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 the single “There They Go,” marking his debut in the United States.
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, which 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, with plans to issue his third full-length outing, Zulu Man with Some Power, later that summer.
