Rico Nasty -- Nightmare Vacation: Review

Rico Nasty -- Nightmare Vacation

[Sugar Trap]

Rico Nasty’s Nightmare Vacation is a glorious debut from the fiery, eclectic MC that manages to merge a wide array of pop genres seamlessly. The record features production credits from rap industry heavy-hitters like Take a Daytrip (Sheck Wes’s “Mo Bamba”, Lil Nas X’s “Panini”, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts”) and Buddah Bless (2 Chainz, Travis Scott) to leftfield picks like 100 gecs’s Dylan Brady who blesses three tracks here with hyperpop finesse.

Rico’s journey to landing a debut record deal with Atlantic has been a grind. It began in 2014 when she released her first mixtape straight out of high school. Dropping her hospital receptionist gig and committing to music full-time really put pressure on herself to make it or break it. As an independent female rapper and, not to mention, a single mother, she was in quite a difficult state.

But Rico fully committed. Releasing three independent mixtapes, she bust her ass through the mid 2010’s until she signed to Sugar Trap where she would release her breakout works. Her mixtapes Nasty and Anger Management (a full album collaboration with producer and friend Kenny Beats) pushed her farther into the mainstream. Her explosive demeanor and lovable rage made edgy rap fans everywhere flock to her.

With Nightmare Vacation, Rico extends with more explosive energy than ever. The bangers are harder, the beats are groovier, and Rico is at her NASTIEST. While jumping around various aspects of her own personality, Nightmare Vacation captures Rico’s eclectic and addicting energy than any of her other releases before.

Rico’s volatile attitude comes through on tracks like “OHFR?” where her bursting rage holds together the whole song. “STFU” is also a banger with minimalist beat that exists to stay out of the way of Rico. In both of these songs, Rico manages to channel her inner thrash metal and trap queen at the same time to display her intense emotions perfectly.

Meanwhile, she can perfectly play off of modern trap pop with songs like “Don’t Like Me”. This track features Gucci Mane on the back end and Don Toliver in the chorus who plays off Rico’s lines like seasoned collaborators. The tight poppy beat on this one from Buddah Bless ties it together too.

All the collaborations on Nightmare Vacation land well. “Loser” with Trippie Redd is another great trap collab where the singer/rapper offers his unique vocals to the track. The washy guitars on this one offer a richer instrumental to the song which gives an oddly heartwarming story. Meanwhile, Amine’s contribution on “Back and Forth” echoes Rico’s feature on “Sugarparents” on his last mixtape. The observations about lovers’ quarrel are both funny and deep.

However, the much anticipated hyperpop tracks on Nightmare Vacation is what brought me into this album cycle in the first place. Cuts like “Let It Out” and “Pussy Poppin” feature production from the aforementioned member of 100 gecs, Dylan Brady, who proves on these songs he can produce true-blue trap beats like anyone out there right now. But on “IPHONE”, Brady really lets his own sound and style come through and, excuse my french, it fuckin’ slaps.

The ecstatic “IPHONE” shows Rico channeling the energy of high energy PC music like a veteran. The enormous synth chords ring like guitars and the colorful percussion segues from dubstep to trap in an instant. Rico’s vocals, drenched in autotune, switch between high-pitched squeals to beautiful pop rhythms and show a lot of promise in her rarely-heard singing performances. She delivers some really great vocals here that just make me hungry for more of it.

Often, it’s the spirit of Rico’s lyrics that make me root for her. “Let It Out” doesn’t sugarcoat the feeling of just wanting to scream at the top of your lungs. It awakens a fire inside of me that I just love. “Own It” is more toned down than her other ‘motivational’ songs but still delivers that badass attitude of loving your own self, no matter how extra. I realize I’m getting a bit sappy here but I really do appreciate Rico’s earnest and fun attitude.

Overall I just loved this thing. Every song added onto Rico's engaging personality in every direction imaginable. She really makes the some of the best songs of her own style ever while expanding outside of her comfort zone into hyperpop and sticking the landing. Nightmare Vacation is probably the best rap album of 2020 and Rico Nasty’s best release yet, but it’s so much more than that.

4 out of 5.

Listen To: “IPHONE”, “Own It”