Russell James Vitale, known professionally as Russ, is an American independent rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Outside of his solo career, he is a member of the Atlanta-based hip hop collective Diemon. In 2019 he published his first book, It's All In Your Head. In 2024 he made his acting debut in the thriller film, Trap.
After eleven self-released albums, Vitale signed with Columbia Records to release his twelfth studio album and major label debut, There's Really a Wolf. Met with critical and commercial success, the album received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entries-"What They Want" and "Losin Control." His thirteenth and fourteenth albums, Zoo and Shake the Snow Globe, both peaked at number four on the Billboard 200; the latter spawned his highest-charting single, "Best on Earth".