The DJ
DJ Snake: “I initially made the song with a Redman sample [2007’s ‘Da Countdown (Saga Continues)’]. We tried to clear it but he wasn’t down, so I decided to send it to somebody else to [re-create it]. The first person in mind? Lil Jon. He’s energetic – I knew he’d be best for it.”
The Voice
Lil Jon: “When I heard it, I was like, ‘This beat is crazy but the Redman sample just don’t fit.’ I go in the booth, and the first track I laid was crazy. I sent Snake the track back, and he said, ‘You changed it?’ I said, ‘F- that Redman sample! This is crazy.’ The rest is history.”
The Exec
Related
Columbia Records vp A&R Imran Majid: “I was watching a big Auburn-Georgia football game in November. In the final seconds, the quarterback throws a Hail Mary touchdown, and the stadium plays ‘Turn Down for What.’ That’s when I was like, ‘This is a moment.’ We did the [single] deal at the end of the year.”
The Directors
Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan Kwan: “The idea was a guy humping his way through a building. Each floor would have its own series of gags.” Scheinert “Originally they were going to crash down one floor further into a Taco Bell and all eat. That’s the answer to the question ‘Turn down for what?’ – everyone turns down for Taco Bell.”