Kendrick Lamar Felt Like This Anime Character While Creating ‘GNX’ Track “Hey Now”
Kendrick Lamar says he felt like the iconic Dragon Ball Z character Goku upon his first time hearing DJ Mustard’s production for the GNX track “hey now.”
In an interview with the GRAMMY’s Recording Academy, Mustard revealed Lamar’s self-comparison to Goku while sharing his own reaction after being previewed a teaser of the complete version of the song.
“He played me a snippet [before it came out],” Mustard said of the popular GNX standout. “I asked him, ‘Man, what made you do that?’ And he said, ‘When I heard the beat, I just felt like Goku or something.’”
According to the hitmaking producer, Kendrick claimed he had an out of body experience while creating “hey now,” as the beat conjured a seemingly effortless performance from the GRAMMY Award winning artist.
“‘Yeah when I hear certain sh*t on your beats, it brings out something else in me, so I just did whatever I felt.’” Mustard recalled the Compton native telling him. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.'”
The 10 Summers creator previously shared the backstory behind the making of “hey now,” a beat he says was passed on by multiple rappers before landing in the hands of K.Dot.
“I was talking to Kendrick one day and I was just like, ‘Man, I got this really weird-a** beat, but I really love it. Like, I know that I love this beat.’ And I sent it to him and right away he said, ‘Oh yeah, I got it.’ And I was like, ‘Alright.’ But still, I hadn’t heard it until I went to the ‘Not Like Us’ video shoot.”
Kendrick Lamar and Mustard’s collaborative efforts have dominated the charts this year, starting with Lamar’s chart-topping Drake diss, “Not Like Us.”
The seismic single has paired its commercial success with critical acclaim, earning multiple GRAMMY nominations, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance.
In addition to “hey now” and “Not Like Us,” the West Coasters also teamed up for the GNX single “squabble up,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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