Rico Nasty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rico Nasty
Rico Nasty in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly
Born	(1997-05-07) May 7, 1997 (age 28) Largo, Maryland, U.S.
Origin	Prince George's County, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	DMV hip-hop punk rap trap metal
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2014–present
Labels	Atlantic Fueled By Ramen

Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly (born May 7, 1997), who is known by her stage name Rico Nasty, is an American rapper from Prince George's County, Maryland. She started releasing her own music while she was still in high school. By the end of 2017, she had already released five solo mixtapes.

Rico Nasty first became popular on the music platform SoundCloud with her songs "iCarly" and "Hey Arnold". She became even more famous in 2018 with her hit singles "Poppin" and "S... a B...". This success led to her signing with Atlantic Records. With Atlantic, she released her sixth mixtape, Nasty (2018), and a project with producer Kenny Beats called Anger Management (2019).

Her first studio album, Nightmare Vacation (2020), was a big success. She later released Las Ruinas (2022). After her time with Atlantic, she joined the labels Fueled by Ramen and Elektra Records to release her third studio album, Lethal (2025).

Early Life

Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly was born on May 7, 1997, in Largo, Maryland. She is an only child. Her mother is from Puerto Rico and her father is African-American. Her father was also a rapper and introduced her to rap music when she was young.

She grew up in different places, including Prince George's County, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. When she was 11, she moved to Palmer Park, Maryland. For sixth grade, she went to a boarding school in Baltimore. At 14, she had to change schools and went to Charles Herbert Flowers High School. This is where she started her music career.

Music Career

2014–2017: Getting Started

Rico began rapping in high school. She released her first mixtape, Summer's Eve, in 2014 when she was in tenth grade. After she graduated, she focused completely on her music. In 2016, she released two more mixtapes, The Rico Story and Sugar Trap.

Her 2016 song "iCarly" became very popular, getting over 500,000 views on YouTube in just a few months. She also released the song "Hey Arnold," which was later remixed with the rapper Lil Yachty. They worked together again on the song "Mamacita" for the movie The Fate of the Furious.

In May 2017, Rico released her fourth mixtape, Tales of Tacobella. This was the first of her projects to be sold in stores. In June 2017, her song "Poppin" became a huge hit, with over five million views on YouTube. It was even featured on the HBO TV show Insecure. Her fifth mixtape, Sugar Trap 2, came out in October 2017. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the Best Rap Albums of 2017.

2018–2019: Rise to Fame

Nasty in March 2018

In early 2018, Rico's songs "Poppin", "Key Lime OG", and "S... a B..." became even more popular. Each song got more than 10 million views on YouTube that year. Some of her songs also became popular in memes on the social media app TikTok.

Her growing fame caught the attention of Atlantic Records, a major music label. She signed with them and released her sixth mixtape, Nasty, in June 2018. The mixtape was a big hit with critics and was named one of the best albums of the year by magazines like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. To support the mixtape, she went on "The Nasty Tour" across North America.

In April 2019, Rico and producer Kenny Beats released a surprise mixtape called Anger Management. It was praised by critics and is one of her most successful projects. That same month, she performed at the famous Coachella music festival for the first time. In June 2019, XXL magazine named her as part of its "Freshman Class," an honor for new and exciting rappers.

2020: Nightmare Vacation

In May 2020, Rico Nasty recorded a song called "My Little Alien" for the movie Scoob!. In June, her 2017 single "S... a B..." was certified Gold by the RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies.

On August 13, 2020, Rico released the song "iPhone" as the first single from her debut album, Nightmare Vacation. She also announced a collaboration with the makeup brand Il Makiage. In October, she became a brand ambassador for Rihanna's brand Savage X Fenty.

Her album Nightmare Vacation was officially released on December 4, 2020. In January 2021, she performed on TV for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

2021–2024: Las Ruinas

In late 2021, Rico Nasty was the opening act for Playboi Carti's King Vamp Tour. Touring can be challenging, and she faced some tough crowds in several cities. She showed great strength by continuing her performances.

Her second album, Las Ruinas, was released on July 22, 2022. On March 29, 2024, Rico Nasty released a project with the artist Boys Noize called Hardc0re Dr3amz.

2025–present: Lethal

On February 20, 2025, Rico Nasty announced a rap rock album titled Lethal. It was released on May 16, 2025, through the label Fueled by Ramen. The first single from the album was "Teethsucker (Yea3x)".

Personal Life

When Rico Nasty was 18 and a senior in high school, she had her son, Cameron. As her music career started to take off, she left her job as a hospital receptionist. Her manager, Malik Foxx, helped her by buying music equipment. Rico has said that Foxx is like a father to her son Cameron.

Discography

• Nightmare Vacation (2020)
• Las Ruinas (2022)
• Lethal (2025)

Filmography

Short films

Television

Concert Tours

Headlining

• The Sugar Trap Tour (2017)
• The Nasty Tour (2018)
• Live in Europe Tour (2019)
• Monster Energy Outbreak Tour (2023)

Supporting

• Free Spirit World Tour (with Khalid and Kenny Beats) (2019)
• King Vamp Tour (with Playboi Carti) (2021)
• Blue Water Road Trip (with Kehlani) (2022)