We previously featured Ray Gibbz as he delivered a powerful reflection on liberation and social change with If I Ruled, so when we heard that the talented artist was back with Royal Ruby, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Royal Ruby opens with a spacey, cerebral, panning synthscape bringing to life a meditative allure and astral guitar details, expanding into a textured beat with Ray’s brooding vocals. He shares ad-libs followed by poetic prowess with the words, “I′m Ray Gibbz, bitch, blasting on a motherfucking flight, searching for the royal ruby in the starry night, my blood is royal, brought here from a conqueror king…”
In essence, Royal Ruby is a dramatic sci-fi fantasy tale about a man who believes he is descended from an ancient royal bloodline. Ray embarks on an epic journey across space to recover the Royal Ruby, a legendary gemstone representing his family’s power, legacy and rightful throne.
The lyrics mix themes of ancestry, destiny, kingship, conquest and personal ambition. We deeply connect with the narrative and exaggerated cosmic imagery featuring space travel, asteroids, black holes, and hidden temples.
This all portrays Ray as an unstoppable warrior reclaiming what he sees as his birthright. The ruby itself works as both a literal treasure and a symbol of identity, heritage, and the fulfilment of a long-awaited prophecy.
The track feels like a movie in its own right, and the production is simply transcendental. We feel like we are on this journey with Ray, and the intricacy of the astral melodic nuances, celestial bells and spacey textures is sublime. On the self-produced track, Ray Gibbz confesses, “My African heritage and lineage is what was my main inspiration for making this song.”
We continue to be in awe of what Ray Gibbz creates, and have added Royal Ruby to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream If I Ruled, and anticipate future releases from the visionary artist and producer.