Coachella’s second weekend brought more than sunlight; sequins brought serious shade, courtesy of DJ Mustard. Not only did the L.A. hitmaker go for a spin, but he kindled the whole thing, lighting a match on one of the genre’s hottest beef with a daring move that left the audience screaming and Drake seeking shelter.
During his set on Friday (April 18), Mustard did the unimaginable: He played Kendrick Lamar’s scathing diss track “Not Like Us” not once but twice, and the crowd went wild. With thousands of festival-goers singing along to lyrics that accuse Drake of pedophilia, it was evident the DJ was doing more than just pressing play. He was pushing buttons.
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That moment felt like a deliberate shot; make no mistake, it was. And at the end of his set, Mustard punctuated the night with a flip of one of Kendrick’s bars into a personal dig: “Why are you suing like a b####, ain’t you tired?” That’s quite a way to say the quiet part out loud.
That is a stark difference from the week before, when Mustard made his Coachella debut, playing it cool and controversy-free. That show celebrated hits at a party with friends such as Ella Mai, Roddy Ricch, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, YG, and Tyga. “Rack City,” “Boo’d Up” and “Ballin’” were the standouts. But “Not Like Us”? Nowhere to be found.
This was not a DJ playing one of the popular songs. Mustard was the producer of “Not Like Us.” The Grammy-stacked song, which won five trophies at the 2025 ceremony, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, is arguably the biggest hit of his career. The beat, which he famously cooked up in 30 minutes, was Mustard channeling Dr. Dre with a touch of raw, aggressive, and explosive Lil Jon.
But thanks to a pending defamation lawsuit that Drake has launched against Universal Music Group, the label that released the song, its live debut is now more than simply a flex. It’s a legal landmine. And Mustard? He’s crushing it with both feet.
Some see it as bravery. Others, a provocation. Mustard made a statement loud and clear to tens of thousands and the watching internet.
Whether it will heighten tensions or become one more viral moment in hip-hop’s soap opera is yet to be determined. But if you thought it would be a mellow repeat in weekend two at Coachella, DJ Mustard just served a reminder: in this game, anything is possible, especially when you hit play a second time.
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