Remembering Dust La Rock
It’s often said that when art is made public, it no longer belongs to its creator. Whether it’s a painting, a poem, a piece of music, or any of the infinite possibilities in between, there’s a process of letting go. The work is done, it’s out there, it’s consumable. For perfectionists, this would incite a feeling of panic, but for those rare mad scientists who need to be in a constant cycle of creation, it’s the most freeing feeling in the world. Looking at his breadth of work for A-Trak, Action Bronson, Kid Cudi and Danny Brown, among many others, it’s obvious Dust La Rock was in the latter camp. Sadly, the letting go is now on our shoulders.
Dust, born Joshua Prince, was 38 when he passed away on February 2 in New York. The cause of death has not yet been made public, but the news appeared to come as a shock to friends and fans on Twitter:
As co-founder of Fool’s Gold records with A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs, Prince was the creative director and chief designer from the label’s launch in 2007 to 2012, defining the look and feel at a most crucial time. He created covers for some of indie dance and hip-hop’s best, from Danny Brown’s XXX and Action Bronson’s Blue Chips to Duck Sauce’s Barbara Streisand. His irreverently cartoonish illustrations were like hipster Marvel (if you’ll forgive the “h word”), with swirling, blazing fonts recalling ’80s and ’90s pop culture. Album covers begged to be framed, and flyers felt like cool kids propaganda.
Prince also worked with many top brands including Nike, but ultimately helped define Scion in their infancy as they worked to connect with the urban in-crowd. Even his brand work felt genuine because he himself was.
“Dust was definitely one of a kind, with a smile made of gold and creativity and personality like no other,” says DJ and producer Tittsworth. “I feel really lucky to have been his friend. I planned on surprising him by having a logo he recently designed for me on my hand.”
Kid Sister, for whom Dust designed at least four covers while she was on Fool’s Gold, felt a similarly missed opportunity in the jolt of his passing.
“I wrote a song for him, and he asked and asked about it, but I never played it for him,” she says. “I really regret that, but I’ll always have that song and the happy memories we shared. He was a great man and a dear, dear friend. I’ll always miss him.”
Friends continue to post myriad tributes via memories and artwork across social media. Even A-Trak himself changed his Twitter name to “RIP Duster” and shared that his friend “helped so much to define what I stand for.” A visit to the artist’s website now shows a takeover illustration of a commemorative coin reading “RIP Dust La Rock” and it all begins to sink in, that creeping feeling that what has taken place cannot be undone.
We lost a great talent. Like many who went before him, the art lives on in homes, dorm rooms studios, desktop wallpapers, flyers kept in shoeboxes marking standout nights we won’t forget. The best artists’ work resonates after they pass on, and Dust is right there with them.
