Russ | |
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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) |
|
Discography | Russ discography |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels |
|
Website |
russ |
Russell James Vitale (born September 26, 1992), known mononymously as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. [3] [4] [5] After eleven self-released albums, Vitale signed with Columbia Records to release his twelfth studio album, There's Really a Wolf (2017). Met with critical and commercial success, the album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) [6] and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries—" What They Want" and " Losin Control." [7] His thirteenth and fourteenth albums, Zoo (2018) and Shake the Snow Globe (2020) both peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200; the latter spawned his highest-charting single, " Best on Earth" (featuring Bia). Outside of his solo career, he is part the Atlanta-based hip hop collective Diemon. [8] [9] [10] [11]
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 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.[ citation needed]
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]
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Woodie Awards | Woodie to Watch | Nominated [42] |
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Russ | |
---|---|
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) |
|
Discography | Russ discography |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels |
|
Website |
russ |
Russell James Vitale (born September 26, 1992), known mononymously as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. [3] [4] [5] After eleven self-released albums, Vitale signed with Columbia Records to release his twelfth studio album, There's Really a Wolf (2017). Met with critical and commercial success, the album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) [6] and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries—" What They Want" and " Losin Control." [7] His thirteenth and fourteenth albums, Zoo (2018) and Shake the Snow Globe (2020) both peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200; the latter spawned his highest-charting single, " Best on Earth" (featuring Bia). Outside of his solo career, he is part the Atlanta-based hip hop collective Diemon. [8] [9] [10] [11]
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 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.[ citation needed]
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]
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Woodie Awards | Woodie to Watch | Nominated [42] |
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link)