Skrypt and KP Illest drop 'It’s Still Giving'

Award-winning Namibian hip-hop duo Skrypt and KP Illest have reunited for It's Still Giving, the sequel to their 2023 project It's Giving.

The 12-track album took approximately four months to create, with the artists describing the project as a true sequel that sounds like a genuine part two rather than a remake, an alternative version of the first album and a collection of songs built around nostalgia for what worked three years ago.

Speaking to Tjil, KP Illest (real name Eliki Panduleni) reflected on the creative process behind the two projects. He said the first album captured a particular moment and proved that their different styles could come together to create a cohesive project.

“This album is us saying that the moment never really ended," he told tjil.

"Three years later, we’ve grown as artists, as men, and individually in our lives, but when we get into the studio together, that chemistry is still there," he said.

It’s Giving, he said, felt like a fresh discovery as the pair explored how their different approaches could work together.

“This time we already knew the formula worked, so there was more freedom. We weren’t trying to recreate the first album; we could experiment, take bigger swings and push the sound further because the chemistry was already established," he said.

The new album features five producers and collaborations with several prominent Namibian artists, including IANLOVLY, Etienne Boois, WADESIXFOUR, Solange and StakesBoy.

KP Illest said the collaborators were carefully selected based on what they could contribute to the project.

“We were intentional about features – nobody is there just for the sake of having another name on the track. Everybody brought something that helped complete the record they were on."

Growth fuels part two

For Skrypt (Hitji Katjatenja), the three years between the two projects brought significant personal and artistic growth, which ultimately influenced the direction of It’s Still Giving.

He told tjil the two artists underwent “massive growth" over the past three years.

"Mainly as people [and] that has always shaped our perspectives as artists. Loss, success, triumph, pain; we’ve gone through the motions of life, and I think the flow of the story of this album paints that picture very well."

The duo were also determined not to simply replicate their first collaboration.

Creative flow

Asked whether there was ever a moment in the studio when they felt they were straying too close to the original sound, Skrypt said the focus was never on chasing the past, it was on continuing the story.

“I think we were more focused on the continuation of the story and giving a proper account of our lives over the sound of the album. The first song set the tone of continuity; from there we let the creativity speak."

One of the standout concepts on the album is Shots & Vows, which KP Illest described as a song that grew beyond its original concept during the creative process.

"It essentially became two songs living inside one record," he said.

“'Shots' represents that bachelor-night energy, and then it transitions into 'Vows', which takes you into the wedding. We even developed skits around the guys getting ready for both moments, so by the end it became almost cinematic."

The album closes with Victory Lap, a title that Skrypt said reflects his perspective on success and failure in both the music industry and life.

“Winning and losing in this industry and ultimately in this life is all down to you as an individual," he mused.

"The barometer is what you decide it to be. And KP Illest and I have been successful in our eyes. It has nothing to do with critical acclaim, fan perspectives or accolades”.