I want to thank Issa Rae for introducing me to the love of my life, Rico Nasty. 21-year-old Maria-Cecilia Kelly began carving her path to superstardom as a sophomore in high school. During that period, she rocked a lanyard around her neck that read “Puerto Rico” as a way of acknowledging her ethnic heritage — she’s also half black. On one lovely and normal prep day, a classmate attributed a nasty odor to her. On the bus ride from school that very same day, Kelly changed her Instagram name to Rico Nasty and thus a star was born. How Nasty got her name perfectly encapsulates what she represents as an artist. Confidence, Rebellion and a refreshing sense of honesty akin to the gift of giving 0 fucks.

Now, the first time I heard the DMV-based Queen, it was the song “Poppin,” a track featured on Insecure, in which she throws a screamo-influenced cadence over a Super Mario-like beat and proceeds to rattle off a list of threats whilst explaining why she’s “a popping ass bitch.” From there, she stole my heart. The amount of phat pom-pom energy in the music was breathtaking. Not only that, her style doesn’t fit the status quo. She’s more Avril Lavigne (who she claims as one of her biggest influences), than Nicki Minaj. Her wardrobe is straight out of the 2000s punk-rock era (so are some of her hairstyles). And she isn’t afraid to rage or start a mosh pit at her shows -- something like a female Li’l Uzi. Since entering the game at the age of 15, “Tacobella” has released six mixtapes, including her most recent, Nasty, a project in which she shows off her versatility, displaying her softer side, her more anxious side, and the nu metal rager known as Trap Lavigne. She also recently signed to Atlantic and should see the $$$ invested in her future projects elevate her to another stratosphere. I’m telling you, Nasty has it all: cadence, style, voice, energy and brilliance in her lyricism. This is the golden age for women in Hip Hop and Rico Nasty is at the forefront of the movement.