Anger Management (mixtape) explained

Anger Management
Type:mixtape
Artist:Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats
Cover:Anger Management - Rico Nasty.jpg
Recorded:2019
Studio:The Cave, Burbank, California
Length:18:47
Label:Sugar Trap

Anger Management is a collaborative mixtape[1] [2] between American musicians Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats. It was released independently on April 25, 2019 through Rico Nasty's label Sugar Trap as a surprise release. Featured artists on the record include Baauer, Splurge, and EarthGang.

Background and release

Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats recorded the entirety of Anger Management within a five-day session in early 2019.[3] On March 24, 2019, Rico Nasty announced the project on Instagram live and noted that it will "probably come out in April [2019]." On why she kept the project a secret from her fans, Rico Nasty said: "I want you guys to really enjoy it and I want you guys to let me enjoy creating it and not be rushing to finish."[4] She revealed the tracklist on April 24, 2019,[5] and Anger Management was officially released the following day.[6] [7]

Cover artwork

The mixtape's cover art was created by Keith Rankin, and was inspired by the cover of the 1991 psychology book, The New Primal Scream, by Arthur Janov. Dom Glover, the creative director of the project, originally approached Rankin with this cover as inspiration. Rankin told The Fader, "As soon as I saw that idea I had a pretty clear image of what it should be, just a straight up view of Rico’s face with the gradient background." The cover art was created using the pen and airbrush tools on Photoshop.[8] [9]

Composition

Musically, Anger Management was noted by critics to be a hip hop record with elements of trap,[10] [11] punk rap,[12] metal, and nu-metal.

Critical response

Reception

Anger Management received positive acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the mixtape received an average score of 79, based on 4 reviews.[13] Album of the Year collected 6 reviews and calculated an average of 74 out of 100.[14]

Kyann-Sian Williams of NME described the mixtape as a "bracing, addictive record" which "takes the listener on a journey through anger to acceptance, finally arriving at a sense of calm. It's a great concept, and a great album."[15] Lakin Starling of Pitchfork described the record as "a hell of a rap-production slapper, but most of all it's a turning point in Rico's evolution," noting that "[Rico] remains one of the heaviest hitters in the no-rules arena of rap."[16] Nathan Ma of Highsnobiety wrote "At its heart, Anger Management is an overwhelmingly visceral, engaging, and consuming project," and concluded that "Rico Nasty is, among other things, a professional."[17] Danny Schwart of Rolling Stone praised the collaborative efforts of the project and the energy between the duo, writing, "This overpowering 18-minute release reveals Rico and Kenny to be the most high-voltage rapper-producer combo around. [...] the progression they've achieved on Anger Management, indicate that Rico and Kenny will probably be career-long collaborators. Rico is only 21 and her future is incredibly bright — especially with Kenny at her side to help her realize her potential."[18]

In a slightly more negative review, Daniel Spielberg of HipHopDX noted that "Instead of replicating last year's [<nowiki/>[[Nasty (mixtape)|Nasty]]], [Rico Nasty] is clearly set on experimenting and expanding her sound. Even though it shows that she's a risk taker, Anger Management is unfortunately half-baked."[19]

Accolades

Anger Managagement appeared on multiple critic's lists.

PublicationListRank
BillboardThe 50 Best Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)[20]
Complex16[21]
The 50 Best Albums of 201935[22]
CrackThe Top 50 Albums of 201939[23]
DazedThe 20 Best Albums of 20198[24]
DummyThe 50 Best Albums of 201932[25]
FactThe Best Albums of 2019[26]
[27]
GQ[28]
NMEThe Best Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)[29]
PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 201943[30]
Rolling Stone45[31]
The 50 Best Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)[32]
The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 201910[33]
StereogumThe 50 Best Albums of 201923[34]
The 50 Best Albums of 2019 (Mid-Year)9[35]
The 10 Best Rap Albums of 20193[36]
ViceThe 100 Best Albums of 201921[37]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal and ASCAP.[38] [39]

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[38]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Johnson. Laura. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty And Kenny Beats Drop Collaborative Mixtape 'Anger Management' - Stereoboard. August 14, 2020. Stereoboard. en. April 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190427011455/https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/223397/9. live.
  2. Web site: Marie. Erika. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats Drop "Anger Management" Mixtape. August 14, 2020. HotNewHipHop. en. October 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191013063325/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rico-nasty-and-kenny-beats-drop-anger-management-mixtape-new-mixtape.119070.html. live.
  3. Cho. Regina. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats Drop New Collaboration Project 'Anger Management': Listen. August 14, 2020. Billboard. 0006-2510. Rico Nasty is back with her latest mixtape, Anger Management, a collaboration project with frequent collaborator Kenny Beats.. July 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200730220121/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8508864/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management. live.
  4. Web site: Hussein. Wandera. March 25, 2019. Rico Nasty announces new project Anger Management. August 14, 2020. The Fader. en. 1533-5194. December 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191202080734/http://www.thefader.com/2019/03/25/rico-nasty-announce-new-project-anger-management. live.
  5. Web site: Renshaw. David. April 24, 2019. Rico Nasty to drop Anger Management tonight. August 14, 2020. The Fader. en. 1533-5194. December 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191202082023/http://www.thefader.com/2019/04/24/rico-nasty-anger-management-release-date. live.
  6. Web site: Cook-Wilson. Winston. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats Release 'Anger Management' Album: Listen. August 14, 2020. Spin. 0886-3032. February 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215170515/https://www.spin.com/2019/04/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management-album-listen-stream/. live.
  7. Web site: Alston. Trey. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty Is Back With Lean, Manic New Project Anger Management. August 14, 2020. MTV News. en. December 8, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191208055550/http://www.mtv.com/news/3122029/rico-nasty-anger-management-kenny-beats-project/. dead.
  8. Web site: Kelley. Caitlin. April 26, 2019. Here's The Original Book Cover That Inspired Rico Nasty's 'Anger Management' Cover Art. September 14, 2020. Genius.
  9. Web site: Darville. Jordan. April 26, 2019. Meet Keith Rankin, the electro maestro behind Rico Nasty's Anger Management cover. September 14, 2020. The Fader. 1533-5194.
  10. Web site: Lyons. Patrick. May 3, 2019. Rico Nasty's "Anger Management" Review. August 14, 2020. HotNewHipHop. en. May 3, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503185327/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rico-nastys-anger-management-review-news.78635.html. live.
  11. Web site: Breihan. Tom. May 1, 2019. Rico Nasty Is A Fucking Monster. August 14, 2020. Stereogum. 1142733705.
  12. Web site: McInnes. Laura. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats unleash the fury of 'Anger Management'. August 14, 2020. Sniffers NZ.
  13. Web site: Anger Management by Rico Nasty Reviews and Tracks. August 14, 2020. Metacritic.
  14. Web site: Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management. August 14, 2020. Album of the Year. en-US. April 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190426031402/https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/150408-rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management.php. live.
  15. Web site: Williams. Kyann-Sian. April 30, 2019. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats – 'Anger Management' review. August 14, 2020. NME. en-GB. 0028-6362. August 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200807044822/https://www.nme.com/reviews/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management-review-2482538. live.
  16. Web site: Starling. Lakin. May 4, 2019. Rico Nasty / Kenny Beats: Anger Management. August 14, 2020. Pitchfork. en. 2574-2183. June 13, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200613134143/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management/. live.
  17. Web site: Ma. Nathan. May 1, 2019. Rico Nasty - 'Anger Management' Review. August 14, 2020. Highsnobiety. en-US. 1022847550.
  18. Schwartz. Danny. May 6, 2019. Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats' 'Anger Management' Is a Thrilling Primal Scream. August 14, 2020. Rolling Stone. en-US. 0035-791X. February 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200224180046/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management-album-831688/. live.
  19. Web site: Spielberger. Daniel. April 30, 2019. Review: Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats' "Anger Management" Is Energetic But Lackluster. August 14, 2020. HipHopDX. 871848154. October 18, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191018165005/https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3415/title.review-rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management-is-energetic-but-lackluster. live.
  20. Unterberger. Andrew. June 3, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019 (So Far): Staff Picks. August 14, 2020. Billboard. 0006-2510. July 25, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190725015616/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8513983/best-albums-of-2019-so-far. live.
  21. Web site: Rindner. Grant. June 5, 2019. The Best Albums of 2019 (So Far). August 14, 2020. Complex. en. 1538-6848.
  22. Web site: Rindner. Grant. December 3, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Complex. en. 1538-6848.
  23. Web site: Vinti. Mike. December 9, 2019. The Top 50 Albums of the Year. August 14, 2020. Crack Magazine. 2229-0397. December 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191212061453/https://crackmagazine.net/article/annual-report-2019/the-top-50-albums-of-the-year-2/. live.
  24. Web site: Yalcinkaya. Gunseli. December 11, 2019. The 20 best albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Dazed. en. 2059-528X. December 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191215164722/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/47070/1/the-20-best-albums-of-2019. live.
  25. Web site: Martin. Felicity. December 20, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Dummy Mag. en-US. 2567-7594. March 16, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200316195528/https://www.dummymag.com/features/the-50-best-albums-of-2019/. live.
  26. Web site: Smith-Strickland. Stephanie. December 19, 2019. The best albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Fact. en. 500508618. August 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200810063407/https://www.factmag.com/2019/12/19/the-best-albums-of-2019/. live.
  27. Web site: Domenighini. Annalise. December 19, 2019. The best albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. The Fader. en. 1533-5194. July 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223516/http://www.thefader.com/2019/12/19/the--fader-best-albums-of-2019. live.
  28. Web site: Conte. Gabe. December 3, 2019. The GQ Staff's Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. GQ. en-us. 0016-6979. February 13, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200213065921/https://www.gq.com/story/best-albums-of-2019. live.
  29. Web site: June 7, 2019. The best albums of 2019 (so far!). August 14, 2020. NME. en-GB. 0028-6362. December 22, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191222135906/https://www.nme.com/features/best-albums-of-2019-2449289. live.
  30. Web site: Blais-Billie. Braudie. December 10, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Pitchfork. en-us. 2574-2183. February 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215000714/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-albums-2019/. live.
  31. Jonathan Bernstein . Jon Blistein . Jon Dolan . Patrick Doyle . Brenna Ehrlich . Suzy Exposito . Jon Freeman . David Fricke . Kory Grow . Will Hermes . Christian Hoard . Charles Holmes . Joseph Hudak . Brendan Klinkenberg . Elias Leight . Angie Martoccio . Claire Shaffer . Rob Sheffield . Hank Shteamer . Brittany Spanos. Simon Vozick-Levinson. December 5, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Rolling Stone. en-US. 0035-791X. December 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191206131907/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2019-914750/. live.
  32. Brittany Spanos . David Fricke . Will Hermes . Suzy Exposito . Christian Hoard . Danny Schwartz . Elias Leight . Rob Sheffield . Joe Levy . Sarah Grant . Daniela Tijerina . Jonathan Bernstein . Angie Martoccio . Hank Shteamer . Jon Dolan . Kory Grow. June 21, 2019. The 50 Best Albums of 2019 So Far. August 14, 2020. Rolling Stone. en-US. 0035-791X. August 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190829085055/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-best-albums-2019-so-far-846292/. live.
  33. Klinkenberg. Brendan. Leight. Elias. Holmes. Charles. December 30, 2019. 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Rolling Stone. en-US. 0035-791X. February 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200221065943/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/20-best-hip-hop-albums-of-2019-931888/. live.
  34. Web site: Claymore. Gabriela Tully. December 3, 2019. The 50 Best Albums Of 2019. August 14, 2020. Stereogum. 1142733705. January 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200101022555/https://www.stereogum.com/featured/best-albums-2019/. live.
  35. Web site: Breihan. Tom. June 11, 2019. The 50 Best Albums Of 2019 So Far. August 14, 2020. Stereogum. 1142733705. July 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200728115015/https://www.stereogum.com/featured/best-2019-albums-so-far/. live.
  36. Web site: Breihan. Tom. December 10, 2019. The 10 Best Rap Albums Of 2019. August 14, 2020. Stereogum. 1142733705. December 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191212094321/https://www.stereogum.com/2067440/best-rap-albums-2019/franchises/list/. live.
  37. Web site: Taylor. Sharine. December 12, 2019. The 100 Best Albums of 2019. August 14, 2020. Noisey. en. 1077-6788. December 12, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191212201902/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3kxxw9/the-100-best-albums-of-2019. live.
  38. Web site: Rico Nasty / Anger Management. Tidal. August 14, 2020.
  39. Web site: ACE Repertory. ASCAP. July 6, 2020. Select "TITLE", type "Song" in the search engine, and click "Search".. https://web.archive.org/web/20190911204144/https://www.ascap.com/repertory. September 11, 2019. live.
  40. Web site: R E L A T I V E @riconasty x @kennybeats x #LaMusicaDeHarryFraud Anger Management out now . Instagram. LaMusicaDeHarryFraud. April 25, 2019. August 24, 2020.
  41. Web site: Sell Out w/ Kenny. Instagram. Nils again.. April 25, 2019. August 24, 2020.
  42. Web site: Crate league sample on @riconasty Album. Instagram. Crate League. May 18, 2019. August 24, 2020.
  43. Web site: Shifferaw. Abel. April 25, 2019. Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats Share 'Anger Management' Project. August 14, 2020. Complex. en. 1538-6848. April 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190427013223/https://www.complex.com/music/2019/04/rico-nasty-kenny-beats-anger-management. live.
  44. Web site: Anger Management - Discography. August 14, 2020. Sterling Sound. en-US.