Rico Nasty has always stood out, and she’s fully embraced her penchant for the extreme during her journey to becoming one of the most eclectic rappers today. The 23-year-old Maryland native cannot be boxed in. Her music is wide-ranging and versatile. Her fashion is rowdy and fun. Her energy is lively, and she has an aura where she’s seemingly always on.
Basically, there is no off button for Rico Nasty. While she just delivered her debut studio album Nightmare Vacation, she revealed during our interview that she’s already working on her next project. What’s more, Rico has fully embraced her career as an artist, saying, “I’m a rapper now. I’m not gonna just stop recording.”
Contributing to some of hip-hop’s most exciting releases in the last three years, including her Anger Management collaborative tape with Kenny Beats and her breakout 2018 project Nasty, Rico Nasty is telling her story in a way that we haven’t seen in years. Her style and creative direction remind fans of Missy Elliott’s stellar contributions to hip-hop, but her brash rhymes and raw energy are reminiscent of Eve, Kelis, and others. There is no telling where Rico is headed, and with such a high ceiling for her potential, it’s going to be an insane rollercoaster-like ride on the way to finding out.
For the tenth day of HNHH’s 12 Days of Christmas interview series, we spoke with Rico Nasty about everything that has happened this year, including the coronavirus pandemic, the protests, her debut album release, and much more. She divulges on her love-hate relationship with Amazon, her thoughts on Cardi B’s $88K purse controversy, Teyana Taylor’s retirement, and a more hyper-pop approach to her next album.
If you missed it, yesterday we spoke with Royce Da 5’9″ for Day 9.
This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and length. Watch the interview on YouTube below.
Day Ten: A Conversation with Rico Nasty
HotNewHipHop: What’s up, Rico! You look gorgeous.
Rico Nasty: Thank you! You know what’s crazy? I had the wildest morning today, and I literally was just saying, I don’t know how I got dressed this nice because I lost my nipple ring today.
Whew. It’s not a good day…
It’s not a good day, like, I need L.A. to do something about these piercing shops opening at 12 o’clock. This is a problem. This is a– what’s that thing called? A symmetrical problem. I’m bout to have one f*cking t*t pierced… I’m gonna look soft as f*ck. I’m gonna look like a poser, like, ‘you didn’t really take the pain’. I took all the pain! This is not fair. This is ridiculous.
This is something that you’ve got to repair today.
ASAP!
Rico, it’s so nice to talk to you. I think I got my answer but I just wanted to start off by asking, how are you?
Oh my god, I’m feeling like, I don’t know. I’m feeling a little bit like sh*t and then a little bit like the sh*t. So it’s, like, even bland, I guess.
Obviously, it’s a huge week for you. Last week was even bigger. How’s everything going with the album release right now?
Everything is going pretty amazing. Honestly, like, if you would have told me that I would have gone number two and Shawn Mendes be number one from an album that I didn’t tour from– like all these things that normally make an album– that it would do so good without all the sh*t that makes an album. I was very surprised, very, like, appreciative of my fans. I always go into depth about how much I love them. But really, like, this was their time to really shine. I mean, I see them making little stream parties. And everyone that I follow has my album cover as their profile picture. I love all the support, I see all the messages. I just want to tell you guys, I love you guys. I see everything. You guys are killing sh*t right now.
Steve Jennings/FilmMagic/Getty Images
It’s really beautiful to see, over the last three-plus years, how you’ve grown. This year has been a little crazy. Where are you at this stage in the pandemic right now?
I’m at the stage where I feel like, I don’t know, I’m a little concerned. But I definitely feel like it’s the mom in me that’s concerned. I mean, we’re talking about vaccines, we’re talking about all this sh*t. And although I have to think about myself, and I have to think about my future, I also have a kid. He’s starting school in the upcoming year. So like, certain vaccines, there are certain things he would need to go to school and I’m like, I don’t know, I don’t know about that. It’s definitely a lot of growing up being done and a lot of like, decision making because everyone else thinks that you could go out and it’s as if there’s no Coronavirus, and sometimes you really have to be the responsible one like, okay, no, we’re all having fun, but like, where’s your mask? Where’s your fucking mask? Where’s your mask? Where’s your mask? I guess it’s pretty hectic right now.
But one thing I will say is that I am extremely thankful to God and very blessed to be in the position that I am because I know that there are people whose sh*t is way worse than mine. I’m not going to sit over here and pity party, like, ‘Oh, I can’t go to the club.’ Nobody gives a f*ck about that sh*t. Like there are real problems going on right now. So yeah, I mean, the only thing I can complain about is being in the house. I’m bored. I’m bored. I’ve played dress-up too many times. It’s not fun anymore.
“I spent more money in the pandemic than I probably did when I was on the road. Because Instagram is the f*cking Illuminati. And if you look at something on your Safari browser, you get ads for it. So they’ve been catching me in a trick bag this whole time. I can honestly say I spent too much money during quarantine, especially on Amazon. Jeff Bezos cut me a check, b*tch. Because all your money is definitely my money if we’re being real, like, it’s just too much.”
You got to get more clothes.
Oh, no. Okay, bro. Like, honestly, I spent more money in the pandemic than I probably did when I was on the road. Because Instagram is the f*cking Illuminati. And if you look at something on your Safari browser, you get ads for it. So they’ve been catching me in a trick bag this whole time. I can honestly say I spent too much money during quarantine, especially on Amazon. Jeff Bezos cut me a check, b*tch. Because all your money is definitely my money if we’re being real, like, it’s just too much. F*ck Amazon. I love Amazon. I’m sorry, I love Amazon. But f*ck y’all! Y’all got too much stuff to buy. Why can I buy a frying pan and a wig at the same website? Make it make sense.
And they get shipped together too!
Like, make this sh*t make sense. That sounds crazy. You know, my top favorite pick of quarantine was those f*cking polygel nails. If you are a girl, I know you know what I’m talking about. You bought that sh*t. You paid like $60 for it. You were supposed to be able to do a full set and all this dumb ass sh*t they promoted. You got that sh*t in like three months, thinking ‘oh, by the time I get it, corona gonna be over’ and it wasn’t. So you still had time to do the sh*t. And it’s just horrible. I spent $60 and I have to still pay to get my nails done. I can’t do my nails with that kit. I know I’m not the only one that fell for it.
Amazon has been the go-to for a lot of people during the pandemic. You finally released your debut album Nightmare Vacation this month. What’s the significance of that title for you?
Honestly, this year has been that. Just like, you know, a period where we were all like, we get to stay home and do nothing. Hurray! Hurray! And then as time goes on, you realize too much of anything is horrible. Nobody wants to stay at home all the time. And you just start realizing all of the things that you kind of appreciated. And I feel like, with Nightmare Vacation, it was kind of like that. I was working, working, working, working. Too much of anything isn’t good. I started kind of losing myself in the work. And I decided to call it Nightmare Vacation because, although I kind of wandered off into all these different places and different styles of genres, music and sh*t, I still was able to come back home, find myself and just continue to be myself. Just because you are educated in music doesn’t mean that your music has to sound like you’re educated in music. Sometimes you can just do what you like. I named it Nightmare Vacation because I felt like people needed something to scream to. When you think Nightmare Vacation, I just feel like it’s a scream. It’s like, is it good? Is it bad? It’s two extremes. So, you know, I just really wanted to give the album a name as dramatic as the emotions that were showcased on it.
“The best part of the album finally being out is just the fact that I’m already working on the next one.”
It fits it well. What’s the best part about the album finally being out after having worked on it all year?
The best part of the album finally being out is just the fact that I’m already working on the next one.
How many songs have you finished for it?
Of the next album? Sh*t, probably like six.
Wow! So you’re already well along.
Yeah, I mean, because when you really think about it, I stopped recording for Nightmare Vacation as soon as I had to get it cleared or sent to Apple Music and all that sh*t. So once I did that it was just like, I mean, I’m a rapper now. I’m not gonna just stop recording. I kept recording and now I have all these songs and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is next level.’ From reading the reviews and sh*t, I’m like, I don’t wanna give my whole plan away but like, I didn’t want to put too much different sh*t on Nightmare Vacation because I already seen the reaction with “iPhone” and “Own It”. People were like, ‘How different is this about to be?’ and I started getting scared because I didn’t want to lose my core fan base. So now that they’re like, ‘Alright, this is Rico Rico like we got Rico Rico’, I see so many people like, ‘Alright, I wonder what the real next phase is?’ And I already have the next phase locked and loaded, and I’m ready to go and I’m just ready to keep going. F*ck that sh*t. No breaks, no days off. I’m really dedicated to– I don’t know, I feel like I’m in this sh*t now. When I was working on the album, it felt like I was lightyears away from my fans. But now I feel like we right here. We know what’s happening, that sh*t’s about to go crazy.
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images
That’s amazing to hear. Your interview with Zane Lowe recently came out. You said that in quarantine, you were having trouble balancing life and music. What was it specifically that you were having trouble with?
I probably have never spoken about this in an interview but my mom is very clingy. My mom is super clingy. I’ma just keep it a bean. So when I tell my mom that I’m home, she doesn’t understand that I still have to work. So like, it was really difficult finding that balance between like, okay, yes, I’m home and I love you guys and I want to be with you guys because, looking online, you see everybody else with their family and all that sh*t. But everybody else isn’t dropping an album right now. So I’m still working, like, I’m still doing press runs, doing all this sh*t. So it was just really hard balancing family time with work because, now more than ever, the two weren’t separated. You know, I didn’t have to go to New York for a week and then I come home and that’s my downtime. Like, no, I’m home already. Phoners back to back. And then in the middle of these phoners, my mom is calling me like, ‘So what you want to do today? Yes, so-and-so is coming down.’ I’m like, ‘Mom, I’m still working! This is not my time off. Like, I’m still working.’ So that sh*t was really rough. It was always really rough.
Even my friends like, when the protests and stuff were going on, they’re like, ‘yeah, I’m gonna go out and I’m gonna go protest.’ I’m like, I wish I could go protest. I do. I wish I could but like, I can’t protest in the DMV. If I would have come to L.A., I could have protested. But I can’t protest in the DMV because it wouldn’t have been about the protest. It would have been about rappers pulling up to the protest. And that’s not what the protest is for. This is not, like, content, my n***a. This is real-world sh*t. I’m just at home watching everybody’s stories just like, wow, at least I got friends that make a difference. But still, at the same time, I’m like, okay, we’re doing f*cking product calls and we’re talking about merch. You know, it’s just like, damn, I wish I could have had fun this summer, but it was great. This album was worth it and everything was worth it.
“My favorite type of music to record right now is definitely “iPhone”. I love that music because it’s not– there’s really no rules to it. When you go in on those types of hyper-pop beats, I don’t feel obligated to be harsh. A lot of other beats, I feel obligated to be harsh because that’s how I am but with this new hyper-pop sound, I get to kind of explore the more lovey-dovey ground, but it’s still fun and I’m really enjoying it a lot.”
Absolutely. The protests were a huge part of this year. What I love about you is your versatility as an artist. You can make a hyper-pop record like “iPhone”. And then you can make something hard as hell like “OHFR?”. I wanted to ask you, what’s your favorite type of music to record right now?
My favorite type of music to record right now is definitely “iPhone”. I love that music because it’s not– there’s really no rules to it. When you go in on those types of hyper-pop beats, I don’t feel obligated to be harsh. A lot of other beats, I feel obligated to be harsh because that’s how I am but with this new hyper-pop sound, I get to kind of explore the more lovey-dovey ground, but it’s still fun and I’m really enjoying it a lot. There are a couple of other songs like “iPhone” that are super sick but more rapping, which I feel like is even harder. I don’t think people are gonna– they’re gonna be like, ‘what the f*ck?’ because it’s still rap but it’s also still like a hook and sh*t. Yeah, there’s gonna be fire. You’re gonna like this one.
You worked with Don Toliver, Aminé, Trippie Redd, the legendary Gucci Mane, and a few others on the album. How do you decide who you want to collaborate with when you’re working on something?
I tried to pick the people who are more themselves than anyone else. You know what I’m saying? Like, when you look at Trippie, he’s had a couple of acting roles and even in his acting roles, he’s still Trippie and I love that. He has a soft side and he has a hard side. I love that. Same with Aminé. He has a really good way of blending into whatever vibe fits his voice. And that’s something that I look up to. I look for people who are genuinely themselves. Like, when you turn their music off, they’re still that person. And I also look for people who like, unapologetically don’t give a f*ck. Talking about females, this morning was the first time I’ve ever been without a wig in front of a female rapper. And it was ppcocaine. No makeup, we just looked like two thumbs. I feel like that’s empowering and I’ve always wanted a relationship like that. Like, we’re all just b*tches with makeup and wigs, we all look the same without it. Nobody’s better than nobody. We all just got rich like, get rich or die tryin’ b*tch. That’s me. I love Sukihana and I feel Sukihana definitely is like– she’s kind of like everybody’s fairy godmother. She’s like always in the back of everybody’s head. I love her. People always tell me, ‘you’re so crazy’. But Suki been doing shit that I’m scared to do. She makes you look amazing. And she makes it look f*cking crazy. And I love her for that. Like, it’s inspiring. And even Rubi Rose. Like, slim b*tches stand up. It’s very important that we get some more representation out here. You know, I’m standing for my skinny b*tches. I put her on the album too, because I felt like she definitely does a great job of embodying that ‘I’m still sexy, y’all n***as still want me, but I don’t have big ass melons’. She got a fat ass though. I love her message, I love like, everything. Her voice is so deep and that contrast is sexual-like– the sexiness of her.
And then let’s talk about Gucci Mane. Gucci Mane is definitely a f*cking legend. And I feel like nobody has a real debut if they don’t get a legend on there. So big shout out to Guwop for being a part of this. And for even saying my name, let’s say that because Gucci probably dishes out features all the time. But when he said “Guwop and Rico Nasty/Pulled up and the hoes got nasty”. That was a thing. I was done. I was happy. I was satisfied with that moment. That was a real moment. Like he said my name!
You spoke about some of the super talented women in rap right now. Women have absolutely taken over the rap game in 2020. I spoke to Flo Milli earlier this year and she had some amazing things to say about you. She says she became a fan when you only had 4000 followers. She’s really inspired
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