Russ has seemingly never been someone who’s lacked confidence, but now he’s opened up about how he used to drink to mask some of his own insecurities.
The 30-year-old joined Zane Lowe on Apple Music for an interview surrounding his SANTIAGO album, delving into his previous drinking habits to take the edge off uncomfortable situations.
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“I have a healthy relationship with it…When I first started making music, that’s what it was. The studio was a party. You’re smoking weed, you’re drinking. And so I would drink when I was in the studio,” he said.
“It just felt normal. It felt regular. But then I was drinking before interviews, and that’s how a lot of those interviews went left was like I was pretty hammered in some of them… But I never had a problem with it. I wasn’t waking up like, ‘I need a drink.’
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“I would just drink in certain situations but that in and of itself was an issue. It was easier to just do that than actually be authentic and be like, ‘You know what? I am nervous. I am feeling insecure.’ I am all these things.”
Watch the clip below:
Russ hasn’t gone cold turkey on alcohol as he still has a drink when he feels like he wants to have one but keeps things in check.
The rapper returned with his SANTIAGO album on Friday (August 18) and Russ feels it’s the best body of work he’s ever put out. “It feels like this is my debut album,” he told Lowe. “In a sense, it is. This version of myself has never been heard.”
Russ even revealed he got to play some of the 13-track album for Dr. Dre who lent his ear and stamp of approval.
“SANTIAGO OUT NOW,” Russ wrote. “A big part of this album is about validating yourself and chasing your own approval. But I can’t lie DR DRE APPROVAL FEELS GOOD AS FUCK!!!!”
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He added: “But above all, it was you all along. IM 5 SHOTS OF TEQUILA DEEP. THIS IS CRAAAZZYYYY ITS OUT!!!!! LETS GOOOOOO.”
