Last week, the rapper, singer, producer extraordinaire, Russ, released his fifth studio album entitled SANTIAGO. Described in a hand-written note ahead of this album’s release, Russ pens the album as a “journey to self love + self mastery,” then goes on to list some of the recurring obstacles he’s faced, not only in the last few years, but lifelong turmoil that he’s chosen to face head on. SANTIAGO runs at a solid 41 minutes and is a remarkably easy listen. Such an admirable characteristic is likely due to the seamless transitions between every track and the accessible nature of the music itself. This is perhaps Russ at his most honest and vulnerable. With a tracklist full of notable songs, the most streamed track thus far is the song, “No More”. 

Produced by YouTube producer, Brokeboi and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Paris, this song is an emotional and melodic break early on in the tracklist. The tracks that precede it, discuss Russ’ dealings with imposter syndrome, “Fraud” being a 3 minute meditation on identity, asking himself who he is if he admits that he’s scared, if he’s not perfect, etc. Such a theme leads into the breaking point of “No More”. Following an internal battle, Russ is exhausted and wants to give up. In fact, he denounces “the game,” saying he’s waving his “white flag.” Whether “the game” refers to the game of Hip-Hop, the game of love, or perhaps something else, is unclear. It is likely a culmination of all those things because they each are embedded in the fabric of the album’s narrative. Russ’ vocal performance on the song feels like a personification of fragility. His voice and delivery is soft, almost brittle. Such a performance makes the track a calming listen, but also works to characterize Russ’ weakness. It provides a great contrast to the moments of aggression we might be used to hearing from Russ. When knowing what Russ sounds like when he’s rapping confidently or even angrily, it makes “No More” all the more tender in its timbre. 

The production accompanies Russ’ performance and lyrical content remarkably well. The acoustic guitar is soft and intimate and the drums give a certain bounce and cadence to an otherwise depressive song. The kick is self-assured, while the snare and hi-hats offer a hypnotic pattern that’s both prevalent and soothing. Russ has an impressive sense of melody, and songs like “No More” exhibit such a characteristic effectively. Though the track is well-written, it’s less lyrically complex than other songs on the record such as “I Love You Boy” or “Enough”, but that’s because Russ allows the melodies to speak for themselves. Melody is a great tool for communicating emotion without the need of words. Leaning into such a technique is perfect for a song like “No More”. 

Given it’s catchy melodies, relatable subject matter, and mainstream accessibility, it’s no wonder that “No More” is the most streamed song on SANTIAGO so far. It’s not my personal favorite off the album, and that says more about SANTIAGO than it does about “No More” individually. SANTIAGO is a really strong release from Russ and “No More” is a wonderful entry if you’re curious. I do recommend a straight through listen because there is a lot to love in Russ’ honesty, creativity, and solidarity. He has continued to develop artistically, SANTIAGO being perhaps his strongest release yet. SANTIAGO is available everywhere. 

Author: Jordan

Jordan Wisniewski is a passionate writer and Hip-Hop artist from North Carolina, US.