ACROSS BAY AREA HIGH SCHOOLS, one rapper is showing students that creativity and community can go hand in hand.
LaRussell, a 31-year-old independent artist from Vallejo and founder of the multimedia brand and record label Good Compenny, has been attracting attention from his recent visits to local high schools. Through videos on popular platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, many Bay Area students have gotten to know him through these memorable and meaningful experiences.
Melanie Zavala Mendoza, a 12th grader at Deer Valley High School in Antioch, describes his appearance at her campus in February as unreal.
“At first it was kind of surreal just because he’s been to so many schools around the Bay Area,” she said. “I didn’t think it’d be possible, but when he was here, the whole energy shifted. It felt like there was a mini celebrity coming to Deer Valley.”
Well known for his singles such as “I’m From The Bay” with Lil Jon and “Yankin!,” LaRussell, whose full name is LaRussell Dwayne Thomas, began releasing music back in 2017. Through his expanding career, he recently signed with Roc Nation, founded by Jay-Z. He has also faced recent criticism surrounding his lyrics from his song “Heaven Sent,” which references Adolf Hitler, Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump.
LaRussell’s appearances at many high schools gained media traction through social media. Videos shot at Deer Valley, De Anza High School in Richmond, and Pittsburg High School were able to garner more than 180,000 views and comments on YouTube supporting LaRussell’s work.
Lights, camera, action
At Deer Valley, the process of preparing for and filming LaRussell’s visit on Feb. 26 was a major part of the experience. Kiel Olff, a Deer Valley video production teacher, helped with the preplanning and choreography of the music video. Inside these videos, both the Deer Valley television team and LaRussell’s film crew centered the video around a “oner,” a filmmaking technique where an entire film is shot in one continuous take.
Olff said the main challenge while filming was how to include various student talents within the three-minute video from LaRussell’s “I’m From The Bay” single.
In visualizers filmed at various schools, students involved in organizations such as the Black Student Union and sports such as basketball and cheerleading were eager to participate in different parts of the music video. Students mostly showcased their talents by dancing, performing cheer routines, lip-syncing lyrics, and energetically interacting with the camera.
“There was a student on my DVTV team who, being involved in multiple activities, took off her DVTV sweatshirt to reveal her cheer uniform and rushed to be in the final cheerleading shot,” Olff said.
Students at different schools shared similar perspectives on the impact of the videos.
“I think it shows me that they don’t forget where they are from, especially holding tight to their roots and trying to show future generations what hard work can lead to,” said Guadalupe Zapata, a 12th grade student at Mt. Eden High School in Hayward.
Added Mendoza, “I feel like it makes students realize that everything is not as far as a reach. When you look at a big artist, it seems so far out of reach, but when LaRussell came to our school, it seemed more achievable.”
Raising the energy bar
At other schools, students also noticed the overall energy on campus shifted, describing an increase in school spirit and an energized environment. Melanie Hernandez-Rios, an 11th grader at Pittsburg High, noticed the impact of LaRussell’s lyrics after his visit to her school.
“If someone said something had no flavor, people would joke and say, ‘I got flavor,’” said Hernandez-Rios, referring to a line from LaRussell and Lil Jon’s song “I Got Flavor.”
“All of these kids in these videos are now immortalized. You know, in 10, 20, 30 years, they’ll be able to watch these videos back and be like, ‘I was there. I was a part of history.’”
LaRussell
She said students also would start randomly singing “I’m from the Bay.”
“You would hear it at least five times a day, even from people who weren’t in the band,” Hernandez-Rios said. “I think everyone was definitely aware of it, and it turned into something funny.”
In a recent interview with The Mercury News, LaRussell emphasized the importance of student representation in the media.
“I really wanted to highlight all of these kids who don’t get seen, who don’t get these moments in life,” he said. “All of these kids in these videos are now immortalized. You know, in 10, 20, 30 years, they’ll be able to watch these videos back and be like, ‘I was there. I was a part of history.’”
Although LaRussell and his representation did not respond to requests for additional comment for this story, his impact on students across the Bay Area is already clear. Through music, he has shown that success does not have to mean leaving one’s community behind, but rather giving back to it.
For many students, LaRussell’s visits were more than just performances. They were reminders that creativity, culture, and community can all exist in the same space. In school hallways where his lyrics are still being repeated, that message continues to resonate.
Maame-Abena Dwumfuoh is an 11th grader at Dozier Libbey Medical High School in Antioch, a staff member of the school’s paper, The Dose of Dozier-Libbey, and a CCYJ reporter.
This story originally appeared in CCSpin.