LaRussell on Turning Being Different Into Your Superpower

LaRussell (IG: @larussell) is a legendary independent rapper and artist from Vallejo, California, who began rapping at just eight years old. Struggling to find inspiration in his early schooling, he thrived at Vallejo’s Peoples' High School, where his creativity and talent began to flourish. After graduation, fatherhood briefly paused his musical ambitions, and he took a stable, well-paying job in aerospace to support his daughter, where he worked for six years before boldly leaving it to pursue music full-time. A visionary in the independent music scene, LaRussell created the “Proud to Pay” model, allowing fans to set their own price for his music, live shows, and local events under the motto: “it’s not free, it’s priceless.” He also founded the independent collective Good Compenny, which empowers artists to retain ownership of their work while fostering community, collaboration, and positive change in an industry that often undervalues independent voices. Since 2019, LaRussell has released 24 full-length albums, including seven in 2023 alone, showcasing a relentless work ethic and a commitment to quality. His artistry has earned acclaim from some of the most influential figures in music, including Charlamagne Tha God, Chance The Rapper, Russ, Meek Mill, LA Reid, and Erykah Badu, and his story is one of resilience, innovation, and unwavering dedication to his craft, continuously redefining what it means to succeed as an independent artist.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //

+ How to navigate between our innate need to belong / fit inand instead choose to stand out when we feel different from the pack

+ “There’s people who spend time talking about doing things,and there are people who spend time doing things” – LaRussell

+ People will box us in to what they believe we are whichworks against our need to evolve

+ Why record labels will invest in whack artists who havemillions of views vs. investing in dope artists who don’t yet have a following

+ Discussing where LaRussell’s wisdom comes from at such ayoung age

+ If you live your life not trusting other people you willmanifest meeting more untrustworthy people

+ The more shots you take the better you become; peopleblock their development by worrying too much about what other people think

+ People need to be honest with themselves and just say theydon’t actually want what they say they do if they’re not putting in consistentwork to achieve it

+ We discuss the Kanye West lyric from the song “Spaceship” ... “Lock yourself in a room doin’ 5 beats a day for 3 summers that’s a differentworld like three summers I deserve to do these numbers!”

+ How to deal with haters online who don’t even know you:“If you have a problem with me text me, if you don’t have my number then youdon’t know me well enough to have a problem with me.”

+ Why labels get behind toxic music vs. morepositive/nourishing music

+ Why LaRussell calls his company “GOODCOMPENNY”

+ Surreal moment of meeting Diddy and how that meeting impactedhim

+ Learning to work efficiently on a team and how we can keepour egos in check so that we can all fly higher and win more