Rico Nasty Lets Her Beauty And Grit Shine at First Avenue
Riot Fest is not only a place where I can see a bunch of music that I've been worshiping for years, but it's also a place where I discover new bands. Some of those bands have a sound that speaks to my soul. Others have a performance that blows me away. Rico Nasty was part of the latter. This woman was fierce. Scratch that, what's a word more powerful than fierce? Honestly, I can't think of one, but if you can, that's what she was when I saw her at Riot Fest a couple of weeks ago, so when I noticed that she was also playing at First Avenue back home in Minneapolis, I couldn't resist but go and check it all out again. Was it a fluke that she impressed me so much at Riot Fest? We were going to find out.
Before I tell you about Rico Nasty's performance on Friday night at the iconic Minneapolis venue, let's chat about the opening act- SadBoi. Born Ebhoni Jade Cato-O'Garro, Sadboi is a Canadian rapper with an insane amount of energy, much like what I was expecting from Rico Nasty later on in the night. Joined on stage by her own hype person (I think their name was "T" but I apologize if that was wrong), Sadboi had no problem getting the all-ages crowd amped up and ready to go for the night. Her sound was slightly abrasive, but overall, it had an almost soulful approach. Her vocals were smooth and crystal clear, while the beat felt a bit heavy and muddy. As I listened more closely to her sound, I heard even more intricacies, ranging from R&B to reggae to dancehall, and I loved the way she molded all these sounds into something that was all her own. Sure, it felt familiar at times, but at others, I was truly taken aback by the creativity of this woman.
Sadboi absolutely controlled the stage with ease, but I have to give mad props to her hype person. They had the tough job of warming up the crowd before Sadboi came on, but they nailed it. They were quick to call out the audience when they felt the energy slipping, which I found to be super quirky and unique. Even as Sadboi was doing her thing on stage, this hype person continued to amp up the crowd (although I have to question how much more hype was needed, as the audience was clearly already excited). There was something just so fun and genuine about "T"'s energy. She allowed SadBoi to do her own thing and command the stage, but, for me, there were many moments where I just could not take my eyes off of "T".
Before I knew it, SadBoi was leaving the stage and making way for the headlining act of the night- Rico Nasty. To say that Rico Nasty (born Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly) is a force of nature would truly be the understatement of the year. This woman began her music career by self-releasing tracks while in high school. Since then, she has released three full albums, each one being a bit more polished than the last. The more I read about this woman as I write this review, the more I respect her. I won't get super into it, as you can do your own research if you want to, but I will say that this is one heck of a hard-working woman, and that's something that I will always admire in someone.
I'll be the first to admit, the music that Rico Nasty plays isn't quite for me. It is when I'm a couple of drinks in and having a good time, but overall, I find it to be a bit too abrasive for my personal taste. She has a distinct blend of rap, trap, pop, punk, and metal —it's all over the place, to the point where it's almost hard to describe without using a chaotic series of words that don't really work together. I suppose, most plainly put, she performs "Sugar Trap." "Sugar Trap" is a term coined by none other than Rico Nasty herself, but it really fits her sound well. There are moments throughout her sound that are upbeat and infectious, but they are quickly followed up by that more abrasive and harsh sound that seems to be a signature of her sound and performance.
I don't know what songs Rico Nasty performed on Friday night, but I know that this woman was not willing to waste a single moment on the legendary stage. It was song after song, beat after beat, all presented with a sharp tongue and an air of sexiness and "baddie" energy that could not be ignored. The persona that she portrayed on the stage matched that sound. She felt super hard and intimidating at times, but would quickly turn into a figure that was a bit more raw and vulnerable. Regardless of what side of Rico Nasty you were getting throughout her expansive set, it felt larger-than-life.
