Coming from a small town, Michael “King” Russell said music has always been in his blood.

After spending time away from Mississippi, he’s back looking for the best in local talent. 

“It’s just little ole me coming from an old country town,” he said with a laugh. ““It was just my faith and a push to never give up. You never know who you may meet.”

Russell, who was born and raised in Union, has started his own record company: King Russell Entertainment. The goal of company, which he started during the COVID-19 pandemic, is to scout and promote local talent around Meridian. 

Russell, who considers his music Southern Soul, got his first first taste of music at age six, when he would play different instruments with his father’s gospel quartet.

At age 16, he dropped out of high school to tour with his father, who encouraged him to purse a career in music.

“My dad pushed me to be the greatest, to play everything and try to learn as much as I can about music,” he said. 

Russell said he remembers visiting downtown Meridian to work in a studio with Carl Marshall, a musician from New Orleans. Those experiences gave him the skills to become a music producer. 

“I would watch him in the studio, so I learned how to write and how to record,” he recalled. 

During his long career as a producer, Russell has worked with many big-name artists. He’s currently working with a member from the R&B group Jagged Edge and the rapper Trick Daddy.  

Russell said he could’ve left for a bigger city to look for talent, but he wanted stay in a city that helped him grow as musician.

“I felt like Meridian built me,” he said. “I wanted to come back home and to start building. If you can be successful where you came from, you can be successful somewhere else.”