Sony/ATV Signs Rapper/Producer RUSS To Worldwide Publishing Deal

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed acclaimed songwriter, rapper, singer and producer Russ to a worldwide deal.

The Atlanta-based talent has been one of the breakout success stories of the past year, having entered the U.S. Top 10 with his entirely self-penned debut album and accumulated 1.3 billion audio streams.

Sony/ATV Co-President, U.S. Danny Strick said: "We are particularly excited to have made this deal with Russ. He exemplifies the modern music business with his massive streaming success and tight relationship with his fans. We will work closely with Russ and his management to bring his music to an even larger fan base."

Sony/ATV SVP A&R Creative, Head of Research & Analytics Jacob Fain said: "Artists as driven and prolific as Russ come about once or twice in your career, if ever. I could not be more excited to be working with Russ and his team."

Russ said: "I respect the passion and understanding of my vision Sony/ATV has and at the end of the day, I move off my gut. This deal allows me to keep my independence while continuing my goal of being the biggest artist possible."

Russ's manager Milan Ackerman said: "Ultimately our objective is and always has been to work with those who share the same vision and passion that we do. The aspiration and persistence to achieve our extraordinary vision by breaking traditional music barriers is what Russ is fueled by. We are excited to be with the team at Sony/ATV who shares that vision and drive."

When Russ's debut album There's Really A WOLF was released by Columbia Records in May 2017, the Atlanta-based artist was already a seasoned pro having spent a decade perfecting his genre-crossing craft via a series of mixtapes into a unique, unmistakable style. The album served as the perfect showcase for his DIY approach with all 20 of its songs having been written, produced, mixed, mastered and engineered just by him. His status as the album's sole writer placed him in an exceptional position in an era when songs are typically credited to multiple songwriters and the self-contained artist belongs to a bygone age.

The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 7, reached the top five of Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart and has gone on to be certified gold by the RIAA in the U.S. It includes Russ's first two Hot 100 hits, the platinum-certified "What They Want" and double-platinum success "Losin Control", which both received their RIAA accreditations entirely as a result of streaming activity.

The popularity of the album and its individual tracks, including "Cherry Hill," "Pull The Trigger" and "Do It Myself," helped Russ surpass 1.1 billion audio streams in the U.S. in 2017, making him one of Nielsen Music's 30 most streamed artists of the year. This placed him above a number of superstar acts, including Beyonce, Chance The Rapper, Coldplay and Childish Gambino. He has now reached 1.3 billion audio streams as well as accumulating 500 million video streams in the U.S.

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