The pair said the album was recorded over more than a year.
Nasty C and Tellaman. Picture: Supplied
Durban-born artists Nasty C and Tellaman have teamed up for a joint album titled T’s & C’s Apply.
The project brings together hip hop, R&B and African sounds. The pair said they developed it over several months of studio sessions.
How the album came together
Tellaman said the idea for a full project took shape while he and Nasty C were working on “Big Timing” for Nasty C‘s FREE project.
“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,” he said.
“That is when we locked in to really solidify what the T’s & C’s direction entails sonically.”
The album was recorded over more than a year, with most of the sessions taking place in Johannesburg.
It features contributions from Oxlade, Blxckie, Lusanda and CrownedYung. Ayanda MVP also features as the voice guiding listeners through “Isinqa FM”.
Nasty C said the project allowed them to draw on their individual strengths while exploring different sounds.
“For us it has really been about creating something so authentic and so rich in detail whenever we get in the studio,” Nasty C said.
“Tella 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 said the approach builds on their previous collaborations while allowing them to show their development.
Meaning behind ‘T’s & C’s Apply’
Nasty C said the title T’s & C’s Apply is a play on the artists’ names. The “T” refers to Tellaman, while the “C” refers to Nasty C.
“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,” he added.
He said the project explores the rules people create for themselves and the process of breaking and redefining them.
“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,” Nasty C said.
“Pain can hurt for some time, but it can also make room for healing and positivity.”
The artists said they hope the album encourages listeners and other musicians to look beyond traditional genre boundaries.
“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,” Nasty C and Tellaman said.
“We also hope that it embraces collaborations across various genre-bending artists and countries.”
