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LaRussell
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Key Information
LaRussell Dwayne Thomas (born October 6, 1994), known mononymously as LaRussell, is an American rapper. Based in Vallejo, California, he is a frequent collaborator of Bay Area musicians; he also hosts concerts at The Pergola, his own venue in his backyard.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]LaRussell Dwayne Thomas[3] was born on October 6, 1994, in Vallejo, California.[4] He started rapping in the second grade.[5] He never struggled in school, but did not want to attend, leading to him eventually ending up at People's Continuation High School.[6][7] His father was his main inspiration in creating music.[8]
Career
[edit]
LaRussell fathered a child, a girl, right after he left high school, so he left his musical endeavors to pursue a more supportive and stable job, eventually obtaining a high-income job in aerospace manufacturing in 2012 after graduating from Grand Canyon University. However, he became demotivated to do his job because he was not able to chase his passion. LaRussell eventually released his first album, The Field Effect, in 2018. After releasing more music, he decided to throw a headlining show at the Empress Theatre to take a risk, and it was successful.[6]
LaRussell began to save money for music, and his father and friends invested their money in him. Eventually, in 2019, he decided to quit his job and start an arts company, Good Compenny, with his friends.[5][9][10] He originally went under the name of Tota Shakur, but after releasing Silence Won't Save You in 2020, a more personal album with his life story, he felt that he should represent more of himself in his name.[7]
In 2021, he appeared on The Breakfast Club.[6] He also decided to share parts of his catalog as royalties.[11] In 2025, he performed at the halftime show of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.[12] In 2026, he performed at the Super Bowl LX Tailgate Party. Days prior to his performance, he signed a record deal with Roc Nation.[13]
Personal life
[edit]LaRussell has one child, a girl. He is also a vegan and frequently talks about police injustice in his music. He enjoys playing chess, as well as basketball, pickleball, and tennis.[5][14]
Influences and artistry
[edit]LaRussell names Lil Wayne, E-40, Eminem, Mac Dre, and Nipsey Hussle as large inspirations.[15] His top artists are Tupac Shakur, Drake, Jay-Z, André 3000, J. Cole, and Kanye West. LaRussell says that his music is genre-bending and mixes many elements together.[7]
Starting in 2022, after a disgruntling experience with a venue, LaRussell holds many of his performances in his own venue, the Pergola in his home backyard.[8][16][17][18][19] The stage was designed with assistance from Christian Alberto, a local artist.[20]
Philanthropy
[edit]In 2022, he temporarily bought out the restaurant Momo's Cafe in Vallejo and offered a pay-what-you-want menu for the remainder of the year.[4][10][21][22][23]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- The Field Effect (2018)
- Never Forget Who You Are (2018)
- Love Phi Love (2018)
- The North Star (2019)
- Silence Won't Save You (2020)
- The Field Effect 2 (2020)
- Marlin 7 (2021)
- Cook Together, Eat Together (2021)
- It'll All Make Sense When It's Done (2021)
- I'm About to Fly (with RRAREBEAR) (2021)
- 8Lbs 2Oz (with Armani dePaul) (2021)
- Zaps & Alpines (with Dom Bailey) (2021)
- For What It's Worth (with Hokage Simon) (2022)
- Days Like This (2022)
- Champagne Gummies (2022)
- 96' Bulls (2022)
- I Hate When Life's Going Great (with Deaf Heff) (2022)
- 8 Hours in Brooklyn (2022)
- Omaha (with Hokage Simon) (2023)
- Dragonfly (with Dom Bailey) (2023)
- Clarity (2023)
- How Much Does a Piece of Mind Cost (with Lucas Quinn) (2023)
- Hustlenomics (with Ekzakt and DTB) (2023)
- It's Different (with Hokage Simon) (2023)
- Family Business (with Hokage Simon) (2023)
- Motion (with Link+Up) (2023)
- DJ Gutta Butta Presents: 3 Point Play (with DJ Gutta Busta and Mike G Beatz) (2024)
- Live From the 206 (2024)
- Majorly Independent (with P-Lo) (2024)
- Velour (2024)
- From Vallejo With Love (with Cam Cortez) (2024)
- Rent Paid (with Hit-Boy) (2025)
- Party on the Westside (with Mike & Keys) (2025)
- Be Home Before the Street Lights Come On (2025)
- Black Boy Fly (with Mike & Keys) (2025)
- Make Hip-Hop Fun Again! (with Mike G Beatz) (2025)
- Sobriety (with noizy) (2025)
- Good Ethica (with Ethika Music) (2025)
Extended plays
[edit]- GCU: 1st Semester (2019)
- GCU: 2nd Semester (2019)
- 26.2 (with Hillz) (2022)
- Rent Due (with Hit-Boy) (2024)
References
[edit]- ^ Karoff, Timothy (February 24, 2025). "He has 1.6 million followers, but he's never leaving his small Bay Area city". SFGate. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Fishman, Sydney (July 1, 2025). "LaRussell loves Vallejo". East Bay Express. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "Larussell Dwayne Thomas, Born 10/06/1994 in California | CaliforniaBirthIndex.org". californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved January 3, 2026.
- ^ a b Lim, Dion (October 22, 2022). "Vallejo restaurant, rapper LaRussell offering 'pay-what-you-want' menu to build community". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c Harshaw, Pendarvis (January 26, 2021). "From Vallejo, an Intimate Video Series Putting On for the Bay". KQED-FM. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c Gray, Mahogany U. (November 2, 2021). "November 4 Arts and Entertainment Source: LaRussell follows his passion of 'holistic hip hop'". Vallejo Times Herald. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c Ju, Shirley (November 11, 2022). "LaRussell Talks Good Compenny Collective: "I Hate When Life's Going Great" & Selling Shows Independently". AllHipHop. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Robinson, Joshua (November 1, 2022). "LaRussell Is In A League Of His Own: Talks Throwing Concerts In His Backyard To Nipsey Hussle's Influence On "Proud 2 Pay" Movement". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Williams, Aaron (August 9, 2024). "Bay Area Rapper LaRussell Is About His Business". Uproxx. Archived from the original on November 8, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ a b Guerrero, Susana (October 22, 2022). "Bay Area rapper LaRussell teams up with Vallejo restaurant in 'pay what you want' deal". SFGate. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Harshaw, Pendarvis (December 6, 2021). "The Year LaRussell Called His Shot". KQED-FM. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Chazaro, Alan (February 17, 2025). "At NBA All-Star Weekend, True Bay Area Culture Thrived — If You Knew Where to Find It". KQED-FM. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Irshad, Zara (February 4, 2026). "LaRussell signs record deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation ahead of Super Bowl debut". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Powell, Jon (March 25, 2025). "Built, not bought: LaRussell on staying independent in Hip Hop and keeping it honest". Revolt. Archived from the original on April 19, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "LaRussell Is Willing To Die Trying To Get As Big As Drake Independently + Talks Nipsey Hussle Inspiration". KPWR. February 23, 2022. Archived from the original on May 20, 2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Henderson-Wood, Kayla (November 1, 2023). "What Happens to LaRussell if He Signs to Def Jam?". KQED-FM. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Srour, Yousef (December 19, 2023). "It's time to bring live hip-hop back to Vallejo". The Vallejo Sun. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ "LaRussell Inspires Backyard Concert Culture in the 707". Respect My Region. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Ni, Christine; Horn, Michael; Washington • •, Marcus (February 7, 2025). "Vallejo rapper LaRussell builds collective to uplift his community". NBC Bay Area. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Srour, Yousef (April 26, 2024). "LaRussell: Live from his Vallejo backyard". The Vallejo Sun. Archived from the original on April 21, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
- ^ Ramos, John (October 24, 2022). "With help from popular rapper LaRussell, Vallejo cafe offers pay-what-you-can menu - CBS San Francisco". CBS News. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Sambajon, Troy (October 25, 2022). "LaRussell gets the bill on Momo's Cafe". Vallejo Times Herald. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Flores, Jessica (October 27, 2022). "Bay Area rapper offers 'pay-what-you-want' pricing at family-owned restaurant he renovated". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
