Drawing upon the extremes of hardcore rap and rock, Maryland-bred artist Rico Nasty debuted with a self-described "sugar trap" aesthetic that quickly transformed into a complex blend of genres centered on frustration, aggression, and empowerment. Building upon the buzz of her early mixtapes and songs like 2017's "Poppin" and 2018's "Smack a Bitch," Rico released her debut studio album, Nightmare Vacation, in 2020. Just two years later, she made an artistic leap with the mixtape Las Ruinas, which incorporated electronic and industrial into her potent attack.

Born Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly in Largo, Maryland, she started rhyming with poetry, which later led to rap. Her early tracks -- "Hey Arnold," "iCarly," and "Iggady [Remix]" -- helped her develop an underground following, and she would go on to release mixtapes like Sugar Trap and The Rico Story. A collaborative EP with fellow DMV native Tino Loud titled Cuffin Season arrived in 2016. When Lil Yachty hopped on a remix of "Hey Arnold" that same year, it helped propel Rico toward an even larger audience. She returned the favor on "Mamacita," which was included on the Fate of the Furious soundtrack. In 2017, she issued the Tales of Tacobella and Sugar Trap 2 mixtapes. Continuing her prolific run, she released Nasty in 2018. The set featured Blocboy JB on "In the Air" and Lil Gnar on "Transformer." A 2019 collaborative mixtape, Anger Management, saw Rico working with Kenny Beats and also featured Baauer and EarthGang. That same year, she also released stand-alone singles like "Guap (LaLaLa)," "Time Flies," and "Fashion Week."

More singles arrived in early 2020, including "iPhone," "Own It," and "Don't Like Me," paving the way for Rico Nasty's major-label debut studio album, Nightmare Vacation (Atlantic). Released in December 2020, it featured guest appearances by Trippie Redd, Aminé, Gucci Mane, 100 gecs, and more. Upon release, the set topped the U.S. Heatseekers chart. The next year, Rico issued solo singles such as "Magic" and the hard-hitting Menoh Beats-produced "Buss." She also teamed with the likes of Mahalia ("Jealous"), Denzel Curry and Jasiah ("Art of War"), and NLE Choppa (for "Speed It Up" from the F9 soundtrack).

Rico kicked off 2022 with the Bktherula-assisted track "Vaderz," the first taste of her second Atlantic full-length, the mixtape Las Ruinas, which arrived that July. Pushing her artistry into unexpected directions, the set also featured collaborations with Fred again.. ("Jungle"), Marshmello ("Watch Your Man"), and Bibi Bourelly ("One on 5"). By 2023, she had already moved on to her next phase, releasing the singles "Beat My Face" and "Turn It Up." ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Producer/songwriter Kenny Beats is generally regarded as one of hip-hop's most versatile producers, working with Kendrick Lamar and ScHoolboy Q in his teenage years and later recording alongside artists from Travis Scott to Vince Staples. After rising to international success as half of the electronic duo LOUDPVCK, he returned to hip-hop following the group's 2017 split, and developed a close pool of collaborators through his tailor-made production style. This took the form of joint mixtape releases such as 2019's team-up with 03 Greedo, Netflix & Deal, and the contributions from Thundercat, Vince Staples, JPEGMAFIA, Mac DeMarco, and many others to his 2022 studio debut Louie.

Getting a start in music from his high school's production classes, Kenny Beats (born Kenneth Blume III) started his musical career by producing for a plethora of local rappers from his bedroom. Through subsequent apprenticeships at RCA, J Records, and Cinematic Music Group, Blume swiftly developed both his production talents and his industry contacts. By the age of 19, he had collaborated with artists from Kendrick Lamar to Mac Miller, and had landed a spot at Berklee College of Music. There he met classmate and fellow producer Ryan Marks, who introduced him to the rapidly rising EDM subgenre of trap. Putting their spin on the genre, the pair became LOUDPVCK and went on several international tours and appeared at festivals thanks to a string of high-energy singles. After four years of collaborative work, Marks departed from the duo in November 2017 to pursue new creative directions.

Blume, increasingly dissatisfied with his legacy in EDM, delved back into his original passion, returning to hip-hop on Huncho Jack's "Dubai Shit" in December that year. 2018 marked Blume's full re-entry into rap as he joined KEY! for collaborative album 777 and produced Rico Nasty's debut album, Nasty. Working directly alongside collaborators in the studio, Blume catered his beats to each artist's needs, using his trademark 808s to adapt modern hip-hop's bouncier sonics.

This direct approach resulted in numerous collaborative projects: Blume closed out 2018 with joint project 2 Minute Drills (with ALLBLACK) and kicked off 2019 with Bad Influence (with Q Da Fool) and Anger Management (with Rico Nasty). He continued to find high-profile placements, most notably on Vince Staples' FM! and Ski Mask the Slump God's Stokeley. That year, he also started his video series The Cave, which documented his studio sessions and produced the comedy single "Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)" with Zach Fox. One particular session with Denzel Curry was put on wax in 2020. Unlocked captured the pair's frenzied studio session, which debuted just outside the Top 100 on the Billboard 200. The producer's first official solo studio album came in 2022 with Louie. Released in August of 2022 through XL Recordings, Louie featured guest vocal and musical appearances from longtime collaborators like Vince Staples and Slowthai, as well as cameos from Mac DeMarco, JPEGMAFIA, Thundercat, and others. ~ David Crone