A momentous moment for Maryland-born rapper Rico Nasty who dropped her debut album, Nightmare Vacation, on Friday (December 4, 2020). A celebration of Rico’s (real name Maria-Cecillia Kelly) high energy and ability to reach across genres, the effort features Aminé, Gucci Mane, Don Toliver and Trippie Redd. The album also includes Rico’s 2018 hit “Smack a Bitch” remixed with ppcocaine, Sukihana, and Rubi Rose.
Reflecting on the long-awaited project, which was first announced in 2019, Rico told Vulture, “The whole journey of a Nightmare Vacation is to overcome a series of things that you didn’t think you could and find peace in them. That’s what this whole year has been like.
The 23-year-old noted that the loss of a close family member in 2019 impacted how she she processed the disruptions brought on by COVID-19. She explained, “When my aunt died, it just felt like, damn. I’m trying to convince myself that I’m sacrificing time with them for a better life, but what happens if they die? So, when corona happened, there wasn’t nothing to hide behind, like, ‘Oh no, I can’t deal with this right now because I got to go do this.’
“I actually got time to sit and think about what matters to me and my family matters to me. That was the biggest thing for Nightmare Vacation, overcoming, overcoming, overcoming, and constantly rising and constantly showing the devil or whoever try knock you down, ‘Boy, you can’t stop me.'”
Rico Nasty’s Nightmare Vacation is now available on all streaming platforms. Enjoy the remix of “Smack a Bitch” below.
