Vallejo-born musician LaRussell continued his unwavering support for his hometown by performing at the August Summer Nights festival on Thursday, August 29th. His music and continued support of the Vallejo community are a beacon of hope in a city long plagued by crime and is a powerful reminder of the positive forces that continue to shape Vallejo’s community despite the constant violence.
LaRussell has a history of live performances in Vallejo with his concerts he holds in the backyard of his childhood home in Vallejo, known as the Pergola. He has been throwing these backyard performances for over two years while intimately rapping, at eye level with his fans, his own songs and a mix of songs by Vallejo icons such as Mac Dre and E-40. He recently brought on Oakland rapper Richie Rich as a guest rapper on August 8th. LaRussell’s commitment to the Vallejo community goes beyond music. In October of last year he worked with a local restaurant, MoMo’s Cafe, to allow people to pay with what they had for meals while LaRussell covered the rest of the tab.
In a very dark time for the city of Vallejo, where hardship, crime, and violence are rampant and with the lack of adequate law enforcement, LaRussell and his warm energy has been a much needed refresher for Vallejo citizens. With 1,215 violent crimes happening annually and the constant & senseless gun violence, Vallejo has been in a time of darkness for decades. Vallejo continues to rank higher than 97% of California communities when it comes to crime rate. LaRussell has been sharing his infectious, positive, and vibrant energy by supporting local businesses, showing up to local events, and even feeding Vallejo citizens.
I think LaRussell is a part of a larger conversation. One related to the lack of social and youth programs in the Vallejo community. Back in May of 2020, the Mare Island Sports Complex was shut down due to safety concerns. The Mare Island Sports Complex was popular in Vallejo and was run by the Greater Vallejo Recreation District. They had sports classes, clubs, and leagues for people of all ages to join. I very much believe the closing of the Mare Island Sports Complex and an overall lack of extracurricular activities in Vallejo, along with the pandemic being in full effect, all played vital roles in where Vallejo is now.
In order to start healing the community, we must refocus our energy on providing youth with positive and productive programs so they can break a cycle of violence and start a new cycle built on peace, positivity, and respect.
