DJ Mustard - Ketchup

The fact that DJ Mustard called his mixtape ‘Ketchup’ might raise a smile, but it won’t match the one you get when you learn his real name is Dijon. Anyway, the LA producer and DJ is the main architect of the party-focused West Coast sub-genre dubbed “ratchet” and makes super-efficient beats that point to his time in the jerkin’ scene and a broader local love of tough 808s. They are basically all caverns of bass coloured by concise synth lines, rapid hand-claps and chants, but Mustard can adapt his template and the essential components really just work even so. He made Rack City for Tyga at the end of 2011 and its massive success lead to notable collaborations with 2 Chainz and Young Jeezy, but this solo mixtape mostly features local stars he’s worked with for ages like YG, Ty Dolla $ign and Joe Moses – with spoken interludes from Timbaland, Lil Jon, Funk Master Flex, DJ Drama and a guest verse from E-40 cementing his status as a rising rap auteur.