Russ names Eminem, 50 Cent, and more as his influences.
Atlanta rapper Russ recently sat down with DJ Suss One on his ‘Wake Up’ podcast for a new interview. On the show, he talks about being an independent artist, the responsibility of privilege in hip-hop, monetizing black culture, the success of ‘Best on Earth‘, and much more.
At around the 10:00 minute mark, he was asked about his Top rapper who inspired him. “I originally got interested in rap and Hip-Hop via 50 Cent and Eminem,” says Russ. “50 is crazy, 50 Cent, Em and then I got into, It was a freshman in High School in 2006, So When Lil Wayne was like going crazy, freestyles were dropping and the mixtapes, Wayne was just running Hip-Hop. Then Drake, J. Cole, Kanye West.”
Drake, J. Cole, Kanye West, and others are among his favorites. Jada Pinkett Smith admits that Jay-Z wasn’t his first love. He claims to have discovered Hov’s repertoire around the age of 17 or 18.
In the past few years, Russ has quietly become one of the biggest performers in music, putting together a collection of successful albums and singles. Lil Baby assisted “Ugly” has had a major influence on radio, and he appears to be on track for another successful year.
Check out the interview below and listen to Russ’ latest song ‘UGLY‘ with Lil Baby.
