Scribe (rapper)

Quality 0.50 · 3 views · Updated 2 months ago

New Zealand rapper

title: "Scribe (rapper)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1979-births", "apra-award-winners", "new-zealand-people-of-samoan-descent", "new-zealand-male-rappers", "pacific-music-award–winning-artists", "living-people", "people-educated-at-st-paul's-college,-auckland", "people-educated-at-linwood-college"] description: "New Zealand rapper" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribe_(rapper)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand rapper ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameScribe
imageScribe New Zealand Rapper 2019 (cropped).jpg
image_upright1.1
captionScribe in 2019
backgroundsolo_singer
birth_nameMalo 'Scribe' Luafutu or Jeshua Ioane Luafutu
birth_date
birth_placeChristchurch, New Zealand
originChristchurch, New Zealand
instrumentsVocals
genreNZ Hip hop
occupationRapper
years_active1995–2026
labelDirty Records
associated_actsSavage, P-Money
::

| name = Scribe | image = Scribe New Zealand Rapper 2019 (cropped).jpg | image_upright = 1.1 | caption = Scribe in 2019 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Malo 'Scribe' Luafutu or Jeshua Ioane Luafutu | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand | origin = Christchurch, New Zealand | instruments = Vocals | genre = NZ Hip hop | occupation = Rapper | years_active = 1995–2026 | label = Dirty Records | associated_acts = Savage, P-Money | website = Malo Ioane Luafutu, also called Jeshua Ioane Luafutu (born on 29 May 1979), and better known by his stage name Scribe, is a New Zealand rapper of Samoan descent. He achieved two solo number ones on the singles chart from his debut album, The Crusader, which was released in 2003 in New Zealand and later certified four times platinum. He also reached number one as a featured artist on P-Money's 2004 song "Stop the Music", and in 2010 on R&B singer J.Williams' single "You Got Me".

Early life

Scribe was born Malo Loane Luafutu on 29 May 1979 in Christchurch, New Zealand, to Caroline 'Carol' Luafutu and Fa'amoana John Luafutu. He grew up in the suburb of Philipstown, Christchurch.

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 as extras in the video. The song debuted at number 6 on the New Zealand top 40 singles chart 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 60,000 copies in New Zealand, which is four 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.[[File:Scribe (380146953) (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|248x248px|Scribe performing at [[Big Day Out]] in 2007]]

''Rhyme Book''

Scribe's second studio album, titled "Rhyme Book", was released by Scribe 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 12 August 2007 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.

''Scribe Is Dead''

After a decade hiatus, Scribe released a single titled "Non Attachment" which will feature on the forthcoming independently released album "Scribe Is Dead", originally announced for release in 2024. This effectively shelved his third album "Therapy" that was announced in 2011 but never released.

A second single for the album, titled "Glowstick", was released at the end of 2023. A third song, "Do or Die, Don’t or Die", was premiered in late April 2024. Scribe said in an interview with Rolling Stone that it would be his final album.

On 5 September 2025 the album was released.

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 lacklustre sales of his second album, "Rhyme Book". His addiction led to his family denying him access to money. He decided to pawn off the platinum awards he had won with his debut album.

In November 2011 Scribe was arrested in Wellington for disorder and released after being formally warned. Scribe said his arrest was illegal, but he admitted he was "dissing" the police but that "their ego couldn't handle it".

Following the assault on cricketer Jesse Ryder in late March 2013, Scribe took to Twitter, implying that Ryder was somehow responsible because his behaviour was not "humble" enough for someone visiting Christchurch. He further noted that "Cantabrians don't beat people up for no reason." 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".

In August 2018, Scribe was imprisoned for two months after breaching his curfew and performed in Motueka. He was released on 29 October. He was later due in court on 13 December for methamphetamine possession and breach of protection order.

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, titled "Therapy", but it was later shelved.

Family

Scribe is the cousin of other prominent Samoan New Zealand musicians Ladi6{{cite journal |last = Jenkin |first = Lydia |date = October–November 2008 |title = Ladi6 – Our Leading Ladi |journal = NZ Musician |volume = 14 |issue = 6 |access-date = 16 November 2011 |url = http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/printversion/pi_articleid/1452 |ref = NZMusician2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100523214207/http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/printversion/pi_articleid/1452 |archive-date = 23 May 2010}} and Tyra Hammond of The Opensouls.{{cite web |url = http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/people/10440/ |title = Inspire Me: Tyra Hammond |publisher = nzgirl |access-date = 16 November 2011 |ref = CMU

Scribe, Matthias and their father John also collaborated with Tom McCrory and Nina Nawalowalo on the stage play A White Guitar in 2015, which was an autobiographical story that did an eight-city sold-out tour in 2016.

Discography

Studio albums

::data[format=table] | Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | NZ | AUS | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2003 | The Crusader | 1 | 12 | | | | 2007 | Rhyme Book | 4 | 9 | | | | 2025 | Scribe Is Dead | | | | | ::

Major album guest appearances

  • P-Money – Big Things (2002) (six songs)
  • Concord Dawn – Uprising (2003) (one song)
  • P-Money – Magic City (2004) (three songs)
  • P-Money – Everything (2010) (three songs)

Singles

::data[format=table] | Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | NZ | AUS | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2003 | "Stand Up"/"Not Many" | 1 | — | | The Crusader | | | "Not Many – The Remix!"/"Stand Up" | 2 | 21 | | | | | | 2004 | "Dreaming"/"So Nice" | 1 | 23 | | | | | 2007 | "My Shit" | 4 | — | | Rhyme Book | | | "F.R.E.S.H." | 24 | 30 | | | | | | "Say It Again" (featuring Tyra Hammond) | — | — | | | | | | 2011 | "Not Many Cities" | 36 | — | | | | | 2022 | "Non Attachment" | ? | ? | | Scribe is Dead | | | 2023 | "Glowstick" | ? | ? | | | | | 2024 | "Do or Die, Don’t or Die" | ? | ? | | | | | "—" denotes a single that did not chart or achieve certification | | | | | | | ::

As featured artist

::data[format=table] | Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | NZ | AUS | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2004 | "Stop the Music" (P-Money featuring Scribe) | 1 | 7 | | Magic City | | | 2010 | "You Got Me" (J. Williams featuring Scribe) | 1 | — | | Young Love (Collector's Edition) | | | "Fresh Boyz" (Nesian Mystik featuring Scribe) | — | — | | 99 A.D. | | | | "Christmas Wrapping" (Dominic Harvey featuring Scribe) | 6 | — | | | | | | 2015 | "The Pigeon Song" (Guy Williams featuring Scribe) | 2 | — | | | | ::

References

References

  1. (21 November 2011). "King Kapisi supports Scribe's 'racist' arrest claim". [[Television New Zealand]].
  2. Te Koha, Nui. (30 September 2007). "Taking refuge in rhyme". [[Sunday Herald Sun]].
  3. van Beynen, Martin. (29 January 2011). "Scribe comes clean on his addictions". [[Fairfax New Zealand]].
  4. (8 September 2012). "Scribe's quake-inspired remake goes viral". [[Fairfax New Zealand.
  5. Sam - @thewriterau_sam. (2017-05-31). "Meet P-Money – New Zealand’s Most Renowned Producer & DJ - The Source".
  6. Shute, Gareth. (2016-11-28). "Beyond Scribe: The Changing Sounds of New Zealand Hip-Hop".
  7. "Interview with Caroline Luafutu".
  8. Stephenson, Sharon. (2022-07-15). "The filmmaker who helped tell the harrowing story of rapper Scribe's father".
  9. (2023-06-01). "'Brought me to tears': Luafutu family finds redemption from state care trauma".
  10. (2023-06-01). "Five revelations from Scribe's new doco".
  11. "Scribe".
  12. [http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/1700/Beastie-Boys-Scribe-The-Hordern-Pavilion-270105 Beastie Boys, Scribe @ TheHordern Pavilion, 27/01/05 – February 3, 2015] ''[[FasterLouder]]'' Retrieved 10 September 2015
  13. "Instagram".
  14. "Scribe says his next album will be his last: 'I figured out that I’m never going to be happy'".
  15. (15 December 2022). "Scribe drops first single in more than a decade - Non-Attachment".
  16. (2022-12-16). "'I couldn't do it if I wasn't clean' - Scribe writes his own future".
  17. Beynen, Martin van. (2011-01-29). "Scribe comes clean on his addictions".
  18. (2017-08-16). "Scribe sought by police over drug charges".
  19. "‘This Is My Goodbye’: Scribe Says New Album Will Be His Last (Exclusive)".
  20. "Chris Schulz: Scribe is Dead is a haunting farewell from Aotearoa hip-hop legend".
  21. "Scribe Is Dead ... tomorrow. Christchurch rapper reveals new album, retirement".
  22. (2011). "Rapper Scribe arrested on Wellington's Courtenay Place". [[Stuff (website).
  23. (21 November 2011). "Scribe gets support from King Kapisi". 3 News NZ.
  24. Gillies, Abby. (1 April 2013). "Scribe's Jesse Ryder tweets spark controversy". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
  25. (2023-05-30). "Radio man beaten up at Scribe Christmas party".
  26. (2018-10-30). "'I've made a lot of mistakes' - Scribe teases 'amazing news' after release from prison". [[Newshub]].
  27. "Kiwi father and son star in blockbuster Ghost in the Shell".
  28. Anderson, Vicki. (2021-08-06). "Actor finds new light starring in 'brutal' film Coming Home in the Dark".
  29. Thompson, Tulia. "Faith and Feeling in A Boy Called Piano".
  30. "'Brought me to tears': Luafutu family finds redemption from state care trauma".
  31. "The White Guitar".
  32. [https://charts.nz/search.asp?cat=a&search=scribe NZ Charts – Scribe]
  33. [http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=scribe Australian Charts – Scribe]
  34. "The Crusader".
  35. [http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2004.htm ARIA Chart – 2004]
  36. "Rhyme Book".
  37. [https://charts.nz/search.asp?cat=s&search=Scribe New Zealand Charts]
  38. [http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=s&search=Scribe Australian Charts]
  39. "Stand Up / Not Many".
  40. {{cite certification
  41. "Stop the Music".
  42. {{cite certification
  43. "You Got Me".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1979-birthsapra-award-winnersnew-zealand-people-of-samoan-descentnew-zealand-male-rapperspacific-music-award–winning-artistsliving-peoplepeople-educated-at-st-paul's-college,-aucklandpeople-educated-at-linwood-college