Omar Ruiz

Omar Ruiz, recognized as a singer and songwriter, established himself early as a leading figure in the provocative narcocorrido tradition. His norteño style draws directly from lived experience across both sides of the Mexico-United States border. Born in Nogales, Sonora, he relocated with his family first to Nogales, Arizona, and then to Tucson. During his late teens he spent nearly a year in Chicago, where he took up the guitar and began writing songs. While there he launched his publishing company, Balta Cervantes, and began issuing demos and song videos under the name Justicia Divina y El RG Y Su Gente.

Intent on developing his vocal technique and completing a full studio album, Ruiz moved to Los Angeles to study production methods. He released his debut, La Ultima Batalla y Las Monitas, independently in 2012. Several live albums followed in 2013, among them the underground favorites Corridos Anonymous and Corridos Anonymous 2 together with the mini album La Santita; the accompanying videos from the latter proved especially popular on YouTube. These projects extended Ruiz’s recognition beyond the narcocorrido underground. His hit “El Americano” first appeared on the 2014 mini album Corridos Selectos. The track’s success attracted the interest of Badsin Records, co-owned by Gerardo and Kevin Ortiz. The single “El Quesito,” issued in 2015, reached the top twenty on both the Regional Mexican Songs and Hot Latin Songs charts. A 2016 re-recording of “El Americano” quickly advanced into the upper ranks of five separate charts. His debut album Asi Es La Vida arrived in October 2016 and entered the Hot Latin Albums chart at number nine.