Def Jam Recordings boosted its roster with Nasty C, an acclaimed artist hailing from Durban, South Africa. We hit the 23-year-old, who described how it all went down.
Def Jam and Universal Music Africa came together in March 2020 to ink a joint venture deal with the rapper, Def Jam told Billboard.
Perhaps, it was the title of Apple Music’s most streamed artist in Africa that lured in Def Jam execs. The fact that Nasty C has held that title for four years couldn’t have hurt either.
Nevertheless, the deal precedes his forthcoming album, ZULU MAN WITH SOME POWER—a potential contributor to Nasty C’s ongoing award-winning tenure. After years of mixtapes, he released his freshman album, Bad Hair Extensions, in 2016. That project swept the Metro FM Music Awards awards, earning Nasty C “Best New Artist,” “Best Male Album,” “Bests Hip Hop Album,” and “Song of the Year.” In 2018, his sophomore album, Strings and Bling, received over 120 million streams, multi-platinum status, and multi-platinum status for its singles.
As a coveted conversation piece in label boardrooms, Nasty C’s influence will only become greater. During Spotify’s inaugural year in South Africa, he was the most streamed native by his country’s listeners. He’s already tapped into markets in South America, Europe, and Asia. Plus he’s got a few familiar fans in America—A$Ap Ferg, T.I., Post Malone, and No.ID, to name a few.
So, when he commuted to the States to chat at Def Jam headquarters, a few meetings turned into pen to paper. Nasty C made his relationship with the U.S. official on Apple Music Beats1 with the debut of “There They Go.” The song acts as the first single to third album, ZULU MAN WITH SOME POWER, and was accompanied with a music video. “There They Go” is sure to add to your playlist already decorated with Nasty C regulars. Check out the video below.