Mudbaby Ru is Back

Being one of the first rappers to make it out of West Memphis, Arkansas, has put Mudbaby Ru in a position to become a pioneer, something he’s more than comfortable with, given how much of a natural-born leader he is.

Mudbaby Ru describes West Memphis as a decision-making city, and growing up there was challenging. His West Memphis upbringing inspired his stage name in West Memphis and exemplifies his perseverance. West Memphis is not a place where one takes their time to figure out what to do with their life, and for Mudbaby, every choice he made has brought him to the point he’s at today.

“You’re not necessarily forced to do anything here,” says Ru. “Like everybody made their own choices and shit. Everything I did, I did on my own, and like any other hood, you survive how you survive.”

Mudbaby Ru found himself running around the streets to survive his surroundings but never found himself in situations that would’ve kept him from realizing his potential. Ru’s ability to understand who he is and his environment came from being a natural leader and applying the values his mother instilled while raising him.

“I ain’t want my mama to know I was doing too much shit ’cause I had to be respectful of what she had to say,” says Ru. “I was still doing what every other n***a did, but I never, like, put myself out there to do dumb shit. I know the boundaries of it. If I feel like something ain’t going right, I ain’t gonna go and do it.”

When he wasn’t out in the streets, Mudbaby Ru was listening to some of his favorite rappers, such as Rich Homie Quan and the late Young Pappy. Before long, he started rapping himself, and after friends’ suggested he was good at spitting rhymes, Mudbaby Ru took his talent seriously and began recording music.

One of his early freestyles, “Gun Class,” which he performed on Famous Animal in 2022, went viral and brought a whole new set of eyes to the West Memphis product. According to Ru, there was no intention of releasing or performing the freestyle, but his friends convinced him otherwise.

“I used to rap, but I would look at it like I was just a local rapper. I would be the next young n***a dropping random songs,” says Ru. “But now I’m finna add to the rap game and spice this muthafucker up a little bit. I’m coming to fill in the missing piece. You got a small-town boy that does what everyone else is doing but a little better.”

Following the success of “Gun Class” — over 6 million views on YouTube and 2 million streams on Spotify — Mudbaby Ru kept his creative output going with a string of releases in 2022 that included “How I’m Living,” “Mud Flow, Vol. 2,” “Nardo Flow,” and “Thank You Shawn.” His latest release, “Bezzal Land,” a tribute to one of his friends who passed away, has been buzzing and adds to the Arkansas product’s mystique.

Mudbaby Ru wants to be known as a universal rapper who doesn’t get boxed in by critics. In his own words, Ru says he can adapt to any beat, which separates him from the rest of the pack.
“I’m like the Venom symbiote,” he says. “I can flip the switch at any time. If I keep listeners’ minds going with something different every time, that’s going to make them go crazy over me trying to figure out who I am as an artist.”

Mudbaby Ru is taking his time with his breakout, too. There are plans to release a project as an EP, but Mudbaby wants to continue hitting fans with bits and pieces before getting the full course meal. His attention deficit disorder also plays a part in that.

What he considers a superpower has him focusing on one thing at a time which has him doing whatever he can to get a task done. It takes time, but Mudbaby Ru rather not rush through anything as he’ll lose focus and possibly derail whatever he’s working on.

“If I’m focused on writing, it’s over for anything else getting in my head. I would be stuck on writing until it gets done,” he says. “If I start moving too fast, then I won’t focus. Like I said, I take my time, and I’ll map stuff out, and it’ll go smoothly and better.”

Mudbaby Ru has the next ten years of his career planned out already, despite being a fresh face in the rap game. Once his career reaches the ideal height, Mudbaby Ru wants to tap into his raw leadership skills and become a music executive.

Helping put others on is something Mudbaby Ru is passionate about, especially when there’s so much talent that his neighborhood and others have to offer to the world. With him being the first to break out of West Memphis, he understands he’ll soon open the doors for others to follow in his footsteps.

“I’m going to change lives for sure,” says Mudbaby Ru. “Through my music first and then the A&R side. I want to sign people and give them a chance. Seeing random people find me in little Arkansas is like finding a diamond in the rough. Helping people is important.”

writer: Chris Robinson

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