Ruby Ibarra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruby Ibarra
|
|
|---|---|
Ibarra performing in San Francisco in 2014
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ruby Anne Ibarra |
| Also known as | Ruby Ibarra |
| Born | February 25, 1988 Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Beatrock Music |
Ruby Anne Ibarra (born February 25, 1988) is a talented Filipino rapper. She creates music using three languages: Tagalog, Waray, and English. Her songs often share stories about her Filipino background and what it was like moving to the United States. In 2023, Ruby Ibarra helped start a new record label called Bolo Music Group. This label helps other artists who are Filipino American share their music.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Ruby Ibarra was born in the Philippines. She spent her first four years in the city of Tacloban. A performance by the Filipino rapper Francis Magalona on TV inspired her early on. Later, her family moved to San Lorenzo, California, and she grew up in the Bay Area.
Ruby went to the University of California, Davis. There, she performed with a group called SickSpits, which focused on spoken word poetry. She says that growing up in the 1990s, listening to hip-hop artists like Tupac, Eminem, and Wu-Tang Clan, really shaped her musical identity.
Music Journey
Ruby Ibarra released her first mixtape, Lost In Translation, on December 12, 2012. It was hosted by DJ Kay Slay. The mixtape was first heard on Eminem's Shade45 channel on Sirius XM Radio. Ruby was even interviewed live by DJ Kay Slay that night.
On November 5, 2015, she joined an independent record label called Beatrock Music. She then announced plans for her first full album. She started recording her album with Fatgums in March 2016. Her album, Circa 1991, came out on October 3, 2017. In this album, she talks about important topics like immigration and personal challenges. Many people feel her music truly represents their own experiences in the United States.
In January 2018, Ruby Ibarra was featured in a national MasterCard TV commercial. She appeared alongside singer SZA and other new artists. This commercial was part of the "Start Something Priceless" campaign.
Ruby Ibarra has also worked on several projects with The Filipino Channel. Her 2018 documentary, Nothing on US: Pinays Rising, was shown at film festivals in many places. These included Guam, Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston.
She performed at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 2019. She also performed at The Getty in Los Angeles in 2020. On August 29, 2021, Ruby performed at a "Pinoy"tainment! event in Los Angeles.
In 2023, Ruby Ibarra received a special award from the Vilcek Foundation. This award came with a $50,000 prize. That same year, she co-founded Bolo Music Group. This record label helps promote Filipino American artists.
Ruby's music is also shared through other platforms. Myx TV, a cable and online channel, reaches millions of homes. DASH Radio, a global digital radio platform, has over 10 million listeners. Ruby Ibarra has more than 45,400 subscribers on YouTube. Her videos have been viewed nearly 3 million times in total.
She has partnered with many well-known companies and organizations, including:
Ruby Ibarra's song "Us" is featured in the video game NBA 2K23. This song includes other artists like Rocky Rivera, Klassy, and Faith Santilla.
Musical Style
Ruby Ibarra describes her music style as similar to 1990s hip hop. She looks up to artists like Lupe Fiasco and Raekwon as her influences.
Personal Life
Ruby Ibarra is a graduate of UC Davis. She lives in Hayward. Before focusing on music full-time, she worked as a scientist. She was in the quality-control department at a biotech company in the Bay Area. Ruby's mother had an accounting degree in the Philippines. She moved to the U.S. with Ruby and her sister to pursue her American Dream.
Ruby Ibarra also co-founded the Pinay Rising scholarship program. This program helps Filipina students in college who are studying visual and performing arts or social work.
In 2024, Ruby Ibarra announced she was expecting a baby. She shared this news with the release of her music video "Bakunawa".
Discography
Albums
- Circa91 (Beatrock Music, October 3, 2017)
EPs
- Lost in Translation mixtape (Independent, December 2012)
Videography
- 2018: Here
- 2018: Us
- 2019: Taking Names
See also
- Filipino hip hop
