South African rapper and singer-songwriter Nsikayesizwe David Junior Ngcobo, popularly known as Nasty C, has released his latest single “Psychic”, a soft reboot in which he retraces his steps back to the hip-hop space and after doing musical laps around the amapiano circuit with his joint body of work Confuse the Enemy alongside Lekaa Beats. With his latest offering, the SAMA-winning trap superstar doubles down on the title of the joint, expanding on its etymology and braiding it into his existence with braggadocious songwriting.
With a runtime of two minutes and twenty-two seconds, the self-produced “Psychic” is a gritty trap joint layered with the sonorous backing of a rumbling bass, the metronome of distorted cowbells alternating with clapping sequences and strained trumpets. Coarse as the production is, the pacy tempo belies the leaden feel of the sound, which affords Ngcobo the legroom to phase in with his lowest gear which comes in the shape of a staggered luxury rap hook fleshed out with stripped down imagery (“Tints on the whip / Can’t be out here moving like a fish”).
Nasty C | SUPPLIED
Throughout the song, the “SMA” hitmaker explores the overarching theme of his status as a wealthy and successful rapper spawned from kernels including growing thick skin (“Haters on my d*ck / the whole thing, no, not just the tip”), minding his priorities (“I gotta pay the rent, so don’t be nervous, baby, hit the link”), and foresight (“I’m a psychic, ’cause I always knew that I’d be rich”). The song also sees Nasty conjure up his nationalistic side, rapping the individual colours of the Mzansi flag to justify his love for joking and laughing, while still reminding the listener that this side of him shouldn’t be misconstrued for weakness, because “when it’s up, then it’s up,” true to his heritage as a Zulu man with some power.
There’s not much meat on the bones of “Psychic”, but the lyrical sauce and the sonic preparation behind the offering give the song the spirit of an interlude. A herald that something is on the horizon. With his last solo album being an entry that is verging on turning two years old, the song may as well be a sign of that.
Check out “Psychic”:
