TC The Scoutman: Healing the World Through Medicine & Music

TC The Scoutman #Pieoneers

Let our Pieoneer readers know, who is TC The Scoutman?

My stage name is TC The Scoutman. official name is To Chukwu Umunnakwe. Originally from Nigeria, came to Botswana when I was 5yrs old. I grew up in Moleps (Molepolole) I see myself as a Mokwena (chuckles). Right now I’m working in Maun as a Doctor. Finished my Med School 2016. But Hip Hop has always been my passion for the longest I’m trying follow that avenue and see where it goes.

Why come to Botswana instead of South Africa or anywhere else in the world?

It's more on my parents, I just came with them. The landscape in Nigeria generally political wise, there was a lot of hostility. I bet my parents wanted an antithesis of the whole hostile environment and thought Botswana is more peaceful and has a lot of potential. I guess that’s why they came here as opposed to South Africa because it was a lot similar to Nigeria cuz it was very violent too.

Was the move planned out or it was more of let's go and see what we can cook up there?

I think it was more of testing the waters. He didn’t have a solid plan. Came here in ‘96 with 40$ in his pocket and tunes he got robbed at Sir Seretse Khama Airport. He was there like I'm trying to get away from this and I just walk right into it. He didn’t have a lot to his name but he got a job, started working, saved up some money and brought us here.

Reason why I lead you to that point is because it seems foreigners have a more fearless approach, even if they don't have a solid plan they still go out and make something of themselves.

True, I think it’s more of faith than fear. Faith always overcomes fear. I also want to point out that even Batswana have that spirit too. I think maybe we might be complacent cuz we always got it a lil easier in terms of govt, health and stuff. But the spirit is there.

Do you have any outstanding memories from Nigeria before coming to Botswana?

Not many, most of my memories are here in Botswana. I have a vivid collection of where I grew up and the people around me and the kids I grew up with. (Smiles reminiscing) and I remember I had this young girl I knew (giggles) some young love. That's prolly the clearest memory I have, think I was two. I remember her name was Queeneth and we used to chill after nursery. (Laughing) I was throwing some game back then.

Talking about that, they same women are the biggest inspiration to men and they are the inspiration behind the world's greatest inventions. Look at Da Vinci...

And also Alexander Graham Bell with the phone he was trying talk to a shawty (laughs) it goes back to the two driving forces; Love and fear. A woman inspires the greatest type of love.

Now coming to Botswana how hard was it blending into the cultural fibre of our society?

It was a huge adjustment, a bit of a culture shock. It was nice being immersed in the Botswana culture but the hardest part for me was the language. I don't know why it's taking me so long to speak that flawless Setswana. But I'm getting there might even start spitting Motswako in like two years.

How was school for you?

Generally school always came easy for me.  But I would like to give credit to my parents cuz they have always emphasized the importance of school. They are very competitive people and also being scholarly themselves: both my parents work in Education they are lecturers. They had that teacher spirit so I had that at school and at home. I finished school pretty early. I don't want to sound like I am bragging but I was always number 1 or 2 in my classes. I skipped two classes; Std 3 & 7. Then in high school I skipped Form 3, I wrote my Form 5 exams when I was thirteen. Finished at fourteen and got into Varsity at 15, got into Med School and finished when I was 21. Ultimately my goal is to be the youngest neurosurgeon in Botswana or Africa by the grace of God.

Besides having learned parents who emphasized the importance of school, what do you think gave you the edge?

I honestly don't know maybe its genetics or grace of God or the Universe. Whenever I go and study I just always memorized and understood things easily. I feel like as long as you put your mind into it and give it sufficient amount of time your brain will absorb whatever it needs to absorb.

How important is exposure to intellectual growth?

It is very important and I feel like it has to be a multi-faceted thing. You can't just go to school and do conventional education. As a child you need to be exposed to a lot of things; music and reading books. My parents always made me read a lot books, I used to play scrabble with my mum and other lecturers when I was in primary school.

The reason I asked this is because I feel exposure is one of those elements that can advance one's intellectual growth. The more you are exposed to, the more your brain expands.

I agree, there is this concept in Medicine called neuroplasticity. At a small age your mind is most plastic and it absorb and expand the most. So when you start it at a young age I feel the brain keeps this plasticity for longer and you can absorb more information. Exposure and knowledge is what grows the intellect.

One of the best poets in Botswana TJ Dema said a kid who has never seen an aeroplane cannot dream of becoming a pilot.

Those are wise words. I read somewhere that when Christopher Columbus went to America, the native Indians were standing at the shore. They were looking but could not see the ship cuz they couldn't fathom such construction of a thing of that magnitude. So they could not see or plan for these guys til they literally landed.

Let’s talk about something that makes you the Pieoneer. The youngest Doctor in the country! How does that make you feel?

It's a good feeling, feels like a bit of an accomplishment. It gives me more drive to try and do more. It shows me that it's possible and shows people around me that it's possible. I appreciate the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

Being the youngest Doctor in the country, has that given you a competitive edge or opened doors for you?

I think it has but not in a way I thought it would. Truthfully I haven’t done as much I have just been focusing on my internship. But when I go to people's offices at the Ministry of Health, Harvard Lab or Marina, people are a lil excited to help on how I can further my goals. But I haven’t gotten any award or money (chuckles).

In the corridors rumours say Medicine is the toughest course in varsity. How was it for you?

I feel like in terms of academics it was my first real challenge. It's not difficult just that there is a huge workload, copious amount of material and you can never read up everything in medicine. Material changes often, what you learn today maybe obsolete in two years, so you have to constantly stay reading. I had my fair share of hardships, sleepless nights and a lot of tears. 

Yeah you know sometimes you doubt yourself like oh I'm not as smart as I thought I was.

What got you in the zone to think you wasn't as smart as you thought you were and how did you triumph over that?

I've always been that one person who been hard on myself. I expect a certain level of standard not only academics but life in general. When you not living up to that you start doubting yourself as to whom you thought you are. But deep down I always knew that (I'm destined for great things). I strongly believe in purpose. I feel like everyone has this thing that they were created to do, that only they can do in their own capacity and special way. A lot of people don't find or discover it. I always believed that one day I will find what it is and that keeps me going in all avenues of life. I also have great people around me, the support from family and my faith in the universal process keep me going.

The corpus callosum that bridges Medicine and Music is the healing element. Did you see yourself doing both of them at an earlier point in your life because there is a deep overlapping connection between the two?

I walked into it without realizing. I believe in healing. One thing that got me through my hard times was music. When I was doubtful it would always heal me and I would feel re-energized to do things. I also do believe that both medicine and Music are an art. As much as Medicine is left brain it is also right brain.

Why did you choose the unconventional stream of music rather than the commercial wave everyone is on?

Every time I hear music it just reverberates in me. I grew up on commercial music but I feel there was a paradigm shift when I was thirteen. I heard Immortal Technique and it was just not the same. The feelings and emotions that it cultivated or gave me opened my mindset. I never thought of soul music as a way of changing the world. Immortal Technique made me wanna be part of the revolution and change the world and change myself. I wanna give someone else that kind of feeling. I feel there is a direction we are supposed to go to as a collective consciousness and we not going there. So I'm here to play my lil part. It goes back to everyone has a purpose. I always felt my purpose was educating the masses.

TC The Scoutman & Druey The Beatchap

Doesn't it bother you that your space of audience is limited?

It is very frustrating, even before I was a rapper it was frustrating that these guys are bringing up all this deep stuff and not enough people are connecting to it. It is frustrating but I can't lose sleep over people I can't reach so I focus on the ones I can reach. Hopefully they will reach to other people and in turn ever one is gonna be on this trend at some point.

When is the Indigo Tape coming out?

Dropping on the 11^th  of November, 11/11. I want to drop it a few days before my birthday. I'm currently 22 turning 23 on the 15th. I just thought it was interesting. I like sacred geometry, numerology and 11/11 is like a whole sequence of ones. 11 + 11 = 22 which is my age. Look out for the Indigo Tape, we gon’ drop singles and videos with my boy Kwasi. Let’s push BE music to greater heights.

For more info:https://www.facebook.com/ScoutmanMusic/