We Interview Rico Nasty About Going Hard Again, Sneakers And Shopping Smart

Rico Nasty has been on our radar since dropping her bestie-anthem iCarly back in 2016. A lot has happened since then — from releasing 7 projects so far and signing with Atlantic Records to collaborating with Lil Yachty and performing at Coachella — Rico has been busy. Earlier this year, her collaborative EP Anger Management with producer Kenny Beats came out.

Now, she's touring through Europe. With colorful wigs, unforgettable outfits and her expressive trap metal sound she’s making her mark in music history. After being mesmerized by her performance at Distortion Festival in Copenhagen we immediately flew out to Berlin to catch up with the 22-year-old Maryland rapper before her show at the notorious Berghain. Despite her schedule being packed, Rico came into the room with blue glossy hair, matching eyebrows and flawless makeup while blessing us with that Rockstar yet humble attitude. We sat down with Rico to discuss her music, fashion and tour stories.
 

First, let’s talk about your recent EP Anger Management. Did it help you heal some anger issues you might’ve had yourself?

Definitely. I feel like after that project came out it was like I took a breath of fresh air and got ready to not be so angry all the time.

That’s great! And how did the album come together, like what was your process?

So, first we made Cold, Cheat Code and Hatin then we were like ‘Stop, where are we going with this? What’s the concept?’ And then we made Big Titties, the [Nasty World] Skit, then Relative. And then we stopped again and we’re like ‘What’s the name?’ so we called in the management and put on Mood. And then we did Sell Out. Every day we came back to the studio and were like ‘This is the song we made before’ and worked on it more. And another thing is that the songs took a long while to make. Cheat Code and Cold were both 6-hour sessions for one song because we made the beats from scratch. We did everything from scratch, all the samples, all that cool stuff.

Wow, that’s crazy! I read in another interview that you can do a couple of songs a night so this is different.

Yeah, most of the time when I’m not working on a project or anything, I’m just in the studio. A lot of times I can make like 8 songs a night because you just make a song. But after we had a concept as to where we wanted to go we started making songs with a purpose. 

"People be, they be like ‘Rico goin' hard again’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, tell your friends’."

And what’s your favorite lyric from the whole album?

My favorite lyric is, um, uh shit. How does it go? Is it on Cheat Code? Oh, yeah!

‘If you put your money up to mine, your money miniature
Game over, wasted, finish it, rub it in your face if you ain't listenin'
Diamonds on me wet, I'm like a fisherman
I do the shit you can't do with no middleman
People keep sayin' that I'm rude, I don't give a shit
Stop comparin' me to bitches that I'm better than
Rico goin' hard again, go ahead and tell a friend
I be the tension all in the room like an elephant’

I love that one, that’s my favorite lyric! I was just going hard, I was just on some real shit. That’s how people be, they be like ‘Rico goin' hard again’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, tell your friends’.

And from this tour, what was your favorite memory so far? 

When we were at Birmingham Pride I was running from some fans in heels and I fell but I was latched onto my boyfriend so I dragged him with me.

Now we wanted to talk a bit about your style. It’s quite eclectic, there’s so many different outfits we saw you wear, so many different characters. What are your inspirations for that?

My biggest inspiration right now is a comfort. I like being comfortable and cute at the same time. I wear baggier pants. I just had an outfit the other night where it just was mesh, the whole thing. That was pretty comfortable. It wasn’t like super skin tight and it wasn’t baggy. And mesh is like one of those things where one or the other has to work. It worked out pretty nice, it was cozy. And then, I’ve been trying to wear stuff that’s going to make me feel the freest and allow me to have the most lit type of show. I don’t have to wear heels or stuff. I don’t know if people noticed but I don’t wear heels on stage, I’ve worn platforms but that doesn’t count. When I see like Cardi B and Beyoncé, when I watch them perform in heels I’m like ‘Grown woman shit!’ I’m not there yet, I’m in my lucky twenty-two’s. I can get away with wearing sneaker shoes. How long is that gonna last until they’re gonna be like ‘Rico Nasty continues to not wear heels’. I’m a performer and when you’re a woman, it’s like heels are expected. And then if you come out there with sneakers they’re looking at you like ‘She doesn’t care’ when really I do care, about my ankles! I can count the number of times I’ve performed in heels on one hand. And on each of those times, I either fell backstage or right before I go on stage, wobbling. They call that the duck-walk. That’s what everyone on my team calls it when I walk in heels. ‘Are you duck-walking today?’ Not my thing. 

"I’m buying what best fits the aesthetic, what do I really want?" 

How did your style change ever since you started blowing up and having more money to play with when it comes to outfits?

I started working off my wish list. It’s like taking a dump, let me get this out. I wanted this shit, I’m getting it. But believe it or not, sometimes the stuff on the wish list is not that cute. And you come back to it after a couple of times of wearing it and you’re like ‘Why did I buy this?’. So, I feel like I’m being more selective about what I buy. I would buy stuff and I would be like ‘Okay, I’m not gonna be able to find this in another place’. I just feel like that money made me more open-minded. When I go into certain stores it’s not like ‘Oh, I’m buying what best fits the budget’. I’m buying what best fits the aesthetic, what do I really want? Not so much trying to piece things together, how would this go with that? I’m just going all out. That’s pretty cool, I’m enjoying it. I also really like dresses, I want to buy more dresses. Buy more stuff to go underneath your dresses! Like if you buy a dress with the sleeves gone, buy different color shirts to go underneath it so that you can literally wear that dress 5 times. You just have to switch it up, no one is gonna notice that you’re wearing the same dress. And you have to make really you. 

Which are your favorite brands right now?

Um, right now I really really like Buffalo London and Patrick Church. Namilia, it’s based out here in Berlin. They make cool pants. I’ve been liking Louis Vuitton a lot and I would say Dolls Kill but I haven’t shopped there in a while.

What’s your main statement piece right now? 

My Goyard bag. Because I bought a Louis Vuitton bag and I was like ‘Oh this is the new bag. I’m never gonna wear the Goyard bag again.’ But it’s one of those things that I really don’t care if it matches with my outfit. I love that Goyard bag, I wear it all the time. It’s a fucking tote but it’s just one of those bags that I just can’t keep in the closet. I love it so much.

Last but not least, if you were a sneaker. Which one would you be?

Which sneaker? I’m a pair of Maison Margielas [Fusion] that look fucked up. They look like they got glue oozing on them and stuff and neon colors. That’s me as a shoe. Big, bulky, stands out, a bit of a mess. You like it though, nobody knows why. Very expensive. Maison Margiela, period. 

Thanks so much for talking to us, Rico!

Thanks!
 

Next up, We Interview Austrian Gold Medal Snowboarder Anna Gasser