Rico Nasty Is Done Playing The Industry’s Game: “I’m No Longer Taking Maybes”

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Rico Nasty is done letting the industry control her. On Thursday (Feb. 20), the “Rage” rapper shared the first taste of LETHAL, her first album in nearly three years, alongside its lead single, “TEETHSUCKER (YEA3x).”

Unlike her past projects, Rico is making moves on her own terms. To that end, she parted ways with her longtime team and former label, Atlantic Records, after years of feeling unheard and misled. “I’m no longer taking maybes,” she told Rolling Stone in an interview accompanying the LP’s cover reveal and announcement.

“Just owning that and stepping in that, and realizing, no, I’m not about to be played with. I’m gonna speak up for myself,” she added before acknowledging that she’s already been labeled the “big, angry, screaming b**ch anyway.” Moments later, Rico detailed how her team wouldn’t even listen to the music she was sending, let alone let her release it.

‘LETHAL’ Is Rico Nasty Taking Control Of Her Career

Luckily, LETHAL is where all that pent-up frustration gets unleashed. Slated for a May 16 release, the DMV artist described the 15-song effort as her most “liberating” yet, with records like “BUTTERFLY KISSES” and “ON THE LOW” being among the few standouts she teased.

“I feel like I lost myself making albums or making mixtapes. I would spend so much time in the studio that, when the music was done and it was time to turn into the business side, I just couldn’t,” Rico explained. “I focused way too much on the music. With this album, doing one song and then just leaving the studio, I was able to live my life.”

So far, LETHAL is shaping up to be one of Rico’s most exciting releases in a minute. “TEETHSUCKER (YEA3x)” saw her leaning into punk-rap influences, which makes perfect sense for her debut under Fueled By Ramen — the powerhouse behind acts like Fall Out Boy and twenty one pilots.