Skusta Clee
{{Short description|Filipino rapper, singer and songwriter|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=March 2023}}
{{Philippine name|Borja|Ruiz}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Skusta Clee
| alias =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Daryl Jake Borja Ruiz{{Cite web|title=Skusta Clee bio: age, girlfriend, real name|url=https://kami.com.ph/96619-skusta-clee-bio-age-girlfriend-real-name.html|access-date=2019-10-22|website=kami.com.ph|date=October 22, 2019 |language=en}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|02|16}}
| birth_place = General Trias, Cavite
| genre = {{hlist|Hip hop|trap|R&B}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|singer|songwriter|record producer|actor | Dancer | Vlogger}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar}}
| years_active = 2014–present
| label = {{hlist|Ex Battalion Music|Panty Droppaz League|Saucy Island Records}}
| current_member_of = {{hlist|Ex Battalion|O.C. Dawgs|Kakaiboys{{efn|Kakaiboys is a Filipino hip hop trio composed of Ex Battalion members Skusta Clee, Flow G, and Bosx1ne}}}}
| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| embed = yes
| channels = [https://youtube.com/SkustaCleeTVOfficial YouTube]
| subscribers = 3 million
| views = 185.816 million
| silver_button = yes
| silver_year = 2020
| gold_button = yes
| gold_year = 2021
| stats_update = June 7, 2024
}}
}}
Daryl Jake Borja Ruiz (born February 16, 1996), known professionally as Skusta Clee, is a Filipino rapper, singer-songwriter, actor and a member of the Filipino hip-hop collective Ex Battalion. He is known for his numerous hit singles "Zebbiana", "Pauwi Nako", and "Dance With You" and is notably regarded as the pioneer of the Pinoy trap genre, as he first started the mainstream trap movement in the country. He is also a member of O.C. Dawgs, a hip-hop group he formed in 2012.{{cite web|title=OC Dawgs - Pinoy Hiphop Superstar|url=https://pinoyhiphopsuperstar.com/oc-dawgs-pinoy-hiphop-superstar/|website=pinoyhiphopsuperstar.com|date=September 4, 2019 |access-date=5 February 2021}}
History and career
A controversial figure in local hip-hop, Ruiz is perhaps the most prominent hip-hop artist in the Philippines from the late 2010s to the early 2020s. He has amassed billions of combined streams on all digital platforms, such as Spotify and YouTube. He is the pioneer of the Pinoy trap genre, as he started the mainstream trap movement in the country. His tracks dominated Musical.ly in 2016, and which he joined the collective Ex Battalion in the same year.
The singer-rapper is also an artist of Ex Battalion's partner label, Panty Droppaz League. Among the label's greatest hits which gave rise to its phenomenal success are Pauwi Nako, Zebbiana, and Dance With You which were released in 2018, 2019, and 2020, garnering hundreds of millions of views and streams on YouTube and Spotify.{{Cite web|title=Ex Battalion Music|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXDPZNH-eEXtrxr5Ert1LWQ|access-date=2020-06-20|website=YouTube|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Panty Droppaz League - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjuiUoq_kGqsMFSQom1lvVQ?app=desktop|access-date=2020-07-17|website=www.youtube.com}}
In 2019, Ruiz starred on the box-office feature Sons of Nanay Sabel alongside his groupmates from Ex Battalion.
In Coco Martin and Angelica Panganiban's 2021 romantic comedy film Love or Money, Ruiz's Zebbiana was used as the movie's theme song and became part of its official soundtrack.{{Cite web|last=Basco|first=Karl Cedrick|date=2021-03-02|title=Angelica Panganiban, pinili ang 'Zebbiana' bilang theme song ng 'Love or Money'|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/02/21/angelica-panganiban-pinili-ang-zebbiana-bilang-theme-song-ng-love-or-money|access-date=2021-05-23|website=ABS-CBN News|language=en}}
On June 20, 2021, Skusta Clee released the song "Lagi" ({{literal translation|Everyday}}). The video for the song included his newborn daughter.{{Cite web|title=Skusta Clee's new music video "Lagi" features his newborn baby girl Bia|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/celebritylife/family/77958/skusta-clees-new-music-video-lagi-features-his-newborn-baby-girl-bia/story|website=GMA Network|date=June 21, 2021}}
On October 31, 2021, Skusta Clee released Karma featuring Gloc-9, with an accompanying Thriller-inspired music video starring Bea Alonzo and Awra Briguela. The short film was premiered on Halloween and gained over 2 million views and took the top trending spot on YouTube PH shortly after its release.{{Cite web|last=Cruz|first=Dana|date=2021-11-01|title=WATCH: Bea Alonzo runs away from zombies in 'Karma' music video|url=https://entertainment.inquirer.net/425549/watch-bea-alonzo-runs-away-from-zombies-in-karma-music-video|access-date=2021-11-01|website=INQUIRER.net|language=en}} Alonzo also considers the music video as her Halloween entry for the year. The song is produced by Daniel "Flip D" Tuazon and Christian "Chriilz" Andalez and the music video is directed by Titus Cee.
In 2022, the music video of Skusta Clee's Dance With You featuring Yuri Dope became the fastest top-grossing OPM music video of all time, it is the first to cross 190 million views to date, surpassing Sarah Geronimo's Tala which came in second with 187 million views in the most-viewed OPM music videos in the country.{{Cite web|last=C.C.|first=JE|date=2022-05-30|title=10 All-Time Most-Viewed Official Music Videos by an OPM Artist/s|url=https://www.dailypedia.net/2022/05/list-10-all-time-most-viewed-official-music-videos-by-an-opm-artist-s/|access-date=2022-05-30|website=dailypedia.net|language=en}}
Controversies
= "Tap Na" controversy =
In late 2019, a video clip of Ruiz scoffing at unknown rappers have gone viral.{{Cite web|title=Video of Rapper Skusta Clee Scoffing Unpopular Rappers Elicited Reactions Online|url=https://philnews.ph/2019/11/26/video-rapper-skusta-clee-scoffing-unpopular-rappers-elicit-reactions/|access-date=2019-11-26|website=philnews.ph|date=November 26, 2019 |language=en}} The 12-second video sparked heated debate among netizens for his 'unpleasant' attitude. A year later, the rapper-singer songwriter reused the catchphrase "Tap na" (stop) as a closing line in his verse in Ex Battalion's diss track Yearly.[https://genius.com/Ex-battalion-yearly-lyrics Ex Battalion – Yearly Lyrics | Genius Lyrics][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSFSYEK7RzI Ex Battalion - Yearly (Official Music Video)] The track depicts the group's success and its presence being 'timely' in the rap scene, and is also a response to its critics.{{Cite web|title=21-Gun Salute to 2021, 9-11 of 21 - Ex Battalion|url=https://www.onemusic.ph/news/21-gun-salute-2021-9-11-21-ex-battalion-6728|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=onemusicph.com|language=en}}
Discography
= Extended plays =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of extended plays with selected details ! scope="col" style="width:10em;" |Title ! scope="col" style="width:18em;" |Album Details ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
| scope="row" |Trifecta {{small|(with Flow G)}} |
{{Collapsible list | title = Track listing|1. "Angas"|2. "Deserve"|3. "Inggit" }} |
|---|
=Singles=
==As a lead artist==
==As a featured artist==
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title |
|---|
| 2019
| HBD (Birthday Mo) |
| rowspan="6"|2020
| Dahil Sayo |
| You & I {{small|(with Chriilz, Ijiboy, Bosx1ne)}} |
| Halika Na {{small|(with Billy Crawford)}} |
| Pasensya Na {{small|(with Honcho, Jekkpot)}} |
| Iisang Tulay {{small|(with Mike Kosa, OG Sacred)}} |
| Wag Na Lang {{small|(with MC Einstein)}} |
| rowspan="2"|2021
| Pwedeng Ayusin Natin To? |
| Sabay sa Ulap {{small|(with SLy Kane, Jkris, Zargon)}} |
| 2022
| Kumpisal{{Cite news|title=Gloc-9 teams up with Skusta Clee on Latin guitar-flavoured new single 'Kumpisal'|url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/gloc-9-teams-up-with-skusta-clee-on-latin-guitar-flavoured-new-single-kumpisal-3224767|date=13 May 2022|website=NME.com}} |
| rowspan="4" |2023
| Bawal |
| Paasa (Remix) {{small|(with Chriilz)}} |
| Huli Na {{small|(with Yuri Dope)}} |
| Laya {{small|(with Flow G)}} |
| 2024
|Ligaw Na Bullet |
Personal life
His former partner, Filipina-Lebanese YouTuber Zeinab Harake, gave birth to their daughter Zebbiana “Bia” on April 28, 2021.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2021-05-01|title=Zeinab Harake gives birth to baby girl!|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/familyandrelationships/785885/zeinab-harake-gives-birth-to-baby-girl/story/|access-date=2021-05-05|website=GMA News|language=en}} In May 2022, Harake confirmed her break-up with Ruiz.{{Cite web|last=Cruz|first=Dana|date=2022-05-10|title=Zeinab Harake confirms breakup with rapper Skusta Clee|url=https://entertainment.inquirer.net/448403/zeinab-harake-confirms-breakup-with-rapper-skusta-clee|access-date=2022-06-11|website=INQUIRER.net|language=en}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Award ceremony !Year !Category !Nominee(s)/work(s) !Result !{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| MYX Music Awards
|2020 |Spotify's Top OPM Hip-Hop Artist |align=center |Skusta Clee |{{won}} |
|---|
| Wish Music Awards
|2019 |Wishclusive R&B Performance of the Year |align=center |Zebbiana |{{won}} |
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clee, Skusta}}
Category:Male actors from Metro Manila
Category:Universal Records (Philippines) artists
Category:21st-century Filipino male singers
Category:Singers from Metro Manila
{{Hiphop-bio-stub}}