The role of the DJ has transformed since the inception of Hip-Hop. Once the star of the show, the master of the ones and twos now rides shotgun — if not the backseat — to MCs and rappers in fans’ eyes.
However, Los Angeles native DJ Mustard, a proven hitmaker whose major contributions to YG’s critically acclaimed debut album My Krazy Life showed his ranged as a producer, may be an indication that a change is coming. Before the sleepy-eyed, soft-spoken musician was crafting singles for your favorite artists, he was rocking parties like the legends from the late 70s and early 80s.
This summer, he returned to that position as a headliner on the six-city Brisk Bodega Tour, which invaded the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Friday (July 18).
“I’m just glad that everybody loves the music, and they come out to support,” Mustard tells Hip-Hop Wired exclusively about performing on the Pepsi-sponsored show. “It’s the perfect thing more me to do, because it’s a completely free show.”
Mustard would later step on a stage that was previously set ablaze by opening acts Deniro Farrar — a Certified Fresh alumni — and Bodega Bamz. He spun a set full of hit records, including but not limited to fan-favorites like Jeezy’s “R.I.P.,” YG’s “My Ni**a” and “Who Do You Love?,” and 2 Chainz’s “I’m Different.”
But during our conversation, Mustard reassured that more heat is on the way. “I’m working with some big people. I’m working with Rihanna. I’m working with everybody right now,” he affirmed.
It’s clear that the Roc Nation artist understands that he’s on top of his game and is on everyone’s radar. But at the root, it’s still very much about continuing he and his musical family YG and Ty Dolla $ign’s success. And if Mustard has it his way, the trio could have a big project on the way.
In response to a question about the next full-length album he’d like to craft, he said “I was just thinking about that today… me, YG, and Ty [Dolla $ign].” He continued, “And that might come sooner than you know it. We’ve been talking about this for a long time, so hopefully, that can come any time.”
On paper, the project sounds very Best of Both Worlds-esque, but the key difference is that the three artists are from the same city and are longtime collaborators. Therefore, a lot of the issues Jay Z and R. Kelly had could be bypassed in this case.
As fans cross their fingers for the hopeful body of work, Mustard confirmed that his solo LP, 10 Summers, is complete and is “coming out sooner than a lot of people know.” At 24-years-old, it’s the DJ and producer’s time to shine. And based on Mustard’s plans, his fame will last much longer than 15 minutes.
See a photo gallery from the Brisk Bodega event on the following pages.
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Photos: Andrew Kelly with Insider Images/Brisk Bodega
