Scribe (rapper)

Scribe

Scribe at the Big Day Out in 2007.
Background information
Birth name Malo Luafutu[1][2] or Jeshua Ioane Luafutu[3][4]
Born (1979-05-29) 29 May 1979
Christchurch, New Zealand
Origin Christchurch, New Zealand
Genres Rap, Hip hop
Years active 2000–present
Labels Dirty Records
Associated acts Savage, P-Money

Malo Luafutu,[1][2] also called Jeshua Ioane Luafutu[3][4] (born on 29 May 1979), and better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand hip hop rapper and recording artist of Samoan descent. His debut album, The Crusader, was released in 2003 in New Zealand where it has since been certified five times platinum, achieving two number one singles. In 2010, he featured on R&B singer J.Williams single You Got Me which reached number one on the RIANZ charts.

Career

With the initial focus on the song "Stand Up", director Chris Graham gave the video for the single the energy of a rock video. He invited music guests, DJs and even the general public to participate in the video. The song debuted at #6 on the New Zealand top-40 singles and soon rose to number 1. The single spent 12 (non-consecutive) weeks at number one.

Dirty Records released Scribe's debut album The Crusader in New Zealand in October 2003 with distribution through Festival Mushroom Records. The album went gold within hours and platinum within days. It sold 85,000 copies in New Zealand, which is five times platinum status in that country.

Scribe followed the success of the album with the limited-edition release of "Not Many - The Remix!" featuring guest vocals from MCs Savage and Con Psy which peaked at No. 2. He then released a new single, "Dreaming" in January 2004; this also reached No. 1.

Scribe took a break from new singles and toured the country on the Hook It Up tour before he returned in late 2004 with a new single off P-Money's Magic City album called "Stop the Music", again reaching No. 1.

In 2005 he opened for the Beastie Boys at shows in Australia.[5]

Rhyme Book

Scribe's second studio album, titled Rhyme Book, was released in Australia on 29 September 2007 and in New Zealand on 1 October 2007. Rhyme Book did not sell as well as its predecessor. It featured collaborations with New York hip-hop artist Talib Kweli (of Reflection Eternal and Black Star fame) on the track "Be Alright".

The first single off the album in New Zealand, "My Shit", had its video premiere on Sunday, 12 August on local music-channel C4. "F.R.E.S.H." was the second single released in New Zealand. The first single in Australia however was "F.R.E.S.H.", followed by "My Shit". The third single in both countries, "Say It Again", features Scribe's cousin Tyra Hammond.

Personal struggles and addictions

In 2011, in an interview on Campbell Live, Scribe described how he became addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling between 2005 and 2007 following poor sales of his second album, Rhyme Book. His addiction led to his family denying him access to money, to the point that he had to pawn off many of the platinum awards he had won with his debut album.[3]

In November 2011 Scribe was arrested in Wellington for disorder and released after being formally warned.[6]

Scribe said his arrest was illegal, but admits he was "dissing" the police, but "their ego couldn't handle it".[7]

Following the assault on cricketer Jesse Ryder in late March 2013 Scribe took to Twitter implying that Ryder was somehow responsible as his behaviour wasn't "humble" enough for someone visiting Christchurch. He further noted that "Cantabrians don't beat people up for no reason."[8] Scribe's comments were widely vilified on Twitter and numerous blogs with many posters alluding to Scribe's role in the violent, unprovoked assault on Phil Armstrong in 2004 as further evidence that he condones violence. Ryder later jokingly thanked Scribe for his "support".[9]

Christchurch earthquake

Scribe released a remix of his single 'Not Many' to show support for the victims of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. 'Not Many Cities' features Scribe rapping in different parts of the CBD's red zone, with altered lyrics such as 'I don't know any city,' instead of 'I don't know anybody'. Although his video received positive attention from the media, there was outcry from some Christchurch residents who claimed it was unfair that Scribe was allowed in the red zones when red zone business owners were not.

Shortly after the remix's release, Scribe announced that he was working on a third album, as yet unreleased. It is to be titled Therapy.

Family

Scribe is the cousin of other prominent Samoan New Zealand musicians Ladi6[10] and Tyra Hammond of The Opensouls.[11]

Discography

Solo albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
NZ
[12]		 AUS
[13]
2003 The Crusader 1 12
2007 Rhyme Book
  • Released: 1 October
  • Label: Dirty Records
 4 9
  • NZ: Gold

Major album guest appearances

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications Album
NZ
[15]		 AUS
[16]
2003 "Stand Up"/"Not Many" 1 —
  • NZ: Platinum
 The Crusader
"Not Many – The Remix!"/"Stand Up" 2 21
  • AUS: Gold
2004 "Dreaming"/"So Nice" 1 23 —
2007 "My Shit" 4 — — Rhyme Book
"F.R.E.S.H." 24 30 —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or achieve certification
Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Album
NZ
[15]		 AUS
[16]
2004 "Stop the Music" (P-Money featuring Scribe) 1 7
  • NZ: Platinum
  • AUS: Gold
 Magic City
2010 "You Got Me" (J. Williams featuring Scribe) 1 —
  • NZ: Platinum
 Young Love (Collector's Edition)
"Fresh Boyz" (Nesian Mystik featuring Scribe) — — 99 A.D.
2015 "The Pigeon Song" (Guy Williams featuring Scribe) 2 —

References

  1. 1 2 "King Kapisi supports Scribe's 'racist' arrest claim". ONE News. Auckland, New Zealand: Television New Zealand. Fairfax. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  2. 1 2 Te Koha, Nui (30 September 2007). "Taking refuge in rhyme". Sunday Herald Sun. Southbank, Victoria, Australia: The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 van Beynen, Martin (29 January 2011). "Scribe comes clean on his addictions". The Press. Christchurch, New Zealand: Fairfax New Zealand. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Scribe's quake-inspired remake goes viral". The Press. Christchurch, New Zealand: Fairfax. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  5. ↑ Beastie Boys, Scribe @ TheHordern Pavilion, 27/01/05 - February 3, 2015 FasterLouder Retrieved September 10, 2015
  6. ↑ "Rapper Scribe arrested on Wellington's Courtenay Place". stuff.co.nz. 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "Scribe gets support from King Kapisi". 3 News NZ. 21 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Gillies, Abby (1 April 2013). "Scribe's Jesse Ryder tweets spark controversy". NZ Herald. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Jesse Ryder thanks Scribe for 'support'". 3 News NZ. 3 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Jenkin, Lydia (October–November 2008). "Ladi6 - Our Leading Ladi". NZ Musician. 14 (6). Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  11. ↑ "Inspire Me: Tyra Hammond". nzgirl. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
  12. ↑ NZ Charts - Scribe
  13. ↑ Australian Charts - Scribe
  14. ↑ ARIA Chart - 2004
  15. 1 2 New Zealand Charts
  16. 1 2 Australian Charts
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