The rap and rock artist talks about making her acting debut in the Apple TV series, new music on the way, and how sex work and the music industry are alike

Rico Nasty’s acting debut hits close to home.

In Margo’s Got Money Troubles, the eccentric rapper and rock star makes her debut as KC, an OnlyFans creator who goes by the handle WangMangler99 (her gimmick is insulting men’s dicks) and helps the main character, Margo (Elle Fanning), find her own niche as a sex work-dabbling storyteller. Margo is new to the hustle, an aspiring writer who dropped out of college when she became pregnant by her married lit professor. With a baby to raise on her own, she has to imagine a totally different way to make her dreams come true. KC and her collaborator, SucculentRose (Lindsey Normington), are her spiritual, and literal, guides.

Over Zoom from Los Angeles, where she’d just finished a ceramics class, she talked about what her first TV experience taught her, young motherhood, and how the music business and sex work are not so different. 

Had you read Rufi Thorpe’s novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles before signing onto the show?
I actually had listened to the audiobook and was soothed by Elle Fanning’s voice. I was listening to it every day, to and from taking my son to school, and I just immediately fell in love with the book and fell in love with the characters.

This is your acting debut. How did you approach playing the character? Did you find it similar to your approach to music?
I just approached it by putting myself in that space, and speaking to a lot of my friends that are in that space, and just making myself more open. 

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Music is also entertainment, and when you step in front of a camera [as an artist], you definitely embody a character — whether the outfit or the hair, the makeup makes you do that, you are embodying something. Once I get in front of the camera, and once I start reciting my lines, I really do feel connected to the character. And I feel like I start to become her, little by little.

How would you describe your chemistry with Elle Fanning and Lindsey Normington?
The chemistry was amazing. They’re both so, so sweet. I spent more time with Lindsey than with Elle. Elle was busy, girl. Lindsey, she’s been on set more than me for things like this. She was just in Anora, shout-out to her. But there were moments where I was like, “Is this OK? Should I try like this?” And it was so fun to have a co-star that was very collaborative. Sometimes we would just go on a whim. It was just really, really fun.

You were on OnlyFans in real life. In the show, we see that Margo constantly has to up her game to succeed on the platform, especially with the creation of her HungryGhost persona and switching up her looks and make-up. Do these changing rules of the game apply in real life?
Of course. You always get to a certain level and think it’s going to be something, and then it winds up being more work, or more things that you have to learn. I think everything is all about levels, and I loved the sense of community that was given to me in music. Because when you get to certain levels, it’s really important that you have other people who have been through the same stuff that you’ve gone through. Hence, you know, getting this role and speaking to women in my life who have been on OnlyFans.

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You’ve always maintained a confident energy in your music. When you were approaching acting, was there anything you found humbling?
I became a student again. I’m definitely not gonna walk into that industry thinking that I know it all, because I’ve never done anything like that. So it was a huge learning experience. I auditioned six times. It was a long process, and it was fun the entire time. I remember even dressing like the character on one of the days that I had to read. I just found some shit in my closet, and was like, “This is the vibe I think she gives off.” I think Method acting goes a long way, because that’s what really really got me through this whole thing. It was really about stepping into the character.

Can we anticipate more acting projects in the future?
Hopefully, but I do have a lot of music coming out. There’s touring, there’s shows, so we’ll see. We’ll see who picks me up. But I am still auditioning.

Last year, you released your album, Lethal, to critical acclaim. And it was your first album since leaving Atlantic and changing your creative team entirely. Would you say going the independent route has allowed you more creative freedom?
Definitely. I think you guys will see a whole lot more of the results of my creative freedom coming soon. So stay tuned for that. I loved my relationship with Atlantic. I had the plan, and I just needed a platform.

How has community also been essential for your survival in the industry?
Community is essential because you really do need to understand that you’re not alone. And nine times out of 10, your peers, or whoever you’re in this game with, are probably going through the same thing you’re going through. And community is really grounding when you have those dark thoughts or imposter syndrome, when you’re making these decisions, and you feel like a certain group might dislike what you’re doing. You know what I mean? You need your homegirls or homeboys, or whoever is going to be there for you to say, “Hey, you got this, fuck those people.”

Back in 2020, you had tweeted that you felt invisible. Six years later, it seems like it’s your time. Have you learned to embrace the slow burn?
Oh, honey. I was going through so much at that time. I don’t even think I was talking about my career. More than anything, I’ve just realized that you just do it even when they can’t see it. It builds the lore. You have to do things just because you want to. It doesn’t really matter if it goes viral or if they see it. 

During that time, I was just probably going through a lot of comparisons. But I’m just happy to still be part of conversations, despite not having all of the things that make people remain in these conversations. I’ve never had a Billboard hit, but I’m on the phone with fucking Rolling Stone, brother. I’m very happy, very honored, and proud of myself for sticking to my guns.

If your current self could talk to yourself from six years ago, what would you tell her?
I would tell her to clean her room, write more music, and leave that man.

One thing I’ve always admired about your music is that you’re constantly evolving. You’ve done pure hip-hop, you’ve done trap, you’ve done emo, you’ve done rock. And you posted on Instagram in February that your new album is done. What kind of sounds can fans expect?
I’m dropping a project with me and KennyBeats, and the fans can expect the same music that made them fall in love with me back in the mixtape days. Getting back with KennyBeats has been amazing. I’ve actually simultaneously been working on two projects. One is strictly rock, and I’m taking it slow, really getting into it. And then the one with me and Kenny is just straight bars — very girly, but also a lot of like, you know, hints of [alter egos] Tacobella, Sugartrap, Rico Nasty energy. I think it’s going to be a fun time. The music definitely resonates with KC as well. This is gonna be a good, good summer.

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There are rumors that Beyoncé also plans to drop a rock album for Act III. If she calls you to collab, are you in?
If Beyoncé calls me to literally do anything, I don’t know why you guys would think I’m not groveling. I’m there, babe, I’m there.

What is something you learned about yourself during the production of Margo’s Got Money Troubles?
It’s OK to do things over and over again. Nobody’s judging you. It’s kind of the same as when you’re doing music, and you’re trying to lay a verse, and you’re repeating the same line over and over again to get it right. Nobody really cares how many times you do your lines. They just want it to be really, really good. And when you watch everyone else do it, they do it a bunch of times, too. So it’s just really fun seeing that it’s OK to make mistakes.