In early January, Rolling Stone published its “70 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020” list. Drake made the cut, so did Bieber, and of course Bruce Springsteen (because, you know, it’s Rolling Stone), but six days into the new year, a glaring omission became clear. The powers that be forgot to include Nicole Richie, a.k.a. Nikki Fre$h. In a recent interview with The Zoe Report, the part-time rapper, full-time crystal proprietor, and cultural icon, announced the release of potentially one of the most important music projects of the year.
“I’m making an iconic rap album right now about how I’m not using plastic,” Richie shared. “Do I use plastic sometimes? Yes, I do. I really try not to. Got the old tea cup. But it’s the effort. It’s just being aware.” Narratively, the album seems poised to tackle the tough questions about recycling, conservation, global warming, and most importantly — colony collapse. “The tea is that they’re going to fucking die. We can’t be here without them,” Richie said of the missing bees. “They play a very big role in apples, avocados, almonds, even coffee.”
Richie’s rap career is vast and varied. In 2013, as Nikki Rich, she filmed the process of making a song about gluten-free pasta, her new bangs, and dairy-free ice cream. Was the record good? No. Did it show potential? Also, no. A year later, Richie switched her name to Nikki Fre$h, appearing onstage with Naughty By Nature’s Treach. From there, Fre$h has rapped about gummy worms, performed “Forgot About Dre” at karaoke, and appeared on Comedy Central’s Lip Sync Battle. In November, streaming platform Quibi announced a Nikki Fre$h TV series was in the works. Fre$h’s music was described as “Parent Trap,” which is comprised of “socially conscious and educational rhymes” according to Deadline.
At this time, it’s unclear if her rapping skills have improved in the slightest, but the vision to save the environment through the power of hip-hop is enough to give this record a five mic approval rating upon arrival.