Nasty C

A charismatic South African rapper, songwriter, and producer with a breezy flow, Nasty C (born Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo) earned accolades in 2018 for his trap-influenced sophomore effort, Strings and Bling, which brought home two South African Music Awards and a pair of All Africa Music Awards. In 2020 he inked a deal with Def Jam and issued Zulu Man with Some Power, marking his full-length debut and arrival in the United States. C also issued the supplemental 2022 set Ivyson Army Tour Mixtape, followed by the 2023 full-length I Love It Here.
Born in Diepkloof, a borough of Soweto, Johannesburg, Nasty developed his love for rap and learned basic production techniques from his older brother Siyabonga. In 2012 he released his debut mixtape, One Kid, A Thousand Coffins, at the age of 15. His first EP, L.A.M.E (Levitating Above My Enemies), arrived two years later, with the Price City mixtape appearing in 2015. The release spawned his first hit single, “Juice Back,” which earned Nasty the Best Freshman trophy at that year’s South African Hip-Hop Awards, making him the youngest recipient to date.
The following year saw the release of the single “Hell Naw,” which appeared on his chart-topping debut album, Bad Hair, that included guest spots from Omari Hardwick, Tshego, Tellaman, Erick Rush, and Rowlene. Bad Hair Extensions, an extended version of the LP that added four new tracks and a feature by American hip-hop recording artist French Montana, arrived later that year.
Nasty went widescreen in 2018 with the release of his sophomore LP, Strings and Bling, which was released on Universal. Lauded as one of the best rap efforts of the year by multiple outlets, the album included the hit singles “Jungle,” “Legendary,” and “King,” the latter of which featured a guest appearance from New York rapper A$AP Ferg. Lost Files, an EP of unfinished projects and early versions of previously released tracks, arrived in early 2020, as did the news that Nasty had signed with American hip-hop behemoth Def Jam. His first single for the label, “There They Go,” was released later that March. His third full-length outing, Zulu Man with Some Power, followed five months later. It greatly expanded his U.S. audience and was also well-received at home, winning Best Hip Hop Album at the South African Music Awards. Ivyson Army Tour Mixtape, an intermediary project, was released in September 2022, just after several live dates in South Africa. The hard-hitting “Blackout” arrived in February 2023. That September, the rapper delivered his fourth full-length, I Love It Here, which featured guest spots from Tellaman, Ami Faku, Manana, and others. ~ James Christopher Monger