Rico Nasty - One Of Hip-Hop's Most Exciting New Talents

21-year-old DMV rapper Rico Nasty is one of hip-hop's most exciting and unpredictable new talents, and she’s heading to FOMO in January 2020.

But who exactly IS she?

Born Maria Kelly to a Puerto Rican mother and black father, her stage name stems from a brief moment of hostility in her teenage years.

Apparently, in high school, she wore a lanyard around her neck that read "Puerto Rico," and a boy attempted to embarrass her by calling her "Rico Nasty." Like everything she does, she let it fuel her instead of humiliate her and changed it to her Instagram name.

That's what makes Kelly stand out– she doesn't let haters get to her. Instead, she celebrates them.

On her latest release, 2019's Anger Management, her joint project with producer Kenny Beats, she takes aim at haters and dismissive men in a frenzied, 18-minute spit-fire fueled by her rage and energy.

Known by her signature scream ("KENNNNYYYY!"), witty ad-libs and rap-rock style, Anger Management showcases Kelly's ability to evolve.

"The expression of anger is a form of rejuvenation," Kelly raps on "Sell Out." "I'm screaming inside of my head in hopes that I'm easing the pain."

Despite the music industry's tendency to control female artists– particularly female rappers– Kelly refuses to be controlled.

“Women are on this pedestal of how we're supposed to look and smell,” she said.

It's not just her image that changes, but her music, too. One minute, she's sampling kids' TV shows ("Hey Arnold" and "iCarly") and the next, she's dedicating an entire mixtape to her softer alter-ego, Tacobella (2017's Tales of Tacobella). Kelly's career is associated with her signature throat scratchiness, rapidly changing hairstyles (and colours) and cartoon imagery. She's constantly reinventing herself and is frequently seen donning bright wigs and colourful ensembles.

Somehow both charming and terrifying, she spits about the trials and tribulations of modern young adulthood in most of her songs. Take "Block List" for example, a song about blocking someone's phone number and social media profiles.

"I got tired of thinking about how many times a guy has wasted my time or wasted my weed because they wanna fake hang or try their hand," Kelly said in an interview.

She gained a steady following after the release of her back-to-back 2016 mixtapes, The Rico Story and Sugar Trap. The next year, her single "Poppin'" garnered over 5 million views on YouTube and was featured on the HBO show, "Insecure."

The song was also featured on Kelly's fifth tape, Sugar Trap 2, which Rolling Stone listed as one of 2017's best Rap Albums.

Fear her or love her, Rico Nasty is making her mark in the rap game, stepping on bitches' throats in a whirlwind of technicolored chaos.

See Rico Nasty alongside Brockhampton, Lizzo, and more at FOMO 2020. Click HERE for full info.