Nasty C and Tellaman have opened up about one of the biggest challenges artists face when experimenting with their sound: the fear that listeners may not connect with the music.
The two Durban-born artists recently reflected on the uncertainty surrounding their creative choices, particularly when making music that sits outside South Africa’s most dominant mainstream sounds.
For Nasty C, that uncertainty remains real despite his years of success and status as one of South Africa’s biggest hip-hop exports.
Nasty C admits the fear never disappears
When asked whether he worries about releasing music that takes a different creative direction, Nasty C admitted that the fear is always there.
“Always, yeah. Always.”
The rapper explained that changing musical direction comes with a degree of risk because artists can never be certain how their audience will respond.
“You get scared because you don’t know if it’s going to connect. Times change, people change.”
Nasty C’s comments highlight an often-overlooked side of being an established artist. Success may bring confidence and a loyal fanbase, but it does not necessarily eliminate the anxiety that comes with introducing something unfamiliar.
Tellaman highlights the R&B challenge
Tellaman shared a similar perspective, particularly from the position of an R&B artist working in a market where the genre does not always receive the same mainstream attention as amapiano and other dominant sounds.
“R&B is a very tricky space to operate in.”
The singer explained that the music he creates is not necessarily among the most commercially popular sounds in South Africa, making genuine audience support especially meaningful.
For Tellaman, knowing that people continue to connect with his work is therefore something he does not take for granted.
His comments also point to the difficulties faced by artists who operate outside the country’s biggest commercial music movements. Building an audience in a less dominant genre can require patience, consistency and a willingness to remain authentic.
Why T’s & C’s Apply was a risk
The pair’s comments provide an interesting look into the thinking behind their joint project, T’s & C’s Apply.
Nasty C is widely associated with hip-hop, while Tellaman has established himself through his R&B and melodic sound. Instead of simply creating a conventional rap project, the two artists embraced a more melodic, R&B-influenced direction.
That decision meant stepping away from some of the sounds listeners might traditionally associate with Nasty C.
The project also represents the continuation of a musical relationship that stretches back to their teenage years in Durban. Having known each other for more than a decade, the artists were able to combine their different strengths while exploring a sound that reflects both of their musical identities.
Taking creative risks despite the uncertainty
The conversation ultimately reveals that even established artists can feel vulnerable when releasing new music.
For Nasty C and Tellaman, the fear of rejection did not outweigh their desire to experiment. Instead, the uncertainty became part of the creative process.
Their approach to T’s & C’s Apply shows that artistic growth sometimes requires stepping outside familiar territory, even when there is no guarantee that audiences will immediately embrace the result.
As South African music continues to evolve, the collaboration between Nasty C and Tellaman also highlights the importance of artists being willing to cross genre boundaries.
For the duo, the question was never simply whether the music would fit neatly into an existing trend. It was whether they could create something that genuinely represented where they were creatively.
And sometimes, taking that risk is exactly what makes a project worth hearing.
