If you listen to any pop or mainstream rap radio, odds are you will recognize an iconic tag from the beginning of dozens of songs.
But if you never understood exactly what he was saying, you're not alone. Turns out, that’s the calling card of producer Dijon McFarlane, otherwise known as DJ Mustard. He’s saying “Mustard on the beat,” and he’s saying it to the tune of 19 different Billboard Hot 100 hits in the last three years, including seven currently on thecharts.
"Being DJ Mustard is great right now," says Sowmya Krishnamurthy in a conversation with Soundcheck host John Schaefer. "In hip-hop, every year or two we have these hot producers. It's happened since time immemorial, with Pharrell and Timbaland, and now guys like Mike Will Made It, and now Mustard. They've proven themselves in the clubs and on the charts, and then everyone wants a piece."
While most producers have a signature style, DJ Mustard has taken this to an extreme. At times, without the vocalist singing or rapping, it's hard to distinguish one track from the next. Critics have been quick to attack Mustard for his stylistic "consistency," but Mustard's interchangeable and easily mixable beats lend themselves to back-to-back club play, and have dominated the airways despite any sort of critical acclaim. In Mustard's words (tweets), ““Everybody say it’s so easy to make my beats. [Well] take a swing at it, you should be rich [in] no time cause I am.”
Where is DJ Mustard from?
McFarlane grew up in Los Angeles, DJing house parties since he was 11 years old. It wasn't until many years later that he switched from DJing to producing tracks, where he quickly became a prominent figure in the jerk-movement. For most of the aughts, the south--namely Atlanta--was the epicenter of hip-hop production. Mustard, along with YG, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Odd Future, have helped put L.A. back on the hip-hop map.
"Mustard has been instrumental in bringing back this California rap sound," says Krishnamurthy. "He started in the jerk-movement in the 2000's which was a very short lived California movement. It was really symbolized by party music. He's the guy who did the house party scene, and one of his flagship artists -- probably the artist he most takes ownership of -- is YG. Together they created this party sound and it really swept the nation after Tyga's "Rack City" [produced by DJ Mustard]. It took on a life of its own inside the strip club and outside of the strip club. And now everyone wants a piece of Mustard."
What defines the DJ Mustard sound?
Schaefer and Krishnamurthy identify three main features of DJ Mustard's production style, and we've added a couple more here:
- The calling card. You'll hear his DJ drop "Mustard on the beat" right before the drums come in, on nearly all of his tracks. But by that point, there should already be some clues that it's a Mustard track.
- One of those clues is the tempo. You can expect a relatively slow, ~90 BPM tempo on most Mustard beats. This consistency allows DJ's, both in clubs and on the radio, to easily switch from one Mustard track to the next.
- Syncopated riffs. Punchy, sparse melodies are plucked out on rarely more than three or four different notes, usually repeated with minimal variability throughout the entire song.
- A similar stock of samples. Almost all of Mustard's choruses will feature a male group-vocal shouting "Ay!" on every upbeat. We're pretty sure the exact same sample is used in every song. You'll also hear a lot of similar snaps and claps.
- The synths. Mustard uses a variety of different smooth lead-synths, punchy horns, and airy pads, influenced by both contemporary EDM and the 90's house music that inspired it. He's also a fan of a simple reverb-y piano
"Anytime you hear that song or feel those beats," explains Krishnamurthy, "you just want to dance. You want to start moving. It's very powerful. And no matter what, people like party music. People want to have fun. That's been a huge factor in propelling Mustard."
Who does DJ Mustard work with?
Mustard's biggest hit was with Tyga, and his closest collaborator is YG, for whom Mustard produces a majority of beats. He has also worked with Drake, Trey Songz, Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, Tinashe, Schoolboy Q, Young Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Kid Ink, Chris brown, Ty $, Jeremih, T.I., Wiz Khalifa, and others.
