This man may be homeless but that is not stopping him from reaching for his dreams.
Koubi Mathese, aka Kroeskop, has managed to record his first rap song which is now available on iTunes.
The 36-year-old, who has been living on the street since he was 18, wrote the song, called So Materiaalise himself.
In his slightly nasal voice he sings: “I’m in love, I’m in love with you. My nice one, my ghetto chick, so hood. Got me thinking it was so good, So materiaalise so classified.”
Koubi, who grew up in Mitchells Plain, says he taught himself how to produce music and record by surfing the internet.
Thus far, he has produced and recorded 13 songs, and says his musical icons are Ice T, Prophets of Da City and Kriss Kross.
He says: “When the beat starts, it motivates me so I don’t still need to write my raps down.”
Life has been tough, he says, explaining that he was raised by his granny after his mom “threw him away”.
“They were always drinking, so my grandma in Mitchells Plain took me in because my parents didn’t care about me,” Koubi says emotionally.
He dropped out of Maitland High School in Standard 6, unable to keep up with the work.
Not long after Koubi turned 18, his grandma who had been working at Rex Trueform in Salt River fell ill and passed away.
With nowhere else to go, he started roaming the streets, doing odd jobs to get by.
Currently, the rapper works as a cleaner at a local mall, using his one off day to record his music, with the help of a friend in Bellville who owns a computer.
Kroeskop, who has also started a record label called Kaapse Laatie this year, is looking to drop his debut album called Most Dope.
He says youngsters should keep on believing in themselves.
“You will go through many difficult times, but it will make you wiser,” says Koubi.
'So Materiaalise' performed by Koubi Mathese