You’ve probably seen her face plastered across your Instagram feed or caught a glimpse of her in one of the most viral music videos of the last decade. But honestly, who is Rubi Rose? If you ask a casual fan, they’ll tell you she’s a rapper. Ask a "reply guy" on X (formerly Twitter), and they’ll mention her massive subscription-site earnings. Talk to a hip-hop historian, and they’ll point to the moment she stood next to Quavo in 2016.
The truth? She’s a bit of everything, and she’s a lot smarter about her branding than people give her credit for.
The Kentucky Girl Who Conquered Atlanta
Rubi Rose Benton wasn't born into the Hollywood machine. She was born on October 2, 1997, in Lexington, Kentucky. Her background is a fascinating mix—her mother, Nardos Ghebrelul, is a dentist of Eritrean descent who grew up in Ethiopia, and her father, John Benton, is a lawyer with a heritage that’s half-Japanese and half-African American.
She wasn't some kid running wild in the streets. She was a cheerleader. She lived in Geneva, Switzerland, for a year. Later, she moved to Atlanta for her junior year of high school. By the time she was a student at Georgia State University, studying politics of all things, the world was starting to notice her.
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She didn't just stumble into fame. It was a slow burn that turned into a wildfire.
That "Bad and Boujee" Moment
In 2016, Migos dropped "Bad and Boujee." It became a cultural reset. If you watch that video, Rubi is right there—the main video vixen. That single appearance acted as a springboard. Suddenly, she wasn't just a college student; she was a "face."
Most people in that position stay video models. They take the paycheck and fade out when the next big video comes along. Rubi didn't. She leveraged that 15 minutes into a decade of relevance. She started showing up on Twitch streams with DJ Akademiks, building a digital personality that felt reachable but still "elite."
Then came the music.
Why the Music Actually Matters
In 2019, she dropped "Big Mouth." Honestly, it’s a bop. It showed she had the "it" factor—that raspy, deep voice that cuts through a beat. She signed with Hitco Entertainment, LA Reid’s label, and by 2020, she was making a cameo in the "WAP" video.
Think about that trajectory.
From being a model in a Migos video to being a peer in a Cardi B video.
Her debut mixtape, For The Streets, dropped on Christmas Day in 2020. It had features from Future and PARTYNEXTDOOR. While critics were sometimes lukewarm about her lyrical depth, fans didn't care. She was selling an aesthetic. She was the "Hood Bitch Aesthetic" before she even released the song of the same name in 2023.
By 2021, she was named to the XXL Freshman List. That’s the "seal of approval" in rap, even if the internet loves to argue about who deserves to be on it every single year.
The Business of Being Rubi Rose
Let’s get real for a second. We can’t talk about who Rubi Rose is without talking about the money.
In 2020, she joined OnlyFans. It was a move that sparked a ton of debate. But Rubi didn't blink. She reportedly made six figures in her first few days. She’s often cited as one of the top earners on the platform, using it to fund her music career and maintain her independence.
She basically told the industry: "I don't need your advance if I can make it myself."
It’s a power move. While people were busy judging her, she was busy buying real estate and building a net worth that experts estimate sits somewhere between $2 million and $5 million as of early 2026.
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A Quick Reality Check on the Stats:
- Real Name: Rubi Rose Benton
- Birthday: October 2, 1997
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Politics (Georgia State University)
- Ethnicity: Eritrean, Japanese, and African American
- Biggest Hits: "Big Mouth," "Wifey," "Whole Lotta Liquor"
The Misconceptions and the Drama
People think she’s just a "social media girl." They think she’s just famous for who she’s dated—and yeah, her dating history with names like Playboi Carti and French Montana has definitely kept her in the blogs.
But if you look at the work, she’s consistent.
She’s released singles every year like clockwork: "Wifey" in 2022, "Cherry" in 2023, "Deserve To Die" in 2024, and her 2025 track "It's On." She doesn't disappear.
There’s also the "BBL" talk. The internet loves to speculate on her body. Rubi’s been vocal about this, telling fans to hit the gym instead of looking for a surgical fix. She’s built a brand on being the "it girl" who actually has the degree and the business acumen to back it up.
What’s Next for Rubi Rose?
As we head deeper into 2026, Rubi is moving away from the "rapper" label and more into the "mogul" space. She’s still dropping music under Interscope’s Mogul Vision imprint, but her influence is wider now. She’s a blueprint for the modern creator: use your look to get in the door, use your personality to stay in the room, and use your business mind to own the building.
If you want to understand her influence, stop looking at the charts and start looking at the culture. She’s the girl that other girls want to look like and that labels want to sign—not just for the music, but for the "reach."
How to follow the Rubi Rose blueprint for your own brand:
- Diversify your income early. Don't rely on one platform or one talent. Rubi raps, models, and creates content.
- Own your narrative. When people criticized her for OnlyFans, she leaned into it and showed the bank statements.
- Stay consistent. Fame is fleeting; relevance is a choice. Keep showing up, even when the "hype" moves elsewhere.
Rubi Rose isn't going anywhere. Whether you're a fan of the music or not, you have to respect the hustle. She’s a politics-educated, multi-lingual, multi-racial woman who took a music video cameo and turned it into a multi-million dollar empire.
That’s not luck. That’s a strategy.