” a new single with Jeremih, Fabolous and Ivory Scott. We spoke with the highly sought-after producer about how he incorporates tattoos and production into his musically expressive life.

People who know Hitmaka, formerly known as Yung Berg, watched his evolution as he created some of the biggest hits through multiple production styles, validating his name as a hitmaker. From his earliest days, Hitmaka attributes one element as a constant throughout his career—his love for the people in his life who have positively influenced him. This is evident in his extensive tattoo collection, adorned with ink dedicated to other musicians, producers and family members who have passed away.

Most of Hitmaka’s tattoos are done on the fly. He says his tattoos are rarely premeditated or drawn out beforehand but are usually spur-of-the-moment decisions while traveling or working out of town. “It’s really personifying a moment when you get a tattoo,” he says.

Himaka takes a similar approach to his music, always staying focused on the present. “Everything I’m doing is based on the energy of how I’m feeling in the moment,” he says. “Tattoos and music correlate to the same type of meaning to me and go off just feeling. I always pull from different creators as a producer. I think that’s the dope part about it. You’re able to build off someone else’s feeling as well … and turn their energy up to a whole different level and feed off of them.

“I think that collaboration, whether it’s between you and your tattoo artist or the [musical] artist you’re working with in the studio is key,” he continues. “They have to know how you’re feeling, and you have to know how they feel. You’re making a masterpiece together.”

Hitmaka drew a lot of his inspiration for his first tattoos from Lil Wayne. Famous for his full body of ink, not to mention his face tattoos, Lil Wayne motivated Hitmaka to express himself through music and ink in a similar manner. “It’s all about being creative, so create whatever you put on your body, that’s your decision,” he says. “I think when you make the jump and start getting tattoos on your face, you’re crazy, for one. Two, you got to be doing something creative.”

Hitmaka also mentions that having friends like Wiz Khalifa inspired him to get a jukebox tattoo on his throat. He recalls a specific moment shortly before Wiz Khalifa released his first No. 1 single, “Black and Yellow.” As a friendly competition, Hitmaka assumed Wiz wasn’t as hard as he was and got the jukebox tattoo, which he jokingly says was a bad idea. At the time he was trying to hold his composure, but he can’t deny that a throat tattoo is hard to sit through. “It hurt like hell,” he admits.

If you were to look at all of his tattoos together, they tell a story of where his heart is. He has tattoos on the inside of his lips. A tattoo of Chicago’s skyline on his back. A tattoo inspired by Nipsey Hussle, someone he came up with in the music industry. “His path was substantial to me,” he says, “so I got a tattoo to honor him.” He also has a tattoo dedicated to his grandfather and one of Christopher Martin, a former tutor of his who was tragically killed.

Throughout all the aspects of his life, Hitmaka is inspired by friends and the people he works with. “I just try to look up to people who are ahead of me and [people who] are doing things creatively that are moving the culture forward,” he says. “As far as my peers, I love what Southside is doing. I love what OG Parker is doing. I love what London on the Track is doing. In the past, it was the usual suspects—Dr. Dre, Kanye, Pharell and Timbaland. No I.D. was very integral to my career and led me to the point that I’m at now.”

The city of Chicago, Hitmaka’s hometown, also helped mold his production style. With the help of his mentor, Boogs, he got his first demo together while still in high school. The two still collaborate to this day and have created multiple hit tracks together.

Throughout the pandemic, many musicians had to take a different approach to collaboration. Fortunately, Hitmaka had his own studio where he could put in work and co-create with others in a safe environment. It was during those home sessions that “Down Bad,” the feel-good summer song that sets the perfect vibe for a trip down to Miami, took form.

Longevity is one of the most difficult things to establish within the music industry. Everybody is talented, but there is a certain amount of ingenuity required to stick around beyond one or two hits. Hitmaka started grinding while still in high school and to him it’s the grind that is the key to his success.

“I think it starts with work,” he says. “You just got to always keep your foot on the gas and always be in the studio and the work is gonna catch up to you. It might not seem like the work is happening, but when you stay, putting the work in and putting out that energy, it’s going to catch up to you. I promise.”

Hitmaka put in a lot of hard work to get to the pinnacle of the recording industry and he has the receipts inked into his skin. The music that inspired him, the people who helped him get to where he is and the faith that anchors him are all represented in his tattoo collection. And as the hits keep coming, the collection will keep growing. You can count on that.