Russ (rapper)
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Russ | |
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File:Russ Vitale Live 2018 (cropped).jpg
Russ in 2018
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Background information | |
Birth name | Russell James Vitale[1][2] |
Born | Secaucus, New Jersey, U.S. |
September 26, 1992
Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2007–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts |
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Website | diemon |
Russell James Vitale better known as Russ (born September 26, 1992) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.[3][4][5] After years of releasing albums, mixtapes and singles for free online, Russ released his twelfth studio album, There's Really a Wolf, in May 2017 with Columbia Records; it was certified Platinum in April 2018.[6] His first hit singles came from the album and were: "What They Want", "Losin Control" and "Best on Earth" (featuring Bia), peaking respectively at number 83, 63, and 46 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[7] His thirteenth album, Zoo, was released on September 7, 2018, and peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200.[8] His fourteenth studio album, Shake the Snow Globe, was released on January 31, 2020, also peaking at number 4 on the US Billboard 200. Outside of his solo music, he is part of Diemon, a music collective from Atlanta.[9][10][11]
Contents
Early life
Russ was born on September 26, 1992, in Secaucus, New Jersey. He is of Sicilian descent.[1] Russ was born into a Sicilian-American family which included him and three other siblings.[12] He lived in North Carolina and Kentucky in his childhood due to his father having to constantly relocate due to his career, before his family found a permanent home in Atlanta.[13] Russ was taught to play guitar by his father, and over the years gradually learned how to play several instruments.[14] He started writing raps in his notebook at 7 years old. He started making beats when he was 14, and was initially producing with his friend Bugus.[15][16] He recorded his first song at 18 years old.[17][18]
Career
In 2011, Russ, alongside friend and fellow rapper Bugus, appeared on MTV after Bugus' song "El Jefe" gained traction.[15] After his short enrollment in Kennesaw State University, Russ co-founded his own collective and label, Diemon, with Bugus and others.[14] In a 2012 article on Jenesis Magazine, Russ was described as an in-house producer for Diemon.[19]
From December 2011 to August 2014, Russ released 11 albums and 87 singles consecutively; all free of charge.[1] Despite this, his music had not gained the attention that he wanted, so he began to release a song every week on SoundCloud for almost three years.[20] Two of these songs, "What They Want" and "Losin Control", eventually peaked at number 83 and number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively.[21] [22][7]
After signing a partnership with Columbia Records, Russ released his twelfth studio album, There's Really a Wolf, on May 5, 2017; it debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.[23][24][25] On April 18, 2018, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 1,000,000 units in the United States.[26] Prior to releasing his album, Russ announced on his Twitter account that he would be headlining his tour, The Wake Up Tour, from May 16 to August 5, 2017.[27]
Russ released his thirteenth studio album, Zoo, on September 7, 2018, which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200.[28] On November 12, 2019, Russ published his first book, It's All in Your Head.[29] On January 31, 2020, he released his fourteenth studio album, Shake the Snow Globe, on Russ My Way Inc/Columbia Records.[30] It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200.[31]
On June 30, 2020, Russ announced that he completed his deal with Columbia Records and is now an independent artist.[32] On November 17, 2020, he released an EP titled Chomp. It features guest appearances from Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Benny the Butcher and Ab-Soul, among others.[33]
On November 18, 2021, Russ announced a new EP, Chomp 2, as the sequel to last year’s Chomp. The project was released on December 8, 2021 under Russ My Way Inc.[citation needed]
Musical style and influences
Russ's early inspirations were G-Unit, 50 Cent and Eminem.[17][34] He produced beats for around six years before he attempted to record himself rapping.[35] Russ is known for his songs being produced, mixed, mastered, engineered, written, and performed by himself.[36] Most of his songs contain hip hop and R&B elements, while combining rapping and singing on the hook. His style has been described by Uproxx as a "raspy, hardbody rap flow, and lilting, almost drunken singing voice".[37]
Controversy
On September 11, 2017, after a show, Russ tweeted a picture depicting him in a shirt with writing on it that said: "How much xans and lean do you have to do before you realize you're a fucking loser".[38] The tweet caused controversy, and led to numerous responses from other music artists. Chicago rapper Fredo Santana responded to the tweet, stating: "Until I can stop thinking bout my dead homies an the trauma I been thru in my life that's when I'll stop".[38]
Following the controversy, the phrase "fuck Russ" became a commonly referenced phrase and meme. On June 6, 2018, after rappers Lil Pump and J. Cole settled their issues in an interview, Lil Pump tweeted "ME & J COLE COOL NOW SO NOW ITS FUCK RUSS".[39]
Personal life
Russ has two different eye colors, a condition known as heterochromia; his left eye is dark-brown and his right is light-brown.[17]
Discography
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- There's Really a Wolf (2017)
- Zoo (2018)
- Shake the Snow Globe (2020)
- Chomp 2 (2021)[40]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
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2017 | Woodie Awards | Woodie to Watch | Nominated[41] |
References
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External links
Template:Russ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Articles with short description
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- Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021
- Living people
- 1992 births
- American male rappers
- Rappers from Atlanta
- American hip hop record producers
- American people of Italian descent
- People of Sicilian descent
- Southern hip hop musicians
- American hip hop singers
- Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male musicians
- Columbia Records artists
- American male songwriters
- Indie rappers
- People from Secaucus, New Jersey
- American contemporary R&B singers
- Alternative hip hop musicians
- Singers from New Jersey
- Rappers from New Jersey
- Songwriters from New Jersey
- Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)