US rapper Russ impressed by the Pinoy hip-hop scene

MANILA, Philippines — When American hip-hop artist Russ tweeted to his 2.1 million followers that he was running late to a presscon held on the afternoon of his first-ever Manila concert, there was no doubt his 16-minute interview later with the Filipino media would serve some unfiltered and unbridled candor.

The 26-year-old rap sensation (real name is Russ Vitale) behind Losin’ Control, What They Want, Missin’ You Crazy, among others, was in the country recently to headline a sold-out show at the New Frontier Theater, produced by Random Minds and Karpos Multimedia. As his “thank-you note,” he released on his Facebook page, a tribute video of his Manila visit set to the music of his new single Summer at 7, which he also dropped at the show.

The night before his concert, however, Russ made a “surprise appearance” at the show of fellow American rapper Bazzi in BGC. With his trademark long locks still wet from the shower, he narrated how he earned a few bruises on his ankles after throwing his shoes into the crowd and jumping into a pool fully-clothed. “I’d say, we’re off to a great start,” he told The STAR and other reporters in the roundtable interview arranged by Sony Music Philippines. 

But the high spirits could also be buoyed up by his “bizzare, yet amazing” fanbase in the Philippines. According to the music streaming site Spotify, the city listening the most to his music is Quezon City (the rest of the Top 5 are in the US). “I’m heavy on my phone and social media, so I see everything. When I started noticing the whole craze out here, I was like, ‘How did this happen?’ I was so confused. This is so bizarre! But this is amazing. So, I was like, we need to set up a show there, for sure.”

Russ further enthused, “I really don’t know how this happened, but I’m glad it did. Because you all are really supportive. I can only hope that the rest of the world shows this much love. I wish every city shows this much love. You’re super, super amazing, you’re all talented and the women are great ‘coz I was in the club last night and I had no idea. You all look super great! Shoutout to you all.”

Asked what he knew about the country before his visit, Russ said, “Not much, although my favorite pool player — ‘coz I play pool a lot — is from out here, Efren (Bata) Reyes. Shoutout to Efren Reyes! He’s a G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)! I was trying to wear an Efren Reyes shirt tonight, but no one sells Efren Reyes shirts.”

Russ is also impressed by the local hip-hop community and is open to collaborate with a Pinoy rapper. “I like anyone else who’s talented. I’m been saying all day that everyone in the Philippines, it seems, can sing better than me,” he said. “I share a lot of the covers (from the Philippines) because they’re all so good. There’s that one kid who’s so amazing though ­— MJ (Tagonon). He did a Missin’ You Crazy cover. Super good. There’s a lot of amazing people here.”

The singer, whose next stops were Middle East and Europe after the July 27 Manila show, credited the universal appeal of his songs to the melodies. “It’s the melodies, for sure, because there’s obviously a language barrier, right? So, the fact that it can be this globally accepted is because of the melodies. Everyone likes to sing... It’s definitely the melody, because I’m not from here, so it’s not that. I chalk it up to the melody and good songwriting.”

Russ talked about his creative process — or the lack of it. “My creative process is there is no process. I walk around the house and then randomly something will hit me, then I go downstairs (to the basement) and get it out. That’s really it. Oftentimes, I find a lot of songs when I’m not looking for them. When I’m just sitting in my house, watching whatever, and oh, you know what, I’ll make a song. The creative process is just to live and let it happen to you. I’m just a vessel. I kinda let it move through me.”

His success at songwriting isn’t just earning him fans, but also financial rewards, according to Forbes, which placed him on the No. 20 spot on its list of hip-hop’s top earners.

It wasn’t an easy climb though. Russ jumpstarted his career taking care of everything ­— from composing, rapping, singing, to mixing, mastering and producing. “I had no other choice. If someone drops you into the woods or the jungle, you gotta figure out how to eat. I didn’t know anyone who could do any of these stuff but I wanted to make a song. So, I gotta figure out a way to do this. It just came out of a need for survival, in a sense.”

And he highly recommends his D-I-Y experience to other artists. “I think, all artists should try because if you, at least, try to do everything yourself, you give yourself an opportunity to figure out that you may be good at these other things or, at least, know what goes into it so that other people can’t just be like, ‘No, it takes three months to mix a song.’ No, it doesn’t, you know.”

Russ was only five when he knew he wanted to be a rapper. “I knew who I was before I knew who I was. When you’re five, no one really knows who he is. Like, I guess, I did because I was rapping at five. What makes a five year old do anything? I guess, he really likes it. (My earliest influences were) 50 Cent and Eminem. My first rap song, when I was around seven or nine, was something about me being from Queens with baggy jeans, but I wasn’t from Queens (he grew up in New Jersey, his bio says), 50 Cent was.”

By late 2015, Russ’ songs were beginning to make people sit up and notice via Soundcloud. Apart from putting out songs on this platform, he independently released 11 albums. His major label debut, There’s Really A Wolf, came in 2017, which became Platinum and reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. Last year, he released his sophomore full-length album ZOO.

But what is success without its share of haters? Google Russ, and there are articles or forums titled (or similarly so): “Why do people hate Russ?” The hate reportedly originated from his unabashed self-confidence and opinions on social media, including controversial tweets in 2017 that called out rappers who “have romanticized and glorified drug abuse.”

During our roundtable, Russ was asked how he deals with non-fans on soc-med and he said, “It’s a lose-lose (situation). If I reply, they think something’s wrong with me. I don’t know, people are losers. At the end of the day, it’s just like, majority of the world is very upset with themselves. They’re like, they want more money, they want better relationships, they want a lot of things that I have, so it’s for you all.”

Nevertheless, in The Flute Song from ZOO (where he talks about relationships, family and fame), Russ raps about the bashers: “People keep talkin’, I just keep winning / I’m just like ‘F— it.’”

His ultimate goal? “Because I’m a big numbers guy, I want to be the most everything. The most Grammys, the most Platinum, the most plaques, the most money, but beneath the surface thing, I want that super real impact on people’s lives, on people’s DNA.”

When asked to elaborate on past statements (on interviews and social media) that he wants to make music that promotes living not dying, Russ said, “I think a lot of people are dying and I don’t think they realize it. I think, there are so many people not living. They’re walking around, breathing, going through the motions, but they’re dying. They’re just decaying. Unless you’re really seizing your present moment, going after a passion and really making the most out of this space while we have it, you’re literally dying.”

For Russ, music is therapy and food. “It’s just very fulfilling. Writing the song is an unmatched, insane, fulfilling thing. Going on stage and first hearing people sing that new song back, it’s electrifying.

“It’s kind of amazing what has happened because I make music to kind of help myself, as therapy for myself, and then ends up helping other people in the world, which I’m super grateful for.”