Kendrick Lamar Shares How He Felt Making “hey now”

Kendrick Lamar channeled his inner Goku when he first heard Mustard’s beat for “Hey Now,” one of the standout tracks from his surprise sixth studio album, GNX. On Monday (January 27), the West Coast producer reflected on Lamar’s energetic response to the beat during an interview with the Grammy Awards.

“He played me a snippet before it dropped,” Mustard revealed, recalling how Lamar shared the track during the “Not Like Us” video shoot. “I asked him, ‘Man, what made you do that?’ And he told me, ‘When I heard the beat, I just felt like Goku or something.’” For those unfamiliar, Goku is the central hero of the legendary Dragon Ball manga series.

Mustard admitted he was caught off guard by the comparison. “I was like, ‘What?’ And Kendrick explained, ‘Yeah, when I hear certain stuff in your beats, it brings out something different in me. So I just went with what I felt.’ I thought, ‘Wow, that’s wild.’”

Both Mustard and Lamar are primed for success at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. “Not Like Us” has racked up nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song. Mustard is also vying for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical). Other highlights from GNX include the SZA-assisted “Luther,” the hard-hitting “Squabble Up,” and “TV Off,” a track widely regarded as one of Lamar’s finest moments on the album. The latter features a memorable shoutout to Mustard, an intense outro by Lefty Gunplay, and a production style that seamlessly balances chaos and creativity.

During the interview, Mustard shared an intriguing detail about “TV Off.” The track’s dramatic beat switch, which divides the song into two distinct sections, was Kendrick’s brainchild. “The first half and the second half are two completely different beats that he connected,” Mustard explained. “I didn’t send it to him like that. Out of five beats I sent, he picked two and made it work.”

With GNX, Kendrick Lamar continues to prove why he’s one of hip-hop’s most innovative artists. His collaboration with Mustard is yet another example of how he pushes boundaries, crafting music that resonates both emotionally and sonically. As fans eagerly await the Grammy results, it’s clear that Lamar and Mustard’s creative synergy has delivered another unforgettable chapter in their respective legacies.