LaRussell has done more independently than most artists have accomplished with million-dollar budgets. Vallejo’s pride and joy has released over 30 projects in the past six years and collaborated with the likes of Hit-Boy, E-40, and Too Short. And that’s not even including an upcoming deluge of bops with T-Pain he cooked up while on the “Mansion In Wiscansin Party Tour.”

“We did all of our songs backstage on tour. It was made in different green rooms in different cities. We never got in a studio together. You’ll hear those songs sometime this year,” LaRussell told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” LaRussell explained how he was able to make an EP with Hit-Boy in five hours, working on MAJORLY INDEPENDENT with P-Lo, and what he has coming for the rest of 2024.

You’ve been recording and releasing music independently for over a decade. Who was the first person in the music industry you locked in with in the studio that made you feel like you made it?

It would have to be L.A. Reid. I went to L.A. Reid’s studio and met with him. We just sat, chopped it up, and exchanged game. That was one of them early moments back in 2021. I remember him saying, “Man, you got it. This is it.” He was trying to sign me and was honest with me and said, “What you need, I don’t have it. But, I would do my best.”

How has being an independent artist affected your ability to record and complete projects in major studios without a label backing you?

My sessions are unaffected completely. I pay for my own studio time. I own my own masters, and when I don't use big studios, I'm at the crib. I have 30-plus albums, and 20 of 'em were made in the bedroom at my mama’s crib. The rest were made at my new spot. I don't really have to deal with any issues within the major system. When I want to go around with the majors like Atlantic Records and Def Jam and whoever, I get to go do that 'cause they love me. When I don't, I do my own thing.

What was the recording setup like in your mama's crib? Walk us through that dynamic.

There were hella different variations. For my very first studio, me and my pops went to the San Jose flea market and got a random mic. I had an ancient computer and I used to use Adobe Audition. Then, I slowly started growing. One of my homies’ dad put me on to Pro Tools. I got Pro Tools, and then got an M-Box. I think I had an early AKG Perception mic from Guitar Center. I got the KRK Rokit monitors and my Apollo Twin. Then I started upgrading mics to an Ocean Way ST6050 mic. That was one of my favorite mics. As I started going to bigger studios, I started looking at their recording chain and figuring out what I needed to get.

As far as the dynamic at the house, I couldn’t be recording at a certain time because n**gas had to sleep and go to work (laughs). As it progressed, my parents were really accepting of what I was doing and what I was building. When it was a certain time of night, I used to be mixing in the room on either headphones or with the speakers low. That really taught me how to hone my skills because if you can get your s**t right when it's low, you can mix at a high level. If you can't play someone a song low and they’re still thinking it sounds good, you probably ain’t got one.

You were on tour with T-Pain this year. Did you two work on any music together?

Yeah, we did all of our songs backstage on tour. It was made in different green rooms in different cities. We never got in a studio together. You’ll hear those songs sometime this year (laughs). I have so much s**t about to drop. But, it's certainly coming this year. Our creative processes are the same. You just play the beat, and we’re going to figure it out. Neither of us need much. Both of our parts on all of these songs were done in about 10-15 minutes.

In “6AM In NY,” you said you dropped 69 songs in two years. What sort of recording schedule do you have to accomplish that?

That song was made in 2019. That was my first time ever in New York. I had made 69 songs that year. That was light compared to what it is now. I probably dropped 150 songs this year. I don't even make music every day, bro. When I finally do make music, I make a lot. So, if I get in for a day, I might leave with five, six, or seven songs. It’s seldom that I make music every single day. I gotta be in one of those zones. But when I finally do, I just make music in bulk. I just catch a spirit. I just finished another album that we’re going to drop next month, and I did that in one night in a 12-hour session.

Speaking of projects, you and Bay Area legend P-Lo recently dropped MAJORLY INDEPENDENT. What were the earliest records you two made for it?

I think the first one was made in January. Five of 'em were made in January. The remaining two were made two or three months ago because we were on tour.

What does a P-Lo and LaRussell session look like?

Energy, laughs, smiles, slaps. Each session was a beautiful time. We’re from the same turf (laughs). He’s the Filipino version of me (laughs).

I know you got some game from L.A. Reid, but who was the first artist you locked in with in the studio that made you feel like you made it?

That was probably E-40. He was the first OG that I got in the studio with. He’s so himself that he can't be anyone else (laughs). It was beautiful to witness that. When I met him, he was like an open book.

What were some of the funniest moments you’ve experienced in the lab?

Our life is a joke to us (laughs). Everything is funny. So, it’s hard to pinpoint a moment. We’re always joking, having deep conversations, and having fun. That's just the spirit of the session in general. You can look on YouTube and see I really have a very basic session. There really isn’t anything crazy or absurd happening.

How did you and Hit-Boy link up for your Rent Due project?

It was random. We were supposed to get up years ago through a guy named Noah who worked at Def Jam, but it just didn't line up. Then, I just hit him randomly and was like, “We still gotta get in for seven songs. We just need seven.” He was like, “Pull up.” So, I pulled up and we got it done in a day. It only took five hours.

What do you have coming for the rest of 2024?

I have a lot of big music, a lot of big visuals, a lot of life coming. There’ll be more backyard shows, residency shows, etc. I'm just living and moving and embracing what life brings me.