Mustard is adding another layer to his legacy — this time, not with a chart-topping track, but with a sound you might start hearing everywhere.
The Grammy Award-winning producer is behind Sprite’s first-ever “Sprite Sound,” a new sonic identity tied to the brand’s latest global push into music and culture, according to a recent announcement.
For Mustard, the collaboration goes beyond branding. It’s about aligning with something that’s already been part of hip-hop’s DNA.
“Making the first-ever signature Sprite Sound is the type of artistic collaboration I love, since we both stand for empowering artists and authentic self-expression. Sprite is iconic and a legend in music culture, and I made the new sonic identity to be intense, crisp and just as iconic as the brand.”
The Los Angeles producer — known for shaping the sound of modern West Coast hip-hop — was a natural fit for a project rooted in music history.
The new launch, which is a part of Sprite’s “It’s That Fresh” platform, was celebrated at Sprite FreshFest in London’s Shoreditch, with a performance by LeoStayTrill and a DJ set by Little Simz. Love Island alum Tyrique Hyde and actor Kadeem Ramsay were among those in attendance.
Santiago “Santi” Iturralde, president of global category for sparkling flavors at The Coca-Cola Company, said Mustard’s connection to hip-hop made him an obvious choice.
“Well, first I’m a fan of him. So I listened to him for a long time,” Iturralde said. “And if you think the history of Sprite… Sprite is a brand that was the first brand ever to get associated with hip-hop.”
“At the time, hip-hop was the expression… of the challenges people were facing, and it was the voice of the people in the streets in the Bronx,” he said. “Nowadays, it’s the music of everyone.”
As Sprite looked to tap back into that energy, Iturralde said the brand wanted someone who represents both legacy and what’s next.
“DJ Mustard, apart from winning Grammys, he is someone as a producer that has captured the new [and] upcoming people,” he said. “It’s that freshness and spirit… I think he’s one of the fathers of modern hip hop.”
That influence, he added, extends globally.
“You see his influence really comes across significantly on North America, Europe, Latin America,” Iturralde said. “You see it coming across.”