Mvstermind, otherwise known as Muhammad Austin, is somewhat of a household name here in St. Louis. But now, he is building a national name for himself with his involvement with the U.S. Men’s national soccer team.
U.S. Against the World, which captures the U.S. Men’s National Team’s road to the FIFA World Cup 2026, is a documentary four years in the making, edited and post-produced right here in St. Louis by Outpost and now streaming on HBO Max. It is also the name of the title track featured at the beginning of every episode, composed by Hannah Parrott and written and sung by rapper and St. Louis native, Mvstermind.
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Mvstermind has built a flourishing creative community in his hometown of St. Louis through various roles—as a mentor for up-and-coming artists through his independent artist workshop, Mvstercamp; as the former musical director of St. Louis CITY SC; as a Futuremakers board member; or connecting with industry professionals. He is so involved in his community that Mayor Tishaura Jones officially named October 1 “Mvstermind Day.” It is this very community to which Mvstermind now attributes his booming success.
“The biggest thing that I want to say is community,” Mvstermind says. “I really got the call from people who I rock with, people who rock with me.” He received the offer to contribute to U.S. Against the World from the show’s creative director and lead editor, Lucas J. Harger. Both Harger and editor Jazzy Kettenacker are also based in St. Louis and have worked closely with Mvstermind in the past, including on the production of his music video for “Square Up.”
When Mvstermind was first invited into the editing suite to watch the rough cut, he planned on taking notes for his lyric writing. However, one statement kept echoing in his head: “The underdog that was overlooked has something to prove. This generation is built different.” These two lines became the central pillar of his writing, grounded in his own background, St. Louis, and the Men’s World Cup legacy.
“For me, it has so much to do synonymously with St. Louis,” Mvstermind says. “Being an underdog does not mean that you are underskilled in any shape or form. You may just not have received the opportunities. You may not have had a moment to really prove yourself, you know? I don’t think it’s about dedicating all your energy to proving them wrong. It’s about dedicating your energy to proving yourself right.”
In addition to writing the series’ title track, “U.S. Against the World,” Mvstermind was also contracted to produce four more individual songs: “Strikers Shuffle,” “Brother Nem,” “Built Different,” and “Away.” Mvstermind says that while all of these songs were commissioned for the documentary, he stayed true to his artistic approach and wanted to make them accessible to everyone. “I wanted to make sure that the music was music that I would release, if it was tied to a documentary or not,” he says.
With streaming numbers soaring and countless St. Louis bars and watch parties reaching out with messages of support, Mvstermind feels that this is a defining moment. People are watching, and doors have been opened by the experience. “It’s one of the best ways for an independent artist to be shared with the world,” he says. “I’ve had places doing watch parties say, ‘Hey, we’re playing this song at the beginning of the watch party. We’re playing this song when they’re scoring goals. We’re playing this song at the end. This song is in our playlist.’ I think that kind of energy is probably going to be the catalyst that makes this one of the number-one songs played during the World Cup.”
On top of his streaming success, “U.S. Against the World” has become one of the anthems for the U.S. team as they pursue World Cup success. To wit, Mvstermind is currently in Los Angeles and is set to perform his new music at the Prematch Concert in the U.S. Soccer House on June 19. He will perform before the U.S. vs. Australia match kicks off at 2 p.m.
“When I made these songs, I didn’t just make them for the documentary. I knew that the players were going to be watching this leading up to the World Cup. So imagine being a soccer player who’s about to play one of the biggest matches of your life. The internet is hating on you, the world is doubting you, but you see this documentary where your story is being told for the first time in a very intricate, intentional way. And there’s music that’s created for you,” Mvstermind says. “Ultimately, the goal isn’t just to make a cool, awesome show. It’s to shift the entire energy behind our American soccer team. Whether we go all the way or not, they’re going to know that this generation has something to prove. We were built different, you know what I mean? They’re going to know that it took community and people who have each other’s backs.”
Watch Sarah Fenske’s interview with Mvstermind on The 314 Podcast.
