S. African rapper Nasty C talks about crazy music schedules during Covid-19 pandemic
David Junior Ngcobo aka Nasty C is one of South Africa’s finest rappers and the first African rapper to sign with monstrous American music label Def Jam Records. He has just released his third album Zulu Man With Some Power. He chats with Jackson Onyango about the project and aspirations.
You have released three album projects this year in Lost Files, Zulu, and now ZMWSP. Do you even get any sleep?
(Laughs) I do get some sleep when I feel like my work is done. It’s just my philosophy.
What inspired you to release the projects in that order?
The order was not really planned. I just wanted to give my fans a lot of music to get them prepped for the new album at the end. But there wasn’t any strategy. Just work and more work.
You signed with Def Jam in March. How do you feel at this stage of your career?
I’m just me; I don’t think I’m responsible for anyone, but myself. I think how I feel at this point influences the music, so I feel good, and that’s how I carry myself.
In 2017, you once lost your laptop with almost four albums worth of music. Did you ever retrieve any of it?
Yeah. I had an incident where we lost a hell lot of music. Whatever we got back we placed it on the Lost Files project that’s available on YouTube.
We lost the rest along the line. But it happens (losing music unintentionally) a lot and I’m just putting it out there; I’m not even sure how much we’ve lost before.
You have met global artistes among them Big Sean, 50 Cent and No ID. What’s the most important gem you picked up and from who?
No ID (Producer) was the inspiration behind the ZMWSP album title and my decision to represent my culture, and my tradition. So that’s him. 50 Cent taught me work ethic and demanding power.
When he walks into a room or a situation, you just feel that command he has, but that wasn’t even directly from him.
I picked that up from his book the 50 Laws of Power. When we were together, we were just clowning and talking just about nothing (laughs).
Big Sean is just a cool artiste; a super cool dude. There wasn’t really much of an exchange of advice, nothing deep.
How was making your acting debut on Netflix’s Blood & Water drama series?
It was an exhilarating experience. That’s all I can say.
You even have a documentary on Netflix. Does your life run like a reality TV now?
It’s been that way for a minute. We are just real picky about the content we want to put out. I literally almost take videos of everything I do now pretty much including that docu called Zulu Man in Japan.
It was my collaborations with young Japanese musicians JP The Wavey, Ricky and Yoshi. I created seven songs in just eight days.
Covid-19 has disrupted how people used to do things. What’s the one thing you miss?
Not too much really. But I’ve missed going go-karting and paint-balling; not so much shopping because we are back at it. But that’s it really.
What’s next for you, and your music company Tall Racks?
My artiste Rowlene is dropping an album called 11/11 on November 11. I’m super proud of her. Crazy album, super mature, diverse, it’s a true masterpiece and I’m not even trying to be bias, it’s just facts.
For me I have so much coming through, I can’t even sum it up in one sentence, you’ll just have to wait and see.
