DJ Mustard: Credit Where Credit Is Due

DJ Mustard is having the type of run most producers could only dream of. Having seen nearly a dozen of his productions hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts over the last year and a half, the 23-year-old producer has no intentions of slowing down. Mustard is currently on the tail end of a US Tour alongside longtime collaborator YG, and working hard to finish and perfect his debut studio album. We caught up with DJ Mustard in Chicago, to talk his forthcoming 10 Summers album, find out why Roc Nation was the right move for him and much more. Read through the interview below, and be sure to go check out his new single with 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla $ign, “Down On Me,” right after.

You had an amazing year career-wise. How have you experienced it?
It’s been a blessing. I’ve really just been trying to keep it going and not fall off, you know? Some artists they come and they go and I’m not trying to be like that. I’m trying to be here for the next 20 years.

You are now continuing with 10 Summers — your new album. Is the title telling us how long you plan to stay in the game?
10 Summers is a promise I made to the streets, and just a promise I made to myself, that I’m not going to give up, and that I’ll go hard for the next ten summers at least. I’m going to give the streets what they want for the next summer.

You’ve created some of the biggest club hits in the past 12 months. Will you apply the same formula for the LP?
Expect the club for sure! You can expect all the stuff I do in one ball, it’s going to be like me times ten. It will be a lot like my previous Ketchup mixtape, but at an elevated level.

You had multiple songs on Billboard’s Hot 100. Do you feel you receive enough credit from the media and industry for your success?
Yeah, I get the credit. However, I’m not looking for credit, I’m doing this so I can get rich! I want to get millions of millions of dollars, and be able to help the craft, and just the culture of music in general. That’s really what I’m in for.

You’ve been very successful with collaborations. How do you know who’s the right artist to work with? How do you approach them?
A lot of my collaborations are just real relationships. Artists get to know me, start asking me for beats, and then we end up making real good records.

Are you looking to work with any artists outside of hip hop?
Yeah, but I don’t know who just yet. It’s going to be somebody. I have one girl in mind but I don’t want to jinx it. It’s going to be somebody you wouldn’t expect to hear me working with.

What does it take to make a hit record?
It takes a good rapper or a singer, and a beat that really fits them. It can’t just be like “Oh, I just want a DJ Mustard beat, and I don’t care what it sounds like as long as it has the tag.” It has to fit them right and they really have to like the record.

Tell us about your relationship with Roc Nation, and why they were the right choice for you?
Roc Nation is cool man, I talk to everybody over there, Ty Ty, Jay Z, everyone. I think it was a great choice for me because it’s more so like a family and not like a label. Any type of questions I have, I can just call and ask. I can call Jay Z and ask for something, and there’s not any fame getting in the way, it’s all like real family.

You guys really have a lot of great talent on a small roster over there…
Yeah, the small roster is great for sure – they pay more attention to me haha! A lot of good talent, me, J Cole, Rihanna, just everyone over there.

What’s it been like being able to come up with YG and Ty Dolla $ign, and experience all the success together?
It was really a long time coming up with them man. I learned a lot from both of them, we all learned from each other, we all pushed each other hard. In terms of how all the work is coming out together, we didn’t plan it like this, it just ended up happening this way. It really is working for us, and it makes sense because we worked so hard for it to become this way. For me to have songs two songs in the in the Hot 100 with YG, and two with Ty, it’s just perfect.

What’s your #1 rule regarding the music industry?
Just don’t step on anybody’s toes, and just be respectful. Everybody’s got to be respectful.

As 10 Summers approaches, and beyond, what can we expect from you going forward?
You can expect the most turned up energy you’ve ever seen from me. My single will be releasing any day now, it’s called “Down On Me” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz – it’s going straight to the club!