Hitmaka

Hitmaka
Ward in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Christian J. Ward[1][2]
Also known as	Iceberg Yung Berg
Born	(1985-09-09) September 9, 1985 (age 38) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[3][4][5][6]
Genres	Hip hop R&B
Occupations	Record producer rapper songwriter disc jockey record executive
Years active	2001–2010 (rapper) 2010–present (producer)
Labels	Yung Fly Movement Atlantic Epic Bloodline Poe Boy Sony BMG E1 Slip-n-Slide Young Boss
Children	3

Christian J. Ward (born September 9, 1985), known professionally as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois,^[7][8][9] Ward was the first artist to sign with American rapper DMX's vanity label Bloodline Records (under the stage name Iceberg) in 2001, at the age of 14.^[10] Six years later, he signed with Epic Records and adopted the stage name Yung Berg. His 2007 debut single, "Sexy Lady" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his guest appearance on Ray J's single, "Sexy Can I" and Ward's own follow-up single, "The Business" peaked at numbers three and 33 on the chart, respectively, the following year; all three of which preceded the release of his debut studio album, Look What You Made Me (2008). Despite generally unfavorable critical reception, it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200. After releasing a number of follow-up mixtapes and singles that failed to chart, he shifted focus away from recording in favor of a career in music production by 2014.^[11]

Ward's production and songwriting work has proved commercially successful. Since the 2010s, he has been credited on the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Bounce Back" by Big Sean, "John" by Lil Wayne, "Party" by Chris Brown, "Look Back at It" by A Boogie wit da Hoodie, "Dangerous" by Meek Mill, and "Plan B" by Megan Thee Stallion. In 2020, he was appointed the Vice President of A&R at Atlantic Records.^[12][13]