Anyone who's tried beat-boxing knows it's not an easy talent to master.
But 22-year-old Steven Crooks from Auckland has done just that, and is now heading to the World Championships in Berlin.
"It's my passion, it's what I love doing," he says.
Known as CRKZU on stage, he's spent the last two years learning to beatbox - a talent he discovered through self-teaching.
"Searching through YouTube videos and then I decided to learn a couple of sounds that I thought were quite impressive."
Those sounds were impressive enough for CRKZU to win a New Zealand competition last year, and now he's preparing to compete with the world's best beat-boxers.
"I just can't believe it, I don't know how to express myself - it's amazing."
The art of beatboxing has been around for many years. While it's now cemented its place in the hip-hop scene, it was once practiced by the King of Pop himself. Michael Jackson used beatboxing to create some of his biggest hits.
Now with just a couple of months left to prepare for the World Championships, CRKZU's looking for fresh inspiration.
"Day in, day out, I'm always beatboxing everywhere I am; I beatbox in the car, beatbox in the shower, beatbox at all times."
When he's not beatboxing, CRKZU will be fundraising and looking for sponsors to help him get to Berlin. He admits he's feeling confident about competing, but is just happy to be going.
"I'm mostly looking forward to meeting the whole beatbox community and just becoming a part of it internationally."
And regardless of the result, CRKZU's already eyeing up a bright future.
"Maybe possibly have an academy of beatboxers in the future teaching young kids, and maybe even teaching adults - anyone can beatbox."
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