If you know me personally, you probably know about my love of Rico Nasty’s music. Rico Nasty has been one of my favorite artists for years. Ever since I came across her music in the late 2010s, I have been immediately hooked. Rico Nasty was actually one of the first artists I wrote about on this blog. I’ve always tried to get as many people as possible into her music, but I think she is just so quirky and cool in pretty much every way. One thing that has been apparent from the start for Rico Nasty is that she takes inspiration from a wide range of unconventional places, and that there really are no limits to the kind of music and art she can make. She is an awesome embodiment of Alternative culture, merging Hip Hop with scenes that it is not usually associated with in such a seamless manner. When Rico Nasty first started to pop off several years ago, she became known for fusing Metal music with Trap. Iconic songs like ‘Rage,’ ‘Smack A Bitch,’ and ‘Trust Issues’ incorporated hard, sludgy Metal riffs into their instrumentals; Rico’s Nasty’s harsh, abrasive vocals matched these riffs perfectly and made these tracks hit so hard. After the release of her first album Anger Management, which is largely dominated by this Metal-Trap sound, Rico Nasty started to adapt and change her style of music. Over the years, her sound has morphed multiple times, ranging from highly saturated, futuristic-sounding Pop-Trap to taking on an Electronic Industrial sound. This has always been one of my favorite things about Rico Nasty; she is never afraid to take risks with her music and go way outside of what anyone would expect from her. After a couple of successful and interesting collaborations with Electro-House artist Boys Noize from a couple of years ago(including the song ‘Girl Crush’ and Brooke Candy’s track ‘FMU’), Rico Nasty has decided to join forces with this iconic DJ once again for a new mini-EP. HARDC0RE DR3AMZ is the latest alliance between these two unlikely musical partners, and it is yet another instance of Rico Nasty going completely against the norm of what is expected from her. With that being said, here is how I feel about Rico Nasty and Boys Noize’s new project HARDC0RE DR3AMZ. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from HARDC0RE DR3AMZ, and also comment on how you feel about the EP as a whole.
This brief EP gets going with its only single, the intense and lively ‘Arintintin.’ This song is somehow complex and simple at the same time. The instrumental is very intricate, but the sound of the track is so forward and to the point. ‘Arintintin’ is a track that reminds me of underground German Goth clubs. This is the kind of song I would expect to hear at one of those clubs with the fetish rooms where you need to know a password to get in(I mean this in the most endearing way because I think the idea of those clubs is dope). The melody for this track is very dark and gritty. It is driven by layered, distorted synths that are riddled with weird sound effects that drive the song’s ferocity. I especially love the screeching sound effects, as they give the song an almost creepy feeling that makes it absorbing. This melody is put on a rapid Tech-House beat with a glitchy element that makes the song feel so enormous. ‘Arintintin’ certainly does not have one of Rico Nasty’s most exciting vocal performances, but that is okay. I actually think that her more low-key and laid-back delivery fits the track super well, as her vocals help push the song along but do not take away from the engaging sound of the instrumental. On ‘Arintinin,’ Rico Nasty is rapping about how she knows she is the star of the function and how she just wants to have fun and party the night away. ‘Arintintin’ is a larger-than-life way to get this EP going, and it is also among my favorite singles of the year so far. Ever since I heard ‘Vvgina,’ which features Locked Club, I have been hooked. This has been one of my favorite songs from the last couple of weeks; it would not surprise me at all if it emerges as one of my top songs from 2024 as a whole when the year is over. ‘Vvgina’ has a sound that morphs two very underrated styles of Electronic music. This track feels like a fusion of Hardstyle and EBM music. When I hear this track, I think of those videos of the Goth kids dancing to Industrial music under a bridge that went viral several years ago(once again, I mean this so endearingly). It is almost tough to describe this style of music to someone who has never heard it. The melody is driven by very washed-out and saturated synths that are bright and pleasant but also feel heavy. This melody is light and shiny, but also almost feels like it is bearing down on you. This melody is complemented by squeaky sound effects that come in and out which give the song a bit of an anxious feeling. The beat for ‘Vvgina’ is very rough, rowdy, and fast-paced. It is the kind of beat that is tough for me to sit still to; I literally want to get up and headbang and jump around my apartment because of how zestful it is. I really love Rico Nasty’s vocals on ‘Vvgina.’ The breathy tone she sings with makes the song feel all-encompassing, and the emotion in her voice is palpable and makes this track hit so much harder. On ‘Vvgina,’ Rico Nasty is singing about getting high and drunk to stop thinking about a former significant other who had a chokehold on her. ‘Vvgina’ is an absolute banger that I can not get enough of and that I am certain will stay in my rotation for a long time. Rico Nasty closes out this succinct EP with the song ‘H.O.T.’ This one is quickly emerging as a fan favorite, and it is easy to see why(even if it feels a bit safe to me). This is probably the most “normal” or palatable song on the record. I also think it might be the most “boring.” Now that is not saying a lot, because nothing about this project is boring. ‘H.O.T.’ is not nearly as quirky as the first two tracks. In fact, it almost feels somewhat basic when compared to some of the other Dance music that is starting to become popular. ‘H.O.T.’ is obviously inspired by 1990s Hi-NRG music. It has a sound and style that is reminiscent of artists like La Bouche, Culture Beat, or Real McCoy. Unfortunately, ‘H.O.T.’ does not stand out a ton from that kind of music, though. There is not a lot about its instrumental that makes it feel special. If you were to tell me this instrumental was just put out 25 years ago and that this was a straight remix from Rico Nasty, I may believe you. As safe and average as the instrumental is, Rico Nasty’s vocal performance does pull the track up a bit. Her vocals on this track are a little off-kilter because of her strange tone and flow, which gives the song something to hold onto for me. On ‘H.O.T.,’ Rico Nasty is rapping about how attractive she is and how she draws in anyone who looks at her because of her beauty and authenticity. ‘H.O.T.’ is not the most exciting song on this project by any means, but it is a blast from the past I can sort of appreciate.
Considering how out of the ordinary this project is, I was curious to see what the online reception of HARDC0RE DR3AMZ was from some of Rico Nasty’s biggest fans. Unsurprisingly, the consensus on this EP is very mixed. There are people who just straight up do not dig it at all. If you are only into Rico Nasty for her more abrasive and hardcore music, this is not a project with much for you at all. There are others, though, who appreciate Rico Nasty’s willingness to go this route with her music, and some who even love it. I would say I fall into this category, and I would even say I lean closer to loving it. Now, HARDC0RE DR3AMZ is not the most innovative or riveting project I have ever heard. For this style of music, there are a lot of artists doing it in a more individualistic way than this. But that does not take away from Rico Nasty trying something new and succeeding at it. HARDC0RE DR3AMZ is a fun little project where Rico shows a different side to her artistry than we have seen before and does a very good job. I honestly hope that we hear more collaborations between Rico Nasty and Boys Noize, or that she makes music with other producers who make this style of music soon because her voice and style of singing/rapping works well for these kinds of instrumentals. HARDC0RE DR3AMZ is a succinct little project where Rico Nasty takes a pretty bold risk and nails it pretty well, and that alone is commendable.
EAST SIDE VIBES 