By Vanessa Soria

American Russell Vitale is known as a hip-hop and R&B recording artist who goes by the stage name Russ. Born on September 26,1992 in Secaucus, New Jersey, his family immigrated from Sicily to the States after WWII. Although he has Italian roots, his last name is a common surname. Russ was born with heterochromia; he has one eye light brown and the other is dark brown. Growing up he had two role models–2Pac and Eminem. He played several instruments but the piano was his favorite.  

Growing up he moved often due to his father’s career relocating numerous times. They first moved to Kentucky then North Carolina then finally to Georgia where he pursued the career he always envisioned, which was to become an artist. Due to his father relocating often, Russ lost many childhood moments and friends which made him lean on his music because that was something he didn’t have to worry about abandoning him. At only the age of seven he began to rap songs off the radio he’d hear in the car or at home. Seven years later he started writing lyrics at the age of 14; he went in depth and engaged in making sure he came up with good rhymes.

Throughout middle school he was always involved in writing lyrics, but it wasn’t until he enrolled in Roswell High School that it inspired him to create beats. He shared his lyrics and beats with friends, and his friends would encourage him to write more and create the beats involved with the lyrics. He applied to college and went to Kennesaw State University, but dropped out early because he realized he was too interested in recording and producing that he couldn’t find the time to study.

At the age of 18, he recorded his first song after writing a lot of music. Russell Vitale is the kind of person that wants to do everything on his own: be a producer, be a recording artist, and be able to write his own songs the way he desires. Russell knew it was going to be a bit difficult to become a star so he decide in 2011 to form a group called “Diemon Crew” where there were around 8 to 12 members involved where they released album after album. In the year 2014 Russ decided to open his own account on SoundCloud to upload his own music. He went viral and his songs were listened to over fifty million times.

In the year of 2016, Russell Vitale liked his independence, but decided to sign with Columbia Records where he knew they had a lot to offer him. Surely in early spring of 2017 he released his album, “There’s Really a Wolf.” His album peaked to 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He was nominated in the Woody Awards in 2017. His latest single was released in January of 2018 named “Some Time.”