Thereâs so much power in a nameâjust ask Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, the legendary producer known to the world as Mustard.
Formerly DJ Mustard, the Los Angeles nativeâs signature Mustard on the beat tagline is synonymous with hit records; just ask artists such as Ella Mai, Ty Dolla $ign and a host of others, including fellow West Coast star Kendrick Lamar. During Sunday night’s 2025 Grammy Awards, the pair collected awards in the categories of Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video for their 2024 smash hit, “Not Like Us.”
Not only did Mustard enter new territory when he manifested working with Lamar and curated the beat for âNot Like Usââa song many believe will soon become the diss track of the centuryâbut he has also continued to solidify his place in hip-hop history.
Making History with Heinz
When Kendrick Lamar, a Compton native, yelled “MUSTARDDDDDDDDDDDDD” during the beat switch on âTV Offâ from his latest critically acclaimed studio album, GNX, the world quickly turned the clip into TikToks, memesâyou name it. Now, itâs landed the 34-year-old a historic partnership with Heinz.
Thatâs rightâwith a name like Dijon, it was only a matter of time before Mustard inked a deal with one of the worldâs leading condiment brands to co-create the first-ever collaborative product in the companyâs history.
Mustard walked away with a clean sweep in his award categories during the 2025 Grammy Awards, but he also sent fans into a tizzy when he teased an unlikely yet obvious collaboration with Heinz. As the company’s new Chief Mustard Officerâanother first for the brandâthe “Ballin'” artist will drop an all-new, limited-edition condiment specially mixed by Mustard himself.
âDid I plan for it to happen? No,â Mustard told Blavity ahead of the announcement. âDid I ever think it would happen? Absolutely. I have always had crazy faith.â
As someone who grew up in the church, Mustard knows a thing or two about the Bible verse that says you only need the faith of a mustard seed (pun fully intended) to move mountains. That belief has driven him throughout his career, pushing him to make a name for himself in the music industry.
The Power of Faith
âHave you ever heard of how small a mustard seed actually is?â Mustard asked. âItâs the smallest speck of seed in all of the plants, and with something that small being able to move mountainsâitâs literally in the Bible. Thatâs always given me the courage to know anything is possible, even landing my very own mustard with Heinz.”
Surprisinglyâbut not really, given his talentâremixing a bold new flavor with Heinz was more challenging than crafting a hit record. But according to Mustard, the secret ingredient for both is the same: himself.
âItâs me. I would say I am the secret ingredient that makes both my music and my mustard stand out. Mustard on the beat, my taglineâthatâs me. Thatâs Dijon. So I feel like itâs me that makes anything I attach my name to stand out. I donât put my name on anything that I do not believe in.â
What Would a Mustard x Heinz Track Sound Like?
Mustard has spent years perfecting his craft. Now, heâs literally crafting a tasteâsomething many would argue heâs already done through his diverse yet powerful approach to producing. If he were to create a Mustard x Heinz mustard-themed music track, he says it would sound like a combination of some of the recent songs heâs cooked up with Lamar.
âIt would be a mix of âHey Now,â âTV Offâ and âNot Like Us,ââ he shared. ââHey Now,â to me, is one of the best beats Iâve ever done, and last year, I manifested getting one with Kendrick. I said I wanted to get him on one of my beats, and it happened. That, to me, shows that anything is possible.â
Looking ahead, Mustard takes pride in embracing each new opportunity as it comes, fully immersing himself in the present. That doesnât mean he stops dreaming bigâafter all, a kid named Dijon growing up to make history with Heinz? Some would call that kismet. Others would say it was already written.
Advice to a Young Dijon
When asked what he would tell his younger self today, Mustard kept it simple: âItâs all going to work out.â
âThereâs nothing that I would change, even the bad, because it got me to where I am today,â he said. âSo if I could speak with the younger version of myself, Iâd just tell him that weâre on the right track and to keep dreaming because some of the wildest things he could ever believe are gonna happen.â
Using his faith as a catalyst to make his dreams come true, Mustard has manifested a successful career in music. That same faithâa mustard seed of beliefâled him to a first-of-its-kind deal with Heinz. And now, with three more Grammys under his belt, thereâs no telling whatâs next for the superstar producer.
