Nasty C

A charismatic South African rapper, songwriter, and producer known for his breezy flow, Nasty C, born Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo, collected multiple honors in 2018 for the trap-influenced follow-up Strings and Bling, securing two South African Music Awards alongside a pair of All Africa Music Awards. He finalized an agreement with Def Jam in 2020 and unveiled Zulu Man with Some Power, his introductory full-length project that signaled his entry into the American market. Later, C dropped the companion Ivyson Army Tour Mixtape in 2022 before returning with the complete album I Love It Here in 2023.

Originating from Diepkloof in Soweto, Johannesburg, Nasty cultivated his passion for rap and picked up foundational production skills through his older brother Siyabonga. At fifteen he issued his opening mixtape One Kid, A Thousand Coffins in 2012. Two years afterward came the EP L.A.M.E (Levitating Above My Enemies), succeeded in 2015 by the Price City mixtape. That project yielded the breakthrough single “Juice Back,” which earned him the Best Freshman award at the South African Hip-Hop Awards and established him as the youngest winner on record.

In the next year “Hell Naw” surfaced and anchored his first number-one album Bad Hair, featuring appearances from Omari Hardwick, Tshego, Tellaman, Erick Rush, and Rowlene. An expanded edition titled Bad Hair Extensions added four fresh cuts plus a collaboration with American hip-hop recording artist French Montana and appeared before year’s end.

Nasty broadened his scope in 2018 via the sophomore LP Strings and Bling, issued through Universal. Multiple publications ranked the set among the year’s strongest rap releases; its standout tracks included “Jungle,” “Legendary,” and “King,” the last featuring New York rapper A$AP Ferg. Early 2020 brought the EP Lost Files, assembled from unfinished material and alternate versions of earlier songs, together with confirmation of his signing to the American hip-hop powerhouse Def Jam. His debut single for the label, “There They Go,” followed in March, and five months later arrived the third studio album Zulu Man with Some Power. The project enlarged his American following while earning Best Hip Hop Album honors at the South African Music Awards. After several performances across South Africa, the interim release Ivyson Army Tour Mixtape appeared in September 2022. February 2023 saw the arrival of the intense track “Blackout,” and that September the rapper presented his fourth studio album I Love It Here, which included contributions from Tellaman, Ami Faku, Manana, and additional guests.