Ruby Ibarra Galvanizes NPR’s Tiny Desk for the Filipina Diaspora
By James Moreau | 31 Jan, 2026

By weaving Philippine folklore with golden-era hip-hop influences, Ruby Ibarra has moved from the biotech lab to the national spotlight as a voice for the immigrant experience.

Rapper Ruby Ibarra commands a flow reminiscent of hip-hop’s golden era, weaving bars through a multilingual tapestry of Tagalog, Bisaya, and English.

In May 2025 Ibarra achieved a career-defining milestone by being named the NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner, beating out 7,500 entries from independent artists across the country.  Her live performance included 7,000 Miles, a song reflecting on the immigrant experience from the Philippines to America.

Ibarra’s winning entry came from her single released from the year prior, “Bakunawa.” The song draws on Philippine folklore about a dragon who swallows the moon to create a dark, cinematic atmosphere.

Featuring a rallying cry for the Filipina diaspora “Us” was the lead anthem for Ibarra’s 2017 album Circa91.

Of the same album “Taking Names” provided a heavy hook while she showcased her rapid-fire delivery rivaling rap’s best.

Ruby Ibarra’s early ‘90s hip-hop influences are most apparent on her first tracks, including 2012’s “Game Up” where her relentless flow effortlessly intertwines with a gritty boom-bap beat.

The 37-year-old artist was born in Tacloban City, Philippines and moved to the Bay Area at five.  She graduated from UC Davis with a degree in biochemistry and worked as a scientist for a biotech company that worked on COVID test kits and vaccines.