In hip-hop, many artists have taken to asserting their dominance by flexing their finances. Russ is no exception, often using his substantial earnings to justify and inform listeners about the benefits of an independent catalog. It’s no secret that the once-self-declared “SoundCloud King” has been a vocal advocate of retaining ownership over one’s master recordings, shirking the major-label route and profiting as a result.
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Now, Russ has taken to social media to share some additional words on his own journey, encouraging young artists to follow his lead for a variety of beneficial reasons. “Ever since shit started ‘working’ for me with this music shit I often think about ‘damn, what if I woulda stopped after those 11 mixtapes?'” he reflects. “Can’t lose if you don’t quit. If it’s your truth, keep goin regardless of wtf people are sayin.” He also shows off a total earning of ten million dollars, revealing a surprising fact about the gargantuan sum.
“Ran up 10M off the independent catalog alone,” he explains. “No TRAW. ZOO. Shake The Snow Globe. I remember making 1k and sayin to myself ‘if I can make 1k I can make 10k, if I can make 10k I can make 100k, etc. Reality is this is just a lot of time and effort mixed with consistency and a meaningful relationship with fans from all over the world. Lowkey fuck the money even tho I’m hella grateful. I’m just glad y’all FW what the message and the music is.”
Clearly, Russ has perfected his formula with an alchemical precision, and he remains a key inspirational figure to any young artist looking to make an impact in the game. And thanks to his frequent updates and encouragement on the matter, perhaps we’ll see more and more newcomers considering the independent route as a viable one. Check out his impressive flex below.