Russell Dickerson crushes Cincy trivia, but UDF question stumps him
Ahead of his Cincinnati show next month, country star Russell Dickerson took on Cincinnati trivia.
Country music star Russell Dickerson is leaning all the way into genre-bending territory with his upcoming single “Boots,” a collaboration with rapper Fetty Wap from New Jersey.
“Fetty Wap is my ultimate collab,” the 37-year-old country singer said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would end up with a Fetty Wap collab.”
Wap, born Willie Junior Maxwell II, was sentenced in 2023 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine as part of a drug trafficking operation that moved large quantities of narcotics across Long Island and New Jersey. After serving more than three years, he was granted early release and transferred to community confinement on Jan. 7, 2026, marking a new chapter both personally and professionally.
That timing aligned with what Dickerson describes as a “perfect storm.”
The track, which blends country energy with hip-hop and R&B influence, marks a full-circle moment for Dickerson, who has long admired the “My Way” singer.
“I’ve been a fan of Fetty since the beginning of, ‘Trap Queen’ and, ‘679’ all that was out,” Dickerson said. “It was just like instant. I was like, oh my gosh, this is like the melodic mixed with the hip hop and the R&B. Like it just was the perfect combination for me.”
Years later, that fandom turned into a viral moment. Dickerson posted a TikTok impersonating Wap’s signature delivery, a January clip that garnered more than a half million views.
“When he got out of jail, that was my wife made a video that went viral,” Dickerson said. “My management reached out to his management. They’re like, ‘Yo, are you seeing these numbers? This is crazy. We should do something.'”
At the time, Dickerson already had “Boots” waiting.
“I had this ‘Boots’ song in my back pocket,” he said. “I feel like that’s what music was made for, is not to be confined by genres,” he said. “I think music is so universal.”
As for the biggest lesson he’s taken from the rapper, Dickerson said, that Fetty Wap offers a great example of how to be creative in a flow state.
“I think with country music, a lot of times we get stuck in like writing this super complex song of the year, heartstring tugger, tearjerker, type of a song,” Dickerson said. “And I’ve written those, but I feel like he, and a lot of hip hop artists just getting this like flow and they’re just like freestyling and speaking their mind, what’s on their mind, what’s on their heart. And it comes out so genuine.”
Russell Dickerson’s upcoming birthday show in Nashville
Dickerson turns 38 on May 7, a day before taking the stage at Ascend Ampitheater. He’s treating the two hour “Russellmania” concert as both a homecoming and birthday celebration.
“I’ve had shows on my birthday before, but I think this is the most significant one by far,” he said. “It’s going to be insane. Anytime you get to play your hometown, it just hits different.”
Tickets are still available: $113 for the pit, $51 for seated area and $44 for the grass hill (before taxes and fees).
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
