Hit-Boy has already enjoyed a stellar career in rap production, but the past two years have seen him elevate his craft to an even higher level. Between his King’s Disease series with Nas, 2023’s Victims & Villains with Musiq Soulchild, and the two volumes of Surf or Drown (the second featuring his father, Big Hit, who was recently released from prison), it’s a wonder when Hit-Boy ever leaves the studio. Then there’s Paisley Dreams, a project he and his father created with The Game after a one-off studio session turned into a marathon night of recording.
When news broke of his new project with Vallejo superstar LaRussell, RENT DUE, fans were both bewildered and excited. Another one? Yes, and Hit-Boy delivers the perfect West Coast soundscape for LaRussell’s California musings—providing the MC with bouncy synths, slapping drums, and creeping piano riffs that would make even the most hardened Compton legends shiver. LaRussell’s 2023 LP MOTION features a track called “Pops For President” that encapsulates what RENT DUE is all about. On that song, LaRussell raps, “I pledge allegiance to my n-ggas and my mama/ My president was my daddy but not Obama.” LaRussell is a family man, and RENT DUE honors those who helped him rise to where he is now: an MC quietly making his case as the Bay’s hottest voice. The opener, “LEAD ME TO THE WATER,” begins with a spoken-word intro by Tietta that delays the momentum before Hit-Boy and LaRussell take over the show. The jazz flute that accompanies the intro and runs throughout is calming. LaRussell raps, “My momma raised me as a G, my daddy turned me to a dawg/ Section 8, four bedroom, runnin’ up and down the halls.” This is LaRussell’s bread and butter—relatable family tales highlighted by personal anecdotes that paint a vivid picture. Once the album picks up, there’s no turning back. LaRussell shows he’s bringing his A-game now that he’s rapping over beats from a figure like Hit-Boy. “ETHICS,” featuring MALACHI, has twinkling keyboards from Hit-Boy that provide a melodic backdrop for LaRussell’s expressive voice. The bass hits hard, making this beat perfect for a top-down cruise. Even though he’s from the Bay Area, LaRussell relates to Hit-Boy’s LA roots when he raps, “Since Nip passed, honestly there ain’t a lot of us left/ Who could go walk with the right and lay it up with the left.”
Preview single “ANOTHER ONE” features production assistance from Big Hit, resulting in pure West Coast magic. The piano line creeps in the background while bouncy g-funk bass and popping snares roll through like claps of thunder. LaRussell employs a matter-of-fact flow, tapping into a delivery reminiscent of West Coast peers like Remble or the late Drakeo The Ruler. He hits all the talking points on the track, delivering his best performance of the project. He spits, “Ain’t gotta ask where I’m from, you hear the beat, The West is back.” He also pays homage to his mom, bringing a warm cohesiveness to the project: “Hit-Boy made a blap, we got another one/ Ran-ran up a M, I need another one/ I do what I want, yeah, I’m my mother’s son/ Bitch, I’m really him, I ain’t the other one,” he raps.
For someone with almost 30 releases under his belt, LaRussell has a unique gift for tailoring each project to specific themes. While he occasionally treads similar territory, the seven songs on RENT DUE are unique enough to make the album one of the strongest in his discography. With an all-timer like Hit-Boy on the boards, LaRussell had to bring his best pen game, and that confidence shines from beginning to end on one of the smoothest records to drop out of the West this year.
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