Birth name Ruben Urrutia Years active 1985–present Genres Reggaeton, Hip hop music | Origin San Juan, Puerto Rico Name Ruben DJ | |
Born March 6, 1967 (age 57) ( 1967-03-06 ) Similar People Lisa M, Bachata Magic, Miami Band, Apache Ness, DJ Playero | ||
Ruben dj el alcohol
Ruben Urrutia (born March 6, 1967), better known as Ruben DJ, is a Puerto Rican former rap star who became famous in the late 1980s with the hit song "La Escuela".
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Ruben dj la escuela
Career
Ruben was interested in dancing and music from an early age. When he was a teenager, he began singing at local parties in the Luis Llorens Torres and Torres de Sabana housing projects. When he was 15 years old, PepsiCo made him an offer to sing and dance, but his mother declined it since he was a minor.
Ruben was working as a griller at a restaurant, called "Ponderoza". When he decided to call X-100, a local radio station, to ask them if they would play one of his tapes. When they did, promoter Zaida Morales was impressed and offered him a record deal. Ruben then quit his job and dedicated fully to music. He said in an interview "I quit my job, had problems at home, I spent six months promoting all over Puerto Rico with the same cap, the same pants; I lost my car, I had a Datsun that was all junk. It was tough."
Ruben DJ's album was produced by DJ Joel and released in 1989, and the song "La Escuela" became an instant hit in Puerto Rico. At the moment, underground rap music was becoming popular in the island and Ruben's song, along with Vico C, Brewley MC, and others, is considered to be among the most influential ones for the genre. "La Escuela" was a motivational song, encouraging children to stay in school, which broadened its appeal to the general public.
Ruben DJ himself became a celebrity nationwide in Puerto Rico, appearing on the covers of magazines, television shows, and newspapers. He toured all over Latin America and the United States with "La Escuela", and performed in Spain and other points of Europe. It was nominated for Rap Artist of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards of 1993.
With time, Ruben DJ's fame began to decline. Although he had other hits, like "Ponte el sombrero", he is considered a one-hit wonder, since none of his follow-ups gained the attention that "La Escuela" did.
In the late 90s, Ruben hosted a musical segment in Telemundo's Show del Mediodia.
Ruben decided to go to college, and graduated from Information Systems. After founding his own company, he was hired by local newspaper El Nuevo Dia to work as a videographer. In 2010, Urrutia recorded a documentary called Taino Vive where he visits communities of people that follow the Taino people lifestyle. That same year, he received an honorific mention at the Certamen de Fotoperiodismo of the Puerto Rican Newscasters Association.
According to an interview, Ruben is planning to record again.