This week’s Local Music Monday features a former basketball standout who decided to change paths.
Russell Allen is a native of Paris, Kentucky who moved to Lexington in 2009. Allen, who performs under the stage name Real Tha Poet, started writing rhymes and poetry when he was in 7th grade. He didn’t start taking music seriously until he was in college was playing basketball and found himself staying up late making music all while still having to be at practice early in the morning. Allen says when he spent more time writing than playing basketball, he knew had different calling.
“You just don’t really necessarily understand something that you really wanna do or something that you’re actually called to do until you really sit down and look at what you put into it, I started to realize how much time I was actually putting into the music as opposed to the actual sport and then I realized this was something I would wanna pursue and it would be something I would do just for me.”
Real Tha Poet recently released his third album The Real World. He is one of many local hip-hop artists releasing albums in what is being called Blue October. Real Tha Poet says this idea is something he feels should continue in order for the music scene as a whole to thrive.
Real Tha Poet AKA Russell Allen will be performing at Al’s Bar on Halloween. More information about Real Tha Poet including the album The Real World is available here.
