Paul Russell

Singer and rapper Paul Russell makes hooky yet artful hip-hop and R&B-infused electronic pop. He blew up in 2023 with "Lil Boo Thang," a viral hit that reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, went multi-platinum, and highlighted Again Sometime?, his 2024 debut EP. The Texas native has since been featured on Flo Rida's "Confessions," and has issued a handful of singles, including 2025's feel-good "Carat Cake" and "Keeper."

Born in Atlanta, Russell grew up near Dallas, Texas, where he became interested in music. He recorded an album as part of an English assignment before attending the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. While still in college, he collaborated with Ruslan on their 2018 album, Via Text. A year later, he released his debut solo album, Once in a Dry Season. Following his graduation from Cornell, he relocated to Los Angeles where he took a corporate job in brand consultancy, all the while continuing to release a steady flow of singles. He also began posting videos on the social-media platform TikTok. It was there in 2023 that Russell posted a portion of his song "Lil Boo Thang," a danceable track built around a sample of the Emotions' 1977 hit "Best of My Love," originally composed by Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White and Al McKay. The video went viral, snagging over ten million views, and ultimately landed Russell a contract with Arista Records. He officially released "Lil Boo Thang" in August 2023, which peaked at number 14 on the Hot 100 and eventually went multi-platinum. Again Sometime?, Russell's first EP, landed the following August. In addition to his breakthrough hit, the seven-track set also contained the Meghan Trainor collaboration "Slippin'." Russell was subsequently featured beside Enhypen on Flo Rida's "Confessions," and he continued with "That Girl" (joined by Saweetie), "Carat Cake," "Feelin' Alright" (recorded for the soundtrack of The Pickup), and "Keeper." ~ Matt Collar