Why the Kendrick Lamar ‘Mustard' meme is everywhere, in case you need to ketchup

An essential hot dog topping has gotten a (very long) shoutout from one of music’s biggest stars.

On Nov. 22, rapper Kendrick Lamar dropped his surprise sixth album, “GNX,” setting fans online ablaze with excitement and praise.

In addition to tapping singers SZA and Deyra Barrera, the 17-time Grammy winner used production from frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff as well as Mustard, the stage name of Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, who produced Lamar’s mega-viral hit “Not Like Us.”

On “tv off,” the seventh track on his album, Lamar name-drops Mustard, who produced the song along with Antonoff, Sean Momberger and others.

At about two minutes into the track, Lamar screams “Mustard!” in an all-caps, uvula-shaking and instantly memorable way, then repeats it later in the song.

The rapper holds the producer's name for nearly five full seconds — or two full measures. The internet has since held “Mustard!” at the tip of its tongue, turning the song snippet into a full-fledged meme.

Mustard himself said that the album release was a surprise to him, too — he hadn’t even heard the track that bears his caterwauled name.

“That s--- was elite. So fire,” Mustard told Billboard on Nov. 22, adding that he might make it his new producer tag, a short audio clip typically placed at the start of a beat that identifies the producer who made it.

”I can’t wait to perform that song and just hear people just saying that, ‘cause everybody’s going to say that like crazy,” he said.

Now, everyone from “Shrek” to the NFL, McDonald’s, Heinz, influencers, actors and professional athletes have participated in the trend, drawing plaudits from social media, including Mustard himself:

@heinzuk

Brb we’re screaming MUSTAAAARD for the rest of the year 🗣️ Credit: @Marc. #mustard #heinz #edit

♬ original sound - Marc.

@hamilt0njr

She pumpfaked me 😂😂😂

♬ tv off - Kendrick Lamar

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