Paul Russell

Paul Russell’s major-key pop-rap is tailor-made to stir up good vibes. Russell (born in 1997 and raised in Atlanta and Dallas suburbs) grew up listening to a range of music, including alternative rock, Chicago rappers, the gospel of choirmaster Kirk Franklin and Christian hip-hop. His early songs as Paulitics caught the attention of the artist Ruslan, who teamed up with him for 2018’s Via Text and released Russell’s debut album, 2019’s Once in a Dry Season, on his Christian hip-hop label, Kings Dream. Songs like 2020’s chill “facetime (4g LTE)” and 2022’s groovy “Ms. Poli Sci” laid a foundation of feel-good songwriting that set Russell apart, but 2023’s social media phenomenon “Lil Boo Thang”, a flirty jam that samples The Emotions’ 1977 disco smash “Best of My Love”, made him a rising star. In 2024, the horn-blasted “Say Cheese” followed suit as Russell continued building a body of work that makes good on one of his goals: to make the kind of jubilant, sun-kissed tunes that can soundtrack a barbecue.