DJ Mustard Recalls Living in YG's Garage

Roc Nation producer DJ Mustard discusses his work with YG during an exclusive interview with HipHopDX.

“That’s one of my best friends,” DJ Mustard says. “I know what he don’t like, what he like. I know everything, like he know about me. I used to live with him. I slept in his garage.”

The 23-year-old Los Angeles native formed independent Hip Hop label Pushaz Ink with YG in 2008. The pair have collaborated on hit records such as “My Hitta” and “Left, Right.” 

Mustard also handled most of the production on YG’s major label debut album, My Krazy Life. When asked to name his favorite track from the project, DJ Mustard cited the Terrace Martin-assisted “Sorry Momma.”

“It’s like ‘Dear Mama’ all over again,” DJ Mustard says. “I don’t feel like YG has ever did any real songs that people can relate to like that.”

YG recently stirred controversy by telling HipHopDX that he does not like his own verses on the 2009 single “Toot It & Boot It.”

DJ Mustard said he was not surprised because YG often expresses this opinion in private.

“YG is crazy, OK,” he says. "I don’t not like the verse. I think the verse is cool. But you know, I don’t like a lot of the beats I did back in the day.”

The producer also shared some of the secrets to his beatkmaking craft. DJ Mustard says he tries to keep his sounds fresh, so he employs a variety of hardware and computer software to polish his sound. He works on Akai’s MPC, Propellerhead’s Reason, Apple’s Logic Pro and Image-Line’s Fruity Loops.

“I try not to stick to Fruity Loops because everybody uses Fruity Loops so everybody’s got the same sounds.” DJ Mustard says. “The only person that I found that uses [Reason] is KeY Wayne. He’s one of my favorite producers. He’s incredible.”

DJ Mustard also says that he and KeY Wayne collaborated in the studio with Big Sean. Mustard says he was impressed by Big Sean’s ability to weave melodies into his verses.

“Sean writes like a singer would write,” DJ Mustard said. “I think its better, he comes up with better stuff…he does melodies.”