Award-winning South African rapper Nasty C has signed an exclusive pact with Def Jam Recordings through a joint venture with Universal Music Africa. He’ll make his official U.S. debut when his new single “There They Go” premieres on Apple Music Beats 1 with Ebro Darden today (March 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET).
The video for “There They Go” is also premiering today. Filmed in Nasty C’s hometown of Durban, South Africa, the video was directed by Andrew Sandler (Lil Wayne, Chris Brown). The Cxdy-produced “There They Go” is the first taste from the 23-year-old rapper’s upcoming album Zulu Man with Some Power. The set is the follow-up to Nasty C’s second multi-platinum album, 2018’s Strings and Bling.
In announcing the signing, Def Jam Recordings interim chairman/CEO Jeff Harleston stated, “Nasty C is a unique and forward-thinking artist who is at the forefront of a new generation of rappers emerging from Africa. Def Jam is a globally recognized brand synonymous with excellence in hip-hop, and we are excited to welcome Nasty C — an international star with real vision and talent — into the family.”
“It’s powerful to be a part of the Def Jam family,” added Nasty C. “It’s an iconic record label and has made the careers of many of the artists I look up to.”
The rapper’s career began in 2012 with the release of his first mixtape, One Kid, A Thousand Coffins. Second mixtape Price City and debut album Bad Hair, debuted in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Since then, Nasty C has won several music awards including the South African Hip-Hop Awards’ Best Freshman prize and four Metro FM Music Awards, as well as being nominated in 2019 for a BET Hip-Hop Award in the best international flow category and an MTV Europe Music Award.
Strings and Bling, featuring the multi-platinum singles “King,” “Jungle” and “SMA” and the platinum title track, earned two South African Music Awards and two All African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMAs). A Forbes “Africa Under 30” and GQ Musician of the Year honoree, Nasty C also has brand endorsement affiliations with Puma, Red Bull and Mercedes
