Ruben DJ
Encyclopedia
Ruben Urrutia better known in the Spanish
rap music world as Ruben DJ, is a Puerto Rican
former rap star who became famous in the late 1980s.
Rap music in Puerto Rico
was becoming popular in 1988 making underground music with producer Johnny Praize Hernandez also known as Def J, after a decade where various other types of popular music, such as pop
, heavy metal
, teen pop (as evidenced by Las Cheris
, Los Chamos
, Los Chicles, Los Chicos
, Menudo
and other teen groups of the time), had experienced much popularity in the island.
Ruben DJ released his single "La Escuela" (The School) in 1989, becoming an instant sensation. The song's lyrics encouraged children to stay in school, and the song became a major hit on Puerto Rican and international radio
. After Ruben DJ scored that hit, Vico C
followed with La Recta Final.
Ruben DJ himself became a celebrity nationwide in Puerto Rico
, appearing on the covers of Vea
, Teve Guia
, Estrellitas, Artistas and many other leading gossip magazines, apart from being interviewed multiple times by local newspapers. He toured all over Latin America
and the United States
with La Escuela, and he performed in Spain
and other points of Europe
.
Ruben DJ became a one hit wonder, as his subsequent efforts failed to gain the attention that "La Escuela" did. Ultimately, he disappeared from the public eye and had led a private life ever since.
As of 2006, he has announced a comeback to the genre.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
rap music world as Ruben DJ, is a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
former rap star who became famous in the late 1980s.
Rap music in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
was becoming popular in 1988 making underground music with producer Johnny Praize Hernandez also known as Def J, after a decade where various other types of popular music, such as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, teen pop (as evidenced by Las Cheris
Las Cheris
Las Cheris was a Puerto Rican girl group of the early 1980s. It was composed of four girls aged 11 to 15.After Menudo's worldwide success, many other bands in Latin America, and particularly in Puerto Rico, tried to emulate Menudo's success, including girl bands. Las Cheris was one of these bands...
, Los Chamos
Los Chamos
Los Chamos was a very famous Venezuelan music group of the 1980s. Los Chamos was formed before the success of Menudo. Los Chamos had considerable success in Venezuela, Mexico and other parts of Latin America...
, Los Chicles, Los Chicos
Los Chicos
Los Chicos was a popular boy band in Puerto Rico, created to rival Menudo's success.The band was created by Eric Laboy in 1978 to 1985, with the name Encuentro. Due to a political campaign slogan, the name was changed to Los Chicos, which translates to The Kids. They enjoyed huge success during the...
, Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
and other teen groups of the time), had experienced much popularity in the island.
Ruben DJ released his single "La Escuela" (The School) in 1989, becoming an instant sensation. The song's lyrics encouraged children to stay in school, and the song became a major hit on Puerto Rican and international radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. After Ruben DJ scored that hit, Vico C
Vico C
Vico C is an Puerto Rican rapper and rap artist. He is considered one of the founding fathers of rap and has played an influential role in the development of Latin American hip hop....
followed with La Recta Final.
Ruben DJ himself became a celebrity nationwide in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, appearing on the covers of Vea
Vea
Vea is a Puerto Rican gossip magazine that has been published weekly since 1968.As a periodical that reports on the lives and activities of many of the island's entertainment, sports, and political personalities, the magazine is no stranger to controversy...
, Teve Guia
Teve Guía
Teve Guía is a Puerto Rican gossip and listings magazine. Published since the 1960s, Teve Guía is written in association with the United States magazine, TV Guide, but has a slightly different format....
, Estrellitas, Artistas and many other leading gossip magazines, apart from being interviewed multiple times by local newspapers. He toured all over Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with La Escuela, and he performed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and other points of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Ruben DJ became a one hit wonder, as his subsequent efforts failed to gain the attention that "La Escuela" did. Ultimately, he disappeared from the public eye and had led a private life ever since.
As of 2006, he has announced a comeback to the genre.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans