Russ

Biography

Russell James Vitale, known professionally as Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on September 26, 1992, in Secaucus, New Jersey, and is of Sicilian descent. Due to his father's career, his family relocated frequently during his childhood, living in North Carolina and Kentucky before settling in Atlanta, Georgia. Russ began writing raps at the age of seven and started producing beats at fourteen. He was taught to play the guitar by his father and learned several other instruments over the years.

Career Beginnings and Independent Rise

At 17, Russ co-founded the music collective and label Diemon with his friend Bugus. Initially, he acted as the in-house producer for the collective. Between 2011 and 2014, Russ prolifically released 11 albums and dozens of singles for free online. To gain more traction, he began releasing a new song every week on SoundCloud, a strategy he maintained for nearly three years, which significantly grew his fanbase. This consistent output and his do-it-yourself approach to creating music—producing, mixing, mastering, engineering, writing, and performing his songs himself—set him apart.

Major Label Success

In 2017, Russ signed a deal with Columbia Records. His twelfth studio album and major-label debut, "There's Really a Wolf," was released on May 5, 2017. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number seven on the Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum. It featured his first Billboard Hot 100 entries, "What They Want" and "Losin Control". He followed this with his thirteenth album, "Zoo," in 2018, and his fourteenth, "Shake the Snow Globe," in 2020. Both albums peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. The latter featured his highest-charting single, "Best on Earth," featuring Bia.

Return to Independence

In June 2020, Russ announced the completion of his deal with Columbia Records and his return to being an independent artist. Following this, he released the EP "Chomp" in November 2020, featuring several notable artists. He has continued to release music independently, including the sequel EP "Chomp 2" in 2021 and the studio album "Santiago" in 2023, which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200. In 2022, he and his friend Bugus officially launched their record label, Diemon, with an artist-friendly approach that allows artists to own their masters.

Other Ventures

Beyond his music career, Russ is also an author. He published his first book, "It's All In Your Head," in 2019, which became a bestseller. He released a sequel, "It Was You All Along," in 2024. In the same year, he made his acting debut in the thriller film "Trap".