He goes by many names. 7th Ward Lord. Oddy Nuff da Snow Leopard. Spooky da Scary. But most people know him simply as Ruby da Cherry. If you’re looking for a traditional "Ruby da Cherry band," you’re likely thinking of $uicideboy$, the New Orleans duo that took the skeleton of Three 6 Mafia-style horrorcore and dressed it in the skin of punk rock and heavy metal. It’s not a band in the sense of a four-piece group with a touring bassist and a van, but it functions with the soul of one.
Aristos Petrou—Ruby’s real name—didn't actually start as a rapper. That's the kicker. Before the face tattoos and the millions of monthly Spotify listeners, he was a punk rock kid. He played drums. He played guitar. He screamed in local New Orleans bands. You can hear it in the music. The raw, unpolished, often abrasive texture of their discography isn't an accident. It's a choice. It's a byproduct of a guy who grew up listening to Leftöver Crack and Minor Threat just as much as he listened to Master P.
The duo consists of Ruby and his cousin, Scott Arceneaux Jr., known as $crim. Together, they formed G*59 Records. They aren't just performers; they are a self-contained industry.
Why the Ruby da Cherry Band Aesthetic Feels Different
Most rappers want to be cool. Ruby and $crim wanted to be honest. When they started releasing the *Kill Your$elf* sagas back in 2014, the "band" wasn't even a blip on the mainstream radar. They were uploading tracks to SoundCloud that sounded like they were recorded in a dumpster—and people loved it.
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The $uicideboy$ sound is a heavy, distorted mix of trap beats and punk ethos. Ruby brings the melodic versatility. He can go from a gutteral, metal-inspired scream to a high-pitched, almost angelic vocal run in the span of eight bars. It’s this specific dynamic that makes the "band" feel more like a collective of sounds rather than just two guys with a laptop.
They tapped into something dark. Something real.
The lyrics deal with heroin addiction, suicidal ideation, and the crushing weight of depression. While critics initially dismissed them as "edgelords," the fan base grew exponentially because they were articulating a specific type of nihilism that felt authentic to a generation of kids feeling left behind. They weren't rapping about Bentleys and jewelry; they were rapping about the cold tile of a bathroom floor.
Honestly, the DIY nature of their early work is what cemented their legacy. They didn't have a label. They didn't have a PR team. They just had an internet connection and a lot of pent-up rage.
The Punk Rock Roots of Aristos Petrou
If you dig into Ruby's history, the "band" concept makes more sense. He was in a group called Vapo-Rats. It was straight-up punk.
This background is why a $uicideboy$ show looks more like a hardcore mosh pit than a hip-hop concert. There’s stage diving. There are "walls of death." There is a level of physical intensity that most rappers can't replicate because they don't have that foundation in live instrumentation.
- The Drummer’s Ear: Because Ruby started as a drummer, his flow is incredibly percussive. He treats his voice like a rhythmic instrument.
- The Vocal Range: He isn't afraid to sound ugly. In punk, "good" singing is secondary to "sincere" singing.
- The Independence: The "do it yourself" mentality of the 80s punk scene is exactly how G*59 operates today.
They own their masters. They run their own merch. They dictate their own touring schedule. This is the business model of a successful indie band, applied to the world of global hip-hop.
The Evolution of the Sound
By the time they released I Want to Die in New Orleans in 2018, the production had leveled up. $crim is the primary architect of the beats, but Ruby’s influence on the "vibe" is undeniable. They started incorporating more live-sounding elements. The bass got heavier. The samples got more obscure.
They stopped being just a "SoundCloud rap" act and started being a legitimate force in the music industry. You’ve probably seen the charts. They consistently outsell major label artists who have ten times their marketing budget. Why? Because the bond between the "band" and the fans is cult-like.
Misconceptions About Ruby and $crim
A lot of people think they’re just "dark for the sake of being dark."
That’s a lazy take. If you actually listen to the progression of their music, especially on recent projects like Sing Me a Lullaby, My Sweet Temptation, there is a massive shift toward sobriety and self-reflection. They grew up. They got clean. They showed their audience that you can go through the literal mud and come out the other side.
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Another big mistake people make is thinking Ruby is just a "feature" on $crim's beats. No. He is a multi-instrumentalist who understands song structure in a way that many beat-makers don't. He knows when a song needs a bridge. He knows when to pull back and let the atmosphere breathe.
It's also worth noting that Ruby is notoriously private. He doesn't do a lot of interviews. He doesn't live his life on Instagram Live. This "ghost" persona adds to the mystique of the group. In an era where every artist is trying to be "accessible," Ruby da Cherry stayed distant, which paradoxically made fans want to get closer to the music.
The Global Impact of G*59
You can't talk about Ruby without talking about the label. G*59 isn't just a name; it’s a roster. Artists like Night Lovell, Shakewell, and Germ have all found a home under this umbrella.
It’s a movement.
When they headline festivals like Coachella or Lollapalooza, they aren't changing their set to fit the "pop" crowd. They bring the same grim, grey, New Orleans energy to every stage. It’s uncompromising. That’s the most punk rock thing about them.
The "Ruby da Cherry band" isn't a stagnant thing. It’s a living, breathing entity that changes every time they drop a project. They’ve moved past the "horrorcore" labels and into a space where they are simply one of the most influential acts in modern alternative music.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re just discovering them, don't start with the radio hits. Go back. Way back.
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- Listen to "Exodus": This is the peak of their aggressive, distorted sound. It’s loud, it’s angry, and it perfectly encapsulates the "band" energy.
- Watch the Live Performances: Find a full set from their "Grey Day" tour on YouTube. Pay attention to the crowd. It’s a sea of people who feel every single word.
- Check out Ruby’s Solo Work: Look for Pluto (under the name Oddy Nuff da Snow Leopard). It shows a completely different, more experimental side of his artistry that predates the $uicideboy$ fame.
- Analyze the Lyrics: Don't just listen for the beat. Look up the lyrics to "Antarctica" or "Low Key." They are poems of the dispossessed.
The biggest takeaway is that $uicideboy$ isn't just a rap duo. They are the modern evolution of the garage band. They proved that you don't need a massive studio or a polished image to change the world. You just need something to say and the guts to say it loudly.
Keep an eye on their upcoming tour dates and merch drops through the official G*59 site, as they tend to sell out in minutes. If you want to understand the current state of underground music, you have to understand Ruby. There’s no way around it.