A few years ago, my dad mentioned an up-and-coming artist by the name of LaRussell. “No, seriously,” he said, “this dude is different! You gotta check him out.” So I gave him a listen, and I’ve been a fan ever since.
Vallejo, Calif., native LaRussell has infiltrated the hip-hop industry in a way so many artists only dream of doing. Determined to stay “majorly independent,” the rapper built his own musical infrastructure right in his Bay Area home. LaRussell’s popular “Backyard Residency” concerts are quite literally held in his backyard, and the artist and his homies bring his backyard vibes to the Tiny Desk for what feels like a party with your most fun friends.
LaRussell makes sure to please both Day One fans and new listeners with a jam-packed set list that melds some of his best tracks together. He smiles and dances his way through a high-energy performance that solidifies his spot as one of the most memorable Tiny Desk Concerts I’ve attended thus far.
SET LIST
- “Glory”/“Do That Lil Dance You Be Doing”
- “GIVE ME A BEAT!”
- “Caught Up in My Head”
- “Hood Cry”/“Perfect”
- “10s, 20s, 50s, 100s”/“Test Ya Nuts”/“Once Upon a Time”/“WHAT WE DOIN!?”
- “When I Come Home”/“GT Coupe”
MUSICIANS
- LaRussell: vocals
- Hokage Simon: piano, keys
- ClayDough: keys
- MadeByHarry: guitar
- Michael Prince: violin
- Tione: saxophone
- Jimmy Toor: flute
- Shante: vocals
- Malachi: vocals
- Tietta: vocals
- Splash: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Alanté Serene
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Estefania Mitre, Michael Zamora
- Audio Engineer: Tiffany Viera Castro
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Tiny Desk Team: Hazel Chills, Maia Stern
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
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