Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series, first published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine four decades ago, has left a lasting impact on anime and manga, with Kendrick Lamar himself admitting that he felt like Goku while working on one of his album tracks. As the franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary, fans are reminded of just how deeply Goku and the Z-Fighters have permeated popular culture, transcending boundaries unlike any other characters before them.
The anime series Dragon Ball has been a massive phenomenon in the world of anime, and this is particularly evident in its connection with the Rap and Hip-Hop communities. Many fans identify with characters like Goku as they battle against oppressive forces, while the idea of Goku surpassing his limits to reach new heights resonates deeply with people when the situation calls for it. Interestingly, Kendrick Lamar found himself channeling Goku’s spirit while creating “Hey Now” for his latest GNX album.
Dragon Ball: Kendrick Lamar Feels Like Goku
In an interview with GRAMMY.com before the upcoming 67th GRAMMY Awards, GNX producer Mustard shared insights about his collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on the album. When asked if he still sends Lamar new beats to work on, Mustard disclosed that he consistently sends him around five or six each day. They have a system where Mustard adds fresh tracks to a folder; Lamar then selects from these. The first half and second half of ‘tv off’ are two separate beats that Lamar combined; Mustard didn’t send them to him as a pair. Instead, Lamar picked the two beats he liked out of the five sent. However, it was the unexpected discovery of one of the tracks that truly amazed Mustard.
As I looked on, it became clear that Mustard hadn’t a clue Lamar would shout him out during the track “tv off.” This surprise came about because Kendrick shared that he felt like a character from Dragon Ball Z, Goku, when he first heard the beat for “Hey Now.” Intriguingly, he only heard the song after it was released. During the filming of the “Not Like Us” video, he played me a snippet of it. I remember asking him, “What made you do that?” To which he replied, “When I heard the beat, it stirred something within me, like Goku or something.” I was taken aback, saying, “What?” He then elaborated, “Yeah, when I hear certain sounds on your beats, it brings out another side of me, so I just did whatever I felt.” My response was, “Wow, that’s incredible.
Super Saiyan Is Anime’s Biggest Transformation
It’s hardly unexpected that Kendrick Lamar recognizes Goku, given how widespread the influence of Dragon Ball is. This anime franchise has not only been the first major one to truly penetrate mainstream culture, but it also gained popularity during the early internet era. This facilitated easy sharing and celebration of the series among fans of all ages and types, with many eagerly seeking spoilers about what new Goku form might appear next.
Actually, saying “Mustard” whenever someone turned off the TV evolved into a unique anime meme. Fans merged this shout with clips from Dragon Ball, and it seems that Lamar experienced something raw and instinctive during the development of GNX, much like what was happening when they were creating this meme as well.
HT – GRAMMY.com
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2025-01-29 01:40