Mavericks star Kyrie Irving makes generous purchase of LaRussell’s album for $11,000

The season of giving may be over for some now that the year has turned, but that’s not the case for Kyrie Irving.

The Mavericks star guard began 2026 with a significant assist to support the latest album of independent hip-hop artist LaRussell. The Bay Area rapper announced Sunday that Irving paid $11,001 for his upcoming album “Something’s in the Water,” set to be released on Feb. 6.

LaRussell, who hails from Vallejo, Calif., is following a path made popular by the late Nipsey Hussle by using a direct-to-consumer model that allows independent artists to sell their music to fans without the need for a digital service provider, such as Apple Music or Spotify.

“I woke up and I had a sale for $11,000,” LaRussell said in an Instagram post on Sunday. “It happened to be No. 11 on the Dallas Mavericks.”

Mavericks

LaRussell’s entire discography is available for purchase on the EVEN platform. “Something’s in the Water” is available for purchase for as little as $0.99, which is considerably low for an average album. He has a goal of selling 100,000 copies in 30 days. As of late Monday, he’s just over 5,082 sales. Irving’s five-figure purchase is currently the highest sale, according to EVEN, but he also has another notable transaction from hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, who paid $2,500 for LaRussell’s new album.

Irving called Monday during LaRussell’s daily livestream and left him with a positive message.

“You earned it, bro,” Irving said. “You deserve it. You work your ass off so I thought I’d just continue to support what you got going on and I know you’ll pay it forward so I ain’t gotta worry about that, man. You’re a great dude, getting to know each other from afar, but it costs nothing to support.”

Irving, who is still sidelined as he recovers from ACL surgery, has made several significant philanthropic contributions throughout his career. He’s built a reputation for donating thousands of dollars to individuals in need of financial relief.

LaRussell’s direct-to-consumer method could remind some hip-hop fans of a similar route taken by Nipsey Hussle, who sold his “Crenshaw” mixtape directly to his fans for $100 in 2013. The legend of his marketing campaign grew once JAY-Z purchased 100 copies of the late rapper’s mixtape to support his endeavors, just as Irving is doing with his generous purchase.

“I’m just putting my money where my mouth is, bro,” Irving told LaRusell over the phone. “Helping out my community, helping out my people and I want to see you reach your goals so shoutout to you.”

Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2

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