Russ Explains How Not Clearing a Sample in 2015 Cost Him $850,000

June 4, 2025

Russ Explains How Not Clearing a Sample in 2015 Cost Him 0,000

Russ recently revealed how not clearing a sample for his hit song “Losin Control” in 2015 cost him $850,000.

Russ Explains $850,000 Mistake

On Monday (June 2), was a guest on the And The Writer Is…podcast, where he talked about business, burnout, self-belief and more. During the sit-down, Russ explained how he had to pay nearly $1 million to settle a sample dispute over the eight-times platinum track “Losin Control.”

“I got f**ked with that song,” Russ says around the 25:50 timestamp of the podcast below. “Because I forgot to clear the sample until after it was like four times platinum. I probably could have cleared it in 2015 when I made it. But I didn’t know anyone in 2015. I’m just a kid in a basement. But I probably could have cleared it back then for $5,000.”

“The song comes out, goes on the album, I forget about it to the point where I’m like, ‘I don’t even remember if I sampled that,'” he continues. “And then I was like, Oh f**k, I did…So the sample holder came…So I had to cut a check for like $850,000. It was an expensive f**k up.”

Russ says the loss didn’t hurt as badly because he used his advance to pay off the legal matter.

“So, I didn’t even feel like I lost the money,” he says.

Russ Preps New Album

Russ is currently prepping his new album W!ld, which is slated to drop on June 27. The new album includes the singles “Pent Up in a Penthouse,” “Move” and “April 7.” In promotion of the LP, Russ will be heading out on the Into the W!ild Tour 2025, with special guests Big Sean and Sabrina Claudio.