Rico Nasty's debut album is a riot. Coming off of the hype of a string of ferocious mixtapes, including a 2019 collaboration with Kenny Beats, Nightmare Vacation is Rico's most fully-realized artistic statement and her most diverse. On previous releases like 2018's Nasty, the Maryland rapper found her sweet spot when she was shouting over clenched trap beats with the force of metal and the dangerous attitude of punk. There are plenty of those cold pavement smackers on here ("Girl Scouts," "Check Me Out," and the aptly-titled "STFU"), and even heavier moments like the metallic "Let It Out" and the scream-laden remix of her 2018 hit "Smack A Bitch."
At this point, Rico has mastered that side of her personality that it's hard to imagine her besting those fistfulls of rage on future projects. Fortunately, she also showcases a completely different side of herself that's equally zany albeit more palatable for the average hip-hop head. On pop-centric songs like "IPHONE" and "Pussy Poppin," both produced by 100 gecs' Dylan Brady, Rico demonstrates an exceptionally strong grasp on melody that presents an entirely separate lane for her to explore. Her weirdness doesn't mesh well with Don Toliver's insipid croons on "Don't Like Me" (and Gucci Mane's feature sadly feels frivolous), but collaborative tracks with the suave Aminé and the murky Trippie Redd are pleasantly effective proof that Rico can adapt to more mellow forms of rapping.
On the record's cover art, Rico is sitting calmly on her bed between a giddy rainbow and a fiery lightning flash. It's obviously supposed to be a visual representation of the record's dueling moods, and maybe Rico is pondering which direction she'd like to lean into going forward. She could go either way and make a good go of it, but the strength of the songs on Nightmare Vacation suggest that she's actually most at home in this kooky limbo. Hopefully she stays there. © Eli Enis/Qobuz