October 18, 2023 • 7 mins
Paul Russell joined Angelina to talk about his hit 'Lil Boo Thang'! He was originally working in tech and started writing music, check out the interview for more!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
It's a bit list on I heardRadio Mangelina. I'm here with a Paul
Russell. How are you doing well? How about you? I'm doing good
year? Annu a goodyear? Though, Hey I am this has been crazy.
I'm like it's coming at your pathtoo. I feel like it was
just like whoop, yeah yeah.Literally, it's been like two months.
I quit my job two months agojust writing the song came out. Okay,
(00:24):
okay, different what were you doingbefore before this? It was like,
it's like a tech company. Iwas in like finance stuff. Okay,
but I mean, you know,I wanted to do music, but
I never imagined that it would happenas quickly as it did, right,
So it was just like, oh, yeah, I'm making some stuff and
(00:44):
then you know, here I am. Now I'm traveling a lot on you
know, the song is moving,It's like it's it's a it's a cool
time for sure. How long haveyou been doing music or like at least
playing with it, like a flirtingwith the idea of like it'd be in
your career, you know, wow, flirting with the idea of it being
my career. Honestly, that's beenlike a year, maybe a year and
a half. I've been making musicfor a while though, I guess I
(01:06):
started in like twenty seventeen, butit was like, you know, at
first, I was just doing itfor fun. I was like I would
be like at coffee shops playing ukuleleand like that kind of thing. And
yeah, I mean over time,I just started to feel like not only
had I enjoy it, but likeI would meet people who were musicians and
like see that they were like havingan impact on people. You know,
(01:30):
It's like you know, whoever isin their town who was a fan of
what they're doing. Just you know, they're like making the soundtrack to The
Good Guy, right, So yeah, I was like, yeah, music
is cool. I just started makingmore of it. And it was there
like a specific moment for you thatreally triggered you like, oh no,
I need to be doing this,like even if you were still at your
job, you know, was itkind of like a switching air brain,
(01:52):
like no, this is really itfor me? Yeah? Yeah, well
I definitely just think wow, ifthere was a moment, I think the
moment for me was Honestly, Iremember I was working and it for so
long I'd been like, like,music is cool, but like, you
know, that's a I would don'twant that as a job, Like there's
(02:13):
so much that comes with that thatI wouldn't enjoy. Blah blah blah.
I don't want to struggle through it. I don't want to whatever. And
I remember, you know, feelinglike, oh, a job is so
secure and that's what I should shoulddo because of that. And eventually,
you know, it's like I wasworking hard, I was working crazy hours
and just feeling unfulfilled, but alsofeeling like, you know, man,
(02:38):
like this company should be supporting me. Well they should know, like I'm
out here doing all this work andlike what do I have to show for,
you know. And then at thesame time that that was happening,
it's like I'm like posting tiktoks andreels about music and just feeling a lot
of love from people who liked whatI was making. And then so in
my head it was like, wait, you know, maybe I could do
(02:59):
this, and maybe there's a wayto make it happen and to you know,
do something that I enjoy that youknow, makes people happy, and
so it just, you know,gladly it's been a blessing that you know,
it ended up being able to happen. Yeah, I'm happy you finally
decided to bet on yourself. Imean, we have a little bou thang
on repeat on my show. OhI'm running it all day. I need
(03:21):
to know how bad did you getthe emotions clear? I know it's all
insane, Like how did you getthat? Yeah? It was a wild
because you know, initially I didn'tthink I was going to be able to
release the song. I mean,it wasn't the song at first. It
was like I I was listening tomusic. The song came on and I
was like, yeah, I've alwaysloved this song. I found the instrumental
(03:43):
and it was just freestyling over itand like took a little clip of that
and just made it like I justposted it as content and then you know,
people loved it and it was like, Okay, now I gotta make
a full song. But even afterI made a full song, I didn't
think I was hoping it could getreleased. But it was like, okay,
what are they the emotions are goingto you know, be cool with
it. I was gonna say,it's so crazy that you like teased it
(04:04):
before you got it cleared, becauselike I mean, but I guess you
didn't expect for it to get likethat crazy, but I didn't know it
was good. Yeah, yeah,exactly we're going to be like, oh
cool, you know, it's justgonna be a little post and then but
yeah and so so yeah, then, I mean it was it was freaky
because I do that and now there'sa lot of people in my d ms
being like, you better release thesong. I remember people were commenting things
(04:27):
like I don't want to see yourface again until this song is stressed,
and I'm like, bullying works soso so eventually, uh you know,
I mean we were trying on ourown to try to get it cleared,
which was just difficult, but thena label came in. Arista was super
helpful in that, like I think, you know, they helped push the
(04:49):
process along. So now we're here. But it was definitely a scary moment
at first. Yeah, I wouldbeen a little big like oh damn,
what did I do? No,it's such a dope record though it just
sounds like that good feel. Ifeel like this is gonna be played like
at weddings. I mean you've alreadyseen like it's all the bashl red commercial
freaking charting now, Like, howdoes feel like soaking up all the success
(05:12):
of it? It's wild, itfeels good. The wedding thing is real,
Like I've gotten invited so many randompeople's Like I'll get d ms every
day of being like hey, likeyour song is going to be the walk
up song on our wedding, Likewould love if you pulled up. I
haven't been able to pull up yet, but I do. But No,
it's cool having something that I madein my bedroom, like being you know,
(05:35):
all over and having so many peoplecare about it and so many people
love it. Like I'll be atubers or on a plane or something and
the song's playing and I'm like,all this is me, Like what?
So, yeah, it's an insaneMy friends have been making fun of me
because I've been saying I don't givea hoot to everything that far has been
(05:57):
so funny to me. I'm like, you don't get a hoots. No,
it's such a fun record. Sowhat's next for you? I mean,
now that you know, I feellike you're like I arrived, I'm
here, So what do we donext? Yeah, I'm trying to figure
it out. I've got a lotof a lot more music that I've made
that I'm planning to release in thenext you know, a few months,
so stay tuned. Yeah, Imean figuring out the timeline for it.
(06:21):
Honestly, I had another song thatI was like, all right, gonna
drop it next. I'm gonna haveit come out October November. But it's
like the song, you know,a little boot thing, and then moving
so much that it's like, letme just enjoy this moment for a little
bit. But the good thing isI love making music. I'm gonna be
in the studio again today. Ihave a bunch of stuff that I'm excited
(06:43):
to release, and so it's justabout, you know, figuring out the
timeline that I love that you're takingyour time though, because I feel like
nowadays, especially like even with thealbums, I feel like people are like,
okay, like what's the next one, But it's like, damn,
it's only been a year. Likepeople need to sit with your project,
you know what I mean, orlike sit with your record and like you
can't just be like rushing stuff outjust to do it, you know what
I mean. So I appreciate youbeing like we're gonna suck up all this
(07:05):
little boot thang energy. There wego, Yes, yes, until every
person in the world is like ifI hear that Blue Boot thing song,
then it's like, all right,now I'll release something exactly exactly. Well,
I'm happy for all your success andlike, I can't wait to see
what you do next. Hey,thank you so much. I appreciate it.
(07:26):
All right, thanks so much forhanging out. Hey, thank you.
It's a bit list on I heardRadio Mangelina. I'm here with a Paul
Russell. How are you doing well? How about you? I'm doing good
year? Annu a goodyear? Though, Hey I am this has been crazy.
I'm like it's coming at your pathtoo. I feel like it was
just like whoop, yeah yeah.Literally, it's been like two months.
I quit my job two months agojust writing the song came out. Okay,
(00:24):
okay, different what were you doingbefore before this? It was like,
it's like a tech company. Iwas in like finance stuff. Okay,
but I mean, you know,I wanted to do music, but
I never imagined that it would happenas quickly as it did, right,
So it was just like, oh, yeah, I'm making some stuff and
(00:44):
then you know, here I am. Now I'm traveling a lot on you
know, the song is moving,It's like it's it's a it's a cool
time for sure. How long haveyou been doing music or like at least
playing with it, like a flirtingwith the idea of like it'd be in
your career, you know, wow, flirting with the idea of it being
my career. Honestly, that's beenlike a year, maybe a year and
a half. I've been making musicfor a while though, I guess I
(01:06):
started in like twenty seventeen, butit was like, you know, at
first, I was just doing itfor fun. I was like I would
be like at coffee shops playing ukuleleand like that kind of thing. And
yeah, I mean over time,I just started to feel like not only
had I enjoy it, but likeI would meet people who were musicians and
like see that they were like havingan impact on people. You know,
(01:30):
It's like you know, whoever isin their town who was a fan of
what they're doing. Just you know, they're like making the soundtrack to The
Good Guy, right, So yeah, I was like, yeah, music
is cool. I just started makingmore of it. And it was there
like a specific moment for you thatreally triggered you like, oh no,
I need to be doing this,like even if you were still at your
job, you know, was itkind of like a switching air brain,
(01:52):
like no, this is really itfor me? Yeah? Yeah, well
I definitely just think wow, ifthere was a moment, I think the
moment for me was Honestly, Iremember I was working and it for so
long I'd been like, like,music is cool, but like, you
know, that's a I would don'twant that as a job, Like there's
(02:13):
so much that comes with that thatI wouldn't enjoy. Blah blah blah.
I don't want to struggle through it. I don't want to whatever. And
I remember, you know, feelinglike, oh, a job is so
secure and that's what I should shoulddo because of that. And eventually,
you know, it's like I wasworking hard, I was working crazy hours
and just feeling unfulfilled, but alsofeeling like, you know, man,
(02:38):
like this company should be supporting me. Well they should know, like I'm
out here doing all this work andlike what do I have to show for,
you know. And then at thesame time that that was happening,
it's like I'm like posting tiktoks andreels about music and just feeling a lot
of love from people who liked whatI was making. And then so in
my head it was like, wait, you know, maybe I could do
(02:59):
this, and maybe there's a wayto make it happen and to you know,
do something that I enjoy that youknow, makes people happy, and
so it just, you know,gladly it's been a blessing that you know,
it ended up being able to happen. Yeah, I'm happy you finally
decided to bet on yourself. Imean, we have a little bou thang
on repeat on my show. OhI'm running it all day. I need
(03:21):
to know how bad did you getthe emotions clear? I know it's all
insane, Like how did you getthat? Yeah? It was a wild
because you know, initially I didn'tthink I was going to be able to
release the song. I mean,it wasn't the song at first. It
was like I I was listening tomusic. The song came on and I
was like, yeah, I've alwaysloved this song. I found the instrumental
(03:43):
and it was just freestyling over itand like took a little clip of that
and just made it like I justposted it as content and then you know,
people loved it and it was like, Okay, now I gotta make
a full song. But even afterI made a full song, I didn't
think I was hoping it could getreleased. But it was like, okay,
what are they the emotions are goingto you know, be cool with
it. I was gonna say,it's so crazy that you like teased it
(04:04):
before you got it cleared, becauselike I mean, but I guess you
didn't expect for it to get likethat crazy, but I didn't know it
was good. Yeah, yeah,exactly we're going to be like, oh
cool, you know, it's justgonna be a little post and then but
yeah and so so yeah, then, I mean it was it was freaky
because I do that and now there'sa lot of people in my d ms
being like, you better release thesong. I remember people were commenting things
(04:27):
like I don't want to see yourface again until this song is stressed,
and I'm like, bullying works soso so eventually, uh you know,
I mean we were trying on ourown to try to get it cleared,
which was just difficult, but thena label came in. Arista was super
helpful in that, like I think, you know, they helped push the
(04:49):
process along. So now we're here. But it was definitely a scary moment
at first. Yeah, I wouldbeen a little big like oh damn,
what did I do? No,it's such a dope record though it just
sounds like that good feel. Ifeel like this is gonna be played like
at weddings. I mean you've alreadyseen like it's all the bashl red commercial
freaking charting now, Like, howdoes feel like soaking up all the success
(05:12):
of it? It's wild, itfeels good. The wedding thing is real,
Like I've gotten invited so many randompeople's Like I'll get d ms every
day of being like hey, likeyour song is going to be the walk
up song on our wedding, Likewould love if you pulled up. I
haven't been able to pull up yet, but I do. But No,
it's cool having something that I madein my bedroom, like being you know,
(05:35):
all over and having so many peoplecare about it and so many people
love it. Like I'll be atubers or on a plane or something and
the song's playing and I'm like,all this is me, Like what?
So, yeah, it's an insaneMy friends have been making fun of me
because I've been saying I don't givea hoot to everything that far has been
(05:57):
so funny to me. I'm like, you don't get a hoots. No,
it's such a fun record. Sowhat's next for you? I mean,
now that you know, I feellike you're like I arrived, I'm
here, So what do we donext? Yeah, I'm trying to figure
it out. I've got a lotof a lot more music that I've made
that I'm planning to release in thenext you know, a few months,
so stay tuned. Yeah, Imean figuring out the timeline for it.
(06:21):
Honestly, I had another song thatI was like, all right, gonna
drop it next. I'm gonna haveit come out October November. But it's
like the song, you know,a little boot thing, and then moving
so much that it's like, letme just enjoy this moment for a little
bit. But the good thing isI love making music. I'm gonna be
in the studio again today. Ihave a bunch of stuff that I'm excited
(06:43):
to release, and so it's justabout, you know, figuring out the
timeline that I love that you're takingyour time though, because I feel like
nowadays, especially like even with thealbums, I feel like people are like,
okay, like what's the next one, But it's like, damn,
it's only been a year. Likepeople need to sit with your project,
you know what I mean, orlike sit with your record and like you
can't just be like rushing stuff outjust to do it, you know what
I mean. So I appreciate youbeing like we're gonna suck up all this
(07:05):
little boot thang energy. There wego, Yes, yes, until every
person in the world is like ifI hear that Blue Boot thing song,
then it's like, all right,now I'll release something exactly exactly. Well,
I'm happy for all your success andlike, I can't wait to see
what you do next. Hey,thank you so much. I appreciate it.
(07:26):
All right, thanks so much forhanging out. Hey, thank you.
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