Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Right now it is 3 in the morning and my timeline is dead. The only person who seems to be awake and coherent is 22 year old Russ who happens to be in Atlanta. Typically when I reach out to an artist for an interview the response is either non-existent or extremely delayed. I send a quick tweet to Russ, and to my surprise he is ready… now.
My lack of preparation sent me into a tailspin and I began to frantically piece together the questions I wanted to ask. Russ isn’t your average rapper, producer, or artist for that matter. His intellect and technical prowess is in plain view throughout his entire body of work. His track record is nearly flawless and his unique brand of hip-hop is gaining traction with thousands of people worldwide. Needless to say, I couldn’t drop the ball.
Trill Graham: You’ve been working hard for a very long time and a have a very “hands on” approach to your music. What’s the biggest misconception about yourself that you have to deal with on a daily basis?
Russ: Well recently it’s been that I’m from Saudi Arabia (laughs) or that I have more access and mobility than I do. Lotta fans just expect me to pull up on plane in their city, which I will at some point. But right now, it’s literally just me. So bare with me. I’m coming tho
Trill: On your site (diemon.com) tour dates are listed as “coming soon”. What are a few of the main cities you’d want to hit?
Russ: Riyadh, that’s the capital of Saudi. Also, Houston, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, LA, Toronto, NYC, Antwerp, Paris, and a lot more. I literally wanna go everywhere. Some of those I’ve done already but I wanna do everything multiple times
Trill: What would be the one thing you would tell yourself if you could go back to the day you first started making music?
Russ: Honestly I would say just keep doing what you’re doing and keep listening to your gut. Intuition and your gut know the answers and know what you want already. The trick is getting your brain outta the way.
Trill:Which basketball player most resembles your musical style on the court?
Russ: A mix of Lebron and Chris Paul. Full repertoire and master finesser.
Trill: You can only wear one pair of shoes for the rest of your life. Which are you choosing?
Russ: White low top feiyue’s. On my shaolin monk Kung fu master shit (laughs)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Trill: Who’s your favorite Wu member?
Russ: RZA. He made the beats and is a movie star. So epic.
Trill: Who would star as Russ in the Diemon biopic?
Russ: I would. I’m also a movie star. The universe is manifesting it as we speak.
Trill: What’s the last movie you saw at the theater?
Russ: I just got back from seeing Straight Outta Compton actually. So amazing.
Trill: What’s the most surprising album in your iTunes library?
Russ: Aw man, I used to be a hoarder (laughs) I literally had everyone’s everything. I deleted like all of it though to clear up space. But I don’t know, maybe Holly by Justin Nozuka. He’s awesome. Or the Lumineers debut. I got that one for answering a question right at some event thing. I didn’t know anything about them and it was months before any song of theirs popped. It was super cool to listen to music from that perspective. When’s the last time you got to just pop in a cd and literally have zero idea what genre or where the artist is from or anything and it actually be incredible? I was so blown away. Also King Krule’s 6 feet Beneath The Moon is epic. I also collect samples so I have like albums from the 70s funk movement in like Japan that is just all Japanese symbols (laughs) super epic.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Trill: Just saying, I have Justin Nozuka’s “After Tonight” in my library. You’ve gotta embrace it.
Russ: (laughs) Yes! He’s amazing.
Trill: What’s the first record you bought with your own money?
Russ: First CD I had was Get Rich or Die Tryin’. That was pretty much what sparked the match for me as far as hip-hop goes
Trill: What are some must have snacks for those long studio sessions?
Russ: Depends on where I’m at really. If I’m in Brooklyn, deli sandwich every time. If I’m in Atlanta, gin and Bugus‘ mom’s Nigerian rice and stew. It’s amazing.
Trill: What’s the best way for you to relax and get your mind right before working on a new track?
Russ: I usually like to be amped up when I make songs actually. Unless it’s some slow shit, but those get me amped too. I just move with the flow of the universe though. Whatever happens… happens.
Trill: What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to newcomers in hip-hop?
Russ: Industry plants! (laughs) I hate that shit. It’s so wack and pop. It’s not hip-hop. It’s a very pop entrance to the game. To me hip-hop is about championing someone and “voting” for them and getting real people to rally behind them. That’s what makes hip-hop artists special I think. They are really the people’s champ. The ones that stick around for a long time and have been legends that I fuck with have been elected by the people in a sense. I talked about it in my “Longevity Freestyle”:
‘It’s comedy watching how the game goes
Industry plants use steroids
So as far as Hall of Fame goes
Yall gotta asterisk and ain’t no getting past it
We all rapped to get here
You were just wrapped up in plastic
And shoved down the masses gullet
I see your card imma pull it
We don’t believe you
You need real people’
Trill: What can we expect from you by 2016?
Russ: Imma be the biggest artist to come through hip-hop. Imma have that Drake/50 Cent buzz but even bigger cuz hip-hop has never seen me before.
Trill: Just to wrap it up, I have to ask… What are you doing up this late?
Russ: I haven’t had a Monday since 18 so time/days literally mean nothing to me. The sun is always out. The moon is always out. Just depends on where you are in the world. I go to sleep when my eyes close and wake up when they open. Real natural living (laughs) this was awesome though. I don’t think you asked one question that someone else has asked me, so thank you!
Trill: You’re welcome. Thanks for sharing your time with me!
Russ: Dope, thanks a lot man! It was a nice change up from the usual questions.
Follow Russ on Twitter here
Follow Trill Graham on Twitter here