A 12-year prison sentence with nine served wasn’t long enough to break the bond between Hit-Boy and his father, Big Hit. Since the latter was released, the studio has been a sanctum for the father-son duo, reinforcing how their familial connection can extend into the booth.

“I might say little s**t that I wouldn’t peep, or even s**t I don’t peep, he would be on top of it,” Big Hit told REVOLT. “He’s a perfectionist. We have a lot in common there.”

In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the father to one of the most prolific producers in the last five years explained how working with Hit-Boy keeps him from returning to bad habits. He also discussed recording 300 songs since being freed and who he worked with on his upcoming debut album, The Truth Is In My Eyes. Read the exclusive chat below.

How long after your prison release were you recording music?

I got into an Uber and went straight to the studio, man. It was within a matter of hours. I went straight from a cell to the studio. I think the first song I recorded was “Broke The Mold.”

Was there anything that you had to get used to again?

Learning my voice, just hearing my voice. I have to get used to listening to my voice in the speakers and in my earphones. Other than that, I was in that cell molding and shaping myself just like it was the booth.

While you were away, your son became one of the biggest producers in the world. How did he help you transition back into recording?

He’s a perfectionist. I might say little s**t that I wouldn’t peep, or even s**t I don’t peep, he would be on top of it. He would beat me to the punch and tell me, “Hey, do this.” I’d be like, “I was going to mention that, too.” He’s a perfectionist. We have a lot in common there. On a couple of occasions, I’ll record something, and I’ll come back in here, and he’ll make a part of the verse the hook.

A month after you got out, you and your son put out the SURF OR DROWN, Vol. 2 project. How long did it take to make that album?

That was probably two or three days. That s**t was done ASAP. We were just fighting to see which ones we were going to put on there. That was a cakewalk. He does the beats so easily, we do the spitting so easily, it’s like water. I’ve done 10 songs in one day before, but that was on a perfect day. I can do that every day if I really want to, but I stopped doing that and started targeting certain music I felt would go somewhere.

On the album, Hit-Boy rapped about how you going to prison messed with him. You both rapped about how he was a child sneaking cannabis into prison for you. Did those stories come from discussions about the past?

Yeah. I was telling him, “You used to really be a goon, and you don’t even know.” He was with me on my lap with the gat on my lap and bricks up under us. We were really stopping and serving n**gas zips, picking up bread. He doesn’t remember any of that. His mama does, but she didn’t mention that. It ain’t nothing to brag about. But we’ve both bonded. We’re learning from each other.

The studio is a very personal space. Do you feel you and your son worked out any issues during the recording sessions?

Yeah, absolutely. It’s a struggle just staying in here, staying focused and believing in this s**t. There have been plenty of times I want to just shake because this ain’t putting no dollars in my pocket right now. I know I can go get it real quick. But, he be on my head about that. He’s screaming on me like he’s my pops (laughs). And I can’t do anything but respect it because it’s the truth, and it’s the real. I’ll just snap back to reality.

What’s a typical session like for you and Hit-Boy?

I might just come in, and he’ll have something bumping. He’ll ask me, “You feeling this?” I’ll immediately start spitting to it. He’ll point towards the headphones like, “N**ga, record that” (laughs). Then, we’re onto the next one. It’s nonstop, man.

Your upcoming debut album is called The Truth Is In My Eyes. Are there any real-life stories that’ll be covered?

There are a lot of stories from the beginning to the end. It’s all consolidated in one. Y’all are getting years, not just right now. They’re getting years. They’re getting growth. They’ll see I’m tighter than I was back then. One story is how I basically died. They basically killed me in the county jail. In my song “Extra Clips,” I talk about how they literally killed me in the county jail, man. I woke up in the USC Medical Center. They hid me out in the basement. I was in a coma for about a week.

When I woke up with a tube down my throat, the doctor told me, “Damn, you’re awake, n**ga. You made it. You flatlined. If you want to get out of here, then don’t remember anything.” He left, and the sheriffs came in and surrounded my bed. They were like, “Do you remember anything? Do you remember what happened to you?” I shook my head. They turned around, left, and came back in with cameras saying, “Today’s such and such day. We’re here at USC Medical Center,” and all this s**t. But they had no cameras at first. They were going to body my a**, but the doc gave me the heads up. That’s when they got me out of there, and I bailed out. That’s when I went to the doctor and found my lungs had collapsed. They cracked my ribs and all kinds of s**t. I had pinched nerves. They f**ked me up. They fractured my eye socket. That’s a true story.

Who have you been collaborating with on this album?

Everybody. I got Snoop Dogg, Benny the Butcher, Mozzy, Dom Kennedy, Jay Worthy, RJae. I got a gang of Gs.

You were in the studio with Nas. What happened there?

There ain’t no telling. We’re going to see. Something might pop out of the oven.

How many songs would you say you recorded since you’ve been released?

It probably is around 250 songs. It might be 300, and I’m still working. I haven’t even scratched the surface, my n**ga. I have trash bags of songs. If I get inspired, I won’t even go in the bag.

What do you need in the studio to make your best music?

I really only need weed and bananas (laughs). I’ll be eating bananas and cashews. I got the lemon juice. I got turmeric. I got the cayenne pepper and ginger. I be on my health tip. I got tea. I keep my voice coated. We might drop down and do 500 pushups or something.

What do you have coming for the rest of 2023?

We got nothing but music. We are going to map it out and see how we’re going to drop this music that we already have and keep making more music. We have some new movies coming. We’ll get into a little acting. We have a documentary coming. I got my book coming. We have this clothing line. I got my Big Hit banana leaf blunt wraps. I got my own strain, Big Hit OG. There’s a lot coming.