Ryan Katz Discusses His Role In Helping Put Hit Row Together

Hit Row wasn’t together long, but the group made a lasting impact on NXT and WWE television as they were presented in a different light than others acts in NXT. 

The group was allowed to give an authentic presentation of hip-hop culture, including a championship cypher at NXT Great American Bash 2021. 

NXT writer and producer Ryan Katz wasn’t the main man behind the group as it was a collaborative effort, but he has been credited by the group as being the man who helped them get together in NXT. 

Speaking on Handsome Genius Club, Katz discussed his involvement in helping the group. 

“Briana Brandy messaged me years before she ever got hired through social media, as many people had, trying to get opportunities. As I generally did, I usually threw challenges at people. I asked her to cut me three or four different promos based on, I just threw stuff at her. Within a few days, she came back at me and rocked it. It began to open a door and channel of communication at that point. Eventually, she was able to get a tryout. Things didn’t work and she didn’t get hired through that tryout. Through the next year, it may have been 18 months and pushing two years, or persistence and messaging myself and Canyon (Ceman) of ‘here is what I’m working on and what I’m doing. Here’s me training and doing this.’ She was showing us she was hungry and working and trying to better herself and doing more. She got another shot and got hired. I knew Briana’s talent and she has that styles, attitude, swag, vibe, and she came swinging. When I saw that was going on and then, all of a sudden, when Tahuti [Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis] and Franc [AJ Francis/Top Dolla] were in the mix, it was like, ‘this makes sense.’ Briana is a rapper, Franc is a rapper. Tehuti just looks cool as can be. He has this awesome style and always had cool fashion. He looked like the real deal fashion template and I was like, ‘We just have to aim him to be the producer and he just have to give the ‘yeahs’ and ‘that’s right’ in terms of doing something musical or pretend he’s the one mixing in the chair,’ and that happened,” recalled Katz. 

Brandy, Francis, and Tehuti were together as the HitMakerZ, which eventually led to Swerve Strickland (Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in NXT) joining the group. 

“Then, we hired Swerve, he comes into the mix and he’s in the breakout tournament. I remember giving some pitches, even when the very first breakout tournament happened and Swerve was in that, I remember making pitches, in the personality profiles, ‘we should have Swerve chilling at the studio with the three of them,’ it doesn’t mean they are a faction yet, just planting early seeds of, ‘these are his friends and rap crew.’ The ideas don’t always happen, especially when you want them, but through evolutions and changes, adjustments, tweaks, and time and timing, they come into play and Hit Row came to be. Franc killed it with the track, made the killer hook that got everyone in and they had that style, bounce, vibe, and aura, that was killer,” said Katz. 

Katz went on to praise all four members of the group, taking little to no credit for the theme song and the groups ambition. 

“I’m not. That’s their world at that point. No one can take responsibility in that sense because they are self-starters and go-getters. They are all hungry. They’re working together and making their own videos. That’s part of what the success factor is, for other people listening that are in the business or trying to be in WWE’s business, you have to have that drive and hunger. You have to go for it and present them with what you want to show them and not wait for what they want for you. You have to give them what they don’t know they want yet. In doing, be so undeniable that they have no choice but to say ‘yes.’ It sounds simple and is easier aid than done, but that’s really the secret to success,” he said.

Unfortunately, all four members of Hit Row were released by WWE in November 2021. Swerve Strickland is signed by AEW while the rest of the HitMakerZ will be part of GCW For The Culture. 

Katz was released by WWE in January. You can find his statement on his release by clicking here. 

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