One of hip-hop’s most successful rapper-producer partnerships of recent years appears to have come to an end, with producer Hit-Boy saying he does not expect to work with Nas again.
Hit-Boy revealed that he and the veteran New York rapper have not spoken for about three years, despite producing six albums and roughly 80 songs together between 2020 and 2023.
Speaking during an interview with DJ Vlad and music journalist Elliott Wilson, Hit-Boy said: “We did a lot of great work, but I don’t see us working again.”
The producer did not explain exactly what caused the breakdown in their relationship.
When asked about the reasons behind the split, Hit-Boy said there were “a lot of reasons” but added that he did not want to discuss the matter in detail because it was “pretty deep”.
He instead chose to reflect on what the pair had achieved together.
“Respect to what we did get accomplished in three years,” he said.
A remarkable run
The partnership began with *King’s Disease* in 2020, an album which marked a significant period in Nas’ later career.
The two went on to release *King’s Disease II* and *Magic* in 2021, followed by *King’s Disease III* in 2022. In 2023, they released *Magic 2* and *Magic 3*, completing a remarkable run of six collaborative projects.
Hit-Boy has said the pair created around 80 songs during those three years, with him producing almost every track.
The success of the collaboration also brought Nas a major career milestone. *King’s Disease* won Best Rap Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards, giving Nas his first Grammy victory after decades of nominations.
The run was notable not only for its volume but also for the reception to Nas’ music. The albums were widely regarded as a strong late-career period for the rapper, with Hit-Boy’s production providing a consistent musical backdrop for his lyrics.
From promising continuation to silence
The current situation is particularly striking because there had appeared to be no indication that the partnership was ending when *Magic 3* was released in September 2023.
At the time, both men spoke positively about their work together.
Nas said they could “definitely go for more albums”, while Hit-Boy also left the door open to future collaborations.
Three years later, however, Hit-Boy says the two are no longer in contact.
He has not publicly accused Nas of any particular wrongdoing, and there is currently no confirmed explanation for what caused the relationship to deteriorate.
Nas has also not publicly responded to Hit-Boy’s latest comments. Billboard has contacted Nas’ representatives for comment.
What happens next?
For now, it appears that the six-album partnership is over.
Whether the two artists eventually reconcile remains uncertain. But Hit-Boy’s comments suggest that, at least from his perspective, another Nas project is unlikely.
Whatever happened behind the scenes, their three-year creative run has already secured its place as one of the more productive rapper-producer collaborations in modern hip-hop.
Six albums, about 80 songs and a Grammy later, the partnership that once seemed capable of continuing indefinitely has reached an unexpected end.
