To describe Nasty C’s musical ascent from local stardom to global bankability as merely a journey would be to undercut his boundary-pushing odyssey as manifested by his sonically unique discography, solid features, and the integration of his music with other forms of media. Born Nsikayesizwe David Ngcobo, the Durban’s hip-hop envoy has carved for himself a niche as a formless musician, the emptiness with which he has approached his music throughout the years allowing him to segue into the worlds of afrobeats, R&B, dance, and, most recently, amapiano without losing the core essence his day ones have loved him for over the decade.
Transitioning into the new year, the BET Award-nominated lyricist opened his vault, letting loose a standalone single titled “For Certain”, which was most notably included as the background music of the ellesse advert Ngcobo did in collaboration with the Italian apparel company as their brand ambassador.
Nasty C | SUPPLIED
Fresh off his stint with amapiano, which yielded the Confuse the Enemy EP and its deluxe edition alongside Lekaa Beats, “For Certain” is a lo-fi hip-hop song backed by a sonorous bass, blunt hand claps, and recessive melodies which impart on the song a video game-esque texture, toning in with Nasty C’s autotune-treated vocal delivery. The 27-year-old’s time in the United States while moving as a Def Jam signee is evident in the flow and the sound selection, which places Nasty’s latest effort somewhere in the stratosphere populated by the Playboi Cartis and the Travis Scotts of the game.
However, as laidback as the song is, its nature belies the lyrical content, which leans on rather cumbersome subject matters such as existentialism (“What is your reason for breathin?” and “What’s your purpose, dawg?”), leaving behind a legacy (“What you gonn’ leave when you leavin’?”), and family matters (“I got a family I’m feedin'”). Shirking the conventions of employing unintelligible flows and dumbed down songwriting, “For Certain” is a soul-searching opening theme song which not only asks the listener to look deep within for a reason for the things they do, it implicitly beckons those courageous enough to answer these rhetorical questions with proactive action.
Nasty C | SUPPLIED
“For Certain” also touches on loyalty and the value of long-term friendship, rapping: “I’m like bro what would I be without all my n*ggas, I love them boys to death / We been running it all together we ain’t even stop to take a breath.”
A song which promotes knowledge of oneself and the vitality of community, “For Certain” is made well enough to vibe with without thinking too much about what goes on beyond the production; however, there are enough hidden jewels in the writing to stoke wholesome thought. Whether one is attracted to the latter or the former, there’s replay value in both avenues so there’s no need to worry about the fork in the road when choosing which route to take in order to listen to the song.
Listen to “For Certain”:
