December 10, 2021

Russ "Chomp 2" (Album Stream)


I'm guessing long-time readers wouldn't anticipate a post about Russ on this page... but that's a bit short-sighted, don't ya think? Talent comes from all angles and with the right ingredients, even a mainstream act can pay tribute to the underground and the culture that gave him a platform. Enter Russ... who bankrolled his own project and created an underground artist's wet dream of producers and MCs. A quick look showcases features from Ransom, Jay Electronica, Papoose, Westside Gunn, Styles P, Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, Big K.R.I.T., Joey Bada$$, Big Sean, Ghostface Killah, Conway the Machine, CyHi The Prynce, Lloyd Banks and Mozzy. It also features production from DJ Premier, Hitboy, The Alchemist, Hi-Tek, Boi-1da, Jake One, 9th Wonder, Statik Selektah and Bink! Yikes... that's how you do it. Some will say he threw money at these artists to appear, but I don't see it that way, and I do believe he held his own for most of the project, even if his particular brand of hip-hop is generally not my flavor. I also dig his middle-finger-to-the-industry approach. Favorite track? Naturally the DJ Premier cut, "Free," which has a DOPE verse from K.R.I.T. and also features Snoop...