Russ got hit financially for not clearing a sample on a hit song.
- The song “Losin Control” went big before sample clearance.
- Russ could have cleared the sample cheap early on.
- He ended up paying around $850,000 due to the oversight.
- Russ uses his experience to speak out against substance glorification.
Russ recently shared on a podcast that his song “Losin Control” became a financial nightmare due to an uncleared sample. The track used a sample from Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Behind the Bank,” which went unnoticed until the song became a massive success.
Initially, Russ recalls, he could have obtained rights for a mere $5,000 back when he was just starting in 2015. “I got messed up with that song,” he admitted, highlighting how his oversight cost him dearly once the track hit four times platinum.
The shock of having to fork over nearly $1 million for rights didn’t arrive until much later. The song eventually reached eight times platinum in the US. Russ humorously reflected on forgetting whether he sampled anything due to concentrating on other work.
A known critic of certain trends in Hip Hop, Russ also discussed how substance abuse is often glamorized in the industry. He recalled a controversial 2017 post where he called out these actions, stating “how much Xans and Lean do you have to do before you realize you’re a loser.”
Russ emphasized the responsibility artists have towards their audience, especially young fans. He believes musicians can either encourage self-improvement or self-destruction through their work. “A lot of music coming out now inspires self-destruction,” he noted, referring to the glorification of such behavior.
Russ’s story is a cautionary tale about the importance of diligence and the impact of music on society.
