Dijon “DJ Mustard” McFarlane’s influence has reached a point of complete saturation. To be honest, he’s had 10 summers already, during this summer alone. He served as executive producer on the year’s most critically-acclaimed rap album, YG’s My Krazy Life. And yes, his productions are all over the top 40, but more importantly, in many cases, they serve as the definitive artistic statement for the artists rapping over them. Perhaps the saddest indication of his prominence is the fact that so many producers have taken to shamelessly biting his style. YG pointed out exactly this the other day, when he accused Iggy Azalea of “jocking” DJ Mustard on her hit, “Fancy.” YG caught some flack for saying it, but let’s face it, it’s obvious what she did.
All things considered, if there’s still some lingering doubt that 2014 is the year of DJ Mustard, this record should be undeniable proof. More than a smoking gun, 10 Summers is a mushroom cloud of mustard gas–an album so chock-full of bangers that it’s pretty hard to resist.
Mustard’s detractors will say his beats are overly-simple and derivative–another rap album full of songs about sex and drugs. None of that holds up to close scrutiny, however. Spend a little time with these tracks and it becomes clear that these are shape-shifting melodies, meticulously groomed. As for the subject matter, DJ Mustard seems to be playfully and purposefully thumbing the eye of every tired trope in hip hop. Whether it’s representing one’s hood, dropping money in the club or receiving fellatio, Mustard is doing more here than the same old shit. He’s sarcastically celebrating, what is by all accounts, played-out subject matter. Frankly, it’s hilarious once you realize that there’s some serious signifying going on.
“Throw Your Hood Up,” like most of the tracks here, has a ridiculous but unforgettable chorus. This one gives a shout-out to every major city in the nation just before reminding us why celebrating our hood might be a pretty shallow exercise. Our neighborhoods are also where, “everybody carries a big ass pistol” and where, “everybody got shirts cuz a nigga got murdered.”
While these tensions exist in the music, it’s also true that ass shaking and fun are the primary goal. The last thing Mustard seems willing to do is bum anybody out. Every sobering sentiment on 10 Summers is offset by a million snarky ones. One great example of DJ Mustard’s wit is “Guiseppee,” which might be the most facetious three minutes on the album. Here, Mustard oversees a thorough discrediting of the designer worship so tired and ubiquitous in hip hop these days. (The same worship that reached both it’s zenith and point of diminished returns with last year’s “Versace.”) “Bitch, you couldn’t walk in my Guiseppee shoes,” raps 2 Chainz in the chorus. The obvious double entendre being, not only can you not afford my shoes you couldn’t handle my opulent lifestyle either. A notion so absurd, it should be understood for what it is: a joke. “I’m alergic to broke niggas” 2 Chainz calls, “hah-choo, hah-choo” is the response. Jeezy continues the parody, he’s so proud of his sneakers that, “be lookin’ like space boots,” that he’s decided to step all over your furniture.
Still, I have no doubt that 2 Chainz and Jeezy might actually wear Guiseppe Zanotti. Still, DJ Mustard’s vision isn’t to rub our nose in it, it’s to highlight the foolishness of that kind of lifestyle (the rappers here all seem to be in on the same joke). The whole album is like that. Across 10 Summers, every track tackles a different questionable ethos in hip hop culture and takes it to it’s ultimate, absurd conclusion. “No Reason,” rejoices in the logistical silliness of buying one hundred bottles of booze at the club. “4 Digits,” an absolutely excellent R&B track, revels in being accused of having a “side-bitch” (and a girlfriend trying to catch you by attempting to unlock your phone while you’re in the shower). The tongue in cheekyness of it all is summed up in one line, “She so damn nosey,” sings Eric Bellinger. “Down On Me” is so flagrantly about getting a blow job I don’t even know what to say. It might be trite too if weren’t so fun.
The features here are essentially a who’s who of modern day hip hop: Jeezy, 2 Chains, YG, Dom Kennedy, Lil Boosie, and Ty Dolla $ign. Not all of these artists are in their prime, but here, they sound like they are. For proof see the excellent, “Face Down.” Lil Wayne’s verse is particularly great and to hear Weezy once again crush it like this warms the heart. “I was caught in the moment,” he admits just as the song pauses long enough for him to grunt, “yeah” — but it’s no normal “yeah.” It’s “yeah” as in, “yeah, I did that despite myself.” It only lasts a second, but it speaks volumes. Lil Boosie’s work on the same song is no less astonishing for similar reasons. Perhaps, DJ Mustard’s biggest accomplishment here is getting the most out of his vocalists–many of whom haven’t sounded this inspired in years.
Scanning the list of features on 10 Summers, there is one very notable exception, Kendrick Lamar, and if I were him I’d be shitting in my pants right now–if he plans to release the album of the year he better bring his A-game. 10 Summers is just that, ten tracks custom made for summer. Several of which, “Ghetto Tales,” “Throw Your Hood Up,” “Face Down,” “Can’t Tell Me,” and “4 Digits” are among the best hip hop tracks of the year. It might very well be another 10 summers before we get another album of this quality too. So, for those who thought DJ Mustard would buckle under the pressure, become a parody of himself, or was a one trick pony, you were wrong. Call it simple, call it derivative, but you’re being honest, you can’t call it dull–because it never is.
Stream & Download 10 Summers for free on Google Play.
Rating: 5/5