After spending several years rapping under the name [wimpLink artistId="3662530"]Yung Berg[/wimpLink], Chicago-born musician Christian Ward switched his focus to producing as [wimpLink artistId="6118308"]Hitmaka[/wimpLink]. Having already quietly accrued several huge production credits for artists like [wimpLink artistId="3702744"]Nicki Minaj[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="15406"]Sean Paul[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="6118308"]Hitmaka[/wimpLink] stepped into the spotlight with his 2019 single "Thot Box," featuring verses from [wimpLink artistId="3966408"]Meek Mill[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3970137"]2 Chainz[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3698498"]Tyga[/wimpLink], and others.<br/>Christian Ward was born in Chicago in 1985 and was rapping under the stage name Iceberg by the early 2000s. He was first signed to [wimpLink artistId="24360288"]DMX[/wimpLink]'s [wimpLink artistId="24074908"]Bloodline Records[/wimpLink], but his rap dreams were postponed when his parents sent him to boarding school. When he got out in 2003, he moved to Los Angeles, and a few years later made his debut as [wimpLink artistId="3662530"]Yung Berg[/wimpLink]. By the late 2000s, Ward was working as a producer in addition to rapping. His production credits included several tracks on [wimpLink artistId="3702744"]Nicki Minaj[/wimpLink]'s 2012 debut studio album [wimpLink albumId="38625529"]The Pinkprint[/wimpLink], as well as singles for [wimpLink artistId="3670233"]French Montana[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="27518"]Lil Wayne[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3966408"]Meek Mill[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3518111"]Yo Gotti[/wimpLink], and many others. His focus shifted gradually from rapping to production and A&R work for Atlantic. Somewhere in the early to mid-2000s, Ward took on the [wimpLink artistId="6118308"]Hitmaka[/wimpLink] moniker and began applying a [wimpLink artistId="6118308"]Hitmaka[/wimpLink] production tag to his beats. More work for high-profile rappers and R&B stars continued, and in 2019, his single "Thotbox" was released. The original version included rhymes from [wimpLink artistId="3970137"]2 Chainz[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="3966408"]Meek Mill[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="9150977"]YBN Nahmir[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="7475087"]A Boogie wit Da Hoodie[/wimpLink], and [wimpLink artistId="3698498"]Tyga[/wimpLink], and several weeks later a remix surfaced, featuring new verses from Young Ma, [wimpLink artistId="5005709"]Dreezy[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="7480757"]Mulatto[/wimpLink], [wimpLink artistId="8771137"]DreamDoll[/wimpLink], and [wimpLink artistId="9452121"]Chinese Kitty[/wimpLink]. ~ Fred Thomas