User talk:Rus1169

Russell Little began his writing in the late 1980s as the songwriter for the rap group, "Ski n Lee," which he and Rafael Almadovar formed as juniors in high school. From that beginning his talents and creativity were obvious while performing with The Harlem Boys Choir, Great Space Coaster (television show) and Ice Tee. Though he was an actor, rapper and singer, Russell Little was always a writer at heart. "I always loved writing," says Russell Little. "I never told any of my friends that I had written poetry or read books by Maya Angelou, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey and Langston Hughes because it would have 'ruined' my image as a rapper." He continued, "I did some stupid things back then just to fit in. I gang banged, carried weapons and sold drugs, etc. However writing saved me from long stints of incarceration." As time went by Russell Little developed some songs for review. The songs were peppered with social issues, urban love and graphic tales of the city. The critics were more intrigue by the lyrics and their meanings than with the actual recordings. When asked what happened, Russell Little explained, "I was upset that they didn't want my songs but I should have noticed that they were taken by the stories I told. I didn't have any belief in myself; I still believed I was rapper at least in my heart." After witnessing the crack epidemic, AIDS and its destruction Russell Little's sensitivity to urban life was forever embedded in his persona. He resolved to enroll in Mercy College and for the first two years he ascended to the dean's list. "My father frequently called me Dummy and for me to be on the dean's list helped raise my self-esteem." He continued his education by transferring to Adelphi University and received his bachelor degree in social work. Russell Little continued to work in the human service field for the next 10 years. Although Russell Little would be inactive as a writer and performer for the next few years, he never lost his talent for hustling (clothes, CDs, movies and T-shirts). Then he met a writer out of Philadelphia, PA named Solomon Jones who inspired him to get back into writing. After being laid off, feeling betrayed, armed with an unemployment check and two handwritten notebooks, he created A Little Publications. Russell Little's enthusiasm to continually innovate and push the literary envelope drives him, and he currently resides in Philadelphia where he has completed his second novel, Freddy Shanks Fall 2008. Drawing upon his abilities as a hustler, his experiences as a social worker, along with his business savvy, Russell Little has gone on to release his first novel, Hell to the NO!

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