Hip hop often carries the stigma of crime and violence, shaped by lyrics that paint gritty portraits of life on the edge. What is less known are the tragedies that push artists down that road. Skid of 99Gang understands both sides. He has built a rap career while battling his own struggles. “Two years ago, I was in a very dark place in my life and I'm currently in a state of sobriety,” he said. “If I was to describe how I feel right now, I would say I feel peaceful.” ALSO READ: ‘Mbali’ and beyond: Skid opens up about music, survival, and 99Gang’s vision Peace, he added, has brought growth. “I used to procrastinate on everything I wanted to do. Right now, I feel like I can achieve it. I can literally do anything.” Sobriety, for him, is rooted in faith and family. “I just want to see my family proud of me,” he said. “God is the main reason I'm sober right now. I feel like he always had a vision for me, but I couldn’t live it because I wasn’t sober. Now I can execute His vision.” That path has not been easy. “The first two months were very hard. I had cravings and the urge to relapse,” Skid said. “But with God, there is nothing you cannot do. I was grieving, I was drinking, I was hiding behind lies. I overcame it because God was by my side.” ALSO READ: Top six rap collectives driving the genre forward His coping tools were simple. He prayed daily, read the Bible and leaned on activities he loved. “You can read, you can play ball, whatever brings you joy. But keep God above everything,” he said. “If you’ve been struggling to start the journey of sobriety, you can do it. It’s not easy, but you will feel better, live better and find your purpose.” He shared one mantra: If not me, then who? If not now, then when? Skid and 99Gang have released seven studio albums and one EP since debuting in 2020, including the 2023 hit Direktt! Hip hop here has long wrestled with substance use and its consequences, with several prominent voices spending time in jail or rehabilitation. That history makes Skid’s sobriety feel like the start of something new: proof that artists can choose a different path and still make purposeful music. As he put it, Being a Christian rapper is a-okay.
