Mala Luna Spotlight: Representation in Rico Nasty’s Rage

The first time people hear Rico Nasty’s song, “Rage” they often talk about how alive they felt along with being understood. The only other time I felt this way was after the release of Solange Knowle’s “A Seat at The Table” and SZA’s “Ctrl.” As an African-American woman, aggressiveness is often used against me and women who resemble me, making Rico Nasty’s delivery a breath of fresh air. It is refreshing, to see someone of my skin color say screw it and come out full force and really take control of the beat without fear of being marginalized due to society’s standards.

Rico Nasty is an American rapper, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, who gained world-wide recognition when fellow rapper, Lil Yachty remixed her song, “Hey Arnold” from her 2017 mixtape, “Sugar Trap.” Rico Nasty’s mixtape “Nasty” is a perfect blend of Screamo and Rap, also known as Screamo-Rap/Alternative-Rap. In her song “Countin Up,” she takes a sample from fellow east coast rapper N.O.R.E’s song “Superthug,” and makes it her own by paying homage with rapping the iconic “What, what!” exclamations. This genre is not new, as other artists such as Tyler, the Creator, XXXtentencionXXX, and 6ix9ine often dominate this gritty rap scene.

With her dark, heavy make-up, jet black hair, and her sick street style, Rico Nasty stands out, and yet she fits right in with her fellow alternative hip-hop rappers. Nico’s raspy voice fused with an alternative/heavy metal beat will literally hype you up, and have you saying “What, what!” to people who step up to you. With her mixtape, Nasty, Rico shows she can easily hang with the big dogs. Check her out for yourself at Mala Luna on Sunday, Oct. 28th.