Summer is in full tilt in New York City. The nights are longer, filled with moments and memories that will last a lifetime, while the days have a much looser rhythm — less work, and more play. Or maybe that’s just the case for Rico Nasty.

Taking advantage of the season, the DMV rap trailblazer decided Soho would become the backdrop for a midday party thrown on a whim, inspiring a swarm of frenzied fans to take to the streets during what are considered working hours for most. Lining almost the length of the block, eager members of the Nasty Mob pressed their way through the doors of 66 Greene as soon as they opened, bringing immediate energy into the once placid space.

Moving to a soundtrack queued by Libby Brothers, the amalgamated crowd of ages and identities shared a vibrant, sweaty sense of community as they waited for the artist to arrive. Through shameless head banging and twerked asses — a uniquely on-brand formula — the mob preoccupied themselves long enough for Rico to slip in almost unnoticed, only inspiring a brief uproar as she slid backstage to prep for the real moment.

Finally appearing from behind the stone-slab walls, the platinumselling rap maven stepped out to greet a group that, for a moment, traded normal Monday responsibilities for a room charged with welcoming intensity. Soon, everyone fell silent as Rico debuted the music video for her unreleased single “Cupcake,” drawing devoted attention as they watched her whip an ATV across a desert landscape set to an electronic bubblegum trap tune.

After the video concluded, Rico took the mic to speak about its making, using it as an inspiring case study for why it’s important to create despite perceived limitations. “Some of the most famous stuff I’m known for was produced under a very limited budget,” she shares candidly. “You don’t have to be the richest person to create something; you can do it just for the sake of doing it.”

Adding to the experience, Rico previewed parts of her new untitled album for the lucky listeners in attendance, offering unfiltered commentary on the thought process and inspiration behind her forthcoming work. “I had to make sure I was right when the camera’s turned off,” she says. “I had to figure out what was in my brain forcing me not to believe that I am who I am. As a black woman in this industry, it feels like a lot of the time there are eyes on you asking, ‘why are you here?’ So if they are looking, we gotta give them a show.”

These sentiments ring true throughout the songs she played, making it clear that self-assurance drives the new album’s core. A return to form in some ways, Rico’s next era is primed to see her stretch the boundaries of her sound while remaining rooted in what has helped define her thus far: a raw, real, and rebellious perspective.

Ending the pop-up with an open forum conversation, where voices offered considered thoughts and elated outbursts for Rico to react to in real time, appearing more assured than ever. The entire experience felt closer to a cathartic hang, as the rap star laid down playfully expletive insight into how she’s attacking this next phase of her career.

So even as the days continue to carry on outside the doors of 66 Greene, it’s clear that we’re all operating under Rico’s rules this summer.