Hit-Boy & Big Hit Talk ‘The Truth is In My Eyes’ Album & Collaborating With Snoop Dogg

Hit-Boy is a man of many talents, and his ability to make hit records continues to impact the music industry in a major way.

This year, the California native is nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2024 Grammys, sharing the category with some big names including Jack Antonoff, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, Metro Boomin, and Dan Nigro.

While Hit–Boy has a lot to celebrate, nothing means more to him than his father coming home from prison after 9 years. In fact, Big Hit has been locked up for the majority of Hit-Boy’s life, serving a 20 year bid prior to this last one. Since he’s been out, Big Hit has been locked in the studio with his son, creating meaningful, heartfelt music that’s inspired by real life experiences.

Now, Big Hit is excited as ever to unveil his debut album titled The Truth Is In My Eyes, produced entirely by Hit-Boy. The 17-track project was released independently via Hit-Boy’s label Surf Club, giving fans an opportunity to support them directly before uploading to streaming platforms. Features include heavy-hitters such as Snoop Dogg, Mozzy, Dom Kennedy, Benny The Butcher, Musiq Soulchild, The Alchemist, and more.

The dynamic duo celebrated the release of the project this past weekend in Los Angeles, taking over Bottom Bunk on Melrose Ave. The pop-up offered exclusive merch and CDs, along with an art exhibit detailing Big Hit’s extensive time behind bars.

The Fox Magazine spoke with Hit-Boy and Big Hit via FaceTime, both of whom were locked in the studio. Hit-Boy had his 3-year-old son C3 with him, as he does with all his studio sessions.

How are you feeling now that the album is out?

Hit-Boy: I feel great man. I’m seeing the respect level just go up. People from text messages, Twitter, IG. People tapping in like, “Man, I like what y’all doing. Y’all didn’t put it on Spotify or Apple.” They buying it straight from Big Hit. Can’t get more direct and more real than that.

And what was the intention behind that?

Hit-Boy: I mean, you see the game. You even see people like Snoop Dogg doing interviews like, “Man, I got a billion streams on Spotify. That wasn’t nothing but $40K.” You ain’t losing anyway, in my eyes. To me, I’m looking at it like we made enough — probably the equivalent of millions of streams already in one weekend. We wouldn’t have been able to make that if we would’ve took a record deal, then been begging these people to put us on their platforms or their playlists. We letting people really come into the world and seeing who’s rocking with it, and it’s going good.

How would it feel to FaceTime Snoop Dogg at the pop-up?

Hit-Boy: That was too hard.

Big Hit: Shit, amazing. That was a big respect situation man. Shout out big Snoop, that was coming from a big brotherly aspect. I received it like a little brother forreal.

Big Hit, how’d it feel coming out of prison 9 years later and making a song with Snoop? Obviously, Hit-Boy is the plug.

Big Hit: It was a dream come true. I always said I’ma get on with Snoop and all that. Death Row, whatever with Nipsey or whoever else. It was a dream come true. Now, it’s manifesting like man what’s next?

What’s the meaning behind The Truth Is In My Eyes? 

Big Hit: The saying itself was something [I experienced] all my life. I can remember being in prison, first walking through the line and the police was bullying n*ggas. He got to me and I couldn’t fake nothing, because I knew I was going to disrespect them with what I was going to say. I just kept quiet. I just was looking and they got offended. They called all the police and they surrounded me. I didn’t say nothing disrespectful, I just sat there and looked.

They was saying something like I did something. N*ggas got up and basically stood up for me like “He didn’t say shit but look at this motherfucking police! He didn’t say nothing but look at him in eyes.” Man, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. A lot of things I can’t hide, and that’s sometimes a gift and a curse. But I know for a fact my daddy always told me: “if a man can’t look you in the eyes, he’s a fraud. He’s either hiding something or he’s trying to snake you. He’s not official. He’s not authentic.”

Was the project made entirely when you got out? Or were some of the raps made behind bars as well?

Big Hit: Both. It’s a collection of both. I’ve been locked up, some of it was I got out and recreated some old shit. Then felt the vibe while I’m out here and basically combined them, made it happen.

How’d it feel being behind bars and seeing your son out here killing it? Getting Grammys, getting plaques.

Big Hit: [laughs] Man. That’s it. What you said, man that’s it. I was overjoyed, bragging on him. At the same time, feeling the resentment like damn, I ain’t there to help and contribute, and support. But I’m here now, it’s good.

I was at the White Men Can’t Jump premiere.  does it feel for Hit-Boy to bring you on the red carpet?

Big Hit: That was amazing. That was a dream come true. Everybody wants to be on the red carpet. I don’t give a fuck who you are, you’re lying if you say you don’t. I was flossing to the fullest, just that experience alone. All the superstars there, the embracement and all that was life-changing. It was cool.

Do you guys have a favorite song on the project? I’m sure it changes daily… 

Hit-Boy: Man right, it be changing. Right now, between “Shoppin’ Monster” with Snoop Dogg and “Man, I’m Rolling” with The Alchemist. But then “Speaking In Codes.”

Big Hit: “Red Lotion.”

Hit-Boy: But then “Red Lotion,” man! But then “Truth Is In My Eyes,” I can’t decide. Every song takes me into a world because this shit is authentic. It isn’t no made up raps. Every line is some shit he lived through, so I respect it.

How does it feel to be making music with your own blood in the studio? What’s the dynamic?

Big Hit: It’s a trip. You gon’ get in your zone anyway, but you notice certain similarities, it’s a trip. It’s a good experience. It’s a great experience.

Do you have a favorite highlight or memory from making the project?

Hit-Boy: Man this shit is in real time. Everything we doing, we making memories. This is really 30 years of lost time. He just got out from 9 [years]. Before that, it wasn’t too much time that we got to really spend locking in. Everything y’all seeing, this is all off the muscle. It ain’t no big team putting no marketing schemes together. This is what we’re doing, and whoever’s rocking with it we’re going to keep building respect.

I love that the project is uploaded to Jpay so those incarcerated could hear it. A portion of proceeds is going to people who are incarcerated, correct?

Hit-Boy: Some of the stuff we did at the pop-up, we donated some money to some charities. From the merch and from the CD sales.

That pop-up was so dope, how was it putting that together? Even the displays like Big Hit’s jail cell, his last sandwich, it was crazy to see. 

Big Hit: It’s really the rawest forreal. It’s cool because I want to let people know — basically it was a reminder for me, and a display for y’all if you haven’t experienced it. I haven’t met too many n*ggas that have been to jail, but I have met a couple. I’m not going to sit there and feed them no fairytale like n*ggas fed me, just one side of the game. Everybody just looks at the females, the money, the cars, the diamonds and all this shit. Flossing and having fun, but there’s a flipside to that.

One of my favorite people on this earth is Mozzy. How was it working with him on “Wigglin’”? I’m sure the music video was a ball to shoot.

Hit-Boy: Yeah it goes deeper than that though too because when pops first got locked up, he was locked up with Mozzy’s blood uncle. Him and Mozzy got the same last name. This was 1991. For it to be full circle, they still cool. Me and Mozzy had tapped him before, it’s bigger than just… it’s dope as hell they connected. Obviously for music reasons, then the connection like being Bloods. That’s a real thing in the streets. That’s a real connection they had. Just like him and GP, Mozzy’s uncle, that’s ill to me how it came full circle.

Big Hit: Shout out Mozzy, shout out GP. I was locked up with GP. I never knew that was his nephew at the time. We did some situations, he looked out for me. When we finally came to full circle, I’ve figured it out. He told me he was his uncle and it was all love already. Mozzy, he be clowning too. He got a beautiful personality man.

The Fox Magazine is all about inspiration, what inspires you guys the most?

Hit-Boy: Man, moments like this. Doing interviews off the art we’re making. Being embraced and respected for it, that shit makes me want to do it more. Lock in more.

Big Hit: Absolutely. This is family, I’m enjoying and riding the wave. He’s stealing my words.

Hit-Boy: The Truth Is In My Eyes, bighitnupid.com. No streaming, buy straight from Big Hit man. He’s 7 months out, so it’s real in the field. Get the CD.

Big Hit: Come support me my n*gga. I got no dope to sell, I got dope on CDs.

Both: [laughs]

When’d you get that chain Big Hit?

Big Hit: Oh man, this is compliments of Hit-Boy. You feel me?

Anything else we can expect from you guys? What’re you most excited for?

Hit-Boy: More music, 2024. This is just the beginning. This the set up, the foundation. We finna run it up. Definitely tours, shows. Just getting in front of people, locking in.