Paul Jeffrey Russell (born November 28, 1997) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles.[3] He is best known for his 2023 single "Lil Boo Thang", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the song gained virality on TikTok, he signed with Arista Records to release it as a commercial single for the label.[3][4] Before pursuing a musical career, Russell worked as a business analyst and corporate advertiser.[5]
Paul Russell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Russell at the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul Jeffrey Russell[1] |
| Born | November 28, 1997[2] |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. North Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | Arista |
Early life and education
editRussell was born in 1997. He grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta but attended Allen High School in Allen, Texas.[6] During his adolescence, he started listening to alternative rock, while also being exposed to Christian hip-hop, mainly through Lecrae's music.[7]
Russell graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial relations.[8] Upon relocating to Los Angeles later that year, Russell started working at a brand consultancy.[9]
Career
edit2018–2022: Career beginnings
editWhile still in college, Russell started making music as Paulitics,[6][7] uploading his first full songs on SoundCloud.[7] He was later approached by Christian hip-hop artist Ruslan, the co-founder and owner of Christian hip-hop label Kings Dream Entertainment, who had discovered Russell's music through his friend and former schoolmate Jet Trouble, a fellow Kings Dream signee.[6][7] He subsequently started collaborating with Ruslan and other artists from the label,[6][7] while completing an internship at Vans as part of his academic coursework.[7]
In August 2018, Russell officially signed to Kings Dream Entertainment as an artist,[6][10] and released his first commercial single, "Meet Me Outside".[10] On October 12 of the same year, Russell released his first project through Kings Dream, Via Text, a joint album with Ruslan.[11] In November of the same year, he featured on Reach Records' Christmas compilation The Gift: A Christmas Compilation, appearing with Abe Parker and Lecrae on the song "We Three Kings".[12]
On March 29, 2019, Russell released his debut solo album, Once in a Dry Season, through Kings Dream, which included features from the likes of Ruslan, Jon Keith and Montell Fish.[13][14] In January 2020, he was included in the online Christian hip-hop magazine Rapzilla's annual Freshmen List.[15] Beginning later the same year, he started promoting his music through his TikTok profile.[9][16] From 2021 onwards, Russell released a number of singles through independent label Boom.Records.[citation needed] In August 2021, he featured on Reach Records' compilation Summer ’21, on the song "Never Give Up" alongside Tedashii.[17] In July 2022, he featured on the same label's compilation Summer Twenty-Two, on the song "Wouldn't U Rather" with together with DJ Mykael V and Jon Keith.[18][19]
2023–present: "Lil Boo Thang" and commercial breakthrough
editOn June 28, 2023, Russell first previewed a snippet of his track "Lil Boo Thang" on TikTok; the clip went viral on the platform the following month, and he subsequently agreed to sign a deal with Arista Records to release the song as a full commercial single.[3][9][20] "Lil Boo Thang" was officially released on August 18 of the same year;[3][20] the single debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 99 in September 2023, marking Russell's first appearance on the chart,[20] and went on to peak at number 14 in January 2024.[21] As a result of the song's success, he went on to make live guest appearances at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,[22][23] on Jimmy Kimmel Live![24] and on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in the following months.[25][26]
On January 26, 2024, Russell released his second single through Arista Records, "Say Cheese".[27][28] Later that year, Russell was announced as an opening act supporting Meghan Trainor on The Timeless Tour.[29] In July 2024, Russell released the single "Slippin'" featuring Trainor.[30]
In an Instagram post on August 15, 2024, Russell announced that again sometime?, an EP about a newly-famous musician returning to his hometown and wooing his high school sweetheart, would be released at the end of the month. "Homecoming", the lead single from the project, was released on August 16.[31]
Personal life
editRussell is married and resides in Los Angeles.[32][33] His older sister, Caress Alon, appeared on the sixth season of The Circle, where she posed as Russell.[33]
Discography
editSolo albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Once in a Dry Season |
|
Collaborative albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Via Text (with Ruslan) |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Again Sometime? |
|
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [34] |
US Adult Pop [35] |
US Pop [36] |
US Rhy. [37] |
AUS [38] |
CAN [39] |
IRE [40] |
UK [41] |
WW [42] | ||||
| "Get Back" (with Ruslan) |
2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Via Text | |
| "Breeze" (with Ruslan) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Birthday" (with Ruslan) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Kalamazoo" (featuring Jon Keith and TrossTheGiant) |
2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Once in a Dry Season | |
| "45th Avenue Interlude" (featuring Ruslan and Jon Keith) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Open Road" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Feels Like a Dream" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Kimbo Slice" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Find My Way" (with Oh-So featuring Kaleb Mitchell) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Friends" (with Ruslan) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Julio Jones" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Personal Brand" (with Foggieraw) |
2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Facetime (4G LTE)" (with Kuwada) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Hallelujah" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Nose Job" (with Wes Walker) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Jeans" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Glossier" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "H4U" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Ms. Poli Sci" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Be That Too" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Lil Boo Thang" (solo or Galantis remix) |
14 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 28 [43] |
20 | 79 | Again Sometime? | ||
| "Say Cheese" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Eat Pray Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| "Slippin'" (featuring Meghan Trainor) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Again Sometime? | ||
| "Homecoming" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| "Reminiscing" (Oh-So with Paul Russell and Lawren) |
2019 |
| "Somebody New" (Abe Parker with Paul Russell) |
2020 |
| "Sushi" (Cole Tindal with Paul Russell and TrossTheGiant) |
2021 |
| "Goodbye" (Shanin Blake with Paul Russell) | |
| "Never Give Up" (166 with Paul Russell and Tedashii) | |
| "Yours!" (Barely Trev with Paul Russell) |
2022 |
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "We Three Kings" | 2018 | Lecrae and Abe Parker | The Gift |
| "Chaotic"[48] | 2023 | — | Good Burger 2 |
| "Booty" | 2024 | Meghan Trainor | Timeless (Deluxe) |
Tours
editOpening act
edit- Meghan Trainor — The Timeless Tour (2024)[49]
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Social Music Star | Paul Russell | Pending | [50] |
References
edit- ^ "Lil' Boo Thang — ACE Repertory".
- ^ Grant, Sean David. "Paul Russell Releases "Birthday" Single"". Trackstars. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Schneider, Marc. "'Lil Boo Thang' Viral Artist Paul Russell Signs With Arista". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "This rapper's song went viral before it was even available to stream. The full version is out now". Inquirer.com. August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Russell — Senior Business Analyst at NAX Group".
- ^ a b c d e Lee, Zachary (August 14, 2018). "With (the) Kings Dream: Interview with Paul Russell". Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "From Dry Seasons to Open Roads: The Musical Journey of Paul Russell". Rapzilla. April 8, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ n.a/. "2016 High Road Fellows". ILR School. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b c "MUSIC Paul Russell's Lil Boo Thang has become a big thing". Reel360. August 21, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Sarachik, Justin (August 2, 2018). "Paul Russell Joins Kings Dream Ent, Drops 'Meet Me Outside' Video". Rapzilla. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Sarachik, Justin (October 12, 2018). "Ruslan and Paul Russell Release Joint Album 'Via Text', Listen Now". Rapzilla. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Sarachik, Justin (November 23, 2018). "Reach Records Drops 'The Gift: A Christmas Compilation'". Rapzilla. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Paul Russell Breaks Down New Project 'Once in a Dry Season'". Rapzilla. March 26, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Paul Russell Stole a Song From Ruslan to Make 'Once in a Dry Season'". Rapzilla. March 29, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Rapzilla.com's 2020 Freshmen List Revealed". Rapzilla. January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Christian Rap Artists Making Viral TikToks & the Songs that are Taking Off". Rapzilla. March 31, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Reach Records takes CHH Global with their 'Summer '21 Playlist' to be released on August 13th". Jesusfreakhideout.com. August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Sarachik, Justin (July 8, 2022). "Reach Records 116 Summer Twenty-Two Playlist Features 30 Artists". Rapzilla. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Asare, Jackie O. (July 8, 2022). "Reach Records Releases Summer '22 Playlist Today, July 8th". Jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Zellner, Xander (September 26, 2023). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Paul Russell's 'Lil Boo Thang' Gets Bigger With Debut". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Dresdale, Andrea (November 22, 2023). "Lil Turkey Thang: Paul Russell brings his viral hit to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade". ABC Audio Digital Syndication. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade recap: All the floats, performances and more". NBC News. November 23, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! Season 22 Episode 35 Mon, Dec 04, 2023 Online". ABC. December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Lil New Thang: Paul Russell is "super pumped" to rock 'New Year's Rockin' Eve'". KSTP-FM. December 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Sarachik, Justin (January 4, 2024). "Paul Russell Performs 'Lil Boo Thang' on ABC's New Year's Rockin Eve". Rapzilla. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Mary Pat (January 26, 2024). "Paul Russell drops new single, "Say Cheese"". ABC Audio Digital Syndication. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ Major, Michael (January 26, 2024). "Paul Russell Reminds Us to Smile on New Track 'Say Cheese'". Broadway World. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Mier, Tomás. "Meghan Trainor Announces 'Timeless' Album and First Tour in 7 Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Ross, Alex. "'Lil Boo Thang' Singer Paul Russell Went from Working in Finance to Touring with Meghan Trainor in a Year (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Post from @paulrussell". Instagram. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ Banovic, Pavle. "Paul Russell Stars on DSCENE Magazine's August 2024 Cover". DSCENE. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Steinberg, Russell. "'Lil Boo Thang' Singer Paul Russell's Sister Is Catfishing as Him on 'The Circle': What to Know". US Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Adult Pop Airplay: Week of February 3, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "Pop Airplay: Week of November 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Rhythmic Airplay: Week of December 9, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 5 January – 11 January 2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of January 13, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 5 January 2024". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "American certifications – Paul Russell". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ "British certifications – Paul Russell". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 6, 2024. Type Paul Russell in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "Canadian certifications – Paul Russell". Music Canada. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Wiz Khalifa, Yung Gravy & More Lead 'Good Burger 2' Soundtrack". Billboard. November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Russell Tour 2024". Paul Russell. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ Petski, Denise. "Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Timothée Chalamet, Ayo Edebiri Among 2024 Kids' Choice Awards Nominees – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved June 7, 2024.