Which rappers turned down DJ Mustard’s beat for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Hey Now’? The producer reveals names

YG and Quavo reportedly turned down DJ Mustard's beat for Kendrick Lamar's Hey Now. In his latest interview with People magazine, producer DJ Mustard discussed his involvement in Kendrick's recent album, GNX, and the inspiration behind the beat for Hey Now.

The producer mentioned that he made the beat in 2019 and attempted to use it on albums of his other collaborations, but they rejected the beat:

"I played it for (YG)...I was trying to make a West Coast version of 'Grindin.' That's why it's so empty like that. That's why it's just weird sounds. (H) e didn't end up doing."

The producer didn't give up then, and approached Quavo:

"After YG, And I played it for Quavo and I'm like, 'Quavo man, if you get this, if you can connect to this song, I'm telling you. He's like, 'What the hell you want me to do to it? Want me to whisper on the beat?' And I'm like, 'Alright. So I didn't force it on him.'

Mustard mentioned that he even took the beat to Ty Dolla $ign, but ended up backing out. Kendrick Lamar's Hey Now has charted No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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"Man, I got this really weird a** beat" - DJ Mustard on how he convinced Kendrick Lamar to do Hey Now

While speaking to People in a recent interview, the music producer behind Kendrick Lamar's Hey Now, DJ Mustard mentioned that he created the beat in 2019. However, after it was rejected by YG and Quavo, Mustard approached Kendrick to take the beat forward.

Mustard also tried collaborating with Ty Dolla $ign for the beat but wasn't convinced with what they had:

"Me and Ty were doing some stuff and he did it and was a good song. But I never was all the way there with it."

He then went on to approach Lamar with the beat saying:

"I was just like, 'Man, I got this really weird a** beat, but I really love it. And I sent it to hin and right away he said, 'Oh yeah, I got it.' And I was like, 'Alright.'

Mustard noted that he heard Not Like Us and Hey Now in the same listening session. Although Lamar was more excited about Not Like Us, Mustard was more interested in Hey Now. While Hey Now charted at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Not Like Us took the No.1 position.