Rico Nasty is rap’s ultimate rock star. “I’m so cocky about what I do and I know that what I did was fresh and new,” she says on being one of the pioneers of rage rap. Since first breaking onto the scene at 19, Rico Nasty has learned to claim her uniqueness as her crown. “I’m kind of like escargots. If you have expensive taste then you know what’s going on, but if you eat chicken tenders and hot dogs every day, then, pooh, I don’t know if you’re gonna know what’s going on,” she laughs.
After a two-year hiatus, Rico Nasty stepped away from the spotlight to reflect on who she wanted to be both on and off stage. “This music shit is a beautiful thing but if your energy isn’t used correctly, it can be very draining and it can feel very lonely,” she says about her break. “I felt like nobody was in my corner. I felt like I had nobody to talk to and I felt like I took that shit out on my family, people that I loved, and even some of my fans caught the rifle on Twitter.”
In her interview with Schön!, the artist is frank and sincere about her experience navigating the music industry. “The funniest tweet I ever seen was every time a mainstream artist comes out with a new style, there’s an underground artist that suffers,” she says. “I felt crazy for being up against so many people that wanted me to be a certain type of way, and I knew I will never be that.” As a black woman in rap, there is often pressure to conform in order to reach mainstream success. Rico Nasty always resisted, relying on her authenticity instead. “I’m so proud of my career. I didn’t have to have a radio hit. I didn’t have to run to features. I didn’t have to run to sex. I didn’t have to change my personality. I didn’t have to do anything and I’m still relevant. I’m still touring, I’m still on the festivals, I’m still getting opportunities,” she says.
Rico Nasty is a refreshing example of the multiplicity of women in rap music and she is making sure the door stays wide open for others who see themselves in her. “I know what I mean to black girls. I know the space that I provide for them…I don’t know what this space looks like for us [in the] mainstream,” she says. “What space will we have? Where will we be able to go and be fucking crazy, genuinely? You’re with your friends, there’s no judgement, wig sliding off. You’re sweating. There’s no feeling of ‘I gotta be a bad bitch right now.’ It’s just fucking let’s go. Where will that go?” she asks.
Rico Nasty is admittedly an old head when it comes to her personal playlist, listening to the likes of ACDC and Run DMC. As for contemporary music, she says that she respects PinkPantheress and her approach to songwriting. “Sometimes the song does not need to be two fucking minutes and 45 seconds. Sometimes it can be a minute long, and there’s replay value in that,” she says on PinkPantheress’ knack for a short and sweet hit. “I think she got a lot of flack for that. I actually respected it because why would I compromise the art and make the song longer if I don’t have anything to say?”
Rico Nasty is truly in the game for the art of it all. It’s why she’s unafraid to critique the creeping dominance of chart performance and streams. “I think there’s a huge sense of greed in this industry. What do you need all that shit for? All of this praise for? I make more than enough money to take care of my family and be happy. Like, what more. What more could I want?” she says.
Rico Nasty is both the blueprint and the reference, boldly paving her path to longevity. Nowhere is this clearer than on her new album ‘LETHAL’ is a rich blend of genres from screamo to hip hop. The album’s diverse production feels natural and dynamic as she freely experiments between sounds. Having the platform and space to show off her versatility is partially thanks her new label, Fuelled by Ramen, which is home to iconic bands like Paramore, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco. “Give it up for me, I’m like the first black girl rock star on there,” she says about joining their roster.
“I hear a lot of people like, this the best album she’s ever made. This is her best project. It’s probably ’cause I’m in the best state of mind. I’m healthy, I’m happy, I’m trying new things. I think that plays a really huge part in the music that I make because it’s all about energy,” she says on the album, calling it “a place for people who like hip hop, and they like screamo, and they like the more alternative, softer, indie rock, and they like fucking aggressive cocky rap music.”
Hearing ‘LETHAL’ live is set to be an experience. There’s already fan anticipation online to hear earthshaking tracks like ‘Smoke Break’ live, but Rico Nasty says the song she’s most looking forward to performing is ‘EAT ME!’ which “encapsulates my masculine and feminine side so well.” Playing with duality “was something I wanted to do for a very long time. I have a lot of fans that are gay, that are bisexual, that feel as though they want to be able to feel both sides,” she says. “They want to feel sexy but they also want to be able beat somebody’s ass. So, it’s like balancing those two.”
This Schön! online exclusive has been brought to you by
photography.
fashion.
talent.
makeup.
hair.
photo assistant.
fashion assistants. Wendy Gonzalez +Lizzie Palma
words. Shama Nasinde
