I remember during one of my first weeks at CoogRadio, I overheard some guy in the office offhandedly complain that female rappers were all “too aggressive” for his taste. Enraged and defensive, I immediately wanted to bring up great, laidback, female rappers like Noname, Junglepussy, or even the queen herself Ms. Lauryn Hill, but 21-year-old Rico Nasty might actually be the best response to racist and misogynistic criticisms like his. As fellow writer Stephanie Onyejekwe pointed out in her terrific artist spotlight, Rico’s music exists without any concern for the way society polices how women – especially women of color – choose to express themselves. While mainstream media outlets focused on the feud between Nicki and Cardi (as though our rap-heavy charts could only handle one female rapper at a time), Rico Nasty casually dropped one of the best rap albums of the year. Her 2018 release Nasty and its accompanying visuals does more than simply make room for female rage, cockiness, and creativity – it celebrates those traits. - Adison Eyring
Released in June, Rico Nasty’s Nasty has allowed this female rapper to progress within the scene, establishing her as one of the best female rappers of the year all while releasing, in my opinion, the finest album of 2018. The alternative rapper unleashed all her rage and fabricated an album full of personality through different musical sounds. It’s one of the hardest albums music has given us this year. In Nasty, we hear who Rico is. The album/mixtape showcases how power and rage coexists within the Rico Nasty persona and rapper. It’s not hard to appreciate the sounds, the rage, the sentiment and the power Rico Nasty carries. - Amy Serratos
