DJ Mustard, a prominent producer, experienced one of these surprises when Kendrick Lamar used one of his beats for the hit track “Not Like Us” without Mustard’s knowledge.
Mustard has always wanted to work with Kendrick Lamar. For years, he has consistently passed several beats to the rapper, hoping that at least one would be approved. That hard work finally came to fruition in the most unlikely way. In an interview, the producer—DJ Mustard—explained the interesting creation story surrounding “Not Like Us.”.
Mustard said he had no idea Kendrick was going to use one of his beats during the beef and he first heard ‘Not Like Us’ driving on the freeway:
“I was sending him 5 beats a day before the whole beef…I was just working on my album like I really wanna do a song with… PIC.TWITTER.COM/P4OMKOWSHC
— Joey (@gothamhiphop) JUNE 26, 2024
The producer admitted that he was clueless about Kendrick‘s intentions with his instrumental. He stated that he had been emailing beats to Kendrick non-stop, even while the rapper was beefing with Drake in public. Mustard’s policy then was that he did not care about drama and was just “on his music.”.
In an interview, he recalled the moment he learned about the song: he was driving on the freeway, and his manager texted him, “Mustard on the Beat.” Confused but excited, he connected the dots, and Kendrick used one of his beats in the song. The track “Not Like Us” was a diss record aimed at Drake, and it dropped with no prior notice given to Mustard.
Mustard explained he had no idea about Kendrick’s intentions. “I was sending him five beats a day before the whole beef,” Mustard said. “I’ve been trying to do songs with him for years.” The number of beats he sent – between 50 and 100 – shows his dedication and hopeful promise of a collaboration.
That was the moment Mustard heard “Not Like Us.” He was going to a baby shower when his phone started blowing up with the news.
”All I’m texting him is beats…normal sht. We weren’t talking about the beef at all. [When Not Like Us dropped], I’m on my way to a baby shower… we’re on the freeway…I get a text saying, ‘[Kendrick] dropped again,’ then I get another text like ‘Mustard on the beat ho,’ and I’m like, ‘Wtf did I miss?’ And that’s how I heard the song on the 405 freeway, driving, and I started spazzing…listening to it over and over. I couldn’t believe it.” Mustard shared
Creating the beat was a speedy procedure in itself. Despite what some have heard, he didn’t sample Nas’ “Ether”. It was simply inspired by Dre and Lil Jon. Mustard thought to himself, ‘What would Dre do with Lil Jon?’ he came up with the infectious groove “Not Like Us” in 30 minutes flat.
Kendrick’s use of a beat surprised Mustard since he was not in the studio recording it. “I didn’t know he was gonna gas that beat like that,” he said. The song was Kendrick’s final answer to Drake, and it hit the charts right where it should have, directly to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Not Like Us” didn’t just break records on the charts; it also set the all-time fastest record for going over 100 million streams. This collaboration between Mustard and Kendrick was impactful, sending a message to fans worldwide. The song’s infectious beat and powerful lyrics made it an anthem, solidifying both artists’ places in hip-hop history.
Mustard was later added to this. He applied the ” N.T. ” drum pattern by Kool G Rap in this and used a synth sample for the intro, hook, and outro as this unique blend of elements would again set “Not Like Us” apart. Both of his production talents.
Not Like Us” was released as part of a broader beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The two rappers had been at odds for years, with each sending subtle jabs towards the other through their music. Kendrick’s diss track responded to Drake using 2Pac and Snoop Dogg AI vocals on “Taylor Made Freestyle.” In turn, Drake dropped continuous diss tracks, often leaving fans holding their breaths.
When all was said and done, his relentless pursuit of collaboration with Kendrick Lamar paid off—and not necessarily in a way Mustard would’ve conceived likely. The story talks about how spontaneous a musical collaboration is and how magical one may appear whenever creative minds connect, no matter what.
