Skema Boy was one of the first names I got acquainted with when I came to Holy Culture. “Wristwatch” became an early favorite, the hook coming out of me unbidden at random times during the day. 

The tone of his vocals became familiar and I began to piece his story through his lyrics. 

Then, one day, I heard a new melody—a sound reminiscent of my school days of listening to Blink 182. The track’s feel was Relient-K, but the voice didn’t fit. 

Who is that?

With dinner sizzling on the stove and dishes half-washed and forgotten in the sink, I looked at my phone to discover the name Skema Boy.

My mind reeled with questions for the artist that so radically changed his sound. 

Where did he come from? What was the story behind the songs, and what birthed such a shift in music? 

Curiosity piqued, I knew I had to learn more.

The Story Behind the Songs

Before any interview, I like to do research on my subjects, and while sometimes I find little, this time I was able to get Skema’s backstory before we met. Jesus In My Life Podcast had the privilege of sitting down with him two months before my interview, and I was riveted from when I hit play.

Given for adoption at birth by his biological mother, young Skema struggled with a sense of self-worth.

His adoptive parents, two Yale theologians, divorced while he was still young, and those feelings of rejection intensified, and his mental health suffered to the point of contemplating suicide.

Yet through it all, his love of music kept him afloat, and music led him to his producer, who would invite him to his youth group. 

It was during a youth camp, however, that Skema had a personal encounter with God. During worship, he remembered experiencing an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance and he returned home a changed man. 

The Interview 

That was by no means the extent of his tale, but we’ll come back to that later. His darkest moments have had the most significant impact on his music because they starkly contrast the beauty of God’s grace and favor. And it is in this phase that I wanted to start our conversation.

Recently I got to hear your amazing but I wanted to talk to you specifically about when you were kind of struggling the most. Can you talk a little bit about your struggles and where you were mentally in that time?

Yeah. yeah, that’s a great question. I think that, at that point in my life, my main struggle was with self-worth and with finding meaning in life. I mean, I think high school can be hard enough as it is for a lot of, you know, a lot of kids.

And so I think at that point in my life, I was so just, so numb to most of what life had to offer for me. I was really just fixated on, like, I started smoking when I was in, like, I think beginning of eighth grade or something like that. And so I was always hanging out with older kids and, yeah, I don’t know. 

As time went on, I just kept, you know, I kept trying to find the next thing that was going to excite me about life. And I think it got to a point where I felt like I had done most things and, yeah. And I was like, man, is this, you know, is this really it? Like, I had a lot of relationships that went bad. I had a lot of, a couple run-ins with the law, like, just like stupid things that just led me to. Not really trust that there, I guess, was any kind of future for me that I was excited about.

And music was the only thing that really got me excited. Like, music was the only thing that really, like, got me out of bed excited to, like, wake up and take on the day. It was just knowing that I could record. And so, yeah, it was just a lot of self-worth, a lot of not knowing who I was and not knowing about my identity in the Lord, not knowing about, any of what the future could possibly hold. It was just day by day kind of a thing.

Can you talk about the role that music had in your life at that moment.  I remember hearing you say that you were still struggling with, with really liking hip hop. But you were actively doing hip hop then, is that right?

Yeah. Yeah. So I think I think that the enemy knows, right. He knows. He knows every single one of our soft spots. Right. Or like our weak points.

And for me, that was hip hop for a long time. Like, he knew what I liked and he knew what I spent most of my time in. And that was music.

Yeah, not only not only writing my own music and recording, but also just listening to music. Right. And, I don’t know, it’s so funny because I think that for so many people, when they listen to hip hop, when that especially like when they listen to a certain kind of certain subgenres of hip hop that are maybe a little bit more aggressive, or certain sounds that reflects, gang violence or just any kind of like aggression in, the use of guns or whatever it may be. Right? 

Like when you listen to that kind of music, like, I thought I would listen to that music and think that I was a different kind of person like that. I would listen, like, I listen to that music and I’d like take on the persona right of that rapper and, want to be in that just, I think out of just the desire for rebellion, just not not being happy with where I was.

And so, yeah, the enemy definitely used that against me, because even after I had my encounter with the Lord, like, I think that I still wasn’t ready to give up secular music, because in my mind, those were all the people that I looked up to. 

You know, anybody that I respected in this life that had something that was worth showing was in that world. Right? 

I didn’t necessarily expect I didn’t necessarily, like, respect my hardworking parents at the time. You know, just working their normal like normal jobs. Right. Or anybody else’s parents for that matter. 

Like I want it to be somebody. Right. Like, and so yeah, I don’t know with that I, I really it took me a long time before I understood the impact that that was having on my life. And, I could be your normal, you know, young believer most of that day. And then the moment I put my AirPods in or headphones in.

 I’d become like a different person. I think just adopting certain sounds and hip hop.

I think you’re absolutely right because I feel like the inverse of that is true. Whenever we hear music that’s edifying, it can really change our mood, right? How we feel and everything. Sure but I also thought it was very interesting that even though you were listening to secular hip hop, you were said some of those songs saved your life. I feel like there’s, a double edged sword. There’s the music aspect of it that kind of motivates you. But then there’s the negative aspect in that they’re talking about these things that are very destructive. 

Yeah. well, first, I think anybody can have, like, anything can be a savior to you, right? Especially when you’re at your lowest, when you’re, like, in search of a savior or something to save you. I think that’s why a lot of people come to Christ to begin with. But I think, like during that time, like I remember I met some of my favorite rappers back then and I would like literally say the words to them like, you saved my life. Kind of a thing, right? and I think artists can mean that much to people if they’re not aware of what a saved life actually looks like. Right. Or what that change can look like on you. But, yeah.

You know, it’s so specifically, I think the mai, moment of vulnerability for me was when I released the ABC song. 

I think I talked a little bit about that in that podcast, but like, I got home from a Domino’s shift that I was working and I was just feeling super depressed. Not really feeling like there was any kind of future for me. And, I went to go record my normal kind of my normal secular stuff. 

And, Yeah, in that moment, I just experienced this wave of conviction that I hadn’t felt in a long time from the Holy Spirit. And I knew that it was a very clear voice to surrender music finally, as a whole. And I don’t know really what brought that upon me, but I ended up like deleting my entire past secular catalog and then making this little worship song and then just, like, posting it right on TikTok just as a statement for myself and for other people.

And then that ended up blowing up overnight. 

But it’s always been hip hop for you right? Because I feel like  there was a shift in transition or evolution in your music [from “ABC,” “139,” to “Wristwatch”].

And that was like this. It was a mixture of feelings because I was excited about the traction and I was excited about what had happened when I said yes to God. But it was also like, this isn’t what I want to make, you know, as an artist. 

Like, that’s not really what I’m excited about. And so I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to shift to other lanes of hip hop or music in general. And, somehow it ended up working out, I think. 

I think one of my biggest strengths as an artist is that I have a whole bunch of different sounds like I think that it’s not so much an evolution that you’re looking at that’s just like me, because I’m not. I might go back to the 139 sound, or I might go back to the wristwatch sound, or I might go, you know, find something super old school like super bored really fast in the studio. And so I just am always experimenting with new sounds.

I think the evolution, the actual evolution, was just me surrendering music to the Lord and then growing into what it meant to make songs that were in honor of him. But not my music is never going to sound the same. 

Every song sounds different, and my hope with that is that, like, you know, some people will say like, oh, you’ll want to find the bag that you want to kind of stay in, right? Whether that be West Coast or Atlanta Sound or something like that, like different subgenres of hip hop. So that way people know what to expect from you. And I think there’s a place for that. But I think for me, I’m definitely the artist. That’s like, my hope is that if you don’t like 99% of my catalog, you know there’ll be at least that one that you’re like, oh, no, I can rock with this.

“ABC,” the song he calls his declaration of faith, was one I got to share with my daughter, who only knows the Kid’s Bop version of the original. I recounted her face lighting up as she heard him talk about God in a cadence she recognized.

His goal of replacing a secular song with one of his own for people encountering his music had been accomplished, and he beamed.

Tell me about your heart for the youth. 

Yeah. I think the youth is everything.

I think that there’s a certain, like, there’s a certain time in your life where you’re still clay, like you’re still moldable, really moldable, at least. And then I think at some point around, you know, early 20s that starts to harden.

Not to say you don’t change, but I think your core values have been shaped by that time and or at least you’ve been drawn one way or another. 

I know of the force that a lot of kids in high school are battling. I think not being a parent, like not being a parent right now, I feel more in tune with what high school is like, what the young kids are feeling. Versus I think when you become a parent, I imagine that you become a little bit more soft and a little bit more protective and like, oh, how could kids do that kind of a thing? 

But I think I’m still in the mindset of like, oh, I can I definitely understand what you’re battling. You know, right now in high school, I understand that you want to be cool, that, things, certain things are cringe to you that, you know, you want to do what you want to do, right?

And so, yeah, I’m just hoping that I just want to be an opportunity for those kids that when they, when they play maybe a song of mine in the car, that it’s something that they’re not ashamed about.

You know, they don’t have to explain to their friends. Because it’s one thing to be like [ to your friend in high school who doesn’t know the Lord]  hey, come to my youth group. 

And they’re like, oh, what is that? 

Like, oh, you just play some games on a Wednesday night like that. It sounds a little bit weird. You know, the first time that you’re trying to explain to someone what it might look like to be a Christian, but I think playing a song in the car that people rock with, you know, it’s a good introduction to the Christian faith.

I think there’s an issue with Christian hip hop where sometimes I think people will listen to Christian music and almost subconsciously feel like that replaces them being in their Word, you know? And I think that that’s what I’m trying to avoid. 

I’m trying to hopefully be a bridge for young people from the music and then to jumping into the water, you know, finding mentors and things like that.

I think you’re right on in that you can relate to that stage in life, I think one because you’re closer in age [unlike than people like me who are already parents] but also because it was such a significant time for you, what do you what do you think is the use biggest struggle for the youth right now?

I think music’s the biggest one. Like, I think everything, every social media platform right now. Right. Like, because people might say the stereotypical, like their biggest problem is social media or like anxiety and depression, I genuinely believe so many of these things stem from music, right? 

Like both Instagram and TikTok revolve around sounds, you know, and snippets of songs and everything points back to, oh, what’s the original song like? Where is that coming from?

And I think that music is what feeds culture. There’s an aesthetic that comes with certain sounds and music and stuff like that. And so, yeah, I think music is. 

I think if you can change music to change the course of music, really society gets starts to get redirected. Obviously there’s plenty of other things that the youth face, but I think that music has such an impact on our culture, especially in high school.

I think adults sometimes don’t realize how much time young people have to listen to music, right? Like so many, so many, like 9 to 5 for most adults is spent in the office or at their job, not really being able to consume.

And then they’re looking after their kids and they’re cooking dinner and spending time with their spouses. Like they don’t listen to music like that, right?

 But like high schoolers, like, that’s literally all you’re doing is just listening to music, finding new music, and spending time with your friends. And so I think, like, that’s why adults don’t understand how much of a, you know, how big of a portion of music plays in their kids lives, you know, whether and even down to, like, even if your kid doesn’t grow up listening to stuff, they’re going to parties and people are playing certain songs at school dances, right? 

And like, your kids are like, man, I don’t know this song because I grew up in a shelter at home, so I can’t participate. And so it’s it’s all about this, like creating this environment, you know, where you can be proud of the music you, I think, hold while you’re in that stage of life, you know.

I feel like that is such a pivotal time because, you don’t know who you are as a teen. You’re still being shaped like you said, but I think it feeds into that, because they’re listening to music with messaging that could affect a lot about who they see themselves as. 

So thinking about Skema Boy as a teen, dealing with a lot of stuff, mind you. Is there a piece of advice that you could have given your parents, from a future you?

Yeah, I tried that. I don’t know if I’d give. I mean, like, they were who they were, and they are who they are. I think that when I see what seems to be successful parental relationships, like, I think the best kinds of parents are parents that know how to be friends with their kids, but also can transition into that parental mode. 

Because I think you have parents on both sides of the spectrum, like parents that are too, too close and too friendly with their kids on that, like friendship level, that their kid starts to look at you more than their friend, more as their friend. And, you know, lose some respect for you. I think that comes with inherently being that parental figure. But I think that on the flip side, like you have parents who I think were more my parents. yeah, that really just leaned into that parental role of authority. We weren’t really friends, and thus there wasn’t this like natural trust or casual conversation.

Oh, this is what I’m going through. And so I think finding the balance between being a friend to your kid and also being a parent is really important. And I think that’s where like, you know, you need to when raising kids, you need to have trust and open conversations. And I think that’s where that comes from.

Since “ABC” blew up on TikTok, Skema Boy’s career has really blossomed, taking him from pizza delivery guy to a KCA nominee.  

For artists that are coming up, in their music, in their craft, what would be a piece of advice that you would give them?

Yeah. I think there’s two, two sides to it. I think that one would be. Yeah. Make sure your heart is in line with why you’re doing what you’re doing, and make sure you truly surrendered your craft to God.

And then the other part, I think, is I also see within the Christian community that this is starting to change, but people will almost like artists. Artists will almost trust God. Trust that God will blow them up. Without putting in the work to get good enough to blow up, you know.

Like, it’s there’s a lot and, you know, this is something that I’ve had to work at. I wouldn’t say I’m a natural artist. Like, this is year 11 of me doing this, and I can confidently say that I sucked for a long time and I think even now I still feel this, you know, I know where I need to grow, because I listen to artists that sound way more excellent than myself. 

But I’ll meet people who have this expectation that because they’re serving and building the kingdom with their music, that in return they’re going to get this massive music career. But they’re not spending any time in the studio or writing songs or marketing themselves or putting their music out.

I think that you have to put in the work and row the boat that God is guiding, right? Or like being the captain of. So I think the biggest problem with Christian hip hop was that we were all yes men to a bunch of bad artists in the past. I’m not saying like Lecrae, [those were pivotal], but like, there was, there was so much cringe. Like, there’s a reason that Christian hip hop has always had this cringey tone to it, right? And it’s because we were like, yeah, you support Jesus, so we’re going to support you. And there wasn’t any kind of filtering of, okay, but is this actually good music? You know, is this quality music? And when you think back to high school, there’s like, you have to understand the level of music and the quality of music that they’re consuming from the world.

There’s a lot of talented people in the world. There’s a lot of excellent music in the world, and there’s a draw to it. There’s an infatuation, and part of myself as an artist was like trying to look at, okay, why was I so infatuated with these people in high school? Like, what was it about them that I was infatuated with? And how can I take that and maybe mold it or shift it to where young people can have that same infatuation, but maybe in their faith or in, yeah, you know, in the word, whatever it may be. But yeah, I don’t know.

So how do you stretch your muscles, how do you get out there and kind of evolve into a better artist?

Yeah. I think that you spend as much time as you can [in the studio]. 

Right before my ABC song started taking off, there was a time where I was driving. I would go to my shift at Domino’s and on my 45 minute lunch break, I would go home, record, not even eat, post a TikTok or Instagram reel and go back and like, work. Right? And so I think I look back to that and I was like, man, I was grinding like I was hungry and I knew that that was what I wanted. I also think that God took off the ABC, so like I was, I said yes in that moment, but I was prepared to say yes.

Meaning like, I think he saw all the work that I was doing already in terms of sharpening my craft. And I think he gave me that moment because he knew that I was putting in the work and I was ready to steward that gift or that kind of calling, you know, on my life. 

But yeah, I really think it does come down to time because like, I think like I said, I’m not like a natural artist. And so like there’s someone there’s plenty of people who might be able to rap better or sing better than me. But my analogy always, always been like, let’s say, hypothetically, you were a better naturally gifted rapper than myself, right? And you and I were competing to hit like we each had a target, set up and a bow and arrow, and we’re competing to hit that target. That being a hit song or something like that. You know, you might be a natural, a better natural archer than myself, but I think I will shoot so many more arrows and stay after and, you know, just shoot thousands more arrows.

And I just have a higher likelihood of, you know, hitting my goals because of that. And I think I’ll grow much faster. And so yeah, that’s just kind of where I’m at, I just think that you really have to have that discipline. 

And I think that respect that you were talking about were like people don’t respect aspiring Christian rap artists–That didn’t that didn’t come out of nowhere.

And I think that that comes from a place of like, not everybody gets to make it, you know, not everybody gets to make it. And I think there is risk in it. When I was working at Domino’s, I remember I was on my break one time and I was scrolling and I saw this post that just, like, wrecked me. I don’t even know if I talked about any of the podcast.

But that post that like wrecked me. But it was like I scrolled and it said, if you’re ever having a bad day or feeling bad about yourself, just remember that there’s still someone from your high school trying to make it as a rapper And in that moment, I was like, oh no.

You’re not talking to me right now. That’s me!

I was like, that is literally I’m like, I’m the only one I know. I’m the only one out of my graduating class that’s still doing this. Because like, I would talk a big talk and I just go anyway. 

So it’s just crazy because, like, that’s so true and there’s so many people that don’t put in the time. And so what it equates to is, you know, you’re 30 years old trying to be a rapper, but you’re not good. And it’s never going to happen. Right? 

Because you haven’t put the time in, in the work. And so it’s a dangerous thing because like, even when “Wristwatch” started to do well and things like that, and I’m at my wife’s parents for the first time, I had to say, oh, I’m a Christian rapper.

It’s like, that’s not great, you know? 

And so it’s one of those it’s one of those like, and I knew that at the time. But it’s like one of those things it’s such a joke until it’s not. And then when it’s not a joke, it’s like the most impressive thing to everybody else. And so I think the other piece of advice is like, know that you’re going to get that and be okay understanding that people probably think you’re a joke. I meet Christian rappers every day and I’m like, my first instinct is that it’s a joke until you’ve, you know, you’ve shown that you actually record, you know what I mean? 

Back To His Story

At one point after his encounter with God, Skema gets a Facebook message from a woman claiming to be his biological mother. She asks that they meet, which he reluctantly does.

You see, he knew he had siblings who weren’t given up for adoptions, and that weighed heavily on him.

The woman was, in fact, his mother, and her story changed everything in his life.

After leaving an abusive relationship, she found herself a single mother to two kids. After she attended a work event, she fell victim to a date rape drug and, shortly after that, discovered she was pregnant. 

In the parking lot of the abortion clinic, God speaks to her and tells her, “Don’t go through with it; I have bigger plans for this child.” Moments later, she receives a call from an adoption agency telling her they found out she was with a child and wanted to help her deliver her baby. 

Suddenly, Skema knew that God had been there through all his suffering, saving him for this moment- and he was overcome with immense gratitude. 

Can you elaborate on what gratitude did then and continues to do in your life or even in your mental health?

Yeah, I think that gratitude is and has always been the foundation of my faith. 

Like I think that. Even in my moments where I’ve doubted the most in the past. Gratitude has always been there because in my story, right? 

Like my my biological mom had made the choice after having been taken advantage of, right, to give me up for adoption. And she experienced one of the worst things you can experience as a woman or a human.

And she was left with the consequences of that person’s actions. But her carrying me right, and she made the most selfless decision. 

And so I think my faith actually starts in the act of another human being choosing God in the midst of her suffering. 

So part of that conversation for me is like man. This woman attributes my life to God, right? And so and was able to walk through that choice only in a divine, through a divine, intervention. 

And so I think that for me, it’s like, man, I’m so I have so much gratitude and I’m so grateful for my mom and the choice that she made. And I’m thankful to the Lord for even intervening in that moment, of course. But then, like my mom still had a choice to make, right? And she still chose Jesus in the midst of her suffering and suffering. And so, yeah, I think it starts with gratitude. You know, I think it starts with the gratitude for the mercy and the grace that we receive from the father.

I think it starts in a place of just thankfulness for being met where we’re at, you know where we are. 

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