Russ

Russell James Vitale, known by his stage name Russ, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released a total of 14 studio albums, with his twelfth studio album “There’s Really a Wolf” being his first commercial success. The album went platinum and spawned his first two Billboard Hot 100 entries, “What They Want” and “Losin Control”.

Russ was born on September 26, 1992, in Secaucus, New Jersey, to an American family with Sicilian ancestry. Due to his father’s career, he grew up in North Carolina and Kentucky before settling in Atlanta, Georgia, during his late teenage years. He learned to play guitar from his father and gradually learned to play other instruments over the years. He started writing raps at the age of seven and began producing beats with his friend Bugus at the age of 14. He recorded his first song at 18 years old in the basement of Colm Dillane’s KidSuper.

After gaining some attention from his music, Russ signed a partnership with Columbia Records and released “There’s Really a Wolf” in 2017. The album debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200 and number four on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Russ continued to release music, with his 13th and 14th studio albums, “Zoo” and “Shake the Snow Globe”, both peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200.

On June 30, 2020, Russ announced that he had completed his deal with Columbia Records and is now an independent artist. He released an EP titled “Chomp” on November 17, 2020, featuring guest appearances from Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, Benny the Butcher, and Ab-Soul, among others. He then released “Chomp 2” on December 8, 2021, under Russ My Way Inc.