Homeboy Sandman is the Queens MC whose lyrical acrobatics entangle your brain in a pretzel. However, his new project, Dusty, isn't excessively heady. It's jazziness is paired with optimistic lyrics that make Dusty a delight to run through. The project is also buoyed by a sense of humor. On the single, "Lookout," Sandman raps "I don’t barely move except for coochie or for bread."
Each instrumental from Mono En Stereo, who produced the whole project, throws an entirely different landscape for Homeboy Sandman to navigate and he emerges triumphant every time. Dusty marks the reunion of Homeboy Sandman with Mono En Stereo, who last collaborated with one another on the 2013 EP, Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent. The project's title could reference the beats' crackling samples, but they all manage to simultaneously possess a sharp brightness.
Dusty also marks Homeboy Sandman's debut on Tucson-based indie label, Mello Music Group, which serves as the home to other wordsmiths like Quelle Chris, Open Mike Eagle, Oddisee and Denmark Vessey. Although Homeboy Sandman is an incredibly prolific artist - having dropped an EP with Aesop Rock in 2017 (Triple Fat Lice) and a project with Edan in 2018 (Humble Pi) - but Dusty is his first solo album since 2017's Veins.
