A native of
Edo State, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng was born and raised in
Kaduna State. He grew up in a single-parent household with his mother, who did menial jobs to nurture him. Skales became interested in music while regularly attending his mother's cassette store. He met producers
Jeremiah Gyang and
Jesse Jagz while attending the
University of Jos (Unijos). He took part in the Zain Tru Search Competition during his time at Unijos and won the competition's North Central region. Skales left Unijos his junior year and attended
Lead City University, where he graduated with a degree in office management and technology. His debut single, "Must Shine", received positive critical acclaim. In an interview with
This Day newspaper in 2013, Skales described himself as an entertainer whose music is influenced by his surroundings. The song "
Jesus Walks" by
Kanye West served as the inspiration for his 2009 track "Heading for a Grammy". An anthem to self-empowerment, the song was shaped in part by the events he was going through at the time.
2009–present: E.M.E, OHK Music establishment, and music releases Skales signed a record deal with
E.M.E after meeting
Banky W. in 2009. He released the singles "Mukulu" and "Keresimesi" simultaneously; both songs were produced by
Sarz and released under the outfit. The music video for the latter track was directed by
Clarence Peters and uploaded to YouTube on 28 November 2011. Skales was one of the main acts on E.M.E's debut compilation album,
Empire Mates State of Mind (2012). He collaborated with
Banky W.,
Wizkid,
Shaydee,
Niyola and
DJ Xclusive on five of the album's seven singles. He also toured with some of the aforementioned acts on the EME US Tour, which kicked off on 4 July and ended on 2 September 2012. E.M.E acts performed in several cities, including Houston, Dallas, Toronto, Vancouver, New York City, Providence, Calgary, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Skales supported Wizkid on his tour of London in 2012. On 17 October 2013, he performed at the 2013 edition of
Felabration, a yearly concert dedicated to
Fela Kuti. In February 2014,
Vanguard newspaper reported that Skales left E.M.E following the expiration of his four-year recording contract. E.M.E executives believed they were not getting remunerated for investing in him and refused to renew his contract. Skales founded OHK Music, his own record label, in May 2014. The label has connections to various musicians in Nigeria and is home to producer Drey Beatz. Skales released the Jay Pizzle-produced track "Shake Body" on May 6, 2014, as the lead single from his debut studio album
Man of the Year. The accompanying music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on 22 July 2014. Skales promoted the song by announcing the Shake Body video competition. Skales reportedly signed a record deal with
Timaya's Dem Mama Records following his departure from E.M.E. In February 2014, he debunked the reports and said he didn't sign with Dem Mama Records. In April 2025, Skales reached a career milestone, surpassing one million monthly listeners on
Spotify. In April 2025, the number rose to two million monthly listeners on the platform. That same month, Skales performed in Barcelona following FC Barcelona's
Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid. ==Personal life==