Nomi Ruiz | |
|---|---|
 Ruiz (middle) performing with Jessica 6 in April 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | www |
Nomi Ruiz is an American singer, songwriter, actress, essayist, DJ and producer, who is known for her work as Jessica 6. She is also known for voicing Tabi Ramirez in Primos .
Nomi Ruiz was born in 1986 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Her parents are of Puerto Rican descent.
In 2005, Ruiz released her debut album Lost in Lust on her own independent label Park Side Records. The album is a song-oriented downbeat electronic album steeped in the grittier ends of early-1990s hip-hop and R&B production. [1] [2] After its release, she toured with CocoRosie, Debbie Harry and Antony & The Johnsons as part of their "Turning" project and Turning . [3]
In 2008, Ruiz appeared on the nu-disco band Hercules and Love Affair's self-titled debut album released on James Murphy's label DFA Records. She was featured on the single "You Belong" and appeared in the music video. Slant Magazine placed "You Belong" at number nine on its "Top 25 Singles of 2008" list and the song was used in the pilot episode of the TV show How to Make It in America .
Ruiz also featured on and co-wrote "Hercules Theme", which Pitchfork placed at number 21 on its list of "The 100 Best Tracks of 2008". [4]
The band made its live debut on May 17, 2008, at the Studio B venue in Brooklyn, New York, before going on a European and North American tour, where Ruiz sang her contributions as well as those of Anohni, [5] making her the first latinx transgender woman to perform on prestigious stages and festivals such as Switzerland's Montreax Jazz Festival, England's Glastonbury, Lovebox, O2 Arena, New York's Hammerstein Ballroom and many more.
The Guardian described Ruiz as "boasting the spookily effortless air of a future pop icon." [6] In 2009 Ruiz quit the band and formed the group Jessica 6.
In 2009 Ruiz formed the group Jessica 6 with Andrew Raposo (of Automato) and Morgan Wiley. The band met in late 2007 after they helped put together the Hercules and Love Affair live show. [7] Jessica 6 released their debut single "Fun Girl" on May 21, 2009, on the label Midnight Sun Sound. [8] In 2011 they released See The Light an album that combined dance with her natural R&B/soul stylings released by Peacefrog Records.
On January 7, 2011 Jessica 6 released its second single White Horse [9] [10] The song's music video directed by Marco Ovando premiered on February 28, 2011, on Perez Hilton's website. The video received over two million views on YouTube and received positive reviews from music critics. In a review for The Guardian , Michael Cragg felt that the song creates a "fresh take on 70s disco and filtered house with a dash of funk. But while Hercules & Love Affair sound like they now lack a distinctive vocalist, Jessica 6 are elevated by Ruiz's smoky, melancholic voice." Likewise, Robin Murray of Clash noticed a "definite pop touch, but that doesn't discredit some fantastic production." The album's critical acclaim further solidified her status as a history making global artist, at the Greek MAD Video Music Awards on June 14, 2011, Berlin's Tempodrom, London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall, Tate Modern and making an appearance at Chile's Vina del Mar Festival where she appeared with Chilean actress Daniela Vega.
The song "White Horse" was also used in Thierry Mugler's spring 2012 menswear campaign film titled "Brother's of Arcadia". Ruiz was also featured in the film seen in provocative S&M posturings. [9]
Their third single "Prisoner of Love" featured Anohni who also appeared in the song's video also directed by Marco Ovando and styled by Nicola Formichetti.
In 2012, after a two-month North American tour with American synth-pop band Holy Ghost!, the trio disbanded and Ruiz continued her work in electropop and dance under the same name. She released a second Jessica 6 album titled The Capricorn, which was called “seductive, dark, smart, and as catchy as Miss Jackson's greatest hits” [11] by i-D Magazine.
In 2018, she released The Eliot Sessions which received rave reviews [12] in Billboard and landed Ruiz an artist profile [13] in Harper's Bazaar .
In 2013 Ruiz completed a two month residency at the Clocktower Gallery in downtown New York City where she completed a mixtape project titled "Borough Gypsy" which the gallery described as "a lo-fi cassette tape trip down memory lane using the grit of 90's Hip Hop combined with Soul and acoustic folk elements." [14] The mixtape debuted at the Clocktower Galleries' studio space which was "transformed into a world where visitors step into the mind of the borough gypsy and get to see and sift through the urban tale as they listen to the album unfold. Visitors are granted full access to diaries, sketchbooks, photo albums and song writing journals which document the album's progress as well as the emotional progression which inspired its content. Also on display are hand-made items used for stage shows, items from Nomi's childhood, and some of her first ever recorded demos which are only available in reel-to-reel and cassette tape format." [14]
She released the mixtape to the public via Soundcloud and followed it up in 2016 with "Borough Gypsy" vol. 2 "NOMI vs DILLA" where she wrote and sang over instrumentals produced by J Dilla. It premiered in The Source accompanied by visuals directed by long time collaborator Gabriel Magdaleno.
As an essayist, Ruiz has been outspoken about discrimination in the music industry and has published intimate essays and poems on feminism, sex, romance and gender identity in books by Emely Nue of Pussy Riot, Jezebel , The Fader and more.
On March 9, 2017, Jezebel published Ruiz's essay titled "The Lingering Trauma of Searching for Love as a Trans Youth" [15] where she addresses how shame can lead to abusive relationships stating "What a fragile device, to be frail in the eyes of the preying." [15]
On June 12, 2018, INTO Magazine published Ruiz's essay titled "The Storm Inside: Loving Trans Women in a Toxic World" [16] Here Ruiz touches on how masculine ideology affects men who are transamorous and how that leads to complications when finding love, "shame is the most common form of child abuse, and the most common tool used to shape and mold young boys on their journey to becoming men." [16]
On September 7, 2018, Talkhouse asked Ruiz to contribute a piece for their Gig Economy column. They published her essay on "Identity, Equality and Fighting for a Livable Wage". [17] Here Ruiz touched on her struggles in the music industry as well as her time with Hercules & Love Affair, "I think back over all the obstacles I've overcome and still face, count all my blessings and successes, and realize that nothing will ever amount to my biggest win yet: living my truth." [17]
In 2018, Ruiz made her acting debut on Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy spin-off series Mayans M.C. on FX and stars in the Muay Thai boxing feature film drama Haymaker. She also appeared on Viceland's Slutever TV series where she discussed the stigma trans women face when embracing and openly discussing sex and sexuality.
In June 2023, it was announced that Ruiz would voice Tabi in the animated series Primos , which premiered in July 2024 on Disney Channel. [18] [19]
| Song | Album | Artist | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| "You'll Never Know" | The Enlightened Family: A Collection Of Lost Songs | The Enlightened Family | 2005 |
| "You Belong" | Hercules & Love Affair | Hercules & Love Affair | 2008 |
| "Hercules Theme" | |||
| "I'm Telling You" | You Belong | Hercules & Love Affair | 2008 |
| "I'm Deranged" | We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie | Jessica 6 | 2010 |
| "Desire" | Desire EP | Eli Escobar | 2011 |
| "Sway" | House Of Beni | Beni | 2011 |
| "Let's Celebrate" | Blast From The Past | The Ones | 2012 |
| "Broken Toy" | Enemy EP | NR& (Keinemusik) | 2013 |
| "Enemy" | |||
| "Money Talks" | Money Talks | Thodoris Triantafillou & CJ Jeff | 2013 |
| "A Different Corner" | A Different Corner EP | Mansta | 2015 |
| "The Man Inside You" | Trilogy (Chapter 1) | Thodoris Triantafillou | 2015 |
| "Fist" | Love Is Gone/Fist EP | Olga Kouklaki | 2015 |
| "Love Is Gone" | |||
| "Can't Stop Dancing" | Happiness | Eli Escobar | 2016 |
| "Phreeky" | |||
| "In The Dark" | |||
| "4 Luv" | |||
| "Taste Like" | Spoken For EP | NR& (Keinemusik) | 2016 |
| "Spoken For" | |||
| "Chemical Love" | Animal Feelings | Animal Feelings | 2016 |
| "Bumper" | You Are Safe | Keinemusik | 2017 |
| "Into You" | Into You | Nomi & Animal Feelings | 2018 |
| "Divine Love" | Soft Touches EP | Animal Feelings | 2018 |
| "Like a Ghost" [20] | Sam Sparro | 2021 | |
| "Ya Te Vi" | Lo que me haces sentir | Zemmoa | 2021 |
| Title | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Lost in Lust | 2005 | Park Side Records |
| Hercules and Love Affair | 2008 | DFA Records |
| See The Light | 2011 | Peacefrog Records |
| Borough Gypsy vol. 1 | 2013 | Park Side Records |
| The Capricorn | 2015 | Park Side Records |
| Borough Gypsy vol. 2 Nomi vs Dilla | 2016 | Park Side Records |
| Lonely Love Affair | 2018 | Park Side Records |
| Still Your Girl | ||
| The ELIOT Sessions | 2018 | Park Side Records |
| Year | Album | Video | Director(s) | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Hercules & Love Affair | "You Belong" | Kris Moyes | Video on Vimeo |
| 2009 | See the Light | "Fun Girl" | Bijoux Altamirano [21] | Video on YouTube |
| 2011 | "White Horse" | Marco Ovando [21] | Video on YouTube | |
| "Prisoner of Love" | Marco Ovando [22] | Video on YouTube | ||
| 2014 | Borough Gypsy | "Life Or C.R.E.A.M." | Gabriel Magdaleno | Video on YouTube |
| 2015 | The Capricorn | "Down Low" | Gabriel Magdaleno | Video on YouTube |
| 2015 | The Capricorn | "Can't Tear Us Apart" | Gabriel Magdaleno | Video on YouTube |
| 2016 | Animal Feelings | "Chemical Love" | Adam France | Video on YouTube |
| 2016 | Borough Gypsy 2 | "Bullet Proof" | Gabriel Magdaleno | Video on YouTube |
| "The Scent" | Video on YouTube | |||
| "The Light" | Video on YouTube | |||
| "Funky 4 Ya" | Video on YouTube | |||
| "Wilderness" | Video on YouTube | |||
| "Something More" | Video on YouTube | |||
| 2018 | The ELIOT Sessions | "The Storm Inside" | Juampi Mejias | Video on YouTube |
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2024) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Primos | Tabi Ramirez (voice) | Main role |
The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group from Los Angeles, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo. The group's lineup during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced original member Kim Hill in 2002. They have sold an estimated 80 million records, making them one of the best-selling musical acts of all time, and were ranked 12th on Billboard's 2000s Decade-End Artist of the Decade Chart and 7th on the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade.
Nivea B. Hamilton, better known by her mononym Nivea, is an American R&B singer. She is notably known for her Grammy-nominated hit "Don't Mess with My Man" as well as "Laundromat" and "Okay" featuring YoungbloodZ & Lil' Jon. She has released three studio albums: her self-titled debut (2001), followed up by Complicated (2005), Animalistic (2006), and an independently released extended play Nivea: Undercover (2011). In 2019, she released her album Mirrors, including the single, "Circles".
Michelle Jacquet Branch is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper. She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Santana for their 2002 single, "The Game of Love".
Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, known mononymously as Cassie, is an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her musical career after meeting producer Ryan Leslie in late 2004, who signed her to his record label, NextSelection Lifestyle Group. She was then discovered by rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, who signed her to a joint venture with his label, Bad Boy Records, to commercially release her 2006 debut single, "Me & U". The song marked the first of her two entries on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three.
Anohni Hegarty, styled as ANOHNI, is a British-born American singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She has presented solo work and as the lead singer of the band Anohni and the Johnsons, formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons.
Jessica Leigh Harp is an American songwriter and former country artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Between 2005 and 2007, Harp and Michelle Branch recorded and performed as The Wreckers, a duo that topped the country charts in 2006 with the Grammy-nominated "Leave the Pieces". After The Wreckers disbanded, Harp began a solo career on Warner Bros. Records, the same label to which The Wreckers were signed. Her solo second album single, "Boy Like Me", debuted in March 2009 and was a top 30 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was followed by her second album, A Woman Needs, in March 2010.
Hadise Açıkgöz is a Belgian-born Turkish singer, songwriter, dancer and television personality. Born and raised in Belgium, her family is of Lezgin-Kumyk origin who settled in Sivas, Turkey. In 2003, she participated in the Belgian singing competition show Idool 2003, but rose to fame after releasing her debut album Sweat in 2005. The album spawned 5 singles and earned Hadise both a TMF Award (Belgium) and Golden Butterfly Award (Turkey). Hadise established and maintained a successful career in both Belgium and Turkey with the release of her self-titled album Hadise (2008). The album, which includes English and Turkish songs, features the single "Deli Oğlan" that became a number-one hit in Turkey.
Jessica Ann Johnson is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999), sold two million copies in the United States and was led by the Billboard Hot 100-top three single "I Wanna Love You Forever". Simpson adopted a more mature image for her second studio album, Irresistible (2001), and its namesake lead single track peaked within the top 20 of the chart. The album received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Simpson's third studio album, In This Skin (2003), sold three million copies in the United States.
Jessica Lynn Sutta is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and former actress. She is a former member of the pop group the Pussycat Dolls. As a solo artist, Sutta shelved her first attempt with a debut album, Sutta Pop (2012), but went on to release two studio albums Feline Resurrection (2016) and I Say Yes (2017) and reached four number ones on US Dance Club Songs, becoming the only former Pussycat Dolls' member to reach the top of an American chart.
Sarah Jane Buxton is an American country music singer formerly signed to the independent Lyric Street Records. Between 2006 and 2008, she issued three singles from an extended play titled Almost My Record, in addition to co-writing her song "Stupid Boy", which was later recorded by Keith Urban. She released her self-titled debut album in early 2010, led off by the Top 25 single "Outside My Window," shortly before Lyric Street Records closed.
Jessica Hilda Mauboy is an Australian singer. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she was runner-up and subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. After releasing a live album of her Idol performances and briefly being a member of the girl group Young Divas in 2007, Mauboy released her debut studio album, Been Waiting, the following year. It included her first number-one single, "Burn", and became the second highest-selling Australian album of 2009, certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
Kathleen Emperatriz DeLuna is an American-born Dominican singer. DeLuna began pursuing a career as a singer when she was a teenager and later signed with Epic Records. Her debut single, "Whine Up", released in 2007, went on to become a commercial success, entering the Top 40 in numerous countries and topping the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Her debut studio album, 9 Lives (2007), failed to see the success of its lead single. The album's third single, "Run the Show", became a hit in various territories, and reached number two on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Hercules and Love Affair is a dance music project created by American DJ, singer, composer, musician and producer Andy Butler in 2004. Consisting of a rotating cast of performers and musicians, the band work within the genres of house music, disco, techno and nu-disco.
Jessica Jung is a South Korean and American singer-songwriter, actress, author, and businesswoman based in South Korea. She is best known for her work as a former member of the South Korean girl group Girls' Generation. As an actress, Jung portrayed Elle Woods in the Korean version of the musical Legally Blonde in 2010 and played a role in the television drama Wild Romance in 2012.
"You Belong" is the second single from the eponymous debut album by Hercules and Love Affair. It features Nomi Ruiz with backing vocals by Antony Hegarty.
Christina Judith Perri is an American singer and songwriter. After her debut single "Jar of Hearts" was featured on the television series So You Think You Can Dance in 2010, Perri signed with Atlantic Records and released her debut extended play, The Ocean Way Sessions. Her debut studio album, Lovestrong (2011), followed soon after and has since been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Nicola Formichetti is a fashion director and fashion editor. Born in Japan, he is most widely known as the artistic director of the Italian fashion label Diesel and for being a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. He worked two years with the French fashion house Mugler as artistic director.
Jessica 6 is the electronic pop performing alias of Nomi Ruiz which began as a Brooklyn-based Nu-disco and R&B trio that formed after helping put together the Hercules and Love Affair live show. Formerly known as Deep Red, their name was taken from the lead character of the same name from the 1967 novel Logan's Run.
"White Horse" is a song performed by the Brooklyn-based trio Jessica 6, taken from their debut album See the Light. It was released in January 2011, as the album's second single by Peacefrog Records. The song was featured in the campaign film for the Mugler menswear collection for Spring/Summer 2012 titled "Brothers of Arcadia."
Brooke Dyan Candy is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and tattoo artist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, she rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for "Genesis" (2012). Following its success, Candy's status in the underground scene rose as she began to release her own music, including the songs "Das Me" (2012), "Everybody Does" (2013), and "I Wanna Fuck Right Now" (2013). In 2014, she signed a recording contract with RCA and released her debut major label single, "Opulence", with an accompanying EP of the same name. Later, she joined Columbia's UK roster.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
