Nasty C, Qing Madi, Riick, Skales and More on New Music Friday

New Music Friday always feels like a mirror, reflecting where African music is in the moment. This week, it’s less about easy club bangers and more about artists doubling down on identity, purpose, and the stretch of their sound. Together, they remind us that African music is about the party, truth, resilience, and evolution. From South Africa’s most bankable rapper to Afrobeats veterans and rising stars, here’s what’s anchoring the week’s listening.

Nasty C – Free (Album)

Nasty C has been a fixture of South African hip-hop for nearly a decade, but ‘Free‘ lands as his most daring project yet. Sixteen tracks deep, the album isn’t bound by one lane, it ricochets between slick trap cadences, soulful meditations, and even sprinkles of maskandi, a nod to Zulu traditional music. That blend makes ‘Free’ feel like a sonic manifesto: a rapper claiming space beyond formula.

The timing is symbolic too. This is his first album outside the big-label system, and you can hear the breath in it. Songs like “Intro” and “MSP” carry the playful swagger fans expect, while “Selfish” peels back into raw sincerity. The features are purposeful: Blxckie sparking hometown synergy, Tellaman injecting melody, Tshego sliding in with sleek charisma. Each guest adds, but the vision is still firmly Nasty’s.

More than just a rap album, ‘Free’ reads like a liberation document. It’s about what happens when an artist sheds pressure and makes music that reflects every corner of their personality. South Africa has long known his power; ‘Free’ suggests the rest of the world should start paying closer attention.

Skales – Martina’s Son (Album)

For Skales, ‘Martina’s Son’ is like a love letter from skales named after his late mother. The album threads gratitude, faith, and resilience through Afropop, highlife, amapiano, and street-pop. Skales has lived enough lives in this industry—EME breakout, solo reinvention, viral resurgences—that he could’ve easily gone the nostalgia route, but instead, he digs deeper.

The opener, “Until We Meet Again” sets the emotional stage with vulnerability, while “Glory” alongside Fave soars with melodic optimism. “Tota E Mole” where Yinka Ayefele bridges gospel with Afropop, is a generational handshake with Skales paying homage to the roots while still innovating. Add in cross-border touches with Joshua Baraka, Innoss’B, and even a Spanish remix of “Shake Body”, and the album becomes both a deeply Nigerian record and a global experiment.

What makes ‘Martina’s Son’ resonate is the balance. It’s personal enough to feel intimate, but wide-ranging enough to soundtrack a dancefloor. It shows an artist who refuses to let the industry’s ebbs and flows dictate his story. Instead, Skales reclaims his narrative through memory and reinvention.

Qing Madi – Scumbag

Following a brief hiatus and a rocky episode that saw her part ways with her record label. With a new single Qing Madi graces the scene with her dearly missed sngwriting talent and vocal prowess. Titled “Scumbag”, the track is equal parts confessional and reclamation. Over Wademix’s airy production, she admits to falling for the kind of man everyone warned her about. Yet instead of spiraling, she turns the moment into self-awareness, even empowerment.

The strength of Qing’s artistry lies in her ability to coat vulnerability with melody. Beyond heartbreak, “Scumbag” is a soundtrack of accountability, of knowing your own patterns and still choosing growth. With her debut album ‘I Am The Blueprint’ still fresh in memory, this track feels like a bridge into her next chapter: one where the themes get heavier, but the confidence grows sharper. She’s becoming one of the most compelling young voices in Afrobeats genre-blending with poise, but storytelling with teeth.

Iyanya ft. Fido – Sorry

Few things in Afrobeats are as reliable as an Iyanya love record. “Sorry”, his new collaboration with rising act Fido, leans into that strength but adds a modern twist. The production, handled by Ubi Franklin and Mikaba Beatz, is lush yet understated with percussions rolling under heartfelt melodies. Iyanya sings like a man who’s loved, lost, and wants another chance, while Fido brings youthful urgency that cuts through the vulnerability.

Tems, Victony, King Promise, Odeal and More on New Music Friday

It’s also the first taste of Iyanya’s forthcoming album ‘The Forester’s Son’, due later this month. If the single is any indication, we’re about to get an older, wiser Iyanya, one still rooted in danceable Afropop but more deliberate in message. With Fido, they create a song that feels timeless yet timely, a reminder that Afrobeats thrives when the oldtimers and the newcomers share the mic.

Riick – Sanity

Fresh out in the game, Riick kicked off his professional career by sharing his debut single ‘Surrender’ with the world in July. On this week’s New Music Friday, he displays tenacity and readiness for the music scene with a new release titled “Sanity”. On the mid-tempo, introspective track, Riick shows listeners a truly vulnerable side with a delivery that cuts straight to the heart. He self-examines the state of his mental health and justifies the coping mechanisms he leans on to navigate grief, loss, and depression. The production choice by Killashay carries a heaviness in its slow-paced flow, perfectly complementing the somber theme of the record.

Although a new voice in the music scene, Riick shows a masterful ability to blend vulnerable storytelling with infectious, soulful melodies that carry unusual emotional depth. A sonic staple in this part of the world, it feels only a matter of time before the world turns to his music offering.