POT BELLI, A.K.A., D-RUSS STARTED OUT IN THE CHOIR IN GONZALES, TEXAS AS A CHILD! HIS MOTHER JOSEPHINE RUSSELL PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLL IN HIS DEVELOPMENT AS A MUSICIAN. HIS FATHER, TOMMY RUSSELL WAS BLESSED WITH A GIFT OF PLAYING MUSIC BY EAR, WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING AT ALL. THIS GIFT WAS PASSED DOWN TO HIM. AFTER COMPLETING HIGH SCHOOL, POT BELLI ATTENDED COLLEGE IN SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. MID WAY THROUGH SCHOOL HE OPTED OUT FOR THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, BEING ATTATCHED TO THE ELITE GREEN BERET/SPECIAL FORCES UNIT. AFTER COMPLETING HIS OBLIGATION TO UNCLE SAM, HE DECIDED TO ATTEND THE ART INSTITUTE OF HOUSTON, TEXAS WHERE HE WOULD STUDY VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS. HIS GOAL WAS ALWAYS A CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. WHILE IN HOUSTON, HE MADE A FEW KEY CONTACTS. HOUSTON WASN'T HIS SPEED SO HE WOULD MAKE A PIVITOL MOVE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS THAT WOULD CHANGE HIS DIRECTION FOREVER!
ONCE IN AUSTIN, HE MET HIS MENTOR CASSIUS CLAYMOE, AND PRODUCER BORNE PHAT! CLAYMOE WOULD BE INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING HIS MUSICAL DIRECTION. WHILE DOING SHOWS AROUND AUSTIN, AND CRAFTING HIS SKILLS IN THE STUDIO WITH CLAYMOE AND PHAT HE WOULD RUN INTO OTHER KEY PEOPLE. ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW PEOPLE TO WORK WITH POT BELLI RAN INTO COURTNEY, A LOCAL INDY RECORD LABEL OWNER. THEY CLICKED RIGHT AWAY AND GOT TO WORK ON MUSIC. POT BELLI VENTURED OUT TO FIND MUSIC FOR HIS UP COMING PROJECT. WHILE DOING SO, HE RAN INTO 8-TRACK, ANOTHER UP AND COMING PRODUCER HERE IN AUSTIN! 8-TRACK HAS A GROUP HE WAS WORKING WITH, THEY WAS ALRIGHT, BUT THOSE BEATS WAS KNOCKING YOU SEE, AND HE HAD TO GET HIS HANDS ON THEM. IT WORKED OUT, BUT LITTLE DID 8-TRACK KNOW, POT BELLI HAD OTHER THINGS IN MIND, NAMELY MAKING HIS OWN MARK AS A PRODUCER! POT BELLI SPLIT WAYS WITH COURTNEY AND UNITED FRONT RECORDS CAUSE, WELL.THEY WAS FRONTING, BUT THEY DID TEACH HIM A LOT SO RESPECT DUE! J-HUNT WAS A D.J., AT THE HISTORICAL 88.7 RADIO STATION IN AUSTIN. POT BELLI AND HUNT BECAME A TWO MAN TEAM, HUNT DID THE BLENDING, POT BELLI DID THE SCRATCHING. SO NATURALLY AS A DJ, POT BELLI WOULD VENTURE OFF INTO THE PRODUCTION SIDE OF THINGS. BEING AND EMCEE, D-RUSS, AKA POT BELLI WOULD ALWAYS GET A MELODY IN HIS HEAD WHEN EVER HE GOT AN IDEA FOR A SONG. SO HE WAS TURNED ON TO A PARTICULAR PIECE OF MUSIC SOFTWARE TO GET THOSE MELODIES OUT. POT BELLI HAS PRODUCED FOR ARTIST ON THE WEST COAST, THE EAST COAST AND IN BETWEEN! HE HAS ALSO WORKED WITH TROJAN BRAND CONDOMS TO CREATE A COMMERCIAL FOR AN MTV CAMPAIGN AS WELL. RIGHT NOW POT BELLI IS SEARCHING FOR A LITTLE BALANCE IN THE INDUSTRY. HE FEELS THAT SATAN HAS PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLL IN MANIPULATING THE VOICE THAT GOD ALMIGHTY HAS GIVEN PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO OTHER WISE DID NOT HAVE ONE. LUCIFER WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING ANGEL IN HEAVIN, IN CHARGE OF MUSIC. THIS IS WHY HIS INFLUENCE IS SO HEAVY IN TODAYS MAINSTREAM. POT BELLI AIMS TO NEUTRALISE THAT BY OFFERING UP LIFTING, SOUL WINNING MUSIC. A SOUND THAT IS SET TO BRING GOD GLORY AND ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM! HE ONLY HAS ONE QUESTION, ARE YOU LISTENING?
