In the melancholy video for his new single “Bankrupt,” it looks like Russ could use some relationship counseling — or at least, learn some new coping methods. The video opens with the New Jersey rapper dipping out on a bad date, leaving his girl hanging at a diner. Then, he drives to a nearby motel and proceeds to mope a bit before using the payphone outside to call his ex — a conversation that looks unproductive, at best. Finally, he sets fire to his car, presumably to keep himself from backsliding, although it looks like he’s now stranded in the desert instead.
All jokes aside, it appears that the outspoken advocate for artistic independence has found his groove in recent months, dropping a string of artistic videos ranging from the celebratory “Ugly” to the moody “Misunderstood” and “Hard For Me.” He also recently launched his own strain of cannabis products named for his well-received 2020 EP Chomp. Despite his apparent relationship issues — three breakup videos in a row implies some emotional baggage, for sure — his career has turned out to be “pandemic proof” and his esteem among fans has grown ever since he gained some distance from past social media faux pas. Judging from his revenue from streaming, merch, and other business ventures, he’s far from going bankrupt for the time being.
Russ gave his legion of fans insane, crazy bars on his 2020 EP Chomp. Now he’s offering straight gas with his weed line, Chomp by Russ x Wonderbrett. It’s the exact same strain the rapper smoked while creating the aforementioned project’s lush offerings — five songs featuring elite hip-hop lyricists Benny The Butcher, Busta Rhymes, KXNG Crooked, and Black Thought, alongside DJ Premier and… the list goes on.
In collaboration with Brett Feldman and Cameron Damwijk — founders and cultivars of West Coast cannabis brand Wonderbrett — Russ’s cannabis line is a chance for the 28-year-old artist to offer fans a glimpse inside the Chomp creation experience. It’s also the kind of marijuana that any chronic-loving musician would be hyped to smoke during studio sessions.
Since his SoundCloud beginnings, Russ has been in complete control of his career and has become the obvious example of what it means to work independently in the music industry in the digital age. Releasing as many mixtapes as he has and as dedicated to the craft as he is, launching a weed strain (that won’t leave you slumped) with one of the most reputable cannabis companies in the game feels like it was always in the cards. The point being: it’s a good fit.
When the perfect opportunity to dive into the cannabis business arrived, Russ chose to produce a strain that was something that he enjoys himself. And that meant a balanced strain where users could avoid both sleepiness and overthinking.
“I’m not a heavy smoker who’s just gonna sit around and smoke all day but oftentimes in the studio I enjoy experiencing an alternative yet still tuned in perspective, so keeping a joint of something productive nearby comes in handy,” Russ stated in a press release. “I might as well control what’s in the joint so that’s what I’ve done here with Wonderbrett.”
Feldman added, “The result is a great introductory high that really serves to enlighten and inspire artists to create. It doesn’t give you a couch lock effect.”
The strain itself was created with a male from Wonderbrett’s OZK stable and crossed into a Cookies & Cream female. From there they went through 20 seedlings and settled on phenotype No. 4. Currently, Chomp is only available at Stiiizy — a dispensary located in Downtown Los Angeles. But the brand has promised that new outlets will be added on the daily (stay up to date here), including the Wonderbrett flagship dispensary, launching in LA’s Fairfax District later this year.
Chomp by Russ x Wonderbrett dropped on Monday, March 29th, and we tested it that day in both its flower and pre-roll forms. Check out our review below.
The Products & Presentation
Cherise Johnson
1g CHOMP x Wonderbrett Pre-Roll & ⅛ CHOMP x Wonderbrett Box
Strain: Hybrid
Dominant Terpenes: Limonene, Humulene, Linalool, Caryophyllene, and Pinene
THC: 22.82%
CBD: .06%
Retail Price: ⅛ CHOMP x Wonderbrett Box for $60, ⅛ CHOMP x Wonderbrett Bag for $45, 1g CHOMP x Wonderbrett Pre-Roll for $15.
The Experience
First of all, the packaging. The design. The satin box. The gilded press. The snarling dog, showing its gnashing teeth. The rich, red, gold, and black colorway. The whole Chomp x Wonderbrett branding sets the tone for an opulent affair.
Though I tried Chomp as both flower and as a pre-roll, the experiences were somewhat different. First, let’s talk about what each product has to offer and then what made them different for me.
The pre-roll came prepared inside of a plastic tube container, emblazoned with Russ’s signature Chomp logo and necessary cannabis factoids. Once the top came off and the pre-roll slid into my hand, I was dealing with a Raw cone tightly packed with herb. The light up and pull was smooth to start, then I felt an immediate head rush followed by my nose feeling a bit spicy. This was just the very beginning of what would turn into an intense cerebral high.
After a few minutes, the stinging I felt in my nose disappeared and what arrived was a euphoric sense of happiness and urge to do something. Anything.
Cherise Johnson
Slight overthinking did rear its ugly head, yet the happiness and excitement I was feeling had me floating above it all. Once the high fully set in, I became very grateful and happy — living in the moment. It felt as if all my senses opened up, making all of my perceptions more clear. Not to mention, I had full confidence in my thoughts and wasn’t judging myself for every little thing.
At this point, it’s clear why Russ would dub this as “studio weed” and why sharing a name with his Chomp EP was a necessity.
When it came time to explore the flower option I was met with the soft, sweet aroma of citrus and nuts, and frosted nugs inside a dark plastic container. I love an icy nug and Chomp is fully iced out. The flower itself was pretty rigid to the touch but strong and not brittle.
Cherise Johnson
Once I packed out a raw cone with the minced Chomp nugs and lit it, the immediate head rush and nose-tingling occurred just like with the pre-roll. Once the high settled in though, the happiness I felt with the pre-roll was more extreme, if perhaps more chaotic. Maybe it’s the way I packed it that made the experience different, but I was laughing at everything when I smoked the flower and fell into a fit of laughter more than once. It really made my day fun and gave my mind the freedom for all of my ideas to flow without the weird voice of judgment that I get when smoking Sativa.
The Bottom Line
Chomp is definitely a strain best-suited for catching a late-night vibe at the studio or as a solo mid-day high if you’re a creative working from home. I can also see this as being a great strain to smoke in social settings and, of course, while listening to music. It’s a happy, relaxing herb that gets the creative juices flowing.
New Jersey rapper Russ is giving fans something to get excited about. The hip-hop heavyweight and independent musician has promised to drop a pure fire record – “Bankrupt” – in the coming days. Russ Promises To Drop Fave Song This Week Barring any setbacks, Russ’ latest anthem is due to drop this coming Friday. The […]
Blxst is certainly in for a big year after gaining great popularity as a result of a thrilling 2020. While his plans for the forthcoming months remain to be seen, Blxst is kicking things off with a pair of new singles. The West Coast native returns with his Just For Clarity EP supported by contributions from Drakeo The Ruler and Russ. Blxst connects with Drakeo The Ruler for “Don’t Forget,” a silky-smooth effort that sees both artists discussing the skepticism they encountered on their way to the top. While they’ve forgiven their doubters, the duo declares that they won’t be forgotten as it fuels their motivation to continue thriving.
The second song of EP presents Russ alongside Blxst for “Fck Boys.” On this track, they both find themselves in relationships with women who are damaged due to sub-par experiences with men they encountered prior to them. Despite these hardships, the duo declares that they’re the man their female companions have been waiting for. To add to their point, Russ questions “who the f*ck is he to f*ck up your whole life” while Blxst reminds listeners that “f*ck boys f*ck it up for real n****s.”
The songs arrive after Blxst shared a deluxe reissue of No Love Lost at the end of last year. Since then the singer has also delivered videos for “Got It All” and “No Love Lost.”
Russ’s high-concept “Hard For Me” video looks like something out of a spy thriller. Directed by Joán, the video depicts Russ trying — and failing — to break the female lead out of a transparent cell as a computer screen on the glass warns that the oxygen within is depleting. After the first verse ends with Russ’s female interest lying on the floor after the oxygen runs out, the second verse reverses their roles; now, Russ is the one trapped. However, this time his coldhearted consort simply watches him struggle until his time runs out.
As a metaphor for a one-sided relationship, the video is a fitting reflection of the song’s lyrics, in which Russ recalls the dissolution of his relationship with a lover with whom he can’t see eye-to-eye. “Tired of goin’ hard for people who don’t go hard for me,” he croons on the hook. “If I go hard for you, please go hard for me.”
The video is Russ’s third of 2021, although the song itself dates back to December of 2020. It seems that after focusing on bars-first battle raps on his Chomp EP, he’s returning to emotionally vulnerable fare like “Hard For Me” and “Misunderstood,” as well as celebratory anthems such as “Ugly” with Lil Baby.
Russ‘s new “Misunderstood” video, the New Jersey rapper is cuffed to a chair in an interrogation room and faces down reporters, an angry mob, a ticked-off girlfriend, and ultimately, himself. It’s a powerful visual reflection of the rapper-singer’s internal struggle on the song itself. “You only see pieces that fit your view of me,” he croons on the chorus. “Your mind is made up, my hands are tied / Misunderstood time after time.”
He’s got a decent reason to feel that way after much of his early career was marked by a perception in rap fandom that he’s an egotistical spoilsport. In reality, the truth is much more nuanced, and over time, he’s learned to slow down on the sweeping judgments and let his work — and his bank account — do the talking.
Case in point, in a recent interview, he explained why his career is “pandemic-proof” instead of berating other rappers for not handling their business, and on his Chomp EP last year, he held his own alongside some of rap’s top-tier talent, including Black Thought and Kxng Crooked, then showed off his commercial appeal on tracks with Lil Baby, Kehlani, Trippie Redd, and more, proving a little “patience” might have been all he needed all along.
