Russ

Biography

Russell James Vitale (born September 26, 1992), known mononymously as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Along with his solo career, he is a member of the Atlanta-based hip hop collective Diemon.
After eleven self-released albums, Vitale partnered with Columbia Records to release his twelfth studio album and major label debut, There's Really a Wolf (2017). A critical and commercial success, the album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries: "What They Want×What They Want28 July 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What They Want2:45" and "Losin Control." His thirteenth and fourteenth albums, Zoo (2018) and Shake the Snow Globe×SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE31 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1NEED A MINUTE2:442GUESS WHAT3:263A LOT MORE3:204CAN'T GO ON3:045ASSHOLE3:426NIGHTTIME (Interlude)3:107ALL TO YOU3:048SHOTS2:509PATIENCE3:0510I THOUGHT YOU GOT ME4:2211FOOT ON THE GAS2:3812MOMMA3:14 (2020), both peaked at number four on the Billboard 200; the latter spawned the top 50-single, "Best on Earth" (featuring Bia).
Outside of recording, Vitale published his first book, It's All In Your Head, in 2019. In 2024, he made his acting debut in the thriller film, Trap.

Early life

Russell James Vitale was born on September 26, 1992, in Secaucus, New Jersey. Vitale was born into an American family with Sicilian ancestry, which included him and three other siblings. 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. Vitale was taught to play guitar by his father, and over the years gradually learned how to play several instruments. 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. He recorded his first song at 18 years old and continued making beats and producing songs in the basement of Colm Dillane's KidSuper.

Career

In 2011, Russ, alongside friend and fellow rapper Bugus, appeared on MTV after Bugus' song "El Jefe" gained traction. After his short enrollment in Kennesaw State University, Russ co-founded his own collective and label, Diemon, with Bugus and others. In a 2012 article on Jenesis Magazine, Russ was described as an in-house producer for Diemon.
From December 2011 to August 2014, Russ released 11 albums and 87 singles consecutively; all free of charge. 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. Two of these songs, "What They Want×What They Want28 July 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1What They Want2:45" and "Losin Control", entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at numbers 83 and 62, respectively.

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. 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. 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.

Russ released his thirteenth studio album, Zoo, on September 7, 2018, which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200. On November 12, 2019, Russ published his first book, It's All in Your Head. On January 31, 2020, he released his fourteenth studio album, Shake the Snow Globe×SHAKE THE SNOW GLOBE31 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1NEED A MINUTE2:442GUESS WHAT3:263A LOT MORE3:204CAN'T GO ON3:045ASSHOLE3:426NIGHTTIME (Interlude)3:107ALL TO YOU3:048SHOTS2:509PATIENCE3:0510I THOUGHT YOU GOT ME4:2211FOOT ON THE GAS2:3812MOMMA3:14, on Russ My Way Inc. and Columbia Records. It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200.
The first book authored by Russ, It's All in Your Head, was published in 2019 and went on to be a bestseller.
On June 30, 2020, Russ announced that he completed his deal with Columbia Records and is now an independent artist. On November 17, 2020, he released an EP titled Chomp×Chomp17 November 2020 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Stockholm Syndrome4:242Who Wants What5:233Inside Job2:504Line Em Up3:445Momentum6:42. It features guest appearances from Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Benny the Butcher, and Ab-Soul, among others.
On November 18, 2021, Russ announced a new EP, Chomp 2×CHOMP 28 December 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Sheep1:472Blue Chip3:173Bucket Hat Low2:234Nothin New3:475Salute4:346Faith3:407Free3:388Top of the World3:209Note to Self5:2410Hustler Freestyle2:0411Distance5:0812Get It4:4913Enjoy the View4:1514Golden2:51, as the sequel to last year's Chomp. The project was released on December 8, 2021, under Russ My Way Inc.
On August 18, 2023, Russ released the album Santiago×SANTIAGO18 August 2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1See You Soon1:162Smooth2:493Fraud3:104No More3:105Empty2:236I Love You Boy4:137Enough2:168Adventure3:399Oasis3:0910Fatima2:4611Distracted3:4612Tunnel Vision3:3813The Wind5:00. It went on to peak at 12 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
On January 10, 2024, he published the sequel to his first book It Was You All Along. Later that year, he made his film debut, appearing as Parker Wayne in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller, Trap.

Musical style and influences

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

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". 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".
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".

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.