Hit-Boy x N3on x AllHipHop: Inside the Wild Two-Day Music Camp That Crashed the Internet
People always like to consider Hip-Hop street music, but the culture has thrived most when it collides with technology and innovation. From park jams and producers to the internet to Twitch dominance, the innovators move the goal posts.
Producer Hit-Boy has helped define a whole modern wave with his ability to bridge the gap between eras, worlds and even egos. Streamer N3on built a massive audience by turning the camera into an arena where fans make things happen in real time. Now the worlds collide in one creative event.
A two-day recording camp blended a carnival atmosphere with a recording studio. Six studios ran at once. Seventeen records in a single day. A seven hour stream that let viewers act like A&Rs. Empire Records. Alchemist, Hit-Boy and an album called Goldfish. This was more like a playground than a studio with all the trappings. Devon Jefferson sat down with Hit-Boy and N3on to unpack how they pulled it off.
AllHipHop: Day two of the camp and you already knocked out 17 songs on day one. How did that even happen?
Hit-Boy: We had six studios going. I was moving room to room putting collaborations together on the spot. Dave Blunts in one room. 03 Greedo on the other side. Dave cut a joint. We walked it right over to Greedo. He knocked it out. It was crazy and organic.
N3on: The stream went seven hours and it was fire. Outside felt like a festival. Inside felt like a playoff run. People flew in for part two. Today might be even more intense.
AllHipHop: Whose idea was the carnival vibe with a live stream and full studio production at the same time?
N3on: Our teams came together with a wild idea and we built it out. He is producing the music. I am producing the stream. That is the formula.
Hit-Boy: Everything is production. You produce a fit. You produce the couch. You layer each piece until it locks into place. This camp is layers done right.
AllHipHop: Talk about the EMPIRE connection and how it powers this run.
Hit-Boy: EMPIRE has been catching independent heat for a minute. Platinum and even diamond moments. They empower creators and stay out the way. On Goldfish with Alchemist they let us take the creative lead. That is real fuel.
N3on: I am doing my debut project with Empire and Hit-Boy is executive producing. The infrastructure lets the creativity go full speed.
AllHipHop: N3on, you went viral in January with that tunnel snippet. Now you are cutting an album with a Grammy giant. Was that always the vision or did the moment force the plan?
N3on: It is bigger than me. I built a network of clip pages and community from the days when I had a few hundred viewers. They helped push the music. Streaming lets us test things in real time. If it is good the people run with it. I want it natural. No forcing. Working with a legend makes sense. We are making it big and organic at the same time.
AllHipHop: Give us the on the ground snapshot. Day one had big names in the building and seventeen cuts finished. What was the workflow?
Hit-Boy: It felt like a party and a factory at once. I have been in label set ups that were not half as productive. This is a new frontier. People thought folks would waste time on the mechanical bull. Instead they worked and fed off the energy. Unlimited creativity.
AllHipHop: How do you two decide what sticks and what gets scrapped when the volume is that high?
N3on: The chat is a focus group with real power. If they flood W’s and fire emojis we know it is a keeper. If they are not feeling it we pivot. We will run streams where we play records and let the people help us pick.
Hit-Boy: Yesterday we walked into a room with Pressa. The energy was right. N3on threw ad libs on the spot. The room went up. That is a yes in real time.
AllHipHop: Are we going to hear a full N3on record out of this or only features and ad libs?
Hit-Boy: We are going to build records that live on their own and records that connect the camp. The goal is a complete statement, not only moments.
AllHipHop: Are you grabbing songs from the stash or building from scratch with a theme?
Hit-Boy: Day one was pure feel. Play beats and see who catches a vibe. Now that we have a batch we will get strategic. Place the right features on the right records. Make the most collaborative version of each idea.
AllHipHop: We heard about more talent flying in. Any surprises you can tease?
N3on: We have people coming through today. Iggy is flying in. I want to cook up something special for the ladies if the vibe is right.
AllHipHop: The industry keeps blending genres. Country leans into bounce and slap. Pop pulls drums straight from rap kits. Where do you see the sound going?
Hit-Boy: Boundaries are wide open. You hear Hip-Hop patterns in every lane. That means you go create with no box. If the record is undeniable people rock with it.
AllHipHop: Advice for small creators who want to build what you are building at scale?
N3on: It is harder than ever because everyone streams. I used to believe quantity over quality. Now I say focus on the product. Do not copy the biggest people. Study what works and make it better in your own voice. Streaming daily to two viewers with mid content does not move the needle. Be different. Be precise. Build community that believes in your product.
AllHipHop: Appreciate greatness while it is right in your face.
N3on: We are just getting started.