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On Friday, Kendrick Lamar dropped a surprise (and Taylor Swift-free) new album, GNX. By Saturday, a meme was born. On “TV Off,” featuring Lefty Gunplay, Lamar yells “MUSTARD” — or as it’s transcribed by someone on Genius, “MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD.” Is it a reference to his favorite condiment? Possibly, but it’s also a nod to DJ Mustard, a rapper and producer who worked on GNX, as well as Lamar’s No. 1 hit “Not Like Us.”
Lamar’s “Mustard” shout out is all over the internet, including brands like McDonald’s, the Minions, and Shrek. There are Simpsons references, Peanuts-style drawings, and TikTok edits. A pastor yelled “Mustard” during a church service, as seen here, and even Lizzo got involved.
Mustard seems to be enjoying all the attention.
“I’ve been literally trying to get a song with him for years,” the producer told Billboard about Lamar. “Before I even made that beat [for “Not Like Us”], I got to a point where I was like, ‘I’m gonna send five beats a day.’ I maybe sent him five beats a day for maybe three months. I’m still doing it right now just in case he wants to record something. I sent him that beat and then I think that day I would make it a point just to go to the studio to make a couple of beats to send to him.”
He added, “I don’t think I even understood how big it was until it went No. 1. I was like, ‘This is the biggest song I ever had in my life.’ I just wanted a song with Kendrick.”
