Russ (rapper)

Russell James Vitale was born on September 26, 1992, in Secaucus, New Jersey. He is of Sicilian descent.[1] Vitale was born into an American family with Sicilian ancestry, 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 during his late teenage years in Atlanta, Georgia.[13] Vitale 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 and continued making beats and producing songs in the basement of Colm Dillane's KidSuper.[17][18][19]

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.[20]

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.[21] 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.[22] [23][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.[24][25][26] 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.[27] 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.[28]

Russ performing in 2017

Russ released his thirteenth studio album, Zoo, on September 7, 2018, which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200.[29] On November 12, 2019, Russ published his first book, It's All in Your Head.[30] On January 31, 2020, he released his fourteenth studio album, Shake the Snow Globe, on Russ My Way Inc. and Columbia Records.[31] It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200.[32]

On June 30, 2020, Russ announced that he completed his deal with Columbia Records and is now an independent artist.[33] 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.[34]

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.

Russ's early inspirations were G-Unit, 50 Cent, and Eminem.[18][35] He produced beats for around six years before he attempted to record himself rapping.[36] Russ is known for his songs being produced, mixed, mastered, engineered, written, and performed by himself.[37] 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".[38]

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".[39] The tweet caused controversy, and led to numerous responses from other music artists. Late 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".[39]

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".[40]

Russ has two different eye colors, a condition known as heterochromia; his left eye is dark brown, and his right is light brown.[18]

• There's Really a Wolf (2017)
• Zoo (2018)
• Shake the Snow Globe (2020)
• Chomp 2 (2021)[41]
• Chomp 2.5 (2023)
• Santiago (2023)

• Russ at AllMusic
• Interview with Artistic Manifesto 2014
• Video of Russ signing with Columbia Records