Meet The Dynamic South African Rapper…Nasty C

With an unreal flow and powerful sound, Nasty C is an artist that needs to be on your radar. Hailing from South Africa, the 23-year-old passion for music started when he was nine years old. Gravitating towards Hip Hop at an early age, the young talent immersed himself in the craft. Since his debut five years ago, Nasty C has been dubbed “The Coolest Kid In Africa”, which is a titled well earned.

Never being one to stay in a box, Nasty C has proved to be a multifaceted artist that pushes the musical boundaries. His innovative artistry can be seen throughout his growing catalogue, which includes three mixtapes, and three albums.

Fast forward to 2021 and Nasty C is breaking records and continuing to build solid foundations in the music sphere. In 2020 he released his third studio album Zulu Man With Some Power, which features his incredible collaboration with Ari Lennox on ‘Black and White’. On top of performing the track on Ellen, ‘Black and White’ was also featured as the lead single on ‘Rhythms of Zamunda: Music Inspired By Coming 2 America’ album.

With over 120 million streams, a growing fan base and millions of views on YouTube, Nasty C is showing no signs of slowing down. We were able to chat with the South African rapper about everything from his latest album, Coming 2 America, working with Ari Lennox and more. Read the full interview below.

Hi Nasty C, thanks so much for sitting down with us, how’s it going?

Going good, thanks

Can you believe we’re already in March? Has 2021 been good to you so far?

Yeah, it has. I’ve been able to start performing again so that’s great.

Alright, let’s dive into the music! When did you first fall in love with hip hop? Can you pinpoint an artist that heavily influenced you to pursue a music career of your own? 

It was T.I for me. I remember hearing & seeing him for the first time on my way to school at the age of 9. Ever since then, I’ve pretty much been tuned in & obsessed with music ever since.

Can you take us through your writing process? How does a Nasty C song come to be? 

I’m always writing; whether it’s in the car, shower or even mid-conversation. Whenever I think of a good line, I just write it down. When I’m in the studio I usually start by picking a beat, then I just vibe to it and write what that beat inspires me to write in that moment.

You’ve recently partnered up with Ari Lennox on your fantastic track ‘Black And White’. How did you two link up? What was the creative background like for this record?  

One of my A&Rs played her some of my music, she liked it and wanted to work so I sent a couple of ideas that I thought she’d sound great on. She ended up picking ‘Black & White’ and as you’ve already heard – she killed it! 

And then it was chosen to be used as the lead single for the ‘Rhythms of Zamunda’ soundtrack for Coming 2 America. That project is a showcase of several music genres from across Africa and allows us to garner new audiences. 

I grew up watching Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes and so many of the stars on Coming to America. To be included in the soundtrack is more than a dream come true. I am honoured to be representing Africa on such a monumental moment, celebrating the best of black creatives. To have my music as part of the soundtrack is up there as one of my career highlights and I couldn’t be more grateful.

We have to talk about your podcast Zulu Man With Some Power Podcast! What has been your favourite moment of this experience so far? 

Since its launch/release? I would say seeing the effect it’s had on aspiring artists. I’ve been getting a lot of mentions on social media where people tell me it’s exactly what they needed to hear, especially at a time like this. 

Speaking of Zulu Man With Some Power, you released your third album last year. How have you evolved as an artist since your debut in 2013?

I’ve learned a lot about the engineering side of music. I’ve always been obsessed with finding the perfect sound and each year I get closer & closer to doing that.

For about four years you have been the most streamed South African artist on Apple Music (Congratulations by the way!). How does that make you feel? Did you ever expect that so early on in your career? 

It feels dope. All I’ve ever wanted was for people to listen to my music and that was one of the confirmations that it was starting to happen. And even now, more and more people are discovering my music every year.

What are the three other goals that you are looking to accomplish later on this year?

I don’t really have a list of goals at this point, I just want to be a great artist that’s celebrated globally.

Make sure to watch Nasty C’s video for the Coming 2 America lead single ‘Black and White’ below.