Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly (born May 7, 1997), known professionally asRico Nasty, is an American rapper and singer. She beganself-releasing while in high school, and had released five solo mixtapes by late 2017. She gained a local following onSoundCloud with her songs "iCarly" and "Hey Arnold". After gaining wider recognition with her 2018 singles "Smack a Bitch" and "Poppin",[1] she signed withAtlantic Records to release her sixth mixtape,Nasty (2018). The label released her collaborative mixtapeAnger Management (2019) withKenny Beats, as well as her first two studio albums,Nightmare Vacation (2020) andLas Ruinas (2022); the former album peaked the USHeatseekers charts. She then parted ways with the label in favor ofFueled by Ramen andElektra Records, who released her third studio album,Lethal (2025).
Rico started rapping in high school and released her first mixtape,Summer's Eve (2014), when she was in tenth grade atCharles Herbert Flowers High School.[12][11] After graduating from high school, she started focusing on her music career and released two mixtapes in 2016:The Rico Story andSugar Trap. Rico Nasty gained some prominence with her 2016 single "iCarly" which amassed over 500,000 views onYouTube within months.[11][13] She also released the single "Hey Arnold", which was later remixed featuringAtlanta rapperLil Yachty.[14] The duo would collaborate again in 2017 for the single "Mamacita" as part ofThe Fate of the Furious: The Album soundtrack.[13][15]
In May 2017, Rico Nasty released her fourth mixtape,Tales of Tacobella, which is her earliest commercially available release as of September 2020[update].[16][17] Kyann-Sian Williams ofNME described the mixtape as "otherworldly and synth-heavy" and noted that the mixtape demonstrated Rico's singing abilities.[18] In June 2017, Rico released her single "Poppin" which quickly garnered over five million views onYouTube.[2] The single was also featured on theHBO television seriesInsecure.[19] Rico's fifth mixtapeSugar Trap 2 was released in October 2017 and featured an appearance from rapperFamous Dex.[20] Critics ofRolling Stone listed the mixtape as one of the Best Rap Albums of 2017.[21] Rico embarked on her "Sugar Trap Tour" in late 2017.[22]
The singles "Smack a Bitch", "Poppin" and "Key Lime OG" gained prominence in early 2018; all of them meeting and exceeding 10 millionYouTube views in that year.[23] The former two songs additionally gained some popularity on the video-sharing platformTikTok after being used in variousmemes.[24][25] "Smack a Bitch" was also ranked at No. 2 onThe Fader's list of "The 100 Best Songs of 2018".[26] Her rapidly ascendant popularity helped Rico Nasty catch the attention ofAtlantic Records, where she signed and released her sixth mixtape and major-label debut,Nasty, in June 2018.[27][28] The mixtape was generally well received and landed on critics lists of publications such asRolling Stone,[29]Pitchfork,[30]Stereogum,[31]Noisey,[32]Fact,[33] andSpin,[34] among several others. The mixtape's tracks "Bitch I'm Nasty", "Countin' Up", and "Rage" were ranked on lists of the best songs of 2018 byPaper,Highsnobiety andPitchfork respectively.[35][36][37] In late July, Rico Nasty embarked on and headlined her "The Nasty Tour" to support the mixtape, playing twenty-seven different venues across North America over six weeks and completing the tour in early September.[38]
Rico Nasty appeared in the music video for the remix of "Old Town Road" byLil Nas X featuringBilly Ray Cyrus.[39] She released the non-album singles accompanied by music videos "Guap (LaLaLa)" in December 2019[40] and "Roof" in January 2019.[41] She followed them up with several more non-album singles in early 2019: "Sandy",[42] "Party Goin Dumb",[43] "Big Dick Energy",[44] "Hit That",[45] and "Wanna Do".[46] In April 2019, Rico Nasty and producerKenny Beats supported singerKhalid during the opening night of theFree Spirit World Tour.[47] Rico Nasty made the cover ofThe Fader for their Summer 2018 issue,[8][48] and was the subject of a documentary produced by the publication titledCountin' Up.[49][50]
In April 2019, Rico and producer Kenny Beats released the collaborative mixtape,Anger Management, as a surprise release.[51] The mixtape received critical acclaim and made the critics' lists of several publications includingComplex,[52]Rolling Stone,[53]Stereogum,[54]Noisey,[55]Billboard,[56]NME,[57] andCrack.[58]Anger Management is arguably Rico Nasty's most successful release to date, both commercially and critically.[59] In April 2019, Rico Nasty performed atCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time in her career.[60] To support the record, Rico embarked on her "Live in Europe" tour starting in late May and ending in mid July.[61] In June 2019,XXL announced that Rico Nasty was part of theirXXL Freshman Class of 2019.[62] She performed atNew York Fashion Week in September 2019 and subsequently released the single "Fashion Week".[63] Rico Nasty also performed as a headlining act at Rolling Loud in New York in October 2019.[64]
Rico Nasty provided the original song "My Little Alien" to the soundtrack for the 2020 filmScoob! in May 2020.[65] In June 2020, her single "Smack a Bitch" (2017) was certifiedGold by theRecording Industry Association of America for selling over 500,000 units in the United States.[66] In June 2020, Rico Nasty also released the single "Dirty" as part of the original soundtrack for theHBO television seriesInsecure.[67] On August 7, 2020, Rico Nasty appeared alongside Colombian-American singerKali Uchis on the song "Aquí Yo Mando", which served as the lead single from Uchis' second studio album,Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2020).[68]
On August 13, 2020, Rico Nasty released the single "iPhone" as the lead single of her debut studio album,Nightmare Vacation.[69] On the same day, she announced that she would be collaborating with makeup brandIl Makiage on a new makeup line.[70] Rico Nasty made the front cover of British music magazineNME in September 2020.[18] Rico Nasty released "Own It" as the second single fromNightmare Vacation on September 17.[71] In October 2020 she became an ambassador forRihanna's lingerie brandSavage X Fenty[72] and made a cameo appearance in theSavage X Fenty Show: Vol 2.[73][74] A few days later, Rico Nasty engaged in a social media campaign with children's TV mascotHip Hop Harry andAtlantic Records to encourage the general public to vote in the2020 United States presidential election.[75] She released the song "Don't Like Me" featuring rappersDon Toliver andGucci Mane as the third single off ofNightmare Vacation.[76] In November 2020, "OHFR?" was released as the fourth single from the album,[77] on the same day that Rico Nasty revealed the album's release date and cover art.[78] She also released a visual trailer for the album in November 2020.[79] Rico Nasty revealed the tracklist on December 1,[80] before the album was officially released on December 4.[81][82] The release ofNightmare Vacation coincided with the release of its fifth single, "STFU".[83] In January 2021, Rico Nasty made her television debut when she performed "OHFR?" onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[84][85]
On June 17, 2021, Rico Nasty joined Little Bacon Bear for a casual, interview-style conversation presented byGrammy U. Rico disclosed more details about the anticipated mixtape, including that it spans seven tracks, employsDylan Brady of100 gecs as a co-producer, and featuresFlo Milli andG Herbo.[86][87]
In late 2021, Rico Nasty was the opening act forPlayboi Carti's King Vamp Tour. In numerous cities on the tour, Rico Nasty was booed or had items thrown at her while she was on stage. On Twitter, she wrote that she needed at least two hours a day to cry, and that she cried herself to sleep every night on the tour bus. In another Tweet, she wrote she wished she was dead.[88]
Nasty's second album,Las Ruinas, was released on July 22, 2022.[89]
On March 29, 2024, Rico Nasty released a collaborative EP withBoys Noize titledHardc0re Dr3amz.[90]
On February 20, 2025, Nasty announced arap rock album, titledLethal, released on May 16, 2025 throughFueled by Ramen, alongside its lead single, "Teethsucker (Yea3x)".[91]
A 12 second sample of Rico Nasty's breakthrough 2018 single "Smack A Bitch", which presents her aggressive, raspypunk rap delivery over an instrumental withtrap metal andnu metal influences.
Rico Nasty coined the term "sugar trap" early in her career and has used it as the title of her independent record label as well as two of her mixtapes.[108][109] Musically, the term has simply been described as "bubbly, upbeat rap"[8] as well as "singing andtrap rapping".[110] Lawrence Burney ofNoisey noted that sugar trap is "markedly upbeat, bubbly, and self-loving, no matter her chosen delivery",[13] while Kyann-Sian Williams ofNME described it as a blend of "hardcore, gruff vocals" and "grungy hooks with softer, computerised beats".[18] Rico Nasty has said that sugar trap has "soft, beautiful, melodic, flowy vibes" as well as elements of "trap music likeChicago drill music,Atlanta trap music,Memphis trap music, little bit ofCalifornia trap music. I mix everything. If the sound catches my ear, I mix it."[111] She has also described "sugar trap" metaphorically as "a headspace", "a way of fashion" and "a way of life".[112] She also described the term as a "metaphorical place", saying "It's like when you have a really, really bad life and shit good starts happening and you don't know how to adapt to the good shit."[13] In April 2018, Rico Nasty officially trademarked the term "sugar trap".[113]
Rico Nasty's use ofalter egos andpersonas in her music have varied throughout her career. These include "Tacobella" (a "vulnerable, sensitive persona"), and "Trap Lavigne", who is inspired by Avril Lavigne.[16][8][118][114] Rico Nasty toldNME that her other personas are inspired byDavid Bowie,Tyler, the Creator, andNicki Minaj.[18]
Rico Nasty is known for her uniquestyle inpunk fashion.[119][120][5][121][122] Kyle Munzenrieder of the American fashion magazineW has described her as a "maximalist fashion icon".[123] Kyann-Sian Williams ofNME wrote, "With her androgynous nature and outlandish style, Rico has been an icon for outcasts for years."[18]
At age 18, Rico Nasty gave birth to a son, Cameron,[5] while in her senior year of high school.[13][18] As she began gaining attention with her music, she quit her job as a hospital receptionist and her manager, Malik Foxx, began buying production equipment.[8] Rico Nasty revealed toThe Fader that Foxx is "the only father figure that Cameron has ever known."[8]
^Christopher R. Weingarten; Timmhotep Aku; Elias Leight; Brittany Spanos; Suzy Exposito; Mosi Reeves; David Drake; Joe Levy; Will Hermes; Briana Younger; Israel Daramola (December 22, 2017)."40 Best Rap Albums of 2017".Rolling Stone.ISSN0035-791X. RetrievedJuly 26, 2018.
^Jonathan Bernstein; Jon Blistein; Jon Dolan; Patrick Doyle; Brenna Ehrlich; Suzy Exposito; Jon Freeman; David Fricke; Kory Grow; Will Hermes; Christian Hoard; Charles Holmes; Joseph Hudak; Brendan Klinkenberg; Elias Leight; Angie Martoccio; Claire Shaffer; Rob Sheffield; Hank Shteamer; Brittany Spanos; Simon Vozick-Levinson (December 5, 2019)."The 50 Best Albums of 2019".Rolling Stone.ISSN0035-791X.Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. RetrievedAugust 14, 2020.
