Biography of Skales

Raoul John Njeng-Njeng popularly known by his stage name Skales (an acronym for Seek Knowledge Acquire Large Entrepreneurial Skills), is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. He is well known for his insightful and thought-provoking hooks.

Early life and background of Skales

Skales was born April 1, 1991 in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The Edo State descent was raised by a single mother, who did menial jobs to take care of him. He had his primary and secondary education in Kaduna. For his higher studies, he attended Unijos and Lead City University. Skales withdrew from the University of Jos in his junior year and later graduated from Lead City University with a degree in Office Management and Technology.

His Rise to Fame

While working at his mum’s cassette store, he developed interest in music. He began writing rap songs in 2000. During his undergraduate days in Unijos, he came across producers Jeremiah Gyang and Jesse Jay-Z who influenced his music career. He contested in the Zain Tru Search Competition and emerged winner of the North Central region. This win geared him to release his debut single titled: Must Shine which received massive airplay on radio stations in Lagos, Jos and Abuja. Skales once stated in an interview that his music is influenced by his surroundings.

His Music Career

In furtherance of his music pursuit, he moved to Lagos and signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment (E.M.E) in 2009. He released singles “Mukulu” and “Keresimesi” under the outfit. In December 2011, Skales was involved in a ghastly motor accident along the Lekki-Epe Expressway. The car he was in ran into a ditch and somersaulted. The accident left one dead and three injured.

Skales was one of the main acts on E.M.E’s debut compilation album, Empire Mates State of Mind (2012). He collaborated with Banky W., Wizkid, Shaydee, Niyola and DJ Xclusive on five of the album’s seven singles. He toured and performed alongside other E.M.E acts in several different cities, including Houston, Dallas, Toronto, Vancouver, New York City, Providence, Calgary, Atlanta, Washington DC and Chicago. Skales was among the slew of notable performers who featured at the 2013 edition of Felabration.

Following the expiration of his four-year recording contract with E.M.E, he left the record label to establish his own outfit, OHK Music record label in May 2014. In addition to his personal label, he also signed a 5 year deal with Baseline Music label. The label is home to producer Drey Beatz and has affiliations with other music personnel within Nigeria.

On 6 May 2014, Skales released the single “Shake body” as the lead single from his debut studio album Man of the Year. The accompanying visual for the song was uploaded on YouTube on 22 July 2014. Skales promoted the song by announcing the Shake Body video competition. Skales dropped his first album titled Man of the Year in 2015. He released other body of works like The Never Say Never Guy (2017) Mr Love (2018)

Skales has collaborated with numerous artists, including eLDee, Jeremiah Gyang, Banky W. and Knighthouse. His popular songs are  “Shake Body”, “Mukulu”, “Keresimesi”, “Komole”, “My Baby”, “Take Care of Me” and “Denge Pose“. The Shake body crooner kicked off the year 2019 with up tempo club house song titled Feposi. Other singles to his name are Oyoyo, Ego amongst others.

In April 2020, the self acclaimed Mr Love teamed up with Senegalese-American singer Akon on a new single titled “Kowope”. Weeks after the release of the hit single, he dropped another song “Selecta” still featuring Akon. Selecta is his fourth output for the year 2020. With the recent release of impressive records, there seems to be no  slowing down for the hip hop rapper. Skales alongside other Nigerian celebrities have spoken against police brutality.

His Endorsements

In 2016, he bagged an ambassadorial deal with giant telecommunication, MTN Nigeria. He was named alongside Falz, Chidinma, Iyanya, Saka etc.

Skales Relationship

Skales is yet tobe married but he has had previous relationships with women. In January 2020, The OHK boss announced in an interview that he is getting married very soon. Skales is romantically linked with Rwandan singer and songwriter, Neza. The couple have been known to flood social media with their loved up photos. Perhaps she is the one he is getting married to.

Awards and Nominations

Best Upcoming Artiste (Male), Nigerian Teen Choice Awards, 2013.

Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year (2015)

Best Collabo of the year (2018)

Best Vocal Performance (Male) for Emergency ( featuring Runtown ft Patoranking)

Skales Net Worth

Skales ranks as one of the richest and influential celebrities with an estimated net worth of $2.6 million dollars