It is a drizzly Thursday afternoon in New York Town, and Nicki Nicole has spent maximum of her day answering back-to-back interview questions from newshounds. For somebody who simply concluded a excursion between Latin The us and Europe, to not point out 9 sold-out presentations on the Movistar Area in Buenos Aires, the place greater than 100,000 enthusiasts have been in attendance, you’ll assume she used to be able to decelerate. However hours earlier than our dialog, she introduced that her first US headlining excursion would kick off subsequent month in Mexico Town. You’ll be able to see the tunnel imaginative and prescient in her inexperienced eyes. Her enthusiasts, who’ve been by way of her aspect since day one, are what inspire her to stay going.
The 23-year-old budding singer, rapper, and songwriter has cemented a reputation for herself in her local nation of Argentina. Nicole Cucco prides herself on by no means sticking to only one style when growing tune; it helped outline her position as a multidimensional inventive interested in bridging the space between making a song and rapping.
With the announcement of the USA leg of her excursion comes new tune that does simply that. Her first unmarried of the yr, “Ojos Verdes,” is a cumbia ballad impressed by way of private eventualities she’s long gone thru, moderately perhaps alluding to her contemporary public breakup with Peso Pluma. The lyrics translate to: “However I introduced out the most efficient in you / And also you discovered it the day I left.”
“Since I used to be a tender lady, I have listened to cumbia and know such a lot about it. The one different time I have labored on a cumbia tune earlier than used to be with the [band] Angeles Azules,” she says. “Now I think at ease and ready to make my very own tune, so that is me doing it by myself.”
Nicole has come a a long way method in a brief period of time. Her 2019 debut album “Recuedros,” stuffed with sprinkles of father, soulful R&B, and urbano tones, comprises her standout unmarried, “Wapo Traketero,” which she carried out a few years afterward “The This night Display Starring Jimmy Fallon” — making her the primary Argentine artist to ever carry out at the late-night display.
In the meantime, her 2021 sophomore studio album, “Parte de Mí,” performs round with reggaeton, hip-hop, and upbeat pop sounds, in conjunction with heavy collaborations from acts like Rauw Alejandro, Mora, and Mon Lafarte, simply to call a couple of. “ALMA,” a self-exploration album that ties reggaeton, Latin R&B, and darkish ballads all in combination, used to be nominated for “Easiest City Album” on the 2023 Latin Grammys.
“Actually, each album and each tune I put out has truly helped me to adapt my sound,” she says. “When you pay attention to my first and 3rd albums, you’ll be able to see the expansion now not most effective vocally however all the way down to the whole ideas, even the best way I categorical myself. I really like when other folks can understand that evolution in my tune.”
Her fourth studio album remains to be a piece in development, however Nicole notes that the venture’s general idea is completed. “I do not need to restrict myself or rush the album. I am at all times studying one thing new. Simply being right here in New York for every week, I made some fantastic songs,” she says. “For this subsequent venture, in relation to construction and melodies, there will likely be numerous hip-hop, R&B, and rap — that will likely be the point of interest. Musically, even though, apart from my subsequent venture, there will likely be many surprises that can come about this yr.”
Rising up, Nicole’s musical influences various. She grew up being attentive to tango, cumbia, rock, and quite a lot of genres. “Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, Kendrick Lamar are one of the artists who’ve influenced my tune. I have by no means labored on rock tune as a solo artist, however that is one thing I plan to discover as neatly,” she says.
Nicole’s love for hip-hop started when she used to be 15, across the time she began attending freestyle combat competitions. She recalls being intrigued by way of “The Get Down,” the Netflix collection that facilities at the delivery and upward push of hip-hop in New York Town, and in need of to be informed extra in regards to the style’s origins.
“Prior to gazing [the series], I knew slightly of the historical past of hip-hop, however as I persevered gazing I sought after to be informed extra about this international, it truly stuck my consideration,” Nicole says. “I began to hear extra rap tune; I fell in love with all of it. I used to be unhappy that there used to be just one season of the display.”
At 17, a more youthful Nicki Nicole used to be becoming a member of in on freestyle competitions, which contributed to shaping her wordplay lately. Her favourite previous and provide rappers come with Nuyorican rapper Typhoon G, Lauryn Hill, Ivy Queen, Nathy Peluso, and her sister, Sofía Gabanna. The upward push of hip-hop tradition in Argentina is not new; it is been a motion for a while now. Nicole is thankful for El Quinto Escalón, dubbed Argentina’s maximum distinguished rap festival, which used to be held from 2012 to 2017 in Buenos Aires. Duki, Paolo Londra, Milo J, and plenty of others — each and every with their very own taste and essence — have all participated within the festival and are key gamers within the Argentine hip-hop scene lately.
As a white Argentine lady, Nicole understands that she occupies an area created and originated by way of Black other people — hip-hop is Black historical past. It used to be by no means hers first of all, in order an interloper, it is crucial for her to navigate it thoughtfully and steer clear of any appropriation of the tradition.
“This did not get started out as my battle, and it is simple for any person to co-opt an area that they did not start in, however I’m going to by no means take possession of an area I am a visitor in,” she says. “To grasp the origins of hip-hop is necessary, bringing visibility to objects that went on within the tradition up to now, and such a lot of fantastic rappers that make up those areas, appropriating the gap is one thing I do not ever plan to do.”
She says she additionally owes hip-hop and rap tradition for serving to her get out of her shell and shaping her talent to freestyle.
“I think like hip-hop, however most commonly rap, taught me easy methods to categorical myself when freestyling. No longer simply musically, but additionally it taught me easy methods to get out of my shell as a result of I was truly shy,” she stocks. “The whole thing I did not have the [courage] to mention in individual, I’d say it in a freestyle, in a studio, in a combat, and I realized to precise myself this manner. And thru freestyling, I realized easy methods to socialize, and it additionally served me in my private existence in easy methods to talk to other folks.”
With such a lot tune and ability popping out of Argentina — Cazzu, Emilia, Tiago PZK, Duki, Maria Becerra, and such a lot of extra — Nicki Nicole is happy with the greatness coming from her nation.
“I do know that each unmarried Argentine artist this is putting in place the paintings presently truly merits the entire reputation,” she says. “I do know numerous them individually, so it makes me satisfied as a result of I do know the entire paintings and energy that is going at the back of all of it, and I do know that they do all of this as a result of they dreamt it. It is an honor to grasp them.”
As Nicki Nicole prepares for her excursion and plans her international domination, she is unphased by way of any out of doors noise — anything else that comes between her paintings. Not anything can forestall her, until it is a possibility to get within the studio with the mythical Tego Calderon or electropop band Miranda, which she hopes will occur someday. What is retaining her grounded is her friends and family, and playing what she does.
“I am truly reaching the whole thing I ever dreamed of, and that is the reason what assists in keeping me going,” she says. “As a way to beef up my oldsters, in an effort to spend time with the folk I really like, that is a very powerful factor to me on this international of tune.”
Brenda Barrientos is a Peruvian American journalist and social strategist with greater than seven years of revel in. Along with her paintings in social media, Brenda writes about tune and tradition, with a specific center of attention on Latine creators. Along with PS, her writing has been printed by way of Billboard, Byrdie, Folks en Español, Refinery29, Rolling Stone, and extra.