Few artists embody controlled chaos like Rico Nasty. At the Los Angeles stop of her Lethal tour, she turned the Fonda Theatre into a collision of punk, rap, and rage — a space where catharsis felt communal and every scream found rhythm.
Toronto artist SadBoi opened the night with MC TK, who also acted as her hypewoman, ad-lib partner, and (at times) unintentional photobomber. TK kept yelling, “Make some noise, LA!” every few minutes, like she was trying to manifest an earthquake.
It worked, though — people were dancing early. The bass was ridiculous. SadBoi’s set felt like a sweaty club set inside a live show: R&B flirting with rave. She twerked, sang, grinned, and flirted with the crowd like she knew exactly what she was doing.
At one point, she shouted, “I see some baddies in the crowd tonight!” before launching into “Baddies.” She wasn’t wrong. The room was full of them.
Their chemistry was messy but fun — you could feel the main-and-side-character dynamic right away. SadBoi owned the spotlight; TK ran circles around her trying to keep it hyped. (I have to admit, I did occasionally have to Photoshop her out of a couple of my shots.)
The set closed with “We Are Young” by fun. under a spinning disco ball, which was oddly emotional and kind of confusing. They didn’t really sing it — just danced while the crowd took over. It looked cool, but it also felt like they ran out of songs. Still, when that disco light hit the ceiling, everyone forgave it.
Then the lights cut, the crowd roared, and a deep “RICO!” echoed through the room.
She came out in black leather pants and a cropped top, flanked by a DJ and guitarist — a setup that already told you this wasn’t going to be straight rap. She’s always blurred genres, but live? It hits way harder. It’s punk, metal, rap, and rage therapy all at once.
Rico doesn’t really talk to the crowd — she attacks the stage. Every stomp shook the floor. Every verse felt like an uppercut. She barely stopped to breathe, let alone banter. At one point, a guy behind me just said, “She’s so angry,” which wasn’t false. But that’s the point — it isn’t chaos; it’s controlled precision.
When she hit “IPHONE,” everyone pulled their phones out (the irony wasn’t lost on anyone). The Kingdom Hearts sample came mid-set — and if you caught it, you knew. I screamed a little inside. Rico later joked on TikTok about noticing the few fans who did — the nerds hidden among the moshers.
Then came the surprise: Hayley Williams walked on stage during “Smack A Bitch.” For a second, nobody believed it. The screams that followed could’ve broken glass. The two of them — Rico snarling, Hayley grinning — was pure serotonin and chaos. The crossover I didn’t know I needed.
By the end, everyone was drenched in sweat — hers, ours, who knows. Rico said it was hard keeping secrets from fans before dropping an unreleased song from Lethal (Deluxe). And then she was gone — no encore, no farewell, just one final stomp before the lights cut to black. Walking out, the floor was still vibrating.
Rico Nasty isn’t here to charm you — she’s here to exorcise something. It’s rap, it’s rage, it’s therapy with eyeliner and distortion pedals. Not everything hit perfectly — the mix was heavy, her pace unrelenting — but the energy was undeniable.
I have to say it’s particularly impressive that she has shared studio space and credits with some of the biggest names in pop and alternative — from Charli XCX and 100 gecs to Doechii and Megan Thee Stallion — a sign that her reach spans far beyond one genre.
By the time the smoke cleared, there was no question why Rico Nasty’s name carries the weight it does. She doesn’t just headline — she dominates. And as the Lethal tour came to its end, she proved once again that chaos, when wielded right, can feel like control.
Thank you for the music!
