How Rico Nasty Changed My Life at the Age of 13
- STREET GRRRLS
- Jun 23
- 2 min read
Written By: Chinarose Riley
Being from Maryland, the DMV music scene had played a vital role in shaping my taste in music. Listening to artists like Swipey , Bankroll Marky, Lil Nei, Big Flock, and many other artists helped to grow my love of music. However, little did I know then how much of an impact Rico Nasty would have on my formative years and now my adult life.
2016 was one of the most pivotal years for music. Frank Ocean dropped “Blonde,” Soundcloud artist like XXXTentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, Smokepurpp and many more were beginning to thrive. Amongst these upcoming artists Rico Nasty emerged.
I remember hearing her music for the first time in 7th grade after we spent time in the computer lab for standardized testing. Her song “iCarly “rang in my earphones for the first time and I fell in love with her sound. Her colorful wigs, sugar trap sound, and raspy voice drew me in, and I could not stop listening to her.
In 2018, she dropped her mixtape “Nasty, “which I was around 14 at the time, and at this point Rico Nasty was experimenting with her sound more and mixing punk and rock elements into her music.
Starting to enjoy how she incorporated more of these elements into her music, it opened my ears to similar genre-bending music and artists.
Along with this, I found myself discovering more punk, alternative, and metal music. I never painted myself to be one who would enjoy those genres when I was younger, but because of Rico Nasty my taste continued to expand.
As she continued to grow as an artist, I grew along with her. Eventually COVID came around and I was a junior in high school when it hit, which meant I spent a lot of time at home with nothing but free time.
During this time, I was listening to Rico Nasty and experimenting with my appearance. I would turn to images of Rico Nasty for inspiration. The crazy graphic eyeliner, the liberty spikes, it enamored me. I wanted to replicate it, so I did.
Playing around with my appearance also included my clothing choices. I had leather, fishnets, huge platform shoes, short skirts all black, and it all stemmed from Rico Nasty.
I did not see many black artists who were women doing what she was doing, and it made me feel comforted.
When I listened to Rico Nasty it made me feel seen because she embraced her not being like anyone else and sticking like a sore thumb. Creating a identity around being an outcast which was something I related to, she made me feel like I was not alone in that feeling.
Listen to Chinarose's full Rico Nasty playlist below!
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