Following a different beat: Gonzales’ Darrell Russell is making a name for himself in the music world

Darrell Russell, aka “D-Russ,” is in the process of completing his second solo album, entitled “Wars and Rumors of War”, on his own label, Pot Belli Media Group.

Though he writes, records and performs music that people refer to as “hip hop,” Darrell, 44, is at a point in his life where he no longer feels the need to be classified as anything.

He just makes music.

In 2010, Darrell, who is a native of Gonzales, and 1987 GHS graduate, and his brother-in-law James Torrance, aka Mr. Torrance, recorded “Texas Hold ‘Em”, their first full length album.

“I actually did my first solo album ‘As the World Turns’ back in 1996,” Darrell adds. “One of my new tracks is already at number 18 on Reverb Nation.”

The album’s centerpiece is a track called “Journey of the Blues Brutha,” which features a video that portrays what can be best described as an epic foray into the mind’s eye of the soul.

“I really liked doing that video,” Darrell says. “We shot that in Austin with director Will Martin. The thing comes to a close with me staring down the devil and him backing down. It’s an example of how you can stand your ground and make good decisions to keep bad things from coming into your life.”

Although Darrell is launching another solo effort, he maintains that he is not through working with Mr. Torrance. Not by a long shot.

“We’re definitely going to do another album, but right now,” he says. “Mr. Torrance is helping me run my independent label. He does production and A&R-type stuff.”

Darrell says “Wars and Rumors of War” is a scripture taken from the Bible.

“God gave me the talent I have, and I try to live my life according to His will,” he says. “The album deals with the state of the world as we know it.”

Like many other people, Darrell believes the world is bombarded by a never-ending flux of negativity, especially in music, and he wants want to bring it some balance.

“Music is heavily influenced by what I perceive to be evil people, so it’s a tough battle,” he says. “When they listen, these kids get fed a lot of negativity. And I don ‘t think the artists who put this negative music realize the power they have over listeners – especially young people.”

Darrell also feels hip hop music has had both good and bad effects on pop culture.

“For black people, hip hop was once our voice,” he explains. “NWA was telling you that black people were getting beat up by the police, and no one believed it till LAPD beat up Rodney King on national TV. That type of music was a big influence on me as well as many others at the time.”

Sadly, Darrell is also of the opinion that contemporary hip hop has become a joke.

“Look at somebody like 50 Cent, for instance,” he says. “I don’t think he represents black people well. If you’re in India and you’ve never heard of hip hop, and you’ve never seen a black person, you would look at 50 Cent and think, ‘this is how they act?’”

“Chuck D of Public Enemy recently told a story of a guy who came up to him in Europe while on tour and said, ‘What’s up my ‘expletive?’ And Chuck D, who is now part of  a political group , didn’t fault the guy because that’s the persona that this kind of negative music puts out there. That word is viewed as a term of endearment, but it is a very negative word. The art in music has lost its meaning because it’s simply not there anymore. It’s just a big joke that has become a parody of itself.”

Darrell also believes the powers that be are force-feeding people these parodies because they know the influence the music has on them.

“There’s a ‘machine’ that runs the music,” he says. “There’s a ‘machine’ that determines what you see in a movie theater. There’s a ‘machine’ that determines what you hear on the radio. A lot of people don’t think it’s true, but that is the case.”

“These powers that continue to paint a negative light,” he says. “They don’t want people feeling good about themselves and their world – they want to keep people down. And they do it by making music into a joke.”

As a case in point, Darrell references rapper Trinidad James, a man who clearly emphasizes gold as a virtue.

“His big single was ‘All Gold Everything’ and he pretty much looks like a clown in the video,” he says. “I can’t help but think that’s what the establishment wants us to look like. They’ve taken all the pride out of it.”

“Music can alter your mood, man,” he continues. “It can inspire you, or it can deflate you. There is a scripture in the Bible that says life and death lie in the power of the tongue, and it’s true. You can kill someone with your words, or build them up. That’s the power that music has.

Darrell also mentions another popular recording artist who got some static over an incident involving the American flag.

“Lil’ Wayne’s coming under a lot of heat right now because he stepped on the American flag in his video,” he says. “Well, I’m an American soldier – a green beret who got shot at behind that flag. I took that personal.”

As a once devout fan of commercial radio music, Darrell laments what he believes to be the passing of positive music’s place on the airwaves.

“Positive music is not something you hear on the radio anymore,” he says. “Amy Winehouse spoke her mind, and look what happened to her. Britney Spears went against the establishment, and they pretty much ruined her. It’s an industry that’s evil.”

When it comes to drawing inspiration from his musical idols, Darrell acknowledges quite a assortment of “classic cats.”

“When I was a kid, my mom would have Al Green blasting throughout the house,” he remembers. “She would also play the O’Jays, Gladys Knight and the Pimps, Millie Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin and lots of Gospel music. I’m really influenced by the art of music itself – the process of putting it together. I think it’s a gift.”

Darrell says a lot of people look at him and categorize him as strictly a hip hop guy. But he insists that’s not an accurate assessment.

“I make music,” he says. “I’m 44 years old, and I think rap music is for kids. I try to make music. “Some people say I do Christian hip hop, but I don’t. My music isn’t for people in the church – it’s more for people in the streets. When you put labels on music, you put it in a box. I can go make music with a country artist one day and a reggae artist the next. I would do something like write a score for a movie or compose classical music and put hip hop lyrics behind it – because it’s really none of those things. It’s just music. I want to make music that you can listen to and enjoy today, and still feel like it’s new 50 years from now.”

Darrell remembers a meeting of chance a little over three years ago that gave him an opportunity to do a commercial for Trojan Condoms.

“I actually did a Trojan condoms commercial back in 2010,” he says. “That commercial came out in movie theaters. I remember they were running a campaign for MTV, and my brother-in-law’s sister had a nail shop in Austin. A lady who was a rep for Trojan was down at the SXSW music festival, and she happened to go into the nail shop. They told her we write and produce music, and the next thing you know I’m producing the song for that ad. We did that on the fly – in an hour!”

Looking long-term, Darrell has what many may perceive to be a far-fetched - if not impossible – goal: To one day do a cover of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road.”

"Yes, the whole album!” he says with a laugh, probably at the author’s astonishment. “That would be a monster task, but it’s okay – I believe in myself just like the Beatles did. And remember, they formed their own label. As an artist, you don’t need a big record company. One good thing about the Internet is you can promote yourself on it. Go against the establishment. Form your own label, do things your way. Make your own dreams come true, not theirs.”

Fans and future fans can follow Darrell’s and Mr. Torrance’s musical journeys at www.potbellimediagroup.com,  www.reverbnation/thedruss.com and on Facebook.