Nasty C is ‘DOPE’ - don’t argue!
When Universal Records arranged for me to interview Nasty C this week, I was beside myself with excitement. Nasty C is unarguably one of the most ‘dope’ cats in hip-hop right now. Branded the cool kid of Africa, the South African hip-hop singer, songwriter and producer has been listed among the Forbes’ Under 30 achievers.
He also has a string of awards under his belt including the 2018 SAMAs, METROs and AFRIMAs, and is a 2017 BET Awards nominee. His singles King and Jungle, together with his album Strings and Bling have reached platinum status. He is also RISA certified with over 46 million streams online. He has more than one million followers on social media. The rapper is a music game changer and a popular culture icon of the 21st century. Nasty C arrived in Gaborone on Sunday to perform at Pop Bottles at Bojanala Waterfront the same evening. I meet him at Masa Hotel on Monday. The rapper strolls into the hotel front terrace, with a big burly bodyguard beside him.
At first he comes across as coy but eases up once we exchange pleasantries. He is the ultimate cool kid with his tinted blonde locks and huge bling on his fingers. He wears a white T-shirt, sweatpants and expensive sneakers. His skin is as smooth as a baby’s buttocks and his beady eyes are bright and alert. He smiles often, revealing a boyish grin. He has manners of a child who was raised well - taught to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ He has none of the airs and graces that one would expect from a globally recognised pop culture icon.
In fact, he is quite humble and laidback. He also speaks quite well – he is eloquent, the words rolling easily from his tongue like a knife slicing hot butter. To sum it up - Nasty C is Model C – cool, calm and composed. I ask the rapper, who was born Nsikayesizwe David Ngcobo 22-years-ago, what his first name, which is Zulu, means, and he responds, “Pillar of the nation.” He shows me one of the many tattoos he has, a Japanese font on his right hand, which he explains is a short version of his name. The SMA hitmaker explains that his album Strings and Bling reflects his true self. “This was me being me. In previous work I was doing what I thought they would like but this time it was about reflecting myself,” he says.
The rapper recently spent a month in the US where he met and worked with the likes of Nas and Jay Z, and worked with acclaimed hip-hop producer No I.D. He explains that he learnt a few things from him. “Before I did not want to be referred as an African hip hop artist because I wanted my music to appeal to the rest of the world. But after I met him he broke down the importance of originality and making authentic music that reflects my roots.” He also spent ten days in Japan where he learnt about his other interests, animation and fashion. Nasty C always rocks fashionable threads and says that he likes drawing. “I am looking at ways to merge these two interests.”
The rapper says that the highlight of his music career was the Iverson tour when he performed in his hometown Durban, KZN, South Africa. “I performed my full album. My father was also present at the show. It was phenomenal.” Nasty C is currently working on his biography as well as a coffee table book and documentary about the coolest kids in Africa - specifically those making changes in their communities. He is also touring the rest of Africa.