Album Review: Faith of a Mustard Seed by Mustard
Following the unexpected success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” the renowned West Coast producer is not letting up on the momentum with his star-studded fourth album, his first in five years.
Born Dijon McFarlane, Mustard (originally DJ Mustard) was introduced to music at eleven when his uncle encouraged him to DJ at a family gathering. Playing off his first name “Dijon,” he adopted the moniker DJ Mustard and soon became deeply invested in his craft, DJing at various clubs and bars in Los Angeles. A significant turn in his career came through a friendship with Compton rapper YG, marking Mustard’s entry into professional music production, thanks to Ty Dolla $ign. He first provided beats for YG’s 2009 mixtape The Real 4Fingaz, developing a gritty and dance-friendly sound. This successful collaboration led Mustard to produce many of YG’s subsequent mixtapes and tracks.
As producer and beatmaker, Mustard crafted hits that were instrumental to the success of numerous artists and produced his well-received solo projects. His energetic, party-centric, and club-friendly signature style became so influential that it essentially redefined the sound of West Coast hip-hop during the early to mid-2010s. Chart-topping singles for Big Sean, Tyga, Jeremih, Rihanna, Kid Ink, Ella Mai, Roddy Ricch, and Omarion—to name a few, featured Mustard’s increasingly familiar production tag. Alongside his work for other artists, Mustard continued to release successful solo material, including 10 Summers (2014), Cold Summer (2016), and Perfect Ten (2019).
He had an unexpected break once again this year with the rap game’s boogeyman, Kendrick Lamar, dropping his fourth diss track against Drake under his production with “Not Like Us” on Cinco de Mayo weekend, which transcended popular culture beyond the beef, giving Mustard his first number one record on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the biggest song of the summer, *scratch that,* arguably the biggest song of the year and possibly the most famous diss track hip-hop has seen so far. By not letting up the momentum, he announced his long-awaited fourth album via socials with Faith of a Mustard Seed on his birthday.
You know what you’re going to get on a Mustard album, but he does showcase different styles of production than his usual West Coast bounce, just like on gospel-influenced “Show Me the Way” with a feature from an icon Kirk Franklin, who never lets you down with a good sermon, and “Pray for Me” is a heartfelt reflection on faith, family, and personal growth, articulated through a series of raw, unfiltered verses by Mustard himself that captures the essence of gratitude and perseverance, while also addressing regrets and lost opportunities, as seen in “Instead of arguin’ on live, I should’ve prayed with TeeFLii,” illustrating a journey of learning and self-improvement.
There are solid bangers for the summer, including “Pressured Up,” where Vince Staples opens with a pre-chorus that blends themes of romantic spontaneity and territorial loyalty: “Girl, I ain’t got no plan/So can I be with you tonight?/DJ playing my jam/I’m a G, you know I slide.” This introduction sets the stage for a night where anything can happen, including violence if triggered by rivalries, but on the other hand, ScHoolboy Q’s verse transitions into a reflection on dealing with hardships and luxuriating in material success as a coping mechanism. “A Song for Mom” has Ty Dolla $ign and Uncle Charlie Wilson singing over a soul sample as Masego assists with his saxophone. Still, Ty and Wilson appear on the smooth R&B track, “Mines,” but instead, it has Future lamenting on designers like Emilio Pucci, Audemars, etc.
Of course, there are some apparent misses, starting with “One Bad Decision,” which is so ironic that Ella Mai and Roddy Ricch (he appeared again on the upbeat “Truth Is”) interpolate Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige’s “911” in the most unimaginable way possible. Quavo and Rob49 are featured on the wash-rinse-repeat “One of Them Ones,” Lil Yachty, BlueBucksClan, and 42 Dugg do nothing to stand out on the upbeat “Up Now,” Travis Scott wastes a magnificent soul sample on “Parking Lot,” and “Worth a Heartbreak” showcases zero chemistry with Blxst and A Boogie wit Da Hoodie, which is too bad because the string-laced production (co-assisted by Peter Lee Johnson) breaks up the monotony.
Even though Kodak Black sleepwalking on “Yak’s Prayer,” it still has some knock to it, as the same goes for “Ghetto” with Young Thug; lord knows when he’ll get out because the trial is a mess and a decent performance from Lil Durk. Say what you will, but there has recently been a West Coast revival beyond the “Not Like Us” wave, with Blu (who released three projects this year), Blxst, Jay Worthy, NxWorries, LaRussell, RJmrLA, Mozzy, Suga Free and Sporty, DJ Quik and JasonMartin, and too much to count. There are still more to come later this year with YG (Just Re’d Up 3 on August 16th) and others, but even though FOMS doesn’t break any mold or make any strides to push hip-hop forward, Mustard is enjoying another break as a music producer.
Above Average (★★★☆☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Pressured Up,” “A Song for Mom,” “Pray for Me”