As a fixture of South African hip-hop for the past decade, Nasty C would like it to be known that upon the release of his aptly titled fifth album, Free, he’s more at peace with his creative practice than ever. “This album was inspired by feeling free to be creative and do all sorts of different new stuff, and experience some new things,” the Durban-raised MC tells Apple Music. “That’s pretty much what it was, and exploring different sounds.” On his previous album, 2023’s I Love It Here, Nasty celebrated the joys of fatherhood and the thrills of a stable relationship over the bouncy trap-influenced instrumentals he’s become known for. With Free, he embraces the mobility of self-determination, delighting in an ability to chart a course for himself, regardless of where it lands him. Across the project’s 16 songs, Nasty runs through a range of emotions and life experiences. He’s back outside on the trippy “Shmokin” and then regaling nieces and nephews with tales from the pinnacle of South African hip-hop on “That’s Whassup.” As always, the MC stays nimble, folding influences from house, rock, and R&B into his expansive interpretation of hip-hop. “No two songs are the same, and some songs lean more towards the pop side of things,” he explains. “Some even touch on maskandi a little bit, which is like a Zulu genre. It’s a South African genre, but it’s very, very heavy in the Zulu culture; that was pretty exciting to do.” Below, Nasty C walks us through Free, track by track. “Intro” “‘Intro’ is one of those [songs] where the beat just inspires everything I say on the song, and you just ride the energy of the beat. We were in the studio, making music with some cool, creative people; talented artists.” “Leftie (Dlala Ngcobo)” “‘Leftie,’ kind of the same thing as ‘Intro’ [where] I just wanted something very high-energy, something playful or something melodic, not too crazy on the lyrics and punchlines and all that kind of stuff. I just wanted a vibe. ‘Leftie’ was produced by a guy called Cxdy, who’s a producer I like to work with from the States. He’s sick.” “Shmokin” “I recorded ‘Shmokin’ at my house here in Joburg. It’s a similar vibe to the two songs before it. I started recording, and before I knew it, I had this concept of just feeling like I’m back outside, smoking, drinking, vibing, mosh pits—all that kind of stuff.” “Switch” “‘Switch’ is about staying loyal to your friends and not switching because of outside opinions. Friendship should not be about what people think about where you should go, who you should hang out with, what you should dress and look like, and all that kind of stuff. It’s just being true to yourself and staying with the people that have always been there for you, that are locked in with you.” “Head Up” “‘Head Up’ was produced by a guy called RJ Banks. I brought my band with me that I perform with into the studio to add some live elements to it. In this song, I’m talking about staying positive, keeping your eyes on the prize, and focusing on the mission no matter what happens in life or what people say. A lot of people like to add their two cents when it comes to where someone’s career should go, just because they’ve been fans of them or they’ve been on the same journey with them. So when you switch things up as an artist, when you decide you want to go left or right or whatever, a lot of people might think you’re starting to lose the plot, or you’re slowing down, or you’re not sticking to the mission. If you know what your heart wants and where you want to go, just stay on it. People will understand in the end.” “Soft” “This one is pretty straightforward. It’s me talking about working hard just to live soft: grinding, hustling, to be able to survive. I made the beat for this one.” “That’s Whassup” “This one is one of those laid-back songs [that] feels like an interlude, a breather from the album’s pace. I’m just reflecting on where I am and the kind of influence that I have on my younger siblings, younger cousins, nieces, and nephews. It’s me realizing where I’m at and how cool I am to them. That realization just kicks in automatically every time I go back home. I was in Durban for a week or so, and it came off the kind of questions that they asked me, how interested they are in the life I live, the people I get to hang out with, and all that kind of stuff. They find that to be fascinating and cool.” “10 Shooters” “MashBeatz made the beat for this song. That’s another one of those where we were just vibing in the studio, and you just get creative. It was one of those days.” “Ice” “I was in the studio with Kling from Saak Beats. We went through a couple of beats, laying down a bunch of ideas, and this happened to be one of the better ones that we ended up picking. The beat is fire, but that sample takes it to a whole new level. It was very inviting.” “Psychic” “This is another one of those where I made the beat, and I was freestyling as I was making the beat. By the time I was done with the beat, I already had a concept. This is one of those songs where I’m just vibing.” “MSP” (feat. DJ Speedsta) “This one was produced by a guy called Spaced Time. I was just experimenting and having fun when I was recording that one. I was just talking about the hate or the awkward vibes that you get from people. I used a local slang term/cuss word: ‘ma se poes’ is a big slang term in the colored community. In the first verse, I’m talking about the guys that give me an awkward vibe or weird vibe when they’re just hating, staring, and all that kind of stuff. In the second half of the song, I talk about getting that kind of energy from females.” “Selfish” “I’m talking to my girlfriend on ‘Selfish’ and just reaffirming my love for her. It’s about how I want our relationship to last forever and how my intentions are still the same from when we started. The album starts with vibes and then it gets deeper. It just settles down a little bit and we talk.” “Big Timing” (feat. Tellaman) “‘Big Timing’ is about making it big with your friends, working with your friends, becoming successful with them, and sticking together through the thick and the thin. One of the things that makes me appreciate the friends that I have left is losing some friends throughout the journey. That makes you appreciate the ones who stayed and stuck by you even more. It feels good to make it with your people.” “Evidence” “‘Evidence’ is about believing in God, having faith, and wanting to believe that there’s a heaven and a better place. We’re just passing through this life, and this song is about asking all those questions that everyone asks, like, ‘Is it real? Is it worth sacrificing so much in this life that I’m presently living right now for something that I can’t see?’ There’s never been anyone who went there and came back and told me, ‘Yo, it’s real. Fix your life!’ So it’s like having those questions and those doubts while still believing, but saying, ‘Yo, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little bit of evidence.’” “Other Plans (Interlude)” “‘Other Plans’ is a song about being at a weird place with a person that you’re dating. It’s this awkward place where you don’t know if you’re taking a break, if you’re fully broken up, if you’ll get back together, or if this is it. On the song, I’m just reflecting on the good times, and thinking about where I messed up along the way, and what could have caused this thing that we’re going through at the moment, and thinking about the realities of that.” “Not Tonight” (feat. Tshego) “The feature on this is my brother Tshego, he’s a really dope artist from South Africa. I’ve been close to him for a long time now, close to 10 years. He’s been on a dance wave as of recently, and his voice is dope. This song was produced by Saak Beats, the same guys who produced ‘Ice.’”