Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly (born May 7, 1997), known as Rico Nasty, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Prince George’s County, Maryland. She began self-releasing content in 2014 while in high school and had released five solo mixtapes by late 2017.
She gained a local, underground following with SoundCloud singles such as “iCarly” and “Hey Arnold”. After gaining wider recognition with singles such as “Smack a Bitch” and “Poppin” in 2018, she signed to Atlantic Records, where she released her sixth mixtape, Nasty (2018). This was followed by the collaborative tape Anger Management (2019) with long-time friend and associate Kenny Beats. Another Rico Mixtape, «Nightmare Vacation», was released in December 2020.
Rico’s first studio album, «Las Ruinas», was released on July 22, 2022.
Rico Nasty, also widely known as an eccentric fashion icon, keeps getting respect and recognition for her unique style as a female artist in the Hip-Hop industry. She is also notorious for creating her own genre, commonly known as «Sugar Trap.»
French Hip-Hop artist Sauveur Eloheem decided to pay her homage with his music video «Rico Nasty,» released on June 2023. The production is not new, but we are sharing it now because it’s a quality tribute and an awesome hidden gem.