Nasty C on Fatherhood, Freedom, and the Making of His New Hip-Hop Album, ‘Free’

About a month ago, South African artist Nasty C hosted the second edition of Pass The Aux, his premiere showcase where he invites fellow artists to play unreleased music before a live audience. The night unfolded at Drama, a buzzing club in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, drawing some of the sharpest names from South Africa’s new hip-hop wave – from Brotherkupa to Wordz, Usimamane, and Blue Pappi – each playing two tracks and occasionally grabbing the mic to rap along when the vibe called for it.

When his turn arrived, Nasty C previewed “Leftie.” Before he could even hype himself up, the host sparked a chant of “dlala Ngcobo,” soon echoed by the packed crowd until the whole room roared it back. It was a moment that underscored his magnetic presence in the scene, as well as his staying power. The chant at the beginning of the recorded song was added after it started going viral online. 

It’s this spirit – and the new chapter he’s stepping into – that’s on Nasty C’s mind when he sits down with OkayAfrica to talk about his album, Free. The title is a literal nod to the sense of liberation he feels following his exit from Universal Music Group, where he delivered three stellar albums and a mixtape.

“This thing happened at an event I did just before Pass The Aux. I ended up playing new music, and the kids vibing there started doing that chant. Honestly, in the moment, I didn’t think much of it. I was like, ‘These guys just want me to dance, let me do a little something and go back to being chilled.’ But the fans carried it. Shoutout to them; they’re a big part of the movement happening right now,” he says.

The video for “Leftie,” directed by in-demand talent Larnelle Bakala, is a marriage of on-location Cape Town shots and some slick visual-effect wizardry, making it one of the country’s standout visuals this year.

“Pass The Aux has been everything I wanted it to be,” Nasty C says excitedly. “I love teasing music and seeing fans react to it for the first time, without all the hype or negative comments that follow a release. If you don’t hear it immediately, you’re hearing it with filtered ears; people are going to say this or that. I thought, ‘Why not create the comment section in real life?’”

Over the past nine months, his Instagram has been a hive of activity: announcements and promo for his Ivyson Tour, named after his mother; behind-the-scenes clips showing how he produced the album’s first single, “Psychic,” and a playful series where he tried on different roles — from news anchor on the Dan Corder Show, to supermarket worker, to tattoo artist — alongside wholesome fatherhood content with his wife and child.

“Fatherhood has been really easy for me. I’ve never been the type to be out a lot. Most of my free time used to go to friends I lived with, just working, shooting, recording, whatever. That transition was smooth. This is an important part of our lives, so I dedicate time to it. I’d rather compromise on work; I can catch up later. With fatherhood, you want to be on top of it,” he says.

There’s a freedom in the way Nasty C moves: a rigorous attention to detail, a generous spirit, and a determination to grow bigger than ever. Earlier this year, he released loosies like “001 [unmastered]” and “002 [unmastered]” on YouTube. A serial collaborator, he has worked with Davido, Tiwa Savage, Major Lazer, Runtown, AKA, and Stogie T, among others. Back in 2024, he released Confuse The Enemy with Lekaa Beats, a project that fused amapiano, Afrobeats, kwaito, and hip-hop.

As for Free, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how long he’s been working on it. “A lot of these songs were already in the pocket. Some I kind of leaked, I played them on my stream, and the fans said, ‘We want these songs,’” he explains. This feedback helps him gauge reactions to material that might stray from his usual lane, though he doesn’t confine himself to one. “When I post something online and people respond positively – which I don’t always expect – it gives me confidence and removes doubt.” Even when fans suggest some songs stay in the vault, he takes it gracefully.

Free is a 16-track exploration of his range. “Shmoking” is ignorant rap on steroids (“She local, bonjour, I’m in France”), while “Switch” is a love letter to the bros, built around a guitar sample reminiscent of Strings and Bling. He produced a few tracks himself, including “Psychic” and “Soft” with Usimamane. Another guitar sample features on “Head Up,” a balladic reminder to stay resilient: “No matter what they say, gotta keep your head up.” Closer to the album’s end, “Selfish” unfolds over synths that evoke both nostalgia and futurism, a song he spent a long time perfecting for its emotional weight. “I think my purpose is to make you feel protected. No matter how it turns out, I’m glad we connected,” he says.

“The tongue is a very powerful tool. Sometimes you say things thinking they’re just lyrics, but they can attract something. I was cautious while writing. I stay grounded in reality; I’m not delusional about love or life. Anything can happen anytime. If you love someone, you want good for them, and for others to do good by them, even if you’re not part of it,” he explains.

Nasty C brought his Ivyson Tour to Johannesburg in December last year. It was the first time he’d hosted it since COVID, and he made sure to invite a line-up capable enough, agile enough, and daring enough to collapse entire walls of sound. K.Keed, The Qwellers, KindlyNxsh, Lucasraps, Maglera Doe Boy – the list continued.

He arrived on stage to thunderous applause and cheers from the audience, had no less than two outfit changes during his set, and had the entire warehouse in downtown Johannesburg rapping and singing along word-for-word. It was also the first time he’d done a full set with his band. 

“I’ve always been skeptical about the whole band thing. I just always felt like it took away from the thumpers. It just makes it sound too acoustic. After a long time in the lab with the boys, just figuring it out and trying to balance it nicely, I finally felt confident when it was time for the Ivyson Tour. I was very happy,” he reflects. 

It was a moment that further asserted his position as a singular artist, one who is nonetheless not insulated from what is happening around him. 

By his own admission, however, Nasty C is a very reserved guy. “My DJ, Audiomarc, is very tapped in. He’ll play some shit in the car for me that people don’t even know yet. He’s the one who’s really responsible for me being up on a lot of stuff. I live in a bubble, I won’t lie. Anything that I miss on socials, I miss entirely,” says the rapper. 

Having chased success in America for the better part of his career, Nasty C and his team decided it was best to pivot and re-focus their energies on other markets, such as Europe and the rest of the African continent. “I was being very experimental with my branding, with my messaging and my music, with the type of markets I was going for. I was trying out a lot of things, and sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to. Thank God that they weren’t my demise. They could’ve worked out better, for sure, and shit would be crazier. But I’m grateful that it happened the way it happened, I got a lot from those experiences,” Nasty C concludes.