Bay Area Rapper LaRussell Transforms A Local Cafe Into A Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant

According to FoodBeast, the Bay Area, CA, emcee is returning to a hometown staple to give back to his community in a huge way. Momo’s Cafe, located in Vallejo, will be transformed into “proud 2 pay café” courtesy of the rapper.

For three weeks, restaurant patrons will be able to stop by and pay what they have on hand for food or coffee.

Whatever amount is left owed for the check will be covered by LaRussell.

“The goal is for people to pay what they can, and [or] if you want to overpay to really support that’s a great thing, but pay what you can,” he told NBC Bay Area. “We know there’s people who can’t pay as well. We have a very high homeless population in Vallejo, and everyone’s not able to pay, but we still want to make sure you eat.”

The “UFO Outside Momo’s” emcee has been a frequent customer of the restaurant, long before its owner, Manuel Melendrez, even realized he was a rapper. And for a while now the two have partnered on several community events, including live shows LaRussell has hosted in front of the establishment, according to the outlet.

Moreover, this will mark the second time that LaRussell has taken over the restaurant with the pay-as-you-go model.

He has long shown a commitment to the local staple, having previously used his funds to help with a remodel of the restaurant, which has been a home to the Bay Area community for more than a decade.

No stranger to doing it for the culture, the California rapper is also known for throwing ticketed concerts for his people straight from his backyard, which he transformed into a performance space. 

LaRussell, who grew up in Vallejo, has been rapping since the tender age of 8, according to All Music.

In 2017, he launched Good Compenny, an organization committed to promoting rising Bay Area talent.

As a fully independent artist, LaRussell continuously advocates for fellow musicians to hold on to their independence by giving them advice on how to monetize their careers without having to sell the rights to their music to make money, per NBC Bay Area.