There are, broadly, two types of rap storytelling songs. The first ones you tell you about growing up broke, getting rich, losing your friends, finding your way, or discovering that celebrity isn’t nearly as rewarding as you thought it would be. They exist because people like to listen to other people.
The second type are ones that propose fantastical stories. For example, “What if I undertook an epic quest to find a mythical gem forged by three ancient goddesses?”
Admittedly, there aren’t many examples of the latter. “Royal Ruby,” then, by San Diego’s Ray Gibbz (which is the kind of made-up rap name I expect from any artist daring enough to attempt the latter category) makes an interesting if somewhat bold argument. The song, released on June 4, takes on the subject less in the “I remember it like yesterday” narrative of most current hip-hop songs and more as a movie; an ancient tale woven together in the style of a very low-budget film production. And it bumps in the whip.
Most artists dabble in hyperbole or larger than life fantasy in one verse before they resort back to what’s been said a million times by now, but “Royal Ruby” sticks to its mythology. The story unfolds just like ancient lore. In the production Gibbz opts for mood rather than instrumentation, with a cinematic vibe that enables his story to shine.
There’s the same sort of low-key swagger in his delivery that you’d want from someone painting a picture so fantastical, he has to feel more confidence than anything else for the narrative to work. “Royal Ruby” works because it genuinely sounds like Ray Gibbz enjoyed making up the story enough to bother telling it with sincerity.
The San Diego rapper, producer, and songwriter taught himself everything, working entirely from his apartment without formal training or industry infrastructure. Inspired by artists such as Nas, he embraces a similarly narrative-driven approach, though filtered through a far more fantastical lens.
Hip-hop doesn’t necessarily need more songs about ancient gemstones crafted by divine beings, but it probably wouldn’t hurt and for four minutes, “Royal Ruby” makes a convincing case that there should be at least a few more.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for various publications around the world, the former lead writer of review blogspace Atop The Treehouse and content creator for Manila Bulletin.
