Tag: Nasty C

Nearly a Quarter of All Streams on Spotify Are Hip-Hop. Spotify’s Global Editors Reflect on the Genre’s Growth

August 10, 2023

As hip-hop turns 50, fans around the world are celebrating its golden anniversary. For a genre that started at a block party in the Bronx, this milestone is a testament to the massive impact and influence hip-hop has had in virtually every corner of the globe.

And today on Spotify, hip-hop is thriving, with artists and fans from around the world discovering and connecting with one another. In 2023, nearly a quarter of all streams on Spotify globally are hip-hop music, led by artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, and Metro Boomin.

But it goes further than that . . . 

  • Hip-hop is one of the most-listened-to genres globally on Spotify, and more than 400 million users around the world have streamed hip-hop music in 2023 so far.
  • RapCaviar ranks as the second most-followed playlist on Spotify. 
  • Around the globe, there are over 53 million user-generated and Spotify-curated playlists on Spotify that mention hip-hop or rap in the title of the playlist, and over 2 billion playlists that contain at least one hip-hop song. 
  • For the past three years, almost half of Spotify’s Top 50 most-streamed artists globally have been hip-hop or rap artists. 

One of the most distinct aspects of hip-hop culture is its regionality, with the unique sounds coming out of local U.S. scenes like New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Miami helping one of the most dynamic genres in the world flourish.

That’s why we’re celebrating these iconic regions with a series of original murals created by Raj Dhunna. 

Quase um quarto de todos os streams no Spotify são para o Hip Hop. Os editores globais do Spotify refletem sobre o crescimento do gênero

August 10, 2023

Quando o Hip Hop completa 50 anos, fãs de todo o mundo comemoram suas bodas de ouro. Para um gênero que teve um começo inesperado em um parque do Bronx, este marco é uma prova do enorme impacto e influência que o Hip Hop teve em praticamente todos os cantos do globo.

E hoje no Spotify, o Hip Hop está mais forte do que nunca, com artistas e fãs de todo o mundo se descobrindo e se conectando. Em 2023, quase um quarto de todas os streams no Spotify globalmente foram para músicas de Hip Hop, lideradas por artistas como Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Ice Spice e Metro Boomin.

Mas, vai além disso… 

  • O Hip Hop é o segundo gênero mais popular globalmente no Spotify, e mais de 400 milhões de usuários em todo o mundo escutaram música Hip Hop em 2023 até agora.
  • RapCaviar é a segunda playlist com maior número de seguidores no Spotify. 
  • Em todo o mundo, existem mais de 53 milhões de playlists editoriais e geradas por usuários no Spotify que mencionam Hip Hop ou Rap no título, e mais de 2 bilhões de playlists que contêm pelo menos uma música de Hip Hop.
  • Nos últimos três anos, quase metade dos 50 artistas mais escutados no Spotify em todo o mundo são artistas de Hip Hop ou Rap.

Um dos aspectos mais distintos da cultura Hip Hop é sua regionalidade, com sons únicos vindos de cenas locais dos Estados Unidos, como Nova York, Atlanta, Los Angeles e Miami, ajudando um dos gêneros mais dinâmicos do mundo a florescer.

É por isso que celebramos essas regiões icônicas com uma série de murais originais criados por Raj Dhunna.

From South Africa to New York, Rapper Nasty C Is Making a Global Impact

July 20, 2020

Like many people these days, South African rapper Nasty C is hunkering down to stay safe. But even from the comfort of his home in Johannesburg, he keeps a tight schedule. 

“I’ve just been trying to keep busy, bro. Trying to make sure I stay on my toes and I don’t lose my creativity,” Nasty C tells For the Record. “It’s a very crucial moment in my career.” 

The emcee, born Nsikayesizwe David Ngcobo, has come a long way since he first started honing his mic skills as a 9-year-old growing up in the coastal city of Durban. After drawing attention from fellow South African artists like Cassper Nyovest and Tellaman and collaborating with stars from as far off as Nigeria and New York, he’s now poised to make a huge impact as he secures his place in front of a global hip-hop audience. 

Nasty credits Spotify for helping introduce his songs to new listeners around the world. He was one of the top-streamed artists on Spotify South Africa in 2019 and also features prominently on much-streamed playlists like Most Necessary and No Wahala.

“It’s life-changing. It’s just made it so much easier to connect with people outside our borders,” Nasty says. “It’s almost as if it shops your music around for you.”

In fact, Nasty just signed a deal with Def Jam Recordings, the pioneering New York hip-hop label that’s also home to artists like Big Sean and Kanye West. And in June, he dropped “They Don’t,” a heartfelt single about social justice featuring one of his childhood heroes, legendary Atlanta rapper T.I.

“T.I. is the reason I picked up a pen in the first place,” Nasty says. 

It was Nasty’s older brother who first taught him how to make beats and spit rhymes. Many South Africans are more familiar with kwaito, a local take on house music and hip-hop that first emerged in the 1990s. But Nasty was immediately enamored by the sound of American artists like Lil Wayne and Future. As he honed his flows and developed his voice, he also took inspiration from South African stars like AKA, who was integral in building a local English-language hip-hop scene in a country where many performers sing in South African languages. 

Nasty was only 15 when he dropped his first mixtape, 2013’s One Kid a Thousand Coffins. Soon he was attracting industry attention and building a fan base across the country. In 2015, he won the Best Freshman trophy at the South African Hip Hop Awards. Not long after, he got a message from Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido inviting him to contribute a verse to a dreamy hybrid of Afrobeats and trap titled “Coolest Kid in Africa.” 

Now Nasty is preparing to drop his latest album, Zulu Man with Some Power. With appearances planned from prominent names like T.I. and No I.D. (who produced JAY-Z’s album 4:44), the album represents a major step onto the global stage. Joining the Def Jam roster, Nasty can’t help but feel honored by this recognition from the hip-hop establishment in the United States, where hip-hop first started.

Naturally, this forthcoming effort also gives Nasty the chance to show the world what South Africa—and South African hip-hop—is all about.

“Without hip-hop, I don’t know how I would’ve made it to where I am right here. It’s given me a voice. It’s given me confidence to speak on certain things, to speak for a generation,” he says. “It’s a big step—it’s like me coming of age.” 

Get the full Nasty C experience with Nasty C Radio and the Afro-Trap playlist No Wahala.