South African artists Tellaman and Nasty C have released T’s & C’s Apply, a joint album that brings their hip hop and R&B approaches into one project. The Durban musicians developed the record over several years of studio work together.
Album origins and direction#
The collaboration took clearer shape while the two were recording Big Timing for Nasty C’s FREE project. Tellaman said that session, recorded about a year before the album’s release, set the creative direction.
“The moment we realised that the collaboration had a lot of potential to become a complete album was when we were working on ‘Big Timing’ for FREE a year back,” Tellaman said. “That is when we locked in to really solidify what the T’s & C’s direction entails sonically.”
Sound and featured artists#
The record pairs Tellaman’s melodic vocal and songwriting style with Nasty C’s rap, storytelling and vocal harmonies. The album moves between hip hop, R&B and other African influences rather than sticking to one genre. Nasty C described the approach: “For us it has really been about creating something so authentic and so rich in detail whenever we get in the studio. Tellaman brings his own vibe that dabbles between Hip Hop and R&B across melodic flows and hooks, whilst I bring a twist of storytelling across raw bars and harmonic interludes.”
He added that the project extends the creative relationship shown in their previous collaborations while reflecting their individual artistic development.
The album was developed over more than a year and recorded during multiple sessions, primarily in Johannesburg, South Africa. Featured contributors include:
- Nigerian singer Oxlade
- South African rapper Blxckie
- Lusanda
- CrownedYung
- DJ and broadcaster AyandaMVP, who voices Isinqa FM
Title and themes#
The title combines the artists’ names: “T” refers to Tellaman and “C” to Nasty C. It also references rules and boundaries, explored through themes of personal growth, vulnerability and self-definition.
“It was simply a play on words that not only serves as an invite into our world, but also as a way to express how we feel without any limitations,” Nasty C said. “The project is about the breaking and establishment of rules that make us human, such as living life to its fullest and allowing oneself to be hurt.”
The artists said they hope the album contributes to broader conversations about genre boundaries and the movement of African music between different markets. Nasty C and Tellaman said: “We hope that the album can shape how people define R&B and how artists can transition between sounds to find themselves and detail their story better. We also hope that it embraces collaborations across various genre-bending artists and countries.”
T’s & C’s Apply is the latest release in a longstanding collaboration between the two Durban musicians, following their work together on previous releases.
