Hit-Boy has long been celebrated as the master producer behind the opening beat to Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE,” a fan-favorite from 2018’s Astroworld LP. Five years after the release of the hit single, the producer is just now revealing there’s a version of the beat that spans the length of an entire song.
“I remember Travis first facetimed me when he first did it, like the next morning after the session,” Hit-Boy told HipHopDX. “And he played it and it was extended, it was longer so…”
The beginning of “SICKO MODE” features a Drake verse, during which the rapper drops his bars over Hit-Boy’s beat for about a minute.
Hit-Boy told the publication that he wasn’t present when Drake recorded his verse for the song’s intro but received a call from Scott after the studio session previewing the track.
While the version Hit-Boy heard over the call likely followed Drake’s part with Scott jumping in on the same beat, the final version of the song cuts off Hit-Boy’s production, segueing into a beat made by Tay Keith instead.
Nonetheless, Hit-Boy stands by the final version of “SICKO MODE” that Scott fans know and love.
“I know it’s for sure a longer version part, but it’s probably not gonna ever come out,” he told HipHopDX.
Revisit Hit-Boy’s beat on Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE” now.
In other music news, HBO shared a trailer for The Weeknd’s Live at SoFi Stadium concert special.
