I’ll never forget the first time I came across Rico Nasty back in the day. I mean, if you came across her back in the early days of her collaborations with Kenny Beats, how could you not? Experiencing songs like ‘Rage,’ Smack A Bitch,’ and ‘Trust Issues’ for the first time was a hell of a time. Rico Nasty was making the style of Metal Trap music that none of her peers were delving into. This music had a visceral ambiance that was just so riveting. Over the years, Rico Nasty has shifted her sound many times. One of the cool things about her is that you really never know what is coming next. She has dived into many different sounds over the years, including HyperPop Trap, Electronic music, and even Punk Rock-influenced music. Following her 2025 album, LETHAL (which I enjoyed a lot and covered on this blog), Rico Nasty suggested she wanted to go back to her roots, the sound she originally popped off with back in the day. She released a couple of singles that suggested she was going back to that Metal Trap sound. Recently, she released a surprise album of sorts that does fully go into that style of music called RX. Below, I wanted to talk about a few of my favorite songs from that album, as well as give some thoughts on it as a whole. Please let me know in the comments below what you think of Rico Nasty and RX.

CDG FOAMS

Rico Nasty begins the project with the kind of raucous energy I expected from an album that was supposed to be themed like this. The Kenny Beats tagline at the start of the song with the larger-than-life instrumental and beat signifies how this song is going to go right from the start. The melody for this song is grating and menacing. The synths that drive it have a growling sound that makes it really huge. The beat on this one crashes. It has a Metal Trap tempo and sound that is so abrasive in the best way. Rico Nasty raps with a fast pace and high tone that really adds to that massive feeling of the track. Her pitch kind of contrasts the melody in a way, but it gives the song more texture. Rico Nasty truly starts this album the way she should with the track ‘CDG Foams.’ 

CUPCAKE

‘Cupcake’ was one of the singles for this project, and it definitely got me excited for the potential of this one. This song has the kind of analog HyperTrap sound that I mentioned in the intro which she also did early in her career. The melody for this song has an analog sound that sounds like it comes out of a video game. The tone of the melody is sort of anxious and joyous at the same time. The beat has a very glitchy Trap feeling to it, which goes super well with the weird melody this track has. Rico Nasty actually raps with more of a nice and subdued flow and vocal style on this one. Her softer delivery adds to the joy of the instrumental for sure. This is a lighter Trap track from Rico that still certainly bangs. 

RUNWAY

There are a couple of songs on this project that do go a bit against the grain of what the rest of the project does. ‘Runway’ is one of those songs. This song does not exactly carry the same vibrant energy as most of the other tracks. It does stick out in its own way, though. The instrumental for ‘Runway’ has a pretty smooth energy to it. The melody for this track is driven by some analog-style synths, but it is very sleek. There is a bit of a groove in this melody that is very cool. The beat has a faster-paced Pop-Trap tempo that is kind of unlike anything else on this project. It almost has a bit of a Two-Step energy that makes me want to dance when I hear it. Rico Nasty raps with a sing-songy tone and flow that fits this beat so well. The way she raps adds to that dancey energy of the track. ‘Runway’ is a cool switch-up from what we get on the rest of the record. 

BUTTHEAD

‘Butthead’ actually kinda contains elements from the song ‘Runway,’ but also leads into the tough nature that most of the record has. The melody for this song has a very old-school feeling too. The funky horns that drive this one kind of remind me of the New Orleans Trap sound from back in the 1990s. Various ominous tones and bells assist this melody, though, which really add to the ambiance. The sound effects and bells on this one honestly give the song a bit of a horror movie sound which is pretty interesting. The bass on this track absolutely pounds, and the intricate nature of the hi-hats gives the song life. Rico Nasty raps with a fast pace and frantic tone that fits the melody and beat so well. Her energy on this track is as mean as the instrumental. ‘Butthead’ is a huge Trap banger with an old-school flair which is fun.

RITUALS

Like ‘Cupcake,’ ‘Rituals’ is one of the singles released in anticipation of this record. Once again, after I heard this one, I was definitely excited about the potential prospects of this project. ‘Rituals’ is a song that totally reminds me of Rico Nasty’s hardest hits back in the day. It has the kind of jarring sound that made her stand out so much. The melody for this one is provided by a super tough guitar riff. I could imagine this melody literally being in a modern Heavy Metal track. The beat absolutely bangs with the bass pounding and the Trap drums provided such high energy. Rico Nasty scream-raps on this song in a way that is so fierce. Her rapping on this one takes the track to the next level and makes it feel so massive. I’m not going to lie, I would have loved it if the whole album did sound like this, but she certainly sends things out on a high note with ‘Rituals.’

When Rico Nasty announced this record and suggested that she was going back to her roots with her sound, I was obviously very excited. As I alluded to in the introduction, I really adored this music of hers back in the day. She was entirely in her own lane with that Metal Trap and HyperPop Trap sound, and it was so fun and fresh to see someone carving their own path in that manner. RX is certainly an album that brings in that sense of nostalgia. This was a project that was truly for her original fans. It is kind of funny to say this now, but because there are many artists who have kind of copied her sound and energy over the years, RX does not sound that original anymore. In fact, it sort of feels dated in a way. That being said, Rico Nasty showed that she still has it on this record. Her energy is as fervent as ever, and like in the past, she more than meets the mark on every instrumental. I appreciated the few moments on the record where she fused that old sound with a new, funkier sound, as it provides a bit of texture and life to the project. Overall, RX is a very solid rendition of a classic sound from Rico Nasty which was great to hear. She really scratched the itch for all her fans from back in the day, and I appreciate that.