Hit-Boy reveals ASAP Rocky's "1Train" beat was originally for Drake

Yesterday (Jan. 15) marked 10 years since the release of A$AP Rocky‘s debut studio LP, LONG.LIVE.A$AP, a project that helped to solidify the Harlem emcee’s position as one of hip hop’s current greats. Featuring the likes of ScHoolboy Q, Santigold and Skrillex, the genre-bending body of work debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned a double platinum certification.

One particular standout from LONG.LIVE.A$AP was “1Train,” which put Rocky next to Kendrick Lamar, Joey Badass, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T., making for one of the biggest posse cuts in rap during that time. In response to a post honoring its impact, the song’s producer, Hit-Boy, revealed  “1Train” was originally for a certain Canadian star:

“[The] first person I sent this beat to was Drake. He said he already had a joint on his album with a similar sound, so at the end of my session [with] Rocky for ‘Goldie,’ I played [the] ‘1Train’ instrumental and he took it and made it what it is.”

He also used the history lesson to remind the masses how long he’s been creating that style of music:

“Listen to Nas’ ‘Thun’ off [King’s Disease III and] then listen to ‘1Train.’ Why do some heads think I just [started] chopping?”

Drake made an appearance on LONG.LIVE.A$AP via another big single, “F**kin’ Problems,” a track the OVO head honcho produced with Noah “40” Shebib. As he explained in a past XXL interview, that song wasn’t meant for its final placement either:

“It was actually Kendrick’s record first. He had asked me to get on ‘Poetic Justice’ [from good kid, m.A.A.d city]… I understood why ‘F**kin’ Problems’ didn’t fit. The next project I had to work on was A$AP’s album, and that’s another guy, a genuine friend of mine, as is Kendrick. He’s a good person. He took the record and it went No. 1.”

Check out Hit-Boy‘s tweets below.