South African hip-hop stars and singer-songwriters Nasty C and Tellaman are a pair that go way back. From “Strike a Pose” and “Don’t Do It” to “Right Now” and “Whipped”, the Durban-born stars have a collaborative pedigree extensive enough to be its own independent discography—and when the two get together, the synergy never misses in testifying to how harmonious the chemistry is between the two. With their debut album as a duo, titled T’s & C’s Apply, Czzle and Tella tap into their respective wells of creative juices to conjure up some of the most curious contemporary R&B music tempered with treatments of hip-hop.
Seventeen tracks strong and lasting for forty-eight minutes, T’s & C’s places Nasty and Tellaman on an R&B stage where the pair navigate elemental changes that come in the shape of touches of trap music and neo-soul. Modernised as the structure of the music is, the sound that dominates the record hearkens to the mid-2010s era of American trap-infused soul music. However, the pair’s ability to play to each other’s attributes—such as Nasty C leaning more on his rapping inclinations while Tella zeroes in on getting into his singing bag with harmonies and melodies—helps the album to oscillate between then and now, resulting in a record that is as quaintly nostalgic as it is oddly future-facing.
Tellaman and Nasty C | SUPPLIED
Punctuated by mood-switching interludes hosted by AyandaMVP, who serves as the radio presenter of Isinqa FM, the fictional radio station braided into the storytelling of the record, T’s & C’s is a carnal feast for hedonists and pining romantics. If the duo are not waxing lyrical about their sexual encounters and the anticipation of one (“Call Me”, “Come Over 2.0”, and “City Lights”), then the alternative segue sees them travel down the road of lechery as seen in “Playlist”, “Natural”, and “Throw That”.
However, not everything is about the lust of the eyes and the burning passions of sex. Themes of heartache and infidelity are also explored on “Liar Liar” and “LFTOS”, cleverly placed next to sentiments of moving on and finding oneself after a breakup (“1 Sec”). Fragmented into thematic segments, the album’s conflicting subject matter is a balanced conversation happening simultaneously in the minds of two men experiencing life the same way.
Nasty C and Tellaman | SUPPLIED
T’s & C’s is Nasty C and Tellaman not taking themselves too seriously. These are men who are unafraid to invite their playful sides to the party, and the music doesn’t feel like it has aged a day since their first official collaboration. And that is perhaps what makes the album a spectacle—they are neither making an effort to outshine each other nor venturing beyond what they already know in search of something new. At times Nasty is on the hook and on other occasions Tellaman handles it all, and the pair switch between duties of rapping and singing. The simplicity in their music, their lyricism, and their production choices assist them in leaning more on sincerity and honesty. They bring out their best in each other.
If the world was asking for a collabo record between Nasty and Tellaman, T’s & C’s Apply is not a reluctant answer. Emotion is present, presence is strong, and strength of creativity doesn’t run short at any point. The camaraderie is that of two men who don’t merely recognise themselves as partners in music but brothers who identify with each other enough to use their connection as a medium to share joy in good times and as a cathartic release for when things get too heavy to carry alone.
Preview T’s & C’s Apply:
