Anytime a controversial artist doesn't see their fame reflected in album sales, they believe that the industry has it out for them. Sure, we've heard of these stories as artists and industry insiders give details on how the powers that be have curbed someone's career, but not everyone who runs into trouble is a victim of a conspiracy.
We've heard the term "blackballed" tossed around in recent years as social media has helped both make and break artists. Most recently, DaBaby has claimed that the low sales from his Baby On Baby 2 release were due to being blackballed, however, many believe that his ongoing personal and legal troubles aided in its lack of support.
Amid the conversations, Russ arose with his take that an artist with access to the internet can't be canceled.
"No artist is 'blackballed,'" he wrote on his Instagram Story. "Unless they cut off your Wi-Fi, remove your social media accounts and take your music off all the streaming platforms, you are not blackballed." He then shifted focus to the fans.
"If you are famous and can still tell your fans 'hey I'm putting out music' then you're not blackballed. Fans will listen to your music or they won't," Russ continued. "Also if you are a famous artist and you NEED playlists in order for people to listen to your music, how real are your fans? Why don't they support you regardless?"
It's a question that we're sure many artists are asking themselves. Check out Russ's post in its entirety below.