"Roof" is a song by American rapper Rico Nasty. It was released as a single on January 29, 2019 through Atlantic Records and produced by Rico Nasty's frequent collaborator Kenny Beats. A trap song, it features Rico Nasty aggressively rapping in a raspy voice. A surrealist music video for the song was released with the song and directed by Cody Dobie. The song and its video were positively reviewed by critics.
| "Roof" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Rico Nasty | ||||
| Released | January 29, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Trap | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Kenny Beats | |||
| Rico Nasty singles chronology | ||||
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Background and release
editIn the months leading up to the release of "Roof", rapper Rico Nasty released the singles "Big Dick Energy", "Guap (LaLaLa)", and "Wanna Do". "Roof" was released on January 29, 2019 through Atlantic Records.[1][2] It was produced by Kenny Beats.[3]
Composition and reception
edit"Roof" is a trap song. Tobias Handke of The Music called it "a futuristic slice of space rap" in which Rico Nasty rapped with a "raspy voice".[4] James Rettig of Stereogum wrote that "Roof" had "an abrasive beat over some loose-lipped boasts" and "a characteristic Rico Nasty brag".[1] Uproxx's Aaron Williams described the song as containing "her usual array of raspy threats over a blaring Kenny Beats production".[5] Israel Daramola of Spin wrote that "Roof" was "funky" and had "an excitable aggression that serves to heighten how the pleasure found in repeating [Rico Nasty]'s hype-filled brags and crass lines".[3] Desire Thompson of Vibe called "Roof" one of the "many things" Rico Nasty did "right".[6] Michael Love Michael of Paper praised "Roof" as "stat[ing] the case for why [Rico Nasty] commands such attention" and called the beat "menacing" and "bass-rattling".[7] BrooklynVegan called "Roof" "very fun".[8]
Music video
editThe surrealist music video for "Roof" was released on the same day as the song and directed by Cody Dobie.[1] Its aesthetic, which Rico Nasty described as "cyber vaporwave future retro", was inspired by the 1997 science fiction film The Fifth Element. It begins with a robotic voice introducing Rico Nasty and features glitch art and various unrelated scenes in which she wears different outfits, including at the Walter Pyramid, Rico Nasty wearing a shawl, her dancing in the desert, her on a jet ski, her as a mountain, and her breaking through a television screen.[9][5] Robby Seabrook III, for XXL, wrote that it had "a bigger-than-life feel to it", while Paper's Mike Beckles described it as "a surreal, futuristic dreamscape".[10][11] Vibe's Desire Thompson wrote that the music video for "Roof" was "filled with goth dystopian planets and psychedelic VHS recordings".[6] XXL included "Roof" on their list of the best hip hop music videos of 2019.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c Rettig, James (January 29, 2019). "Rico Nasty - 'Roof' Video". Stereogum. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (January 30, 2019). "Rico Nasty Descends to Earth to Assert Her Dominance in New 'Roof' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Daramola, Israel (January 29, 2019). "Watch the Video For Rico Nasty's New Song 'Roof'". Spin. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Handke, Tobias (November 26, 2020). "The evolution of Rico Nasty in ten songs". The Music. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Williams, Aaron (January 29, 2019). "Rico Nasty's 'Roof' Video Is A Surreal World Takeover Fantasy". Uproxx. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Thompson, Desire (December 13, 2019). "25 Hip-Hop Singles By Bomb Womxn Of 2019". Vibe. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Love Michael, Michael (February 1, 2019). "Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right". Paper. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "11 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. February 18, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Sanchez, Chelsey (July 6, 2020). "Rico Nasty's 'Roof' and 'Popstar' Music Videos Were Built off Her Fashion Tastes". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Seabrook III, Robby (February 1, 2019). "Yo Gotti, Rico Nasty, YBN Cordae and More: Videos This Week - XXL". XXL. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Beckles, Mike (March 18, 2019). "Rico Nasty Is Her Own Blueprint". Paper. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Seabrook III, Robby (December 18, 2019). "50 of the Best Hip-Hop Music Videos of 2019". XXL. Retrieved August 7, 2024.