Nasty C on music, gaming and voicing a character on Kizazi Moto
By HYPE staff, Images courtesy Disney +
Nasty C wears many hats and you’d be hard-pressed to find a busier artist right now. His latest venture, before his new album drops, is on the Disney Plus series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. HYPE got to ask him about this experience – and a lot more…
How does it feel transitioning from a rapper to an actor/voice artist?
I wouldn’t say I’m transitioning. I’m a hip-hop artist first and foremost, but I’m diverse. I enjoyed my acting debut and was excited to lend my voice to Kizazi Moto.
Is this something you think you will pursue further?
I might do it again if the opportunity presents itself. I actually had a lot of fun.
Take us through the process of voicing your character – how was the experience?
It was a great experience. With animation, it’s like trying to find the right tone and pitch to go with the emotion you get from the script and the animator. So that was very cool and different.
What do you think your fans will enjoy about Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire?
It’s a great story about bravery and self-discovery. I think everyone will enjoy it.
You’ve been a gamer for a long time. Tell us how your collaboration with Call of Duty came about?
So, Call of Duty wanted to bring Call of Duty: Mobile to Africa. And I guess they sort of looked for the people who had, like, the most passion for it and obviously had a lot of influence. And you know, I happen to be one of those people; I’m very passionate about gaming. And so, they reached out and, obviously, I didn’t turn it down. I said yes, you know, with a huge smile on my face.
You featured on HYPE magazine’s The Big Issue cover in 2016 – the year you dropped your debut album. At that time, did you imagine you’d reach the success you have today?
Definitely, 100%. Where I am right now is nowhere near where I want to be. And where I’m going to be in a couple years. So, yeah, I’m just… I’m on my way right now. I definitely knew I’d be here. You know, I know where I’m gonna be in the years to come. So, yeah.
How do you handle today’s social media pressure?
So, yeah. Um, I don’t know, man, I’m not a big social media guy. I like to have fun and record my fun and post it for people. I have a crazy sense of humour. So, I like to share that with my friends every now and then. But I don’t stay on social media long enough to let it get to me or pressure me, you know. It’s just… it’s not my thing.
Who would be your dream collaboration?
Don’t know if I have that still. Right now, I’m at a place where I’m trying to find this sound. It’s like I’m chasing a sound that doesn’t exist. It exists in my head. And I’m working so hard to bring it to life. You know? And, yeah, I’m really just focused on my own music at the moment. But obviously, I would love to work with people like Rihanna, Young Thug, Kanye, Future, Travis Scott, Drake… Obviously, I would love to work with those people; those are my idols. But yeah, I don’t think about a dream collaboration, at any point in the process of creating music, you know. I just don’t.
Are you seeing the benefits of touring?
I am, 100%. You get to see people react to your music in ways that you could never have imagined. You get to see your music live in other people’s hearts. And you see them scream and shout it right back at you. Like they wrote it. And you see the emotions that they carry with it. It’s just… it’s… it’s very rewarding, man. It just feels… it makes it all worth it, you know – all the countless hours spent in the studio just writing and all the challenges that you go through trying to put a song together and make it perfect. When you see people really enjoy it and sing it, it’s amazing. No feeling has compared to that, ever.
Are you excited for your upcoming tour with Cassper?
Yes, I’m super excited. This is a game changer. We’re doing something that Africa needs. African hip-hop really needs what we’re doing, you know; it’s a huge step for African hip-hop. And hopefully we get to do it again, bigger and better. And everyone else steps up and they do it at a bigger scale.
Will you make any more songs similar to ‘Lemons’, or was it a once-off feature?
I don’t know. I might, you know. Like I said, I’m exploring right now. I’m at a point where I’m trying to make unique music that has a distinct sound. So, in order for me to get to that song, I have to explore and touch every single corner of this thing we call music. I have to play and experiment with every single type of sound and genre and stuff like that. Which I enjoy a lot, by the way.
What can you share with us about your upcoming album?
I think with this upcoming album, you’ll be able to understand exactly what I just said about exploring and trying to get to a unique sound. It’s in the music. It’s also in the lyrics. It’s in the way that I sing and the way that I rap. You know? Yeah, man, it’s… there’s a lot of growth. I feel like I say these things before I drop any album. It kind of feels like a cliché at this point. But it’s the honest truth. It’s a lot of growth. I’ve grown a lot as a person. There’s a lot happening in my life right now. A lot happening in my career too, you know; just a lot of moving parts altogether. You can hear it in the music; you can hear the growth in the music, and you can hear that I’ve evolved in many ways.
You have a lot on the go. How do you keep on top of everything?
At this point, it is kind of like this is my life now, you know. I mean, it’s been my life for quite a while, but it’s like, at this point, I’m used to moving at a fast pace. And I’m used to having so many moving parts that are just coming at me all at once. And I think I juggle it very well. It hasn’t taken a toll on me yet. It’s changed me. It’s me. I have adapted to late hours and early mornings and all that kind of stuff, and just tending to different things and having to wear different hats at different times, so it’s a part of what I do, and I love it. It keeps me alive.
You can catch Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire exclusively on Disney + from 5 July 2023.