Ray Gibbz is doing something a lot of people talk about but never actually pull off: making a full track, start to finish, completely on his own. No studio, no engineers, no collaborators. Just him and his San Diego apartment. That alone is worth paying attention to.
“If I Ruled” dropped in April 2026 and takes clear inspiration from Nas’s “If I Ruled the World”. Ray is upfront about it, which I respect. A lot of artists dodge that conversation, but he leans right into it. The influence is there, but it doesn’t feel like a copy and it feels like someone who grew up on that song and finally made his version of it.
What’s interesting about Ray is that he had no formal music training coming in. He figured it out himself, and you can hear that in how the track is put together. It has a DIY feel that actually works in its favor. There’s no corporate polish smoothing over everything, and that gives it a kind of honesty that’s harder to manufacture than people think.
He’s not performing live yet but says he’s actively looking for gigs, so keep an eye on that. For now, the single is out and worth a listen, especially if you’re into classic hip-hop energy with a modern, independent edge.
Give him a follow on the artist online and stream the track on Spotify.
Follow Ray Gibbz: Spotify
