Words: Charlie Johnston
After 4 years and 7 mixtapes, the Maryland native rapper’s debut album is finally here. Despite the delays, the timing of this release seems artful as Rico has bided her time to reach new heights of recognition in contemporary culture. After the superior critical and commercial success of her Anger Management EP, Rico has released several non-album singles and has cemented her appeal with an appearance on the soundtrack of HBO’s acclaimed Insecure, a spot on the XXL Freshman Class of 2019 and more recently, a coveted cameo in the latest Fenty x Savage show. Throughout all of this, Rico stated that her debut album was in the works. An album that would unequivocally state her unique identity in the competitive rap landscape. Well… it’s vacation time, so let’s get on the road.
The bulldozer of a track Candy comes first. The track makes sense in this position as Rico furiously proclaims her personality and style as a rapper. Some of the bars are trite including the very first – “On a dark and stormy night, I don't blend in, bitch, I shine bright“ but the Post-Chorus puts these into perspective. Rico repeatedly asks us with a crescendo – “Can you feel me?” making it clear that Rico uses this track as a formidable introduction to her world.
The next track Don't Like Me (featuring Gucci Mane and Don Toliver) has already achieved success on TikTok after Rico released it in October. A clear example of Rico’s sugar trap (a phrase actually trademarked by the rapper) style that made her famous; Rico here uses her non-conformity to her advantage and wears her uniqueness as a badge of honour to shame her haters and empower herself and her fans. A cosign from rap OG Gucci Mane also reinforces the fact that she is thriving in her own lane of rap.
Check Me Out’s simple and mischievous piano melody mixed with heavy bass is classic for Rico. Add to that her bars of gravelly yells punctuated with occasional cutesy or low-toned phrases. This results in an impressive and engaging rap. Rico is clearly feelin’ herself here much like in the later track Own It. Originally released back in September it is a clarion call to all of Rico fans to flex and believe in themselves. The accompanying music video elevates this idea with Rico pulling off some of the sickest and most creative lewks ever seen (expect prawn nails, cigarette tiaras, spiky latex masks and babushkas).
The arguable main track of the project iPhone is a Gen-Z e-boy/girl anthem if I ever heard one. Equating the love and affection expressed in a relationship, to our connection with our mobile phones feels timely while the hyperpop production by genre-bending Dylan Brady (of 100 gecs fame) is unorthodox and exciting with distorted vocals, booming bass lines and other sonic textures. This paired with lyrics that sound genuinely intimate and raw like “I think I fell in love | I thought you were the one | Stop actin' like this | 'Cause you know I need your love” give the track a close-your-bedroom-door-turn-off-the-lights-and-have-a-cathartic-rave vibe.
OHFR? is the fearsome counterpart to iPhone and is also produced by Brady. This tracks spits back against the hearsay of Rico’s haters. Although less nuanced and poignant than iPhone, the track is undeniably forceful.
STFU and Girl Scouts are stellar examples of Rico’s beloved mosh-pit and trap music. Both produced by Take a Daytrip. 10Fo is also of a similar vein although less impactful than the album’s most powerful track Let It Out. Enthused with the same theme of emotional purging from Anger Management, the track feels like heavy metal forged deep in a trap club. The track is sure to provide valuable COVID-19 catharsis.
Back and Forth (featuring Aminé) has a purposeful sweetness and nostalgia to it. Here, the duo reference chilled 90s rap and RnB duets. Out of her comfort zone, we catch a rare glimpse of a softer Rico complete with dreamy classical guitar riffs and panpipes. Her other collaborative track Losers (featuring Trippie Redd) is my personal favourite. An ode to unapologetic individuality, the track is fun and carefree as typified by the chorus bars – “See you tryin' way too hard to fit in | We goin' shoppin', loser, get in”. Redd’s verse is similarly playful but it’s the trippy guitar bends that make the track.
Tracks 10 and 11 - No Debate and Pussy Poppin respectively – see Rico try her hand at more mainstream female hip-hop with sex-positive lyrics and twerk-appropriate beats. The songs, although appealing to her audience, sound out of place in the album but I appreciate Rico’s experimentation and her own playful admission – “I don't really talk like this, I know” – in the latter track.
Rico rounds off the record with a remix and re-release of her smash-hit Smack a Bitch. I’m puzzled by the addition of this track in an album that demonstrates fresh progress for the rapper. But perhaps Rico simply wants to honour her most successful track with a place in her debut album. Moreover, it’s nice to see Rico lend support to other young artists but this track feels like repetition rather than innovation.
Before releasing the album, Rico expressed that despite all of her success, she encountered many setbacks on her journey. Setbacks that, although not fully explained by the rapper, marred the good times, threatened her creativity and made her fearful of what her debut album should sound like. Nightmare Vacation commemorates the good times and the bad while fulfilling her goal of creating a seminal and memorable record. The album takes stock of where Rico Nasty has come from and sees her overcome her fears by moving away from Rico’s usual sugar trap genre, doubling-down on her ever-popular mosh-pit tracks and allowing space for some interesting experimentation. To me, Nightmare Vacation is a quasi-oxymoron that resonates with many of our journeys under the pandemic. We scream sometimes, we try to grow, we make the best out of a bad situation and we try to look past our fears.
Comments