Mustard Reacts To Kendrick Lamar Shout Out On New Album “GNX”

DJ Mustard notched his first number one single with Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us.” The song will go down as one of the greatest diss records of all time, and a defining 2024 hit. Mustard appeared at Dot’s subsequent Pop Out show, and made a cameo in the “Not Like Us” music video. He’s about as plugged in to the Kendrick Lamar inner circle as one can imagine. And yet, the producer was shocked when Dot’s new album GNX dropped on November 22. He spoke with Billboard about the surprise release, and he admitted that he found out the same time the fans did.

“It was a surprise for me, just like it was a surprise for everybody else,” Mustard told the outlet. “I had been thinking maybe it’s going to come at the top of the year, maybe it’s going to come around the Super Bowl or whatever.” The producer claimed he was at the gym when he saw the snippet that Lamar posted shortly before the album’s release. The snippet led him to believe, as many did, that the album would be coming “soon.” Not less than an hour later. “I’m thinking Thanksgiving,” he recalled. “When everybody’s in the house together. 10 minutes later, the album is out.”

Mustard may not have been clued into Kendrick Lamar’s plans, but he does play a vital role in the album. He co-produces the song “TV Off,” which was instantly singled out as a highlight on GNX. Mustard knew the instrumental would appear on the album, but once again, he was taken aback by the shout out that K. Dot gave him on the song. He didn’t hear the finished version of the song until the album dropped. “What did I think?,” he asked. “I was losing it. I already knew I do me with the beats.” Mustard worked alongside a stellar ensemble of talent to make the “TV Off” beat. Other superstar producers that were listed on the song include Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Kamasi Washington and Sean Momberger.

Mustard told Billboard that he views “TV Off” as a natural successor to “Not Like Us.” Both songs have a similar West Coast flair, and the producer actually made the parts of the “TV Off” beat at different times before presenting it to Kendrick Lamar. Obviously, the Compton rapper took to it. He praised Lamar for his creative spirit, calling him the “best rapper of all time.” He also remarked that Lamar may have given him a new producer tag to run with on future songs.