When Bay Area rapper LaRussell learned he was going to perform for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts late last year, he felt like he was finally accomplishing a career goal he had hoped for for most of his life.
“It was a really fulfilling experience. We got there independently, off the strength of our own work,” LaRussell said in a recent interview. “I got to bring the homies and my mom. Seeing the response from the community was huge, too.”
LaRussell Thomas, who was born in Vallejo in the ’90s and has spent his whole life in the North Bay city, is known for his socially conscious lyricism, his energetic performances and his involvement in the Vallejo community.
His business model involves running a completely independent record label called Good Compenny, where he signs up-and-coming artists from Vallejo and the surrounding Bay Area. His mission is to support musicians looking to release their work on their own terms and share it with a wider audience. LaRussell himself has even denied high-paying, plush record deals to avoid compromising his creative process.
In addition to operating the Good Compenny label, LaRussell produces live concerts in the backyard of his childhood home, where folks can hang with his family and enjoy a community meal together under a pay-what-you-wish model, allowing attendees to contribute what they can afford.
LaRussell is also popular for sharing his financial profit with his fans. He does this by sharing royalties of his music with his creative team and other supporters who are interested in investing in his merchandise, recordings and other products.
The Bay Area rapper has made quite a name for himself, with about 1.7 million followers on Instagram. In the last few years, he’s booked a slew of shows across the country—about 100 shows annually. But he always stays true to his Bay Area roots.
In the last five years he’s teamed up with local hip-hop legends including Too Short, P-Lo and E-40. Near the end of 2024 he performed at The New Parish alongside Bay Area rap veteran Richie Rich, who was once signed with Def Jam Recordings and was close with Tupac back in the day. LaRussell has since signed Rich to his label and, just last year, the pair released a song together titled, “What We Doin!?”
One of LaRussell’s favorite restaurants—and a popular brunch spot—is Momo’s Cafe. LaRussell has partnered with Momo’s in the past to offer a “pay what you want” menu for locals who might struggle to pay the full price for a meal.
Time and time again LaRussell looks for new ways to invest in his community. He wants others to see the beauty of his hometown.
“Our goal is to show both sides of Vallejo,” he said. “We’ve done these food events at the local smoothie place [and] at the sandwich spot, and we just do them at random.”
He’s even organized community events for the youth of Vallejo, putting together a school-style field day earlier this summer where kids participated in games, sports and dance.
“There were so many kids and so many families. Everyone was outside in the name of fun and community. We had pickleball, basketball, soccer and football,” LaRussell said. “It’s giving them an experience that they never had.”
LaRussell has produced 30 to 40 full-length albums since he began releasing music in 2018. The rapper published eight full-length albums this year alone, including one that features live recordings from his NPR Tiny Desk performance. He explained that the music often flows out of him, and he just tries to have fun with the process.
“I have a special project called ‘What’s It Worth to You?’ and that one will be more in-depth—it’s just me over piano, no drums or anything,” LaRussell said. “That’ll be coming in the near future, and I’m excited about it.”
LaRussell, 3pm July 5 at Cornerstone, 2367 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 510.214.8600. cornerstoneberkeley.com. For more info, visit goodcompenny.co.
Great article however LaRussell was in fact born in oakland and moved to Vallejo at 2 or 3. Big LaRussell fan!