In June, Kendrick Lamar hosted a major concert at Kia Forum in Los Angeles to showcase West Coast rap unity. According to BBC, more than 20 artists, including Dr Dre and Tyler the Creator, joined the event. The highlight was the debut of one of Lamar’s many recent diss tracks targeting Drake , “Not Like Us”, which Lamar performed not once, not twice, but five times to an increasingly enthusiastic crowd.
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Kendrick Lamar (left) with DJ Mustard. Photo: @mustard/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/66e4e5bb-3be7-41ab-b481-2cbd90811321_7390c88c.jpg"} Kendrick Lamar (left) with DJ Mustard.
Photo: @mustard/Instagram This song marks the peak of their feud, with Lamar accusing Drake of exploiting Southern rap culture and making unverified claims about his behaviour. As of May with 11.85 million streams, the track holds the “all-time record for biggest single day streams for a solo hip-hop song in global Spotify history”, according to Complex.
However, there’s one more hip-hop artist behind the scenes who helped bring the track to life: producer DJ Mustard. Despite this being his most famous song to date, he told Billboard that he crafted the beat in “around 30 minutes”. {"@context":"https://schema.
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com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/7f521fcb-bac5-4ee1-b0dd-d720fe664740_b3f36c6c.jpg"} DJ Mustard working in the studio in 2020. Photo: @mustard/Instagram So who’s DJ Mustard, and which other worldwide hits is he responsible for? Here’s everything we know about him.
Who is DJ Mustard, producer of “Not Like Us”? {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"DJ Mustard has worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Photo: @mustard/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/aa5948e4-a640-4e9b-9247-75b7273d211b_b39087ee.jpg"} DJ Mustard has worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop.
Photo: @mustard/Instagram Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, 34, professionally known as DJ Mustard, is a DJ, rapper and producer known for his catchy, club-focused hip-hop sounds that have dominated mainstream charts. Hailing from Los Angeles, he often works with fellow California artists like YG and Ty Dolla Sign. Discussing his unexpected success, Mustard told Hypebeast how surreal it feels to reflect upon his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a major figure in the music industry.
How did DJ Mustard become so successful? {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"DJ Mustard (left) with rapper YG. Photo: @mustard/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/cf484438-8280-4e0c-a446-fafe92b5550d_58e4819e.jpg"} DJ Mustard (left) with rapper YG.
Photo: @mustard/Instagram Early in his career, DJ Mustard collaborated with top artists like Tyga, 2 Chainz, Trey Songz, T-Pain and Jennifer Lopez . His work and the momentum he maintained allowed him to rise to fame and create some seriously catchy tunes. In fact, he produced several No 1 rap albums and significantly contributed to YG’s debut album, My Krazy Life (2014), which peaked at No 2 on the Billboard 200, per Rap-Up.
In 2010, DJ Mustard released Let’s Jerk , a compilation album inspired by the jerkin’ dance craze in Los Angeles. But his big break actually came a year later in 2011 with Tyga’s hit “Rack City”, which climbed to No 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Songs chart. This cemented DJ Mustard’s reputation in the music industry.
DJ Mustard has his own record label {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"DJ Mustard has gone from producing music to being an executive of his own label. Photo: @mustard/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/7a96a26a-8001-442f-817f-373feb63aed5_e26b9311.jpg"} DJ Mustard has gone from producing music to being an executive of his own label.
Photo: @mustard/Instagram DJ Mustard eventually wanted to shift from collaborating with others to creating his own music, which led to him signing with Roc Nation in 2013. “I just wanted to do my own albums where nobody could tell me what to do. Roc Nation was the perfect fit because I could do what I wanted to do,” he told Forbes.
In August 2014, DJ Mustard released his debut album 10 Summers , which featured various artists over his beats. He also began performing as a DJ at major music festivals. To mark his transition from DJ to record executive, Mustard launched his own label, 10 Summers Records, in 2014.
Who was DJ Mustard married to? {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Chanel Thierry (left) and DJ Mustard at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. Photo: Getty Images","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/982183d3-18f9-4bda-9cff-58392a12fb76_c2588619.jpg"} Chanel Thierry (left) and DJ Mustard at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020.
Photo: Getty Images DJ Mustard had been dating Chanel Thierry since he was 19, and they finally tied the knot in October 2020 after the birth of their third child together. However, they reportedly divorced after only two years of marriage. In 2023, Thierry accused DJ Mustard of not providing financial support for their children and for living expenses.
Vibe reported that DJ Mustard denied these claims, asserting he had continued to pay for her living expenses, credit card bills, housing, and their children’s private school tuition since their separation in May 2022. While they share joint custody of their three children, DJ Mustard filed for sole custody of their 11-year-old son in January, per Radar Online. The custody case remains unresolved.
Does DJ Mustard have any children? {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Brittany Stroud, DJ Mustard’s girlfriend, at the baby shower for their first child together. Photo: @_brittlove29/Instagram","url":"https://img.
i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/08/670f4076-7006-4a69-9638-a4cc553a34fc_7390c88c.jpg"} Brittany Stroud, DJ Mustard’s girlfriend, at the baby shower for their first child together.
Photo: @_brittlove29/Instagram DJ Mustard is set to welcome his fourth child. According to Hot New Hip Hop, the producer and his current girlfriend, Brittany Stroud, are expecting their first baby together. On Mother’s Day this year, Stroud revealed she was six months pregnant on Instagram with a message thanking Mustard for making her a mum, to which he responded with love and appreciation.
The Los Angeles music producer is best known for his catchy, club-focused hip-hop sounds – like Lamar’s diss track against Drake, which the rapper performed 5 times in a row at his Kia Forum concert Not satisfied with collaborating with other artists, DJ Mustard signed with Roc Nation in 2013, and started his own record label, 10 Summers Records, the following year.
