Show Review: Rico Nasty’s LETHAL Tour Stops in the DMV

Rico Nasty’s LETHAL Tour stops in Baltimore at Nevermore Hall and Silver Spring at The Fillmore were enigmatic. At the midpoint of her national tour, it was a homecoming for the DMV’s Nasty Mob. Photographer Cristian Espinoza was in the pit for a packed show at Nevermore Hall. NUNAR Editorial Director and official Nasty Mob editor Jeremy Collins was on assignment at the Silver Spring show. Here is the full review: 

Opening act Sadboi really set the stage for the amped energy as well, with the Toronto artist giving us full West-Indian baddie teas and a setlist that could’ve been even longer. By the middle of her set, the room was mostly packed, feeding off the hype and charisma of the performance — something that can be tricky for opening artists.

Rico opened the Silver Spring show with “WHO WANT IT”, facing some sound issues that she gracefully ignored before continuing to deliver her set. An excited crowd, from the moshing floor to the balcony, jumped and raged with Maryland’s finest rapper-rager. From leather pants to crop tops and silver piercings, audience members dressed down to match the aesthetics of the punk. Rico’s set spanned her discography from her early breakout singles “Poppin’” and “Sandy” to this year’s LETHAL with “EAT ME” and “SMOKE BREAK,” causing the most ruckus. Just before the final moments, Rico gave us a nice dance break, hard-hitting choreography, and backup dancers voguing. Rico’s show ended with a guest performance from Bri3 and a special message to the crowd to never give up despite whatever circumstances we encounter.

All in all, the hometown show was as electric as any hometown show deserves (looking at YOU Cowboy Carter). Rico is a PG girl down, something she mentions in “GRAVE,” asserting to have put PG on the map. But for all intents and purposes, for a girl born in D.C. and having spent at least a few years in Baltimore, perhaps she belongs to all of Maryland.