Hip-Hop & R&B Features

Rico Nasty’s Wild Evolution in 9 Loud Steps

By Talmage Garn

Posted on June 19, 2025

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Rico Nasty’s Full Career Timeline and Albums

Starting on SoundCloud: Early Days of Sugar Trap

Before the stage dives and fashion headlines, Rico Nasty was just a teenager uploading tracks on SoundCloud. Born Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly in 1997, she grew up in Maryland and started making music in high school. Her earliest songs blended pop culture references with trap beats, developing a playful yet aggressive sound that she dubbed “sugar trap.” This coined genre became her brand, combining sweet vocals with sharp-edged flows.

Now, she’s bringing that signature energy to Salt Lake City on September 26, 2025, when she performs at The Complex. Fans can enter to win tickets through 92.5 The Beat for a chance to catch her live.

Mixtapes like Sugar Trap (2016), Tales of Tacobella (2017), and Sugar Trap 2 (2017) drew early attention online. Tracks like “iCarly” and “Hey Arnold” captured the irreverent energy of the era, packed with cartoon references and confidence. These releases built her a loyal digital following, particularly among younger rap fans hungry for genre rule-breakers.

Watch the official music video for Rico’s “iCarly”:

Breaking Through with Nasty

By 2018, Rico had inked a deal with Atlantic Records and released the mixtape Nasty. It was a louder, darker turn, a declaration of punk-rap intent. Songs like “Smack a Bitch” and “Countin’ Up” introduced her to a broader audience, showcasing an intensity that pushed past her earlier work. The project ditched bubblegum vibes for distortion and raw vocals. It also marked the start of her image as a mosh-pit provocateur, redefining what a female rapper could sound and look like onstage.

Watch Nasty’s music video for “Smack a Bitch”:

Anger Management and the Kenny Beats Collaboration

In 2019, Rico teamed up with producer Kenny Beats for Anger Management, a surprise drop that became one of her most critically acclaimed projects and my personal favorite from Rico. Across nine tracks, the duo experimented with hardcore production, industrial sounds, and quickfire verses. It felt spontaneous but sharp, a controlled eruption of frustration and humor. Defintly worth checking outL “Cheat Code” and “Big Titties”

The mixtape also featured standout guest appearances, including Baauer, Splurge, and EarthGang. It proved that Rico could hold her own across diverse production styles, reinforcing her reputation as one of rap’s most fearless collaborators.

Around the same time Rico appeared on Doja Cat’s “Tia Tamera.” Watch the throwback video below:

Nightmare Vacation and Studio Album Success

Released in December 2020, Nightmare Vacation was her long-awaited studio debut. It expanded her sonic palette with elements of hyperpop, metal, and futuristic trap. Features from Don Toliver, Trippie Redd, and Gucci Mane helped bring mainstream appeal, but the project remained unpredictable.

Singles like “OHFR?” and “STFU” were explosive, layered with distortion and satirical bite. The album was more than a genre experiment. It was a declaration of control. Rico handled themes like anger, autonomy, and femininity with clarity, turning chaos into sharp art.

Post-Punk, EDM, and Growth: Las Ruinas and Lethal

With 2022’s Las Ruinas, Rico leaned into experimental territory. The project toyed with synth-heavy beats, electronic influences, and personal storytelling. It was slower in tempo but broader in scope, revealing a more introspective Rico than the one screaming through “Smack a Bitch.”

In 2024, she released Hardc0re Dr3amz, a high-energy EP created with German producer Boys Noize.

Then in 2025 came Lethal, her boldest pivot yet. Rooted in rap rock and nu metal, Lethal featured live instrumentation, growling vocals, and introspective lyrics that explored themes of pain, healing, and power. It showed her commitment to evolving beyond the confines of any one genre.

Nasty’s Personas: Tacobella, Trap Lavigne, and Beyond

Rico Nasty doesn’t just make music, she creates characters. Whether performing as the pink-haired Tacobella or the punky Trap Lavigne, she shifts style and tone at will. Inspired by everyone from Avril Lavigne to Rihanna to Joan Jett, she fuses fashion, punk attitude, and rap swagger into one electrifying persona.

Her performances are part rave, part riot. She’s known for snarling vocals, bold makeup, and a stage presence that turns clubs into war zones. Fans eager to see her live can now enter to win tickets to Rico Nasty’s next show, bringing the chaos and color of her music to life on stage.

Yet behind the rage is a thoughtful artist crafting identities that reflect the layers of her sound and self.

Rico’s Personal Legacy

Rico became a mother at 18, raising her son Cameron while building a career in music. She often credits him with motivating her work ethic and keeping her grounded. That dual role, parent and performer, has helped shape her lyrics and her resilience.

Today, Rico Nasty stands as one of the most genre-defiant voices in modern rap. She’s a boundary-pusher who built a movement from the ground up, blending sugar and spit, style and scream.