Conversations with Yerubi Ali

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yerubi Ali.

Hi Yerubi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello beautiful person reading this, I’ve always wanted to do one of these so this is so exciting omg!!!

My story I’d say is still writing itself, but my name is Yerubi Ali Ferrer, I was born right in the Bronx. I’m a NYC girl at heart, with Midwest roots! I was born in NYC and shortly after I was about 3 years old or so, my mom moved to Ohio for a fresh start! My whole life growing up it was always back and forth going back to NYC to be with family. It’s a big difference NYC vs Columbus, but it made me appreciate the beauty in both cities. I always tell people I was raised in both NYC and Ohio because I’d spend every summer in the city with my cousins all over the city, from my cousins from my dads side in the Bronx to Washington Heights to Staten Island to see my cousins from my moms side.

Growing up I’d go from NYC to Columbus so often because of my mother that I remember literally going for a weekend and coming back that same Monday and going to daycare and I told my friends that I went to NYC for the weekend and none of them believed me! When I actually really did, traveling has always been a very big part of my life, road trips with my mom were one of my favorite childhood memories with her.

A lot of people don’t know this, but Spanish is actually my very first language. My mother and father were both born in the Dominican Republic. Making me the first generation Latina to be born a Dominican American, an Afro-Latina at that, the curls and culture don’t lie. I’m very grateful and proud of my heritage. Being a Hispanic Carribean is so special, our music, our lingo, and our being is special, there’s so much talent that come from us.

A big part of my childhood was being raised by my grandmother in Washington Heights which they call it little Dominican Republic now is NYC, which makes my heart so happy. There’s genuinely no one like my abuela Elisa Garcia, she is one of the most loveliest, beautiful, electric beings of light. I know I am wise from always listening to her, her stories and advice. She is the reason I have so much patience and love. The fact that I’m doing this article right now lights me up because I knew I had to mention her. Te amo para simpere Elisa, gracias por todo. Shout out to abuela!

Growing up the summers in the city were always my favorite, walking with my dad and cousins, talking saying hello to people in the community and playing in the busted fire hydrants with my cousins and friends from the building, kids throwing pop-it’s on the ground, is how I knew it was a NYC summer in my childhood and it’s something I’ll always be grateful for.

In Ohio growing up it was much different, I’d say definitely more, “structured” I remember going to school for the first time in Columbus and I didn’t know English at all actually. I also had a New York accent. In elementary school I had to do double the homework, one in Spanish and the other all in English! It honestly helped a lot, I remember I once I could not get the difference down between, “through” and “though” when we did a spelling bee and the next time we did the spelling quiz I got it and me and my teacher were so proud! I remember, I got the confidence to just do my English homework instead of doing both my Spanish and English homework and my teacher didn’t like that and said to the other Spanish kid next to me, “thank you for doing both, remember to do both.” In a condescending tone, but that was one of the first times I felt myself making a choice for myself and it was just a taste of my slight rebellious nature and freedom that would be, well me.

I would say certain things with an accent and my classmates would laugh because they never heard an NYC accent before and in true Ohio fashion they taught me on how to “properly” pronounce words, whenever I travel into different states I realize that Ohioans have the most clear accents I’ve ever heard. Ohio state is a proper state, a cozy cute one. In Ohio I grew up in the West side of Columbus, OH. I’m grateful I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood, growing up we would move all the time, but I’m happy that it was always in diverse neighborhoods because it made playing outside with other kids fun. It’s funny because growing up you knew the west side as just the west side, but you don’t realize until you move out the west side what others think about the west side of Columbus, Ohio.

Honestly, growing up in the west side, it actually was hard, it was tough, getting raised by a single mom she always tried hard and made her way. I grew up in an abusive household and things were tense.

When I was 17 years old I got kicked out, but I found my way. 2016 was one of the most craziest years of my life. I’m just grateful I’m here to live to create, love and adventure. I owe that to myself that’s for sure. I hope to share more on that year in art with you all one day.

Anyways, music and makeup and makeup and music, has always been in my life and fashion of course. My music taste is insane, it can go from, old r&b to 80s pop to reggaeton to hip hop to an iconic British brand to Mike Jones, like actually LOL.

I’m a Professional Makeup Artist and Artist, I’ve been doing makeup now for years now! I do a lot of Bridal & Birthday makeup!
I’ve done one fashion show
and it was in Columbus and it was such a great time I loved it so much. My love for beauty is from my mom and her mom, they love the glamour and so do I. When it comes to my beauty, I just love to play in makeup. My glamour is my favorite because it’s a routine, but I like to keep it fun because I love changing it up with the eyes and lips, sometimes blush. It’s just fun letting go and trying something new with your makeup, so it doesn’t get boring, or even perfecting your everyday look is something special once someone that likes makeup unlocks that it’s just such a different feeling, but once you get that down it’s just about building on what you already know when it comes to makeup, honestly like life.

When it comes to my clients I just want them to shine. I want them to know that your shine is special. I love hearing what they say and showing them how they can shine with the glam. I love connecting with my clients and seeing their reactions to their makeup.

When it comes to Art, art has always been in my life one way or another. I love creating things with my hands like pottery, paint and help build up plants.
Film has always been in my life too, growing up I’d always have my little electronics, making videos on my favorite digital camera with my sisters, I would always document everything and take pictures, honestly like I do now haha and singing has also always been in my life too.

This previous summer, summer of 2025, it was a beautiful summer, I adventured everywhere, doing makeup everywhere, I went to festivals and after shows and I got truly so inspired and one day I just kept writing and writing.

Then I said, “I’m going to start making music” and I just full send, and basically I found a producer I liked on Instagram and then I made my very first song ever called, “i will service u” and it’s a new wave dark r&b song, it’s sensual and ambient, it’s out everywhere for you to listen to and a music video as well to watch and sing a long to.

My song, “i will service u” is a loving, romantic, yearning song basically telling you, well that I’d take care of you. I’m proud of myself for releasing my first song. I can’t wait to see what else I end up creating next, just know I won’t stick to just one genre, I always want to be experimental.

I’m just a NYC born diva from birth, Midwest Emo Ohioan Dominican artist, who wants to have fun, create and spread joy and art.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I got kicked out when I was 17 it was one of the toughest times of my life ever. I felt so alone. I’m just grateful I have someone who cares for me. A lot of odds were stacked against me, but my light went through it all.

I was homeless 3 times in high school. One of those times the house got destroyed in a house fire.

Then that same year, kicked out. Although I went through these things, I know my character will always be stronger than anything because I know how to problem solve. I’m alive through that all and I came out stronger. It’s silly because being homeless and alone were two things I were scared of after going through that all and then I reminded myself well, I already went through those things already and solved it all, so I guess it’s all about perspective. There’s nothing to be scared about when there’s plans already meant for you.

Gods will is Gods plan. God has always been there for me and I’m just a grateful girl. Ever since I turned 18 I promised to give myself a beautiful, fun life and that I will.

I just want to grow my music more and more, and see what happens and see what beautiful people will come to listen to my music and enjoy it as much as I do. I hope to continue to grow my cool, loving, adventurous, beauty, music loving, fashion forward community.

Honestly after living an insane teen experience I just want to play in my creations, feel and release. I’ll always be grateful that I released my first song in November of 2025.

Grateful that this beautiful local magazine wants to interview me. Well you guys, I’m this is it for now, if you want to keep up with me, come listen to my music, or come get your makeup done by me!

I just want you all to know, that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can build from the ground up if you need to and as long as you have passion and dream, you will always be okay. You will be driven.

Take care and shine, your shine is the most special shine, your shine is like no one else’s and that’s what makes it special. So treat yourself like you are.

Love, Yerubi.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Yerubi – “i will service u” first single ep came out November 2025

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
“Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents“ by Lindsay C. Gibson this book changed my life honestly lol i read it when i was 22 and it made me understand more, it made me feel not crazy, made me feel forgiving and at ease to see a book that recognized patterns that I’ve lived.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/track/5VVEgaHgQmiLjxgxXNYWZw?si=_GBtYHSYSnGgFe7QbH4SHA
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/yerubiali
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/yerubiali
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-will-service-u/1852180433?i=1852180434