A dynamic interdisciplinary artist whose soulful sound is rooted in the rich musical traditions of cities he's called home — Philly, New York, and the DMV.
RT · 2026
I'm a recording and touring artist. Everything else grew from that.
My sound is rooted in the rich musical traditions of the cities I've called home — Philly, New York, and the DMV. I'm known for old-school flair and showmanship, and I navigate genres the way the people who taught me did — through feel, not through formula. Heartfelt performances. Real connection. That's the work.
Over the years I've been lucky enough to share stages with icons like Mary J. Blige, Lalah Hathaway, and Estelle, and to take this music from New York and LA to Paris, London, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Almaty, and Batumi. I've sold out the legendary Apollo Theater. I've played the Kennedy Center, MoMA, BAM, KoKo Camden, the Essence Music Festival, Art Basel. Sixty-plus venues across twelve US cities and five countries. A working artist's resume.
My music has been featured on TV — Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Fosters, Black Ink Crew — and earned recognition as one of VH1's "You Oughta Know" artists. I'm a Recording Academy Governor and a 2× Artist in Residence at Berklee College of Music.
But the music doesn't live alone. It opened doors into other rooms. I host and produce Soulversations on SiriusXM Silk — a series dedicated to celebrating and preserving Black artistry, artist to artist, note to note. I direct and produce Soulversations Presents: Live at Union Market — a ground-up cultural festival in DC. I lead the SoulLife Foundation, a 501(c)(3) building the next generation of creative leaders through fellowships, internships, and workshops.
I created The Vulnerability Project and the Foundation to Future Soul photo exhibit. I designed a clothing brand called The Blxcks. I emcee fundraisers — once raised $78,000 in a single evening for Autism Speaks, another $250,000+ at their Georgia annual. I teach. I coach songwriting, performance, and music business. I moderate panels on DEI, mental health, advocacy, and education at the intersection of music and culture.
It's all one thing, really. One voice — moving through whatever room the work asks for. Soul-rooted, deliberate, in service.
Russell Taylor is the embodiment of what the "You Oughta Know" franchise is all about.
Articulate and well-groomed, Russell Taylor is the next generation of great tune makers.
Russell Taylor has long been considered a best-kept secret of NYC's indie music scene.
A working artist is a working artist. These are some of the rooms that have held the music.
Mary J. Blige · Lalah Hathaway · Estelle
And many more · See the full performance history →
Hosting, producing, teaching, building. Different rooms, same voice.
The series I host and produce — artists giving fellow artists space to tell our own stories, through a uniquely Black lens. Streaming monthly on SiriusXM Silk and YouTube.
Watch the showThe 501(c)(3) I lead as Executive Director. Fellowships, internships, workshops, and community-arts programming in Washington, DC — empowering the next generation of creative leaders.
Visit the foundationA ground-up cultural festival I create and produce — curating talent, directing production, and forging partnerships to celebrate Black music, community, and creative excellence in DC every Juneteenth.
Get tickets · June 19A humanities project I created — an exploration of vulnerability through conversation, story, and (soon) a forthcoming soundtrack.
Learn moreA photo exhibit commemorating the first Black Music Month and tracing the line from foundational soul artists to the artists shaping the music now.
See the exhibitI serve as a Recording Academy Governor, and I've been a 2× Artist in Residence at Berklee College of Music in Boston and 2× at TheARC Theater Consortium. I also coach songwriting, performance, and the music business.
Book a sessionThe clothing brand I created — a piece of the larger story of reconnecting people with their souls through art.
Visit the shopI've emceed and performed at Autism Speaks events that raised $78,000 in a single evening and $250,000+ at the Georgia annual. I host and moderate panels at the intersection of music, DEI, mental health, advocacy, and education.
Hire me to host