Contrary to a majority of other aspiring artists, DUSTY LOCANE‘s come-up was almost immediate.
Last August, “ROLLIN N CONTROLLIN FREESTYLE” became the first official release for DUSTY, explaining that it quickly jumped from around 25,000 views on YouTube to millions in an instant — now sitting at over 30 million.
He attributed this surge in virality, in part, to the song blowing up on TikTok — an app he was not even familiar with at the time. Now, with over 850,000 followers, TikTok and social media as a whole are a vital part to DUSY LOCANE’s rise to acclaim.
Growing up in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, DUSTY was surrounded by a Caribbean culture where he indulged in calypso music in his youth. Around that time, he attended the same elementary school and played basketball with fellow Canarsie native, friend and Brooklyn drill pioneer Pop Smoke, who he is compared to the most musically.
A strong passion for basketball would eventually lead him to play at the Junior College level, until he eventually ditched the game and would later pursue hip-hop. But, he says he may be interested in a potential Crew League appearance, which OGM fans would all love to see.
Since the release of “ROLLIN N CONTROLLIN FREESTYLE,” LOCANE has only released eight other tracks, several of which are collaborative cuts. His November 2020 song “Rolando (Caught In The Rain),” with its accompanying December music video, has garnered over 20 million YouTube views, as he continues to make himself a staple in the New York drill scene along with artists like Fivio Foreign, Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G.
Since the start of 2021, DUSTY has released seven songs, including the sequel to the song that started it all, “ROLLIN N CONTROLLIN, Pt.2 (PICTURE ME) in May.
Now that he has a handful of singles under his belt, he has his sights set on his upcoming debut project UNTAMED, which he says includes 21 songs and an eventual deluxe adding four more. Although DUSTY has delayed releasing a project several times over the span of months, he is excited to finally show his fans a more evolved sound, including some songs geared toward women and romance.
While he puts the finishing touches on his pending project, DUSTY LOCANE linked up with OGM host Hakeem Rowe to discuss his basketball roots, relationship with the late Pop Smoke, bridging the gap between New York and UK drill, fallen legends and more his Our Generation exclusive interview.
Quotable Moments
Hakeem Rowe: The most important thing for rappers, besides the music, is the name. When I hear this name Dusty Locane, I’m like, ‘Yo this is hard as f**k.’ Where did you get this name?
Dusty Locane: “If you’re from where I’m from, it’s a term that we use. That’s just what it is, Dusty Locane. There isn’t really too much to go into depth about it. You hear that name you know what comes with it.”
HR: You haven’t really been making music for that long. It’s been about a year. How do you feel, mentally, about your quick come-up?
DL: “Yeah a year and some change. Not only was it unexpected, but everything happened so rapidly, that there wasn’t any time to mentally prepare myself. As I was going through everything, I was learning. Through all of those things, I’m seeing that certain industry shit isn’t for me. It was a lot of trials and tribulations. It taught me a lot. Made me grow quicker.”
