LaRussell interview with Maleman
In a culture often driven by clout, contracts, and numbers, LaRussell is moving with intention and purpose. During Malemans’ recent sitdown with the Vallejo, California native, LaRussell peeled back the layers of what independence really looks like in today’s music industry, and why ownership, community, and authenticity matter now more than ever.
From the start, LaRussell made it clear: “he’s not chasing validation from the industry—he’s building something bigger than it”. His approach to music is rooted in ownership and direct connection with his supporters. Whether it’s selling his album for $11,000, or choosing unconventional ways to release music, LaRussell sees value where others see risk. To him, it’s not about breaking records—it’s about breaking systems.
Throughout the conversation, LaRussell spoke candidly about redefining success. Instead of measuring wins by streams or chart positions, he measures impact. Are people being inspired? Is the community growing? Is the artist in control? He emphasized that independence isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a responsibility. Ownership means understanding your worth, protecting your creativity, and making decisions that serve long-term freedom, not short-term hype.
This interview wasn’t just a conversation about music. It was a masterclass in independence, mindset, and purpose. LaRussell isn’t waiting for permission. He’s creating his own lane—and inviting others to realize they can do the same.
Transcript
Maleman: Yes, sir. You know what it is? It's Maleman on Denver's Urban Alternative 1047 to drop. And bro, I ain't gonna cap, man. We in the presence of a living legend right now. You know what I'm saying? We are all witnessing this dude. Change the game right in front of our eyes. You know, he ain't waiting on a deal. He ain't asked for no permission. I'm talking about a real independent powerhouse in the studio with me. Dude is so humble. Dude is so down to earth. You gotta love him. energy crazy. Sitting with me today is my dog, La Russell. What up, big homie?
LaRussell: Yeah, what's happening?
Maleman: Man, it's all good. So first of all, congratulations. You know what I'm saying? The world has been talking about this for the past 48 something hours or whatever. You set the world record with something in the water, the highest price ever paid for a digital album. Shout out to Kyrie Irving. 11 bands, $11,000 for the album, bro, that is insane. Like, how do you feel about that? Like, talk to me about that.
LaRussell: Man, it's legendary. It's incredible. You know, I actually set the record twice. I got a $10,000 sale too. You hear me?
Maleman: That boy outside?
LaRussell: You hear me? Man, it's a beautiful thing. It's really earned and deserved. Like, we work really hard to get to this point. And to see the people in the community show up for me in this way means A lot.
Maleman: Man, that is so dope, bro. I seen that. I was like, what? That is wild, man. Shout out to La Russell, really doing this big one. So I do this with all my guests, you know what I'm saying? I think it's important that we check in on each other, you know, especially us being us. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. La Russell, how are you really doing? How are you really feeling? What space you in, big dog?
LaRussell: I'm phenomenal right now. I've been working really hard and I've been seeing the fruits of my labor. And I've been growing as a human.
Maleman: Yeah.
LaRussell: And I think I have a pretty good understanding of what my life is right now and what it's supposed to be. So I'm in a good space.
Maleman: Man, that's good to know. That's good to know, bro. Like I said, the energy's always high. You look good. You're doing groundbreaking stuff independently. So you should definitely be in a good space. You should be proud of yourself, man. And the culture thanks you. putting on in a crazy way, bro. Real talk. So let's talk about it. Like you've built a movement, you know, like I said, without waiting for permission and doing things in a regular, ordinary way, you know what I'm saying? Like, what's something about your creative process that people still might misunderstand?
LaRussell: That people may misunderstand.
Maleman: That people may not, let me rephrase it, that people may not know how you approach creating and putting stuff out. Like what's something about how you approach that people just may not know or may misunderstand?
LaRussell: We share so much of the process. There's not much unveiled at this point. People have seen me make records. People have seen me shoot the videos. I've showed every part of the blueprint so that doesn't exist. So people respect the art at a different level they understand what goes into the art.
Maleman: Yeah. Yep. So in your opinion, like, do you think consistency and urgency matters when you're dropping music in today's like climate? Which one do you think is more important?
LaRussell: Urgency, no. Consistency for certain.
Maleman: Yeah.
LaRussell: And not just music, in life. if you don't show up in your kids' life consistently, they probably not going to rock with you the same amount. And that's the same with music and your supporters and your fans. That's the same with any of your family. The people you see the most are the people you have the closest relationship to. The people you see once a year is the people that's like, hey, you're still a homie, but you don't get the same support. Don't hit me asking for, you know, help.
Maleman: I ain't talked to you in a whole year.
LaRussell: But the people that, you know, the people that you always serving and that's always serving you, that's the people that that you can go to for that support.
Maleman: Yeah, that's facts. That's definitely facts. Tell me this, how do you protect your mindset, you know what I'm saying, when the industry kind of tries to put a ceiling on you and try to tell you how you should move? How do you protect your mindset?
LaRussell: I don't exist within the industry, so I don't really have to deal with it. You know, early on when we were taking the meetings, and getting a lot of feedback and opinion from people who didn't do what I do, that was a different time. But now I exist within the industry to whatever degree I wish, because I'll be at home with my homies, chilling, you feel me? Like we're doing the groundbreaking things within our own networking community. So I don't have to deal with it much.
Maleman: That's what's up. And so with that being said, like, And you're painting a new picture when it comes to independent artistry. Do you think at this stage, 2026 and moving forward, does the industry and the labels even really matter anymore?
LaRussell: Yes.
Maleman: Okay.
LaRussell: Yeah, it'll never not matter. You got to understand, you could build a computer at home.
Maleman: True.
LaRussell: That'll never not make Apple matter. You could build the greatest computer in the world at home. That'll never not make Apple matter. You could make your own independent film. That'll make Paramount not matter. That'll make Netflix not matter. You know, independence isn't the riddance of all the infrastructure that existed for hundreds of years prior. They still have all the resources and all the money.
Maleman: That's true.
LaRussell: You want to get on late night television? You want to get on radio, you want to go do all the summer jams, and there's opportunities that exist within the industry that those are their 100-year relationships that they have. And they have the budgets to say, we could put gas on this right now. Like me, I have to sell product to market product. They can market product before they sell product. You get what I'm saying? I see exactly what you're saying. Like they got a million that they could just say, I'll just push this toward. I have to go make some money 1st and then spend some money. They could just spend some money to make some money.
Maleman: Yeah. That's game right there. I hope you listen it. That is game. That is game. No cap. So yo, so I've had like the honor and pleasure to have people like, Like D-Smoke, come sit down with me, have a conversation with me. People like Miles Minnick to come sit down, have a conversation with me. You know what I'm saying? And you've got songs and you've got connections with both of those and more, you know what I'm saying? How did those link ups come about? Like, was they organic? Did y'all reach out? Have y'all just known each other since we, you know, kind of rocked from the same spot? Like, how did those link ups come about?
LaRussell: As organic as possible. I was a fan of Smoke from the Netflix show. Me, my pops and my family, we used to watch him from the living room and we was cheering and rooting for him. So when they finally, when I finally made it and it was like we could connect and he was a fan of what I did, I was an easy call. And same with Miles. Miles is from the turf and I've been seeing his name before he was doing Christian rap. You know, I was seeing Miles make his moves decade plus ago. He's been working a long time. And now to see him get his moment while I'm getting my moment is just perfect alignment.
Maleman: Yeah, no, that's dope. And of course, they both bangers. Every song, you know what I'm saying? Y'all cooked up in the garage, I think. Like I just seen that not too long ago.
LaRussell: So that's on the way.
Maleman: Shout out to Miles Minnick, shout out to D Smoke. So you mentioned like community and how important that is to you. And you've been able to turn your city like into a brand, like into your brand or include them into your brand. Like how has your community and your city shaped the way you moved as an artist?
LaRussell: Completely. I'm from a community that lacks resource and opportunity.
Maleman: Talk about it.
LaRussell: Especially to be a musician and make it to this level. I had to build everything I used. But the one thing I didn't have to build was like... the energy of my region and where I'm from. There was already a bunch of people there who had this spirit. They just needed somebody to rally around in a champion. Cities like Vallejo, where I'm from, we don't have sports teams. So our rappers is, you know, E40 is our Raiders. La Russell is our 49ers. You feel me? So when we finally get one that we could rally around, that's what the city do.
Maleman: Dang, that's deep. I don't even think about it like that. You know what I'm saying? So like you've shown artists, not just from your community, but I'm gonna say worldwide now at this point, you know what I mean? You showed artists that the traditional gatekeepers and all of those type of things don't really matter. Like what's the biggest lie the music industry still tells newcomers? What would you say that is? Our misconception, we don't got to use a word like lie, but what's something that's kind of a myth that These people are still telling up and comers.
LaRussell: That's tough, because the further I go on my journey, the more I'm learning that a lot of it isn't mythic. It's what they know. Like I was told early on. I needed a hit record to get to the level I'm at now. I'm at the level I'm at now and I still don't have a hit record. I don't have a platinum record. I don't have a gold record. I don't have a record that has thousands of radio spins. I don't have a record they play on TV. When you think of me, you don't think of a record. You think of me. You know, that's one of those things that's mythic to me, but not to the industry. Because everyone that they sign, that is something that they need for them to go to work and do what they do. having to go viral on TikTok and do you got to be on TikTok, you got to be present. That's not a real thing. Some people don't go super viral on TikTok. They just build and cultivate a community that resonate with them.
Maleman: That's game though too.
LaRussell: Yeah, it's a lot. But like I said, it's not even myths. Like these are things that work for them that they believe is that they believe is the recipe for everybody. And that's just not true. But it also is true for them because it's a formula that they've been able to use time and time again to break artists.
Maleman: That makes a lot of sense. So in your professional opinion, because I'm looking at you as someone that's like in a lane, not necessarily in a lane of their own, but you're like, you're like in the forefront of that. So like, what's some game that you would tell independent artist that's trying to maybe reach a level that La Russell has made or reach a level that a Nipsey, you know what I'm saying? Or somebody that's in that lane, like, what kind of game would you give these new and upcoming artists that want to do it that way? Talk to me. Talk to us.
LaRussell: You don't have to do a lot if you want to do it this way. You don't have to do a lot if you want to do it this way. It's 8 in the morning.
Maleman: Facts.
LaRussell: I'm here at the station doing an interview. I'm here at the station because I did a show yesterday and I performed for an hour and 45. And before I performed for an hour and 45, I performed for another 35 minutes just for meet and greet. And I met the homie who's like, I work at PBS. And I said, I'll get my manager. We're going to put that together. I'm going to get up before I got to fly out. I'm going to fly out when I land in Salt Lake. I'm going to the university to go do a live stream performance. Then I'm going to go to the show and do another hour 40. You feel me? If you want to get But while I'm doing that, I got 5 posts a day going up. Right. That's scheduled. When I get home, I'm finna hit all the schools. I'm up every day with it. Then I'm back on the live stream trying to get these albums all promoted. You feel me? So if you want to get here, You better do as much as I did plus some. You got to have that level of consistency. If you don't want it that bad, it's going to be rough. Before I even got to this point, I was shooting lives. I did probably about four or 500 live sessions of just my music before I even started shooting other artists. Just me. My YouTube right now at like 4,000, 5,000 videos. 5,000 videos. You feel me? I dropped my first album in 2018. We just hitting year 8, 5,000 videos.
Maleman: That's work.
LaRussell: That's basically what it is. If that's what you want, is if you want to be better than Jordan, Curry, Kobe, you got to do everything Jordan, Curry and Kobe did, plus some, because the game different now. Yeah.
Maleman: Yes, sir. And if they're shooting 100 shots a day, you know what I'm saying?
LaRussell: You better go shoot 250.
LaRussell: 300, you better go shoot 250.
Maleman: Man, LaRussell again. I'm going to say it. I said it once. I'm going to say it again. Bro, you are literally changing the game in front of our eyes. And right now, while I got you with me, I'm gonna give you your flowers, bro, because we haven't seen this ever. Obviously, it's records being broken, you know what I'm saying? So like, congratulations, hats off to you. But I do have one more question. And I want to see how I want to ask this question. It's my hot seat question, but I like the way you think. And I like way you move in and outside of the rap game. You know what I'm saying? So give me your top five rappers that not only shaped your sound, but your mindset.
LaRussell: Pac. Kanye. 50 Cent.
Maleman: 50? I like it.
LaRussell: He's a genius.
Maleman: Bro, that dude is crazy. I'm glad you said that.
LaRussell: He's a genius. Like behind. And that's the thing. Only a smart man can act dumb, but a dumb man can't act smart.
Maleman: Talk to em'.
LaRussell: Like behind all that madness is strategy. Right. And he's genius. Like he sees the world differently. Yeah. You know, he's up there.
Maleman: Definitely.
LaRussell: Hov. Nipsey. Mmm.
Maleman: That's solid. Pac, Yay, Fifty, Hov, Nipsey Hussle. Yep, I got some stuff to listen to tonight. You know what I'm saying? Again, LaRussell, bro, thank you so much for coming to the Mile High City, blessing us. You do it every time you hear. You know you got a home here. It's always love. You definitely got a home here at the Drop. We just highly appreciate your time, man. And just Keep inspiring, bro. Keep doing your thing. We love to see it. We here for it. We right behind you. Come on. Rocking with you all the way, man. Thank you so much for coming through and kicking it with us at the drop, bro.
LaRussell: Man, we got this Lil John album on the way. Play my records.
Maleman: Oh, hey, say less. We need all of them records and you know where you going to hear it.
LaRussell:Come on.
Maleman: Right here on the drop. You know that. Maleman holding you down till 7 P.m. on Denver's Urban Alternative. 1047. The Dropski.
