It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon in New York and Nicki Nicole has spent most of her day answering questions from reporters back-to-back in interviews. For someone who just finished a tour between Latin America and Europe, not to mention nine sold-out concerts at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, where more than 100,000 fans were in attendance, you would think that she’s ready to slow down. But hours before our conversation, she announced that her first U.S. tour would kick off next month in Mexico City. You can see the tunnel vision in his green eyes. It is her fans, who have been by her side since day one, who motivate her to continue.
The 23-year-old aspiring singer, rapper and songwriter has made a name for herself in her native Argentina. Nicole Cucco prides herself on never sticking to just one genre when creating music; it helped define her place as a multidimensional creator eager to bridge the gap between singing and rapping.
With the announcement of the US leg of his tour comes new music that does just that. Her first single of the year, “Ojos Verdes”, is a cumbia ballad inspired by personal situations she experienced, most likely alluding to her recent public breakup with Peso Pluma. The lyrics translate to: “But I brought out the best in you / And you realized it the day I left.”
“Ever since I was little I’ve been listening to cumbia and I know so much about it. The only other time I’ve worked on a cumbia song before was with the [band] Angeles Azules,” she says. “Now I feel comfortable and ready to create my own song, so I’m the one doing it on my own.”
Nicole has come a long way in a short time. Her 2019 debut album, “Recuedros,” filled with touches of pop, R&B soul and urban tones, includes her standout single, “Wapo Traketero,” which she performed a few years later on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” – making her the first Argentine artist to perform on the late-night show.
Meanwhile, his second studio album of 2021, “Parte de Mí”, plays with reggaeton, hip-hop and upbeat pop sounds, as well as heavy collaborations from artists like Rauw Alejandro, Mora and Mon Lafarte, to n’t name just a few. “ALMA,” an album of self-exploration that bridges reggaeton, Latin R&B and dark ballads, was nominated for “Best Urban Album” at the 2023 Latin Grammys.
“The truth is, every album and every song I’ve released has really helped me evolve my sound,” she says. “If you listen to my first and third albums, you can see the growth not only vocally but also in general concepts, and even in the way I express myself. I love when people can notice this evolution in my music. ”
Her fourth studio album is still in the works, but Nicole notes that the overall concept of the project is complete. “I don’t want to limit myself or rush the album. I’m always learning something new. Just being here in New York for a week, I’ve made some amazing songs,” she says. “For this next project, in terms of structure and melodies, there will be a lot of hip-hop, R&B and rap – that will be the focus. Musically, however, outside of my next project, there will be a lot surprises. It will happen this year.
Growing up, Nicole’s musical influences varied. She grew up listening to tango, cumbia, rock and various genres. “Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, Kendrick Lamar are some of the artists who have influenced my music. I’ve never worked on rock music as a solo artist, but it’s something I plan to do ‘explore as well,’ she says.
Nicole’s love for hip-hop began at the age of 15, when she began competing in freestyle battle competitions. She remembers being intrigued by “The Get Down,” the Netflix series centered on the birth and rise of hip-hop in New York, and wanting to know more about the origins of the genre.
“Before looking [the series], I knew a little bit about the history of hip-hop, but as I continued to watch and wanted to know more about this world, it really caught my attention,” Nicole says. “I started listening to more rap music; I fell in love with it all. I was sad that there was only one season of the show.”
At 17, young Nicki Nicole was competing in freestyle competitions, which helped shape her pun today. Her favorite past and present rappers include Nuyorican rapper Hurricane G, Lauryn Hill, Ivy Queen, Nathy Peluso and her sister, Sofía Gabanna. The rise of hip-hop culture in Argentina is not new; It’s been a movement for some time now. Nicole is grateful to El Quinto Escalón, dubbed Argentina’s most important rap competition, which was held from 2012 to 2017 in Buenos Aires. Duki, Paolo Londra, Milo J and many others, each with their own style and essence, all participated in the competition and are key players in the Argentinian hip-hop scene today.
As a white Argentinian woman, Nicole understands that she occupies a space made and created by Black people – hip-hop is Black history. It was never hers to begin with, so as an outsider, it’s imperative for her to navigate it thoughtfully and avoid cultural appropriation.
“This didn’t start as my fight, and it’s easy for anyone to co-opt a space they didn’t start in, but I will never own a space I’m invited into,” she says . . “Knowing the origins of hip-hop is important, bringing visibility to things that happened in the culture of the past, and to so many incredible rappers that make up these spaces, owning the space is something I do ‘never intend to do.
She says she also credits hip-hop and rap culture for helping her come out of her shell and shaping her ability to freestyle.
“I feel like hip-hop, but especially rap, taught me how to express myself in freestyle. Not only musically, but also to come out of my shell because I was very shy before,” she shares. “Everything I didn’t have [courage] to say it in person, I said it in freestyle, in the studio, in battle, and I learned to express myself that way. And thanks to freestyle, I learned how to socialize, and it also helped me in my personal life to talk to people.”
With so much music and talent coming out of Argentina – Cazzu, Emilia, Tiago PZK, Duki, Maria Becerra and many more – Nicki Nicole is proud of her country’s greatness.
“I know that every Argentinian artist working right now really deserves all this recognition,” she says. “I know a lot of them personally, so it makes me happy because I know all the work and effort that goes into it, and I know they’re doing it all because they dreamed it. It’s an honor to know them.”
As Nicki Nicole prepares for her tour and plans her world domination, she’s not immune to any outside noise – anything that comes between her work. Nothing can stop her, unless it’s the opportunity to get in the studio with the legendary Tego Calderon or the electropop group Miranda, which is something she hopes to do one day. What keeps her grounded are her family and friends, and the fact that she loves what she does.
“I’m truly achieving everything I’ve ever dreamed of, and that’s what keeps me going,” she says. “Being able to provide for my parents, being able to spend time with the people I love, that’s the most important thing to me in this music business.”
Brenda Barrientos is a Peruvian American journalist and social strategist with over seven years of experience. In addition to her social media work, Brenda writes about music and culture, with a particular focus on Latino creators. In addition to PS, his writing has been published by Billboard, Byrdie, People en Español, Refinery29, Rolling Stone, and more.
