Rico Nasty Breaks Down Songs on Nightmare Vacation Album

Studio Time With Rico Nasty
Interview: Peter A. Berry
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of XXL Magazine, on stands now.

Just under a year removed from unloading her Anger Management project with Kenny Beats, Rico Nasty is preparing to unleash a brand-new album. Titled Nightmare Vacation, the new project is set to include production from Take a Daytrip, Tay Keith and more. Phoning in to XXL from California, Rico speaks on new sides of her art, her favorite songs from the project and more.

“Back and Forth” Featuring Aminé
“I did a song with Aminé. It’s different because I feel like Aminé always makes the artists that he gets on a song with get out of the box a little bit. We came into the studio and the vibe was so fire. It’s not your typical Rico Nasty song...it doesn’t sound like rage. It’s just in its own little pocket.”

“Show Me Your Love”
“‘Show Me Your Love’ is Tacobella featuring Rico Nasty. Finally got to do that for the fans that were asking for me to do that. That’s my favorite song on the project. It was fun for me to make that song. It’s not your typical self featuring self song. It’s the way Rico Nasty would have done it, but it’s just more evolved. It’s more seamless. It just sounds so cool. It’s one of those things that you’ll probably be like, ‘Is this Rico Nasty?’ ‘Is this even the same girl that was on Nasty, that was on these other projects?’ But not drastically different. It’s just like, ‘Fuck, this bitch growing up.’”

“iPhone”
“‘iPhone’ was my favorite song to make. I made it, posted a snippet and because it was so different I thought [fans] are probably going to think this is a weird ass song. But they fucking loved it so much. The most fun part of that song was listening to it over and over again and still love it just as much as the first time and being able to finish the song. Because a lot of times I love songs and I just won’t finish them, ‘cause I just won’t be in that same energy, same headspace. It was like painting a picture. I could do a couple strokes, let it dry. Come back, do another layer, let it dry, come back. It was fire. I took my time it.”

“Can’t Look Down”
“It was made in [100 Gecs’ Dylan Rainey’s] studio in like two hours. He made the beat in front of me. He used a real guitar. He actually played the chords and shit. I was mumbling the verses and shit and. It was fun. The song is about is literally about, don’t look down. There’s a lot of haters at the bottom, but don’t look down.”

Check out more from XXL’s Spring 2020 issue including our Future cover story, in which he speaks on his Life Is Good album, Lil Yachty discusses his new album, Lil Boat 3, and the respect he deserves, Van Jones talks about his love for hip-hop, Show & Prove interviews with Jack Harlow, Key Glock and City Morgue, YBN Cordae in What's Happenin, Rapsody talks about getting her flowers in an exclusive interview; G Herbo speaks on building up his community like Jay-Z and Meek Mill, Royce 5'9" considers his next move with Eminem for a new Bad Meets Evil project, plus there's a brewing, new hip-hop scene in New York. a look back at Yo Gotti's music catalog and more.