D.C. rapper and vocalist Rico Nasty has been on my radar since her 2019 collaborative tape Anger Management with New York producer Kenny Beats became one of my favorite hip-hop records of last year.
Her new record, Nightmare Vacation, is a worthy successor to the banger-laden track list of last year’s mixtape. This new record, though, while less cohesive sounding, sees Rico branching out into new, sometimes experimental, or downright strange sounds. But none of this distracts from the overall listening experience; in just 40 minutes of runtime, Rico and her featured guests go from rapping to screaming to crooning to whispering without jolting transitions. Some excellent, diverse production and great guest verses set the stage for Rico’s vocals, and she doesn’t disappoint. This record falls short of carrying any grand statement or concept, but it is a thrill to listen to and is just about everything I was hoping for from a new Rico Nasty project.
The Good:
This record is chock-full of great music. Most of the production is rock solid, all of the guest verses are well incorporated, and Rico’s vocals are front, center, and dynamic. My favorite tracks varied from hard-rock inspired trap bangers, to smooth melodic hip-hop ballads, to gritty, experimental pop songs. I didn’t dislike many tracks on this album, so here’s my top five in no particular order.
Track 4: “IPHONE”
Exquisite, off color production from Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs fame effortlessly blends with Rico’s soaring, grainy, melodies. This song is just grating enough to feel crazy and energetic but is also excruciatingly catchy. It’s been stuck in my head since it dropped as a single in August, and it’s just as fresh and fun today. This track is a hit for sure.
Track 6: “Back and Forth”
A smooth flute and guitar instrumental and some smooth sultry vocals from Portland rapper Aminé make this an easy track to nod your head to. Aminé’s wordplay makes this track all that much better and, eager not to be outdone, Rico’s voice translates brilliantly to a more relaxed instrumental and her verse is very solid. This track is chill, listenable, but has enough edge to blend in with the more aggressive material on the record.
Track 12: “OHFR?”
This track is loud, energetic, and obnoxious in the best way possible. Rico’s flow is smooth and her raspy delivery is turned up to 11 over the instrumental’s undulating, amelodic, captivating sound. Every aspect of this track comes together to make an unapologetic, aggressive banger that makes you want to break something.
Track 7: “Girl Scouts”
Loud, dark and vocally dynamic, Rico plays with her voice on this track with some expressive results. Alternating between grating off-key singing, screaming, skilful rapping, and infectious, repetitive vocal lines, Rico’s voice tower’s over imposing distorted guitars and hip-hop drums. This track is incredibly loud and raucous with some pretty impeccable energy.
Track 14: “Own It”
“Own It” features more catchy pop songwriting with Rico’s sing-rap flare and a clever, weird instrumental. This song’s melody is inescapable and the background vocal samples and wild production make it stick out in the tracklist. This is the kind of music that wasn’t present on Rico’s debut album and her artistic progression on tracks like this makes me particularly excited for her future releases.
The Bad:
My criticisms of this record, with one exception, are nitpicks. The main issue with this record is the last two tracks. A remix of Rico Nasty’s breakout hit, “Smack a &*%$#,” as well as the original version, closes out this record. While the remix was certainly enjoyable, this feels like needless padding of an otherwise tight tracklist. These tracks don’t really fit the aesthetic of the second half of this record and interrupt an otherwise smooth finish. Other than that, I have few gripes.
Nightmare Vacation is a strong album from an exciting artist who only has more potential to realize. Pay attention to Rico Nasty: we’ll be seeing more of her. I thoroughly enjoyed this project; it’s my favorite hip-hop release of the year so far. I’m excited for more to come and I will certainly be revisiting it. Check this record out if you have an hour to spare. It might not be for everyone, but I guarantee that you’ll understand the appeal.
8/10.
MOOSE PRINTS 
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