FRESH PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

 

 

 

 

Tsap Fresh Family,

We are back with your favorite personalities in the land. We continue celebrating and appreciating our stars and shining some extra light on them on Fresh Personality of the week. While doing so, we also get to know them on a more personal level and find out some interesting facts about them. You gonna love this, we are being friends with them for a few minutes.
This week we get upclose and personal with Skrypt. Yes, your favourite rapper, the radio guy, the sports agent, the everything. He share his interesting background, his creative structure. his love for sports and so much more.

Fresh: What do your friends call you?

Skrypt: Most of my friends call me Skrypt to be fair but they remix it into ‘Skryptie’ Ongombo, Omaere J. Cole. People that really know me call me Hitji.

Fresh: Where did you grow up, and what’s a fond memory from there?

Skrypt: I am a third culture kid in many ways. I grew up in South Africa, Austria and Namibia. My fondest memory from my childhood in South Africa would be watching Mamelodi Sundowns play at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. I lived in Pretoria and my dad would take my brother and I to every single game. That’s how I became a die hard Masandawana fan. In Austria, it would be traveling Europe and playing football. I used to play club football up until 17. I played for First Vienna Fooball Club and we would travel to other countries to play. Another Highlight would be watching Chelsea against Zilina in Slovakia.

Fresh: When’s your special day?

Skrypt: Every day is special! Jokes, 18^th December. Yes, I am a Sagittarius. No – I am not toxic. Star signs are things people came up with to justify the good and the bad in people. My other special day is the 21st of January; my mother’s birthday.

Fresh: What’s your creative process like, is it structured or chaotic?                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Skrypt:  Chaotic structure. I write a verse every single day. Literally, every day, I write a verse or sometimes when I am in a flow state, a whole song. When I am in studio, depending on who I am with like to conceptualize and write there and then. If I don’t know the collaborating artist well, I prefer to send the verse and record in my own space.

Fresh: If your life were a genre of movie, what would it be?

Skrypt:  Romantic comedy! Jokes, no time for romance these days. It would be a dramatic comedy. Things have a funny way of working out for me, but not before a little heart attack here and there.

Fresh: If you could relive one day of your career exactly as it was, which day would it be?

Skrypt: It would be Pop Up Festival 2019. What a show, even AKA was impressed. That or my first show at the Confab rooftop for my first mixtape in 2018.

Fresh: What sparked your passion for your career? Any unexpected twists?

Skrypt: I grew up with cousins who listened to a lot of rap. So naturally I was drawn to be as cool as the guys I saw on Tv. I was relatively shy, up until Grade 5 at Emma Hoogenout Primary School. I met a friend, Karumendu Riruako and one half of Cool Under Pressure, Ice. And my boy Natangwe Mwafongwe. We started a rap group and we actually managed to get a beat out of Willy G at the time. The rest is history. The unexpected twist was me moving to Europe, I think it shaped the direction I wanted  to take as a rapper. I spent 7 years there and came back to find Kp Illest and Lioness in motion and we became friends and worked together. That heavily contributed to me entering the Namibian music scene. Good times.

Fresh: Any achievements or projects you’re super proud of?

Skrypt: I am very proud of the NAMA Award for Hip Hop 2019. Not just the win but the performance, because it was the first of it’s kind in Namibia. It was audacious, bold and apparently one of the best in Africa that year according to Rockstar Entertainment. I was nominated for Best Live Performance at the Rockstar Awards in Senegal alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy and Cassper Nyovest. That, I am proud of.

Fresh: What book, movie, or piece of art changed your life?

Skrypt: Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist. The Alchemist is one of those small books that leaves a profound impression. It’s a story about following your heart and learning from experience. It’s a book that forces you to reflect on your path in life and the choices you make. Told from the perspective of Santiago — an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels in search of treasure — The Alchemist is a wise, magical, and timeless classic that will stay with you for the rest of your life. James Baldwin’s Go Tell It On The Mountain and Lord of The Flies are tied as a close second.

Fresh: When you’re not working, what are you up to? Any hobbies or secret talents?

Skrypt: Hobbies? I play football socially, I play basketball and I golf. Radio and the sports agency take up most of my time. I am an agent at EPSA27 and it has been a wonderful journey so far. I play social football to live out my childhood dream of being a professional footballer. My days are quite packed so the rest of the time I just sleep.

Fresh: Which song is on repeat for you right now?

Skrypt: Nasty C and Usimamane – Soft. The video just came out too. I relate to the lyrics, working hard just to live my life soft. It’s still a hard knock life right now but as we say in otjiHerero…Mutu Mukuru Mavatere. Things will work out in the end and that soft life will be achieved.

Fresh: If you weren’t in the entertainment industry, what would you be doing?

Skrypt: I am currently doing it, sports agent. I love it. It’s so fulfilling knowing you can contribute to an athlete living out their dream. It’s a little bit like playing FIFA Manager.

Fresh: What motivates you to keep going on tough days?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Skrypt: On tough days I am reminded of the bigger picture. I am reminded of the days I used to dream of being where I am. There is no room for easy days when you are this close to being everything you have wanted to be. The trick is not to just become that person, the magic is in remaining that person. Don’t try to work hard to get something right, work even harder than that to never get it wrong again.

Fresh: What shows or movies are you currently binge-watching?

Skrypt: I just finished watching Severance and See on Apple Tv. It’s FIFA Club World Cup time so I am primarily focused on that and all the youth football happening with COSAFA u20 and Region 5. See did not disappoint. Severance? Season 1 was good, everything else was underwhelming.

Fresh: What’s something you enjoy that might surprise people?

Skrypt: Romantic comedy! Jokes, no time for romance these days. It would be a dramatic comedy. Things have a funny way of working out for me, but not before a little heart attack here and there.

Fresh: Do you ever re-watch your own performances? If so, which one and why?

Skrypt: I rewatched my NAMA performance once. Okay, maybe twice, but I rarely do. It takes me a year to go back to listening to my albums as well, because then it feels like I am a fan going back to something I like.

Fresh: If you could work with any artist or personality, who would it be?

Skrypt: I would love to work with Nasty C, J. Cole and Tems. First three that come to mind right now. But that list is long. M.I Abaga, Ari Lennox.

Fresh: What’s your favorite food?

Skrypt: Anything my mother cooks. Other than that, I love a good steak  and mash or a nice burger with fries.

Fresh: Do you have a personal mantra or quote you live by?

Skrypt: That it is easy. Anything that looks easy on one side, has it’s difficulties on the other. There are things that look cool on the surface but they play into who you are as a person. It is easy to believe you are on top of the world, but it is important to step outside of yourself and remain grounded. You are never as good as they say you are, you are also never as bad as they say you are. You are just, you.

 

Follow Skrypt on all social media platforms  @skryptmusic and catch all the behind-the-scenes, gig vibes, and random fire moments.

 

Happy Weekend Folks.

Jay Vinn.