15 + 6 questions for Jack Parow

1. Favourite toy as a child? 

Masters of the Universe. I was and still am a bit obsessed with it.

2. What kind of child were you?

I was probably creative in my own way. I was a big gamer and very into music and comics from an early age. Pretty much how I still am, haha. I think I'm still a child in many ways.

3. What do you listen to when you're alone?

Obviously not to the advice people give me, because then I would have been in a lot less trouble. But from a music point of view I listen to quite a lot of blues and country these days. I go through phases and then I get over them and jump onto something else. I think that's why, even though I make rap music, my beats or instrumentals are always all over the place, from drum and bass to country music to classical music.

4. What do you read first thing every morning?

The time, so that I know if I can hopefully still sleep or if I have to get up.

5. What were your favourite comics as a kid? 

I started with Casper, Woody Woodpecker, Goofy etc, then moved on to everything from Detective Comics and Archie to Ninja Turtles and Asterix. But when I look at my collection and what I have the most of, it's Mad Magazine, which was actually like a rip-off of all the comics and cool movies and so on. I think it spilt over into my life and in a weird way formed quite a bit of my style, because my vibe is a lot of social commentary and making jokes about the mainstream.

6. What is your favourite plant? 

My Lego strelitzia, because I never have to water it and it's always fresh and perfect.

7. Best movie you saw this year?

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, love it, amazing cast, great soundtrack, the jokes are on point … and I resemble a Mario brother.

8. What can't you live without?

Games games games. Love them, they're like therapy for me, which is another thing I can't live without.

9. Highlight of your life?

My name on a 30 Seconds card, the middle page of Huisgenoot and being pranked by Leon Schuster … the Afrikaans trifecta. I'm basically melktert now.

10. What is your favourite Christmas song? 

Jack Parow's Merry Xmas.

11. Which international publications do you read regularly?

Instagram.

12. What do people say when they recognise you?

“HEY, YOU LOOK LIKE JACK PAROW. WHERE IS YOUR LONG HAT?"

13. How would you describe your clothing style?

Street corner chic? I always joke and say: “Do you know how expensive it is to look so poor?"

14. What inspires you? 

Nice people, nice parties, nice drinks and nice braaibroodjies.

15. What do you fear?

That I will fall and tumble down the abyss of soulless mediocrity and get lost in the dull maze of boredom until I lapse into lonely darkness … and spiders.

16. Your favourite poem? 

“Kaptein, span die seile / Kaptein, sy is myne / Daar waar die son opkom / Daar oor die horison /wag sy, vir my..."

17. The quality you like least about yourself?

That I can't say no, not to a visit or a favour or a last drink. This damn rubber arm of mine is going to be the end of me one day.

18. What is the most overrated quality in other people?

Kindness … if your day was crap, be crap; don't try to be nice, be a twat.

19. Who's your favourite rapper? 

It's a difficult and actually an impossible question, because I definitely have too many favourites. So let me tell you instead who I have been listening to for the longest time and the one who got me into rap and also the reason why I have so many favourite rappers, since he made me start listening to rap: SNOOP.

20. If you could live in another time, when would it be and why?

3023, when we all have lasers in our eyes and are besties with aliens and AI does all the work and we can just chill on the beach on Earth 2, since Earth 1 will be uninhabitable by then.

21. Your best party song?

Bles Bridges' Ruiter van die Windjie. I can just imagine how back in the day he would hide behind the curtain in some auditorium while that intro was playing and the aunties were all sitting on their chairs fanning themselves with a hand fan while waiting for their rose and then he would  BURST forth.

♦ VWB ♦

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION: Go to the bottom of this page to share your opinion. We look forward to hearing from you.