South African rap heavyweight Nasty Cand acclaimed R&B artist Tellaman feature as the latest artists on Apple Music’s playlist of the hottest Hip-Hop tracks in Africa this week.
Apple Music’s Rap Life Africa playlist will feature South African artists Nasty C and Tellaman this month, fresh off their full-length collaborative album, T’s & C’s Apply. Bringing together two of Durban’s most influential musical exports, the project is the culmination of years of shared studio sessions and creative evolution, creating a space where Hip-Hop, R&B and African sounds collide on their own terms.
The project represents the next chapter in a creative relationship that has produced some of the pair’s most memorable collaborations. Their work together began taking shape when they developed the track “Big Timing” for Nasty C’s FREE project, with the session ultimately providing the sonic direction and confidence to build T’s & C’s Apply into a project of its own. Across the album, Tellaman brings his signature melodic approach across Hip-Hop and R&B, while Nasty C contributes sharp storytelling, raw bars and harmonic moments, allowing both artists to stretch beyond their established sounds.
This month, Rap Life Africa will also spotlight Kweku Smoke & Kwesi Arthur’s“Power House”, from Kweku Smoke’s NO DAYS OFF. Nearly a decade into his career, the Ghanaian trap heavyweight continues to pair razor-sharp bars about ambition with street-level storytelling and melodic textures. Also featured is Rush-Awa’s “Ntshepe,” the latest collaboration from MashBeatz and DJ Sliqe featuring Loatinover Pounds, Sjava and Cassper Nyovest. Following their Gold-certified breakout single “Lapisa,” the track brings together different sides of South African Hip-Hop while maintaining a distinctly local identity.
Spotlight On
Nasty C and Tellaman’s creative partnership has developed over years of making music together, evolving from individual careers and collaborations into a fully realised joint project. Officially more than a year in the making, T’s & C’s Apply was recorded across multiple creative sessions, primarily in Johannesburg, bringing together a diverse group of producers and vocalists. The album features contributions from Oxlade, Blxckie, Lusanda and crownedYung, while radio personality Ayanda MVP takes on a distinctive role as the voice guiding listeners through the fictional “Isinqa FM” that frames the world of the project.
At the heart of T’s & C’s Apply is the chemistry between two artists who understand their individual strengths while remaining willing to experiment beyond them. Tellaman’s fluid melodic flows and hooks meet Nasty C’s storytelling and raw lyricism, resulting in a project that feels expansive rather than restrictive. Their shared ambition is to challenge how listeners define R&B and demonstrate how artists can move between sounds to better express themselves and their stories, while embracing collaborations that cross genres and countries.
First To Know
Speaking on the collaboration and project, Nasty C tells Apple Music, “For Tellaman and I, it has really been about creating something authentic and rich in detail when we’re in the studio. Tellaman brings his own vibe that dabbles between Hip Hop and R&B, whilst I bring my twist on storytelling across raw bars and harmonic interludes. It is a blend that has proven successful in our past work together, so we saw it fit to bring it into this project whilst still expressing our individual growth sonically and lyrically.”
Press Play
Rap Life Africa serves as a companion to Apple Music’s flagship Hip-Hop playlist, Rap Life.