Todd Russaw is a music producer, talent manager, and music executive whose career includes work in R&B recording, artist management, and business development. He is also known as the former husband of singer Faith Evans. Their relationship combined marriage, parenting, and professional collaboration during several important stages of her recording career.
Russaw’s professional background extends beyond that relationship. His credits include production, executive production, songwriting, and management responsibilities across multiple releases. He also worked with the R&B group 702 and later became involved in Think BIG, a business venture developed with C. J. Wallace and entrepreneur Willie Mack.
A factual account of Todd Russaw’s life therefore involves several connected subjects: his recording credits, his management responsibilities, his family with Evans, and his later entrepreneurial work. These provide a clearer picture of his career than a biography focused entirely on his former marriage.
Todd Russaw Profile Summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Todd Russaw |
| Professional roles | Music producer, talent manager, and music executive |
| Music industry experience | Production, executive production, A&R, songwriting, and management |
| Artists associated with his career | Faith Evans and 702 |
| Selected credited projects | No Doubt, Keep the Faith, Faithfully, The First Lady, and Something About Faith |
| Former spouse | Faith Evans |
| Marriage year | 1998 |
| Divorce filing | 2011 |
| Children with Faith Evans | Joshua Jahad Russaw and Ryder Evan Russaw |
| Business venture | Think BIG |
| Think BIG collaborators | C. J. Wallace and Willie Mack |
Todd Russaw’s Background and Entry into Music
The clearest documented account of Todd Russaw’s background begins with his professional work in the music industry. His company biography describes a career in talent management and music production, including a position as an A&R director at Motown Records during the mid-1990s. A&R, short for artists and repertoire, concerns the development of performers and their recorded material.
That position placed Russaw within the business and creative structure of a record label. Such work differs from performing: it involves helping connect artists, songs, producers, and recording opportunities. His later credits reflect a career that crossed several of these responsibilities rather than remaining confined to one studio role.
His Think BIG biography also connects his Motown period with work involving Missy Elliott and 702’s debut album, No Doubt. This establishes an early professional connection to R&B projects that preceded several of his better-known collaborations with Evans. His available career history is more firmly documented than details about his childhood or education.
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Todd Russaw’s Early Recording Credits
Russaw’s recording history includes work outside Faith Evans’ catalog. AllMusic lists a songwriting credit on Subway’s Good Times, released in 1995, followed by mixing and executive production credits on 702’s No Doubt in 1996. These entries place him in the recording industry before his marriage to Evans.
His association with 702 continued through an executive production credit on the group’s 2003 album Star. The gap between those releases shows that his connection to the group was not restricted to a single early project. It also provides a useful counterpoint to descriptions that identify him only through Evans.
These credits require careful interpretation. Mixing, songwriting, and executive production are separate contributions, even when one person receives several types of recognition. An executive producer credit does not automatically mean that the individual created every instrumental track or supervised every recording session. Identifying Russaw’s exact credited role gives a more accurate account of his contribution.
Todd Russaw’s Professional Partnership with Faith Evans
Todd Russaw became an important professional collaborator in Faith Evans’ career, working as both her manager and a contributor to her recordings. Management responsibilities connected him to the business side of her work, while album credits linked him to the development and production of specific releases.
On Keep the Faith, released in 1998, Russaw received associate executive producer and composer credits. The album belongs to an early stage of their professional partnership. Its credits also illustrate why describing him simply as a producer can overlook the different functions he performed.
Their collaboration developed further on Faithfully, Evans’ third studio album, released in 2001. Russaw is credited as a producer and executive producer on that project. Biography.com also describes him as Evans’ creative partner during its development. His involvement therefore included a documented creative role alongside his management relationship with the singer.
Todd Russaw’s Work on Later Faith Evans Albums
Russaw continued working with Evans on The First Lady, released in 2005. Its credits identify him as an executive producer, manager, and producer. The project followed Faithfully and formed another part of their extended recording partnership.
He also contributed to A Faithful Christmas, released in the same year. AllMusic lists production, executive production, audio production, and management responsibilities. The holiday release added a different type of recording project to his work with Evans, alongside her main studio albums.
By 2010, Russaw’s credits on Something About Faith included A&R, executive production, and management. Taken together, these releases document a professional relationship spanning more than a decade. They show continuity across different recording periods while preserving the distinction between his business responsibilities and his creative contributions.
Todd Russaw and Faith Evans’ Marriage
Todd Russaw and Faith Evans married in the summer of 1998. According to Biography.com, Missy Elliott introduced them after Evans separated from her previous husband, Christopher Wallace, the rapper known as the Notorious B.I.G. Russaw became Evans’ second husband.
Their marriage developed alongside a working relationship that placed them together in both family life and the music business. Evans was the recording artist, while Russaw held management and production responsibilities. Their names appeared together in album credits as their professional collaboration continued.
This overlap is central to understanding their history, but it does not establish details about their private relationship. The documented record supports discussion of their marriage, children, and shared projects. It does not justify assumptions about how they managed everyday disagreements, divided household responsibilities, or made personal decisions. Kids, Husband & Age
Todd Russaw and Faith Evans’ Divorce Filing
Faith Evans filed for divorce from Todd Russaw in 2011. Contemporary coverage in Essence identified Russaw as both her husband and longtime manager, reflecting the personal and professional dimensions of their relationship at the time.
In a joint statement released that May, they said they had decided to end their marriage after careful consideration. They also expressed their intention to remain committed to parenting their children and supporting one another’s professional endeavors. The statement requested privacy for their family.
That announcement provides a direct account of their stated priorities during the separation process. It should not be expanded into claims about later custody arrangements or the precise length of their continued business partnership. Similarly, the documented 2011 divorce filing should be distinguished from a separately established date of legal finalization.
Todd Russaw’s Children and Family Connections
Todd Russaw and Faith Evans share two sons: Joshua Jahad Russaw and Ryder Evan Russaw. Joshua was born on June 10, 1998, and Ryder was born on March 22, 2007. Joshua later developed a music career under the professional name Jahad, working as a DJ, singer-songwriter, and producer.
Russaw also has a significant family connection with C. J. Wallace, Evans’ son with the Notorious B.I.G. That relationship later became part of a business collaboration. In a 2019 Forbes interview about Think BIG, Wallace referred to Russaw as his father while describing conversations that helped shape the venture.
This distinction matters when outlining the family. Joshua and Ryder are Russaw’s sons with Evans, while C. J. is his stepson through that marriage. Their later work together demonstrates a continuing connection expressed through a specific shared project, without requiring speculation about other family arrangements.
Todd Russaw and the Think BIG Venture
In 2019, Todd Russaw was part of the team behind Think BIG, developed with C. J. Wallace and Willie Mack. Forbes covered the venture’s launch and identified Russaw as Wallace’s stepfather and a music executive.
Wallace explained that conversations with Russaw helped him consider business opportunities beyond acting. Those discussions contributed to the development of the cannabis brand. Russaw’s involvement connected his experience working with creative talent to a venture outside traditional record releases.
Think BIG’s company biography identifies Russaw as a co-founder and strategic adviser. This adds an entrepreneurial element to his career history. The venture also brought together two relationships already present in his life: his experience in entertainment and his longstanding connection with Wallace. Its launch is a documented business milestone, rather than evidence of any particular revenue or financial valuation.
Todd Russaw’s Career Achievements and Recognition
Todd Russaw’s professional record is best assessed through specific credits and responsibilities. His work includes projects by 702 and several Faith Evans releases, with roles covering management, executive production, production, and other recording contributions.
The range of these credits is significant because it shows participation in both creative work and career administration. Artist management concerns the broader professional relationship, while recording credits identify contributions attached to individual projects. Russaw’s history includes both.
Recognition also needs to remain accurately attributed. An album’s commercial success or an artist’s award does not automatically become a personal award for every collaborator. A careful biography credits Russaw for his documented work while recognizing that recorded music is produced through the combined efforts of performers, writers, producers, engineers, managers, and label teams.
Todd Russaw FAQs
Who is Todd Russaw?
Todd Russaw is a music producer, talent manager, and music executive. He is also the former husband of singer Faith Evans and a co-founder of Think BIG.
When did Todd Russaw marry Faith Evans?
Todd Russaw and Faith Evans married in 1998. Evans filed for divorce in 2011, and the couple issued a joint statement about ending their marriage that May.
Who are Todd Russaw’s children with Faith Evans?
Their sons are Joshua Jahad Russaw and Ryder Evan Russaw. Joshua works in music under the professional name Jahad.
Which Faith Evans albums include Todd Russaw’s credits?
His credits include Keep the Faith, Faithfully, The First Lady, A Faithful Christmas, and Something About Faith. His specific responsibilities differ across those releases.
What is Todd Russaw’s connection to C. J. Wallace?
Russaw is C. J. Wallace’s stepfather through his former marriage to Faith Evans. They also collaborated with Willie Mack on the Think BIG venture.
Todd Russaw Conclusion
Todd Russaw’s biography brings together music production, artist management, family, and entrepreneurship. His work with Faith Evans represents a substantial part of that history, but his credits with 702 and involvement in Think BIG provide additional professional context.
The most reliable account of his career rests on those identifiable projects and responsibilities. They establish his contributions to recording and management while placing his former marriage to Evans within a broader professional and family history.
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