Rucka Rucka Ali#Discography

{{Short description|Israeli-American musician, comedian and YouTuber (born 1987)}}

{{Redirect-distinguish|Rucka Rucka|Danny and Michael Philippou{{!}}RackaRacka}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Rucka Rucka Ali

| image = Rucka Rucka Ali (cropped).png

| caption = Ali in 2023

| native_name = רוקה רוקה עלי

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|January 27, 1987}}

| birth_place = Jerusalem

| origin = West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, U.S.

| native_name_lang = he

| birth_name =

| alias = ItsRucka, DJ Not Nice, Toby Queef, Seymour Schwartz, Fredrique Shampoo, Jack The Supreme, Ricola Volvos, Boris Anastasha, Jihad Joe, Mr Sheen, "Wierd Ali" Ruckavich, Alejandro Whereizwaldo, iamRucka

| occupation = Rapper, singer, radio personality, comedian, YouTuber, parodist, satirist

| years_active = 2006–present

| genre = Parody, comedy, satire, comedy hip-hop

| label = Straightsavage Records (current)
Red Shoes Records (current)
Pinegrove Records (former) Serchlite Music (former)

| website = {{URL|ruckasworld.com}}

| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality

| embed = yes

| pseudonym =

| channel_handle = itsRucka

| years_active = 2007–present

| genre = {{flatlist|

Music video
parody music
satire
comedy}}

| subscribers = 1.87 million

| views = 499 million

| network =

| associated_acts =

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year =

| gold_button = yes

| gold_year =

| diamond_year =

| ruby_year =

| stats_update = April 22, 2025

}}

Rucka Rucka Ali ({{Langx|he|רוקה רוקה עלי}}; born January 27, 1987) is an Israeli-American rapper, singer, radio personality, comedian, YouTuber, and parodist. He has released eight independent studio albums, four of which have charted on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/369257/rucka-rucka-ali/chart|title=Rucka Rucka Ali : Billboard|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 2, 2014}} As of 2024, he has amassed 450+ million views and about 1.86 million subscribers on his main music channel on YouTube.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=itsRucka - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/c/itsRucka/about|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117044714if_/https://www.youtube.com/c/itsRucka/about|archive-date=January 17, 2021|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=www.youtube.com}} Though his songs are parodies, he has been banned from YouTube multiple times for content deemed by the corporation to violate its hate speech policy.{{Cite web|date=June 26, 2012|title=Rucka Rucka Ali Loves Minorites // Current TV|work=Current TV|url=http://current.com/entertainment/comedy/92502713_rucka-rucka-ali-loves-minorites.htm|access-date=January 15, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626170621/http://current.com/entertainment/comedy/92502713_rucka-rucka-ali-loves-minorites.htm|archive-date=June 26, 2012}}

Early life

Rucka Rucka Ali was born in Jerusalem on January 27, 1987, to an Orthodox Jewish family, though he has stated that he moved away from that lifestyle as he grew up.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_snt45unyqY&t=12m58l|title=Rucka Rucka Ali: Parody Rap and Objectivism|author=The Rubin Report|author-link=The Rubin Report|date=December 15, 2017|via=YouTube|time=12:58}}

Career

Rucka Rucka Ali has released eight total albums, four of which have charted in the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart: I'm Black, You're White & These Are Clearly Parodies (No. 6 peak),{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2011-03-05/comedy-albums|title=Comedy Albums|magazine=Billboard|date=March 5, 2011|access-date=February 4, 2012}} Probably Racist (No. 11),{{allMusic|class=artist|id=p2338024}} Rucka's World (No. 8),{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rucka-rucka-ali-mn0002634782/awards|title=Rucka Rucka Ali | Awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=August 6, 2013}} and Black Man of Steal (No. 7). During the weeks of July 31, 2010 through {{nowrap|August 7, 2010}}, Rucka Rucka Ali held 5 of the top 10 spots on the Billboard Comedy Digital Tracks chart.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2010-07-31/comedy-digital-tracks|title=Comedy Digital Tracks : Jul 31, 2010 | Billboard Chart Archive|magazine=Billboard|date=July 31, 2010|access-date=August 29, 2015}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2010-08-07/comedy-digital-tracks|title=Comedy Digital Tracks : Aug 07, 2010 | Billboard Chart Archive|magazine=Billboard|date=August 7, 2010|access-date=August 29, 2015}}

Controversies

In June 2010, three British students were reprimanded after publicly showing Rucka Rucka Ali's music video for his hit parody "Ima Korean" to their class while studying different countries' musical traditions. One South Korean student was "devastated, upset, very offended, and feeling very lonely", being the only East Asian child in the class. An assistant headteacher, Len Idle, said the song was "probably racist". Rucka Rucka Ali subsequently used the quote as the title of his next album, Probably Racist,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10345282|title=Bournemouth school pupils told off over 'racist' video|work=BBC News|date=June 17, 2010|access-date=August 6, 2013}} replying in kind within the music video "We're All Asian", sarcastically thanking Idle for his opinion, before mockingly stating that "he [Idle] was probably gay with AIDS".{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj9wuUfbgAM&t=100s|title=Rucka Rucka Ali "We're All Asian"|website=YouTube|date=September 29, 2010}}

On July 24, 2013, Rucka Rucka Ali released the song "Zayn Did 9/11" (a parody of Selena Gomez's "Come & Get It") to YouTube which mocked then One Direction member Zayn Malik, jokingly saying he committed the September 11 terrorist attacks, a reference to his British-Pakistani background. The single-cover features a silhouette of Malik in front of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as they were attacked.{{cite web|first=James|last=Robertson|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/racist-song-accusing-muslim-singer-2125567|title=Racist song accusing Muslim singer Zayn Malik for 9/11 terrorist attacks sparks outrage|work=Daily Mirror|date=August 5, 2013|access-date=August 25, 2013}} The song, along with an accompanying music video released several days later, angered One Direction fans and others.{{cite web|last=Zicarelli|first=Gabriella|url=http://www.andpop.com/2013/08/06/directioners-start-petition-to-have-racist-song-aimed-at-zayn-malik-removed-from-itunes/|title=ANDPOP Directioner's Start Petition To Have Racist Song Aimed at Zayn Malik Removed From iTunes|publisher=Andpop.com|date=August 6, 2013|access-date=August 25, 2013|archive-date=July 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712163439/http://www.andpop.com/2013/08/06/directioners-start-petition-to-have-racist-song-aimed-at-zayn-malik-removed-from-itunes/|url-status=dead}} Business Standard called the song "offensive" and a "racist attack" on Malik.{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/zayn-malik-faces-racist-attack-113080600646_1.html|title=Zayn Malik faces racist attack|work=Business Standard|date=August 6, 2013|access-date=August 25, 2013|agency=Press Trust of India}}

In the end of November 2013, he was involved in another controversy after his song "Only 17", a parody of "Just a Dream" by Nelly, was accidentally played uncensored over the speakers at a McDonald's company in Wales.{{cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/86285/McDonalds-issues-apology-after-playing-explicit-rap-song-at-breakfast|title=McDonalds apologises for playing explicit rap track at 9:30 am in Wales|publisher=Gigwise|date=November 21, 2013|access-date=August 29, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-21/mcmuffins-and-a-side-of-lewd-rap-at-a-british-mcdonalds|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121224253/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-21/mcmuffins-and-a-side-of-lewd-rap-at-a-british-mcdonalds|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 21, 2013|title=McDonald's Apologizes for Playing a Rucka Rucka Ali Song in Wales|work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek|date=November 21, 2013|access-date=August 29, 2015}} Subsequently, McDonald's issued an apology to the offended customers.{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Anthony|title=McDonald's sorry over rap lyrics|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/19937451/mcdonalds-sorry-over-rap-lyrics/|newspaper=Yahoo News|date=November 21, 2013|access-date=November 27, 2013|archive-date=December 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212174734/http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/19937451/mcdonalds-sorry-over-rap-lyrics/|url-status=dead}} That same week, Rucka Rucka Ali responded to the controversy on his YouTube channel by jokingly demanding a personal apology from the restaurant.{{cite news|last=McCoppin|first=Suzy|title=Controversial Rapper Rucka Rucka Ali Seeks Apology from McDonald's|url=http://popdust.com/2013/11/26/controversial-rapper-rucka-rucka-ali-seeks-apology-from-mcdonalds/|newspaper=Popdust|date=November 26, 2013|access-date=November 27, 2013|archive-date=August 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812051924/http://popdust.com/2013/11/26/controversial-rapper-rucka-rucka-ali-seeks-apology-from-mcdonalds/|url-status=dead}}

On August 13, 2024, German right-wing YouTuber Aron Pielka (known online as Shlomo Finkelstein) was charged and sentenced to prison for hate speech.{{Cite web|last=Biase|first=Natasha|date=August 20, 2024|title=German YouTuber "Shlomo Finkelstein" Arrested Following "Inciting Racial Hatred" Conviction|url=https://www.thepublica.com/german-youtuber-shlomo-finkelstein-arrested-following-inciting-racial-hatred-conviction/|website=The Publica|access-date=April 2, 2025|archive-date=August 21, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240821023023/https://www.thepublica.com/german-youtuber-shlomo-finkelstein-arrested-following-inciting-racial-hatred-conviction/|url-status=dead}} A contributing reason for his arrest, according to his podcast co-host, was when he played "What Does the Black Say" on a livestream.{{Cite web|author=KasperKast X HonigWabe|date=March 1, 2025|title=Shlomo Finkelstein Ankündigung|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEzQxoSVap0|access-date=April 2, 2025|via=YouTube}}

Personal life

Rucka Rucka Ali has stated that he is an objectivist, as in his 2017 interview with Dave Rubin on The Rubin Report.{{cite web|last=Rubin|first=Dave|date=December 15, 2017|title=Parody Rap and Objectivism {{!}} Rucka Rucka Ali {{!}} YOUTUBERS {{!}} Rubin Report|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_snt45unyqY|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117054845if_/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_snt45unyqY|archive-date=January 17, 2021|access-date=January 17, 2021|website=YouTube}}

At the end of the music video for his parody song "Life Is Over" (a parody of "Closer" by the Chainsmokers), released in October 2016, Rucka Rucka Ali revealed that he had attempted suicide in the summer of 2006. Noting that his death would have prevented the success of his later music career, he wished to send others "a message of hope".{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b3V5fUmfRc?t=235|title=Chainsmokers "Closer" PARODY Life is Over ~ Rucka Rucka Ali|author=itsRucka|date=October 4, 2016|via=YouTube|time=3:55}}