Hit-Boy is back with his first new song as an independent artist.
On Thursday, July 24, the Grammy Award-winning artist delivered his latest track, "What's The Deal?" via Surf Club. On the track he produced himself, Hit-Boy raps about the success he's had over the past 10+ years despite the agonizing publishing deal he was trapped in. Following the song's release, the Fontana, Calif. native explained how JAY-Z helped him get out of the deal he had been chained to since he was a teen.
"Today i can say [JAY-Z] got me something more valuable than a plane or anything tangible," Hit-Boy wrote.
"He helped secure my freedom from an 18 year publishing deal i was stuck in and i cant thank him enough for pushing that thru," he continued. "much appreciation to desiree perez for also making this happen the love and respect on my end runs deep and i appreciate all the help frr. Today i am a free man, i feel like i just got out the pen after an 18 year sentence and have a chance to start over with more knowledge than i ever had. my best has yet to be seen God is Great! WHAT’S THE DEAL?!"
Hit-Boy previously spoke about signing the grueling deal during an episode of "The Shop" in 2024. He told the crew that he received the offer from Universal Music Publishing Group when he was 13. The deal only gave him $50,000 upfront, but didn't have an end date listed in the paperwork. 10 years later, Hit-Boy had a chance to produce JAY-Z and Ye's hit song "N***as In Paris." Now, thanks to Hov and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, the multifaceted artist was able to get out of the deal and release music independently for the first time ever.
Watch Hit-Boy talk about the situation and watch the official music video for "What's The Deal?" below.