Russ Opens His Old Basement Studio & Explains Independent Success | IRL

Genius2017-06-14

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658K views|7 years ago

💫 Short Summary

In this interview, Russ discusses his early music influences, the journey to creating his album, "There's Really a Wolf," and the importance of maintaining confidence and perspective through the ups and downs of his career. He also touches on the role of SoundCloud in his musical success and the process behind the creation of specific songs. Additionally, he shares a backstage story about a missed opportunity to meet Drake and Future.

✨ Highlights

📊 Transcript

✦

Russ talks about his early days and the influence of his surroundings on his music.

00:00

Introduces a mask he made at Kid Super Brooklyn, which was a significant and influential place for him.

Spent a lot of time in the basement studio, which was a magical world for him.

The guitar he used for the Cherry Hill song was in the studio, and he would even sleep there.

Started getting into music, particularly rap, at a young age, influenced by artists like 50 Cent and Eminem.

✦

The journey to success is discussed, with Russ emphasizing the importance of confidence and hard work.

03:12

Russ had a strong belief in his abilities from his experience playing basketball and constantly having to prove himself.

He released 11 mixtapes before the album, with each one being a step towards success.

Russ's definition of success is bouncing from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.

He was always broke but had a strong belief that his music would be successful.

✦

The artist discusses the creation of his album and the significance of the 'Cherry Hill' song in the tracklist.

06:56

The 'Cherry Hill' song is about a personal experience with a girl who used to live in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Russ wanted the first and last songs on the album to showcase his rapping ability.

The process of choosing singles is compared to throwing music at the wall and seeing what sticks.

A story is shared about being in the studio next to Drake and Future, but not getting the chance to meet them.

✦

Russ talks about the importance of including straight bars in his album and the process behind the song 'MVP'.

09:18

Russ wanted the first and last songs on the album to be straight bars to show his rapping ability.

He discusses the creation of the song 'MVP' and the idea behind the lyrics.

Russ mentions a picture Future put up on Instagram of him and Drake in the studio, and how he and Boog tried to get into the studio but ended up doing nothing.

Russ expresses his determination to keep fighting and to be the best, and not to stop until he gets there.

00:00 I made a rust man was good mask' it's

00:04 been a long time coming

00:06 you know we're here now a kid super

00:07 Brooklyn right under the J train rash

00:10 eyes spot he hand paints all this [ __ ]

00:12 and crazy [ __ ] all like handcrafted he's

00:16 just got a super cool one of one unique

00:19 style complete [ __ ] genius and his

00:22 face was very very influential to you

00:26 during you come out right I would stay

00:27 here for like weeks on end I would just

00:29 stay in the basement this is a classic

00:31 staple of the kid superstore and

00:33 basement studios behind them and ends is

00:36 a magical world I would just stay

00:39 trapped down there like locked in there

00:41 for days man this is the guitar I did

00:42 the cherry hill [ __ ] on and what's your

00:44 sleep right here this was this is it mad

00:47 nights spent on this couch I'd be

00:49 [ __ ] there was no routine I'd be

00:50 going to sleep a [ __ ] 11:00 be waking

00:52 up at 8:00 p.m. at night like so many

00:54 times I wake up go upstairs in his dark

00:59[Music]

01:07 when did you first get a spy to do music

01:10 they like seven I was into like fifty

01:13 what was it about fifty Cent that spoke

01:16 to a seven-year-old us I don't know I

01:18 think maybe because like before that I

01:20 was listening to a lot of melody based

01:22 music fifty and Eminem like some of the

01:24 most melodic rappers so I was moving

01:27 around a lot but like I did my formative

01:29 years like eighth grade in Atlanta so

01:31 that's why I really like that's when I

01:33 started making beats so I 14 years old

01:35 when you're producing are you aspiring

01:38 to be an artist as well as it is it just

01:40 making beats at that point I think

01:42 subconsciously I was cause even when I

01:44 was just producing like for my boy

01:45 boogies it was like I would be like yo

01:47 maybe she'd do this flow or something or

01:48 like I would be doing hooks there was

01:50 always something drawing me towards

01:51 getting on the mic so it's just a matter

01:53 of time I think you had a song called El

01:58 Jefe he had a song actually produced the

02:02 beat is still fire and and I mean that

02:06 that landed you guys on MTV pretty early

02:08 but that was a crazy moment I was 2011

02:10 give it up for bogus ladies and

02:12 gentlemen first time old was good to you

02:21 my producer uh she makes all my beats

02:23 what's that

02:24 what's up Ross that's my dog rocks right

02:29 there

02:29 some people think now Oh Russ is cocky

02:32 now that he got on it's like anyone that

02:34 knows me like yo from 2010 my first

02:37 Twitter handle was at I made classics so

02:39 it's like I've been feeling like this

02:41 I've known you for a few years so this

02:43 is just how I've always known you but

02:45 where do you find that confidence from

02:46 because a lot of people could get

02:48 further in life and accomplish their

02:50 dreams if they had that unwavering

02:52 confidence nowhere else that came from

02:53 it was basketball so I was always

02:55 playing basketball since I was like five

02:57 and I was always the smallest one and

02:59 like you know people would always be

03:00 doubting so like I always had that chip

03:02 in my shoulder from like my basketball

03:04 year so I think that that kind of like

03:05 mine saying you know basketball it's

03:07 like it was always about proving

03:08 yourself on the court and you go super

03:10 hard because it's that chip on your

03:11 shoulder

03:12 athlete mentality just trying to ball

03:13 out and prove yourself so there's

03:15 parallels with it I'm coming straight

03:17 from Atlanta Fulton County [ __ ] I got it

03:20 you know before this album you know your

03:23 fans know about the 11 mixtapes the line

03:25 that you went through right so you're

03:27 telling me after like mixtape six maybe

03:29 like after colour-blind like James I you

03:31 know what I'm all for this like I was

03:35 going so hard I was like I'll put it out

03:38 and be like I on to the next cuz I was

03:41 never that attached to the results I was

03:43 more attached to the idea of making

03:44 songs I fell in love with the with the

03:46 games not the points I think I say that

03:48 in the booklet it's like success to me

03:50 is bouncing from failure to failure

03:52 without losing enthusiasm was each

03:53 mixtape that you think like oh this is

03:55 the one that's gonna get us some yeah

03:56 every single time every single time was

03:57 I oh this is gonna blow you always be in

03:59 the basement and be like yo this one's

04:01 gonna get a million plays like this is

04:02 gonna get a million plays you still

04:03 always just be saying that a million

04:04 plays a million using Trey's that like

04:07 you know ended up happening with a lot

04:08 of this stuff so that's true I was broke

04:11 this June I made a hundred before nasty

04:13 didn't change me oh the rough shrine

04:18 this is like a bunch of ideas for the

04:21 for the album cover so this is [ __ ]

04:23 legendary bro this is once again all

04:25 like handcrafted by kids super I mean a

04:29 lot of this [ __ ] is crazy bro what's

04:30 that that's in the circle yeah this is

04:33 the album explanation the wolf

04:35 represents success in me blowing up I

04:37 was constantly the boy crying wolf to

04:38 everyone telling everyone I was gonna

04:39 blow up telling everyone the next song

04:41 next to our next video was gonna blow

04:43 you know we never happened so now that

04:44 has happened it's like oh [ __ ] there's

04:46 really a wolf there's really a wolf

04:50 yeah like when when does the process of

04:53 making this album begin because it feels

04:55 very fluid to me started before I got a

04:57 soundcloud I had 11 projects out after

05:00 the 11th one I was like I am a catch-all

05:02 for now but when I was starting to make

05:04 it I was like right I can't just put out

05:07 another one and it'd just be on deaf

05:10 ears again like I got to do something to

05:12 get a fanbase

05:13 what they want was a was a big one for

05:16 you and very popular without cloud

05:18 millions of play how did it feel to

05:24 hoist that platinum plat for what they

05:26 want well I mean act like it's super

05:30 surreal it's really surreal because like

05:33 I said all those conversations in the

05:34 basement where it was like this is gonna

05:36 get a million plays or this is gonna get

05:37 a million plays and you dropping against

05:39 a hundred and so it's like from getting

05:42 like your first million plays and be

05:43 like holy [ __ ] like it really happening

05:45 to like doing your first sold-out show

05:48 to all that like and then getting a

05:49 platinum plaque it's really wild and the

05:52 thing I'm most proud about is that it's

05:54 all original I feel like I didn't go

05:55 platinum I feel like my mixing went

05:58 platinum my high hats went platinum my

06:00 [ __ ] snares went platinum my reverb

06:02 went platinum like there's a lot that

06:03 goes into it this is super cool too

06:07 this is a painting this is the back

06:09 cover the others they're painting on my

06:10 mom like I said I knew from the second I

06:12 was doing an album that I was gonna get

06:13 him to design just the whole [ __ ] cuz I

06:15 knew it would be some fresh [ __ ] like

06:18 crazy crazy [ __ ] people don't really

06:20 give a [ __ ] anymore about dowm covers

06:22 like that in the booklet and [ __ ] like I

06:24 give a [ __ ] about every aspect your

06:27 credits ya talk about this one Eminem

06:30 and dr. Dre interview yeah I kind of

06:32 really changed him in tapping talk about

06:34 that it was an old interview with them

06:36 and I forget which one of them said it I

06:38 think was Eminem but they were saying

06:39 like you know a lot of times you can

06:41 think that this certain song is gonna be

06:43 the single but it's not really up to you

06:45 the people pick the single so with the

06:47 SoundCloud approach it's like it's

06:49 basically you're throwing a bunch of

06:50 [ __ ] at the wall right and like

06:52 inevitably some of it is gonna stick

06:54 some of it is not but like it's cool

06:56 because the fans will tell you what it

06:57 is yeah I'm saying like it makes picking

06:59 a setlist Jeezy psyche makes taking

07:01 songs of radio easy as I go you need a

07:03 20 song setlist pick the top 20 on your

07:05 soundcloud me I'm saying so Cherry Hill

07:07 was just one of those ones where I

07:08 recorded it I was like this is way

07:09 better than all this [ __ ] he needs to go

07:11 on the album and it just like it kept

07:13 making the cut every week I put out

07:15 songs like yeah this is not [ __ ] with

07:16 cherry oh this isn't [ __ ] material

07:17 you just made the cut all the way until

07:19 now

07:20[Music]

07:27 there's a wild debate going on right now

07:29 on the Internet

07:30 some people go with Cherry Hill New

07:32 Jersey like I know someone's like I

07:35 always knew I [ __ ] Russ play now he's

07:36 mentioned cheerio New Jersey definitely

07:38 [ __ ] it's like I hate to break it to you

07:42 bro but it's not about I was involved

07:50 with and I took her to New York for a

07:53 first time we went to like the middle of

07:55 Central Park on some romantic [ __ ]

07:56 whatever the first verse is kind of

07:58 talking about the wolf is kind of

07:59 talking about the idea of growing up

08:01 being the only one who thinks it's gonna

08:02 work feeling only in this room since I

08:03 was 17 a really other dolt relationship

08:07 with a woman that was kind of

08:08 instruments when you can really rap

08:09 about home got this you say I hope you

08:12 cast that Kylie so in love with snapchat

08:13 that's okay that's hilarious because

08:16 goth is I made I mean you can tell by

08:18 that line hopefully I made that like

08:20 right after I think she played me on her

08:22 snapchat for the first time

08:26[Applause]

08:26[Music]

08:29 you catch that

08:31[Music]

08:32 going back to the Omni I'm has a lot of

08:35 melody on it so of things I'm some of my

08:37 favorite tracks um I'm here yeah cuz

08:40 just wrap it his bars talk about that

08:42 side of you that MC sorry yeah headed of

08:44 savvy well I mean both that's the day

08:46 like I really be rapping I mean I'm

08:48 saying and I really try and like I

08:50 wanted to make sure I knew from the

08:52 second I was making the album I knew the

08:54 first song and the last song had to be

08:56 straight bars because I liked making

08:58 those songs anyway if you go into

08:59 SoundCloud those songs were straight

09:00 bars tsunami-like all types of [ __ ] but

09:02 it's like I knew that people's

09:04 perception to me might be like he'd be

09:07 singing he'd be doing all these melodies

09:08 and [ __ ] so I knew I wanted to come

09:10 through with like right the first time

09:11 you [ __ ] press play on the debut

09:13 album you're getting chomped for four

09:15 minutes so that there's no more like

09:17 after this point I don't think that

09:18 there's gonna be any more kind of like

09:20 all Russell's around MVP yes funny cuz

09:25 it ends with a cliffhanger like I'm

09:26 going through the album and MVP comes on

09:27 and I'm there the lyric I was talking

09:29 like you say up at the sky he knows it

09:31 yet mm-hmm Drake is just the room away

09:33 maybe I should barge in maybe I should

09:35 wait there's gonna be a funny story

09:36 couple months from today when I tell it

09:39 and it's like there was a picture that

09:42 future put up on his Instagram and it

09:45 was like him and Drake in the studio and

09:47 now me and Boog is like we recognize the

09:49 picture because it was at a studio him

09:52 and his from where the spot was a free

09:54 song

09:54 Theresa the Mavi shout-out to groove

09:56 chambers I saw I call it cheese and I'm

09:58 like yo you got to get me a session

10:00 tonight cuz like on the off chance I run

10:03 into Drake and future's I'm [ __ ] so like

10:05 he got me a room and so we pull up in my

10:08 like militant like you could tell that

10:11 doesn't my photos are in there and so

10:12 we're literally just sitting there for

10:14 two hours just trying to figure out

10:15 should we like how are we gonna make

10:17 this happen should we like fake walk in

10:20 there like police is not Junior I was

10:21 like bro maybe you should just like walk

10:23 in there not quick enough America this

10:25 piece because I'd be like yo my eyes I

10:30 don't know maybe we'll catch him like on

10:31 the way the backing with some shadow we

10:33 literally sat there for 2.5 hours

10:34 drinking and smoking trying to figure

10:36 out what the [ __ ] we should do we ended

10:37 up doing nothing and we just left but

10:39 you know it's back to that hole just

10:41 trying to just get on maybe now that

10:45 you're on now that you're here you are

10:46 on you're officially on the album is out

10:48 um

10:49 I mean what's next for you are you still

10:51 fighting after fighting for so long what

10:53 are you fighting for what's kind of next

10:55 for you has it shifted your mentality a

10:58 bit has a sunken in that said it's

11:00 really real like a lot of people they

11:01 get on and they want to all of a sudden

11:03 start like hanging out with celebrities

11:04 and rappers and [ __ ] like that is I mean

11:07 that's just cool to just like I got my

11:09 friend I just like at the end of the day

11:12 there's a clear vision in my head that

11:14 I'm not gonna stop until I get it and I

11:17 just want to go down as the best you

11:18 know I'm saying I just want to go down

11:19 his number one I'm not gonna stop till I

11:21 get there if I don't get down with a die

11:23 trying so like the great Reverend 50

11:26 cent wants to absolutely well man yo man

11:29 I definitely just appreciate your time

11:31 and yeah and then hey this was a long

11:33 time overdue

11:33 after that I'm super excited to be

11:36 sitting here with you man yeah Bank it

11:37 was only right it was only right

11:39[Music]

11:44[Applause]

11:48[Music]

11:54[Applause]

11:59[Music]

12:05 young baby the flex with it

💫 FAQs about This YouTube Video

1. How did Russ's time in the basement studio at Kid Super influence his music?

Russ describes the basement studio at Kid Super as a magical world where he would spend days trapped and locked in, creating a unique and influential mask. The studio was a classic staple of the kid superstore, and the guitar he used for the cherry hill song was also in this basement. This environment inspired and influenced Russ's music, and he considers it a significant and integral part of his journey.

2. What was Russ's musical background and early influences?

Russ's musical journey began with his early introduction to music at the age of seven, where he was drawn to the melodic and rhythmic style of artists like 50 Cent and Eminem. His time in Atlanta during his formative years further enriched his musical taste and inspired him to start making beats at the age of 14. This period marked the beginning of his exploration into music production and his aspirations to become an artist.

3. How did Russ's experience in basketball contribute to his confidence in music?

Russ attributes his confidence in music to his experience in basketball, where he constantly had to prove himself as the smallest player on the court. This ingrained a strong, unwavering confidence in him, which he carried over into his music career. The parallel he draws between the two experiences highlights the role of his athletic mentality in pursuing his music dreams with determination and self-belief.

4. What does Russ attribute his success to in the music industry?

Russ views his success in the music industry as a result of his relentless work ethic, consistently putting out a high volume of quality music. He emphasizes the importance of his original and independent approach, where he produced, mixed, and mastered his music, leading to the genuine appreciation of his art by his fans. This dedication to his craft and refusal to conform to industry standards ultimately propelled him to success.

5. What was the inspiration behind Russ's album 'There's Really a Wolf' and how did he go about creating it?

Russ's album 'There's Really a Wolf' was inspired by his desire to prove the naysayers wrong and showcase his authentic artistry. The album's creation began before he gained recognition on SoundCloud, with the realization that he needed to do something significant to build a solid fan base. The success of the album and its tracks, such as 'What They Want,' reflected the surreal journey from creating music in the basement to receiving platinum plaques.

6. How did Russ approach the creation of his album 'There's Really a Wolf' and the selection of its tracks?

The creation of Russ's album 'There's Really a Wolf' was a fluid and intentional process, with a focus on delivering a comprehensive project that would resonate with listeners. He identified the first and last tracks as crucial elements to showcase his rapping abilities, ensuring the album's depth and diversity. The selection of tracks was driven by a belief in their quality and their potential to engage and captivate audiences.

7. What are the next steps for Russ in his music career, and how does he define success?

For Russ, the next step in his music career is to continue striving for greatness and to cement his legacy as one of the best in the industry. His definition of success is not only achieving remarkable feats but also maintaining a relentless pursuit of his goals. Russ's focus remains on his music and his determination to succeed, with a clear vision of his aspirations and the unwavering commitment to see them through.

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