Rico Nasty would like a word! In a recent interview with British Vogue, the Washington, D.C.-born rapper opened up about the challenges female rappers face versus their male peers. She also spoke about how Black women in general are hemmed in emotionally.
The Washington, DC-born Rico (real name Maria-Cecilia Kelly) is starting to do some press behind Nightmare Vacation, her debut album dropping sometime this year.
When asked what the main issues female rappers are facing, the 23-year-old Rico answered, “We get the shorter end of the stick. I really hate how easy it is for us to be cancelled versus the guys. You could say one thing and everything you worked so hard to build just crumbles.
Speaking of the ever present double standard versus her male peers, she added, It’s pretty fucking weird seeing guys that rape women, beat women, spit on women, punch women, make them fight, disrespect them, call them colorist ass insults. Are they going to get cancelled? Maybe for six hours, then they drop a song and it’s forgotten.”
Referencing recent events, Rico added, “Women, on the other hand, when old Vines [videos] of Cardi B resurfaced they tried to crucify her. The Doja Cat [backlash], does anybody even know what’s going on? People just saw her on a chatroom and it’s like, ‘Fuck that bitch, she hates herself.’
“How are y’all doing that to people? Is it because [these women] exude confidence [they] will never have? It makes me scared, because every time somebody asks me some shit, I always have to be like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to get cancelled for this’ but I should be able to say what the fuck I want!”
The mother of a four-year-old, Rico also spoke about limitations placed on Black women. She noted, “Black women can’t be sad, either. They can’t be emotional. They can’t be angry. Only thing you can be is sexual. It’s frustrating that we are hyper-sexualized from the time we are 13, sometimes eight. The minute you start getting titties, you start being sexualized. You’re a hoe, you’re a thot.
“And our own people call us that. Our own black men that we go to school with, our brothers, our cousins. I’m so tired of it. Then we can’t be angry. We gotta submit. I will never. So you guys will always have me raging and bitching in the background.”
