North-west London rapper Nines has caused a buzz following the release of his latest album Crop Circle 3 today (October 6).
A prominent rapper in the UK hip-hop scene, Nines has had a busy year already, releasing his previous project Crop Circle 2 – which received a four-star rating from the Evening Standard – a mere six months ago.
His latest album features some notable collaborations with some recognisable names from London’s rap scene and beyond including Skrapz, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Big Narstie, Mugzz, Tunde, and Tiggs Da Author, with Nines venturing into everything from hip-hop to soul and R&B on the fifteen-track LP.
Still, the biggest surprise around the project has to be the surpringly revelation that this could be he 33-year-old rapper’s final music venture, with hints dropped throughout the album that he may retiring from the mic for good.
His talent would surely be missed, but are we getting ahead of ourselves? Or could this genuinely be his last hurrah? Step this way for the rest of the release’s biggest talking points.
Intro
Nines has shown no sign of slowing down this year, dropping his second full-length album within 12 months. With this in mind, then, it comes as a fairly hefty surprise that one of the rapper’s first lines on the album’s opener heads in a far less prolific direction: “Bout to drop my last album/ I’m too old for rapping”.
This clanger has already sparked plenty of conversation around Nines’ future. Does this record really mark the 33-year-old rapper’s departure from music? Is he having us on? Singing as another character? Whatever the outcome, it sets the tone for what is potentially a fifteen-track farewell.
Unexpected collaborations
Though Nines album tracklist is packed with UK rap star-power, perhaps the most surprising collaboration all comes in the form of Toxic, featuring the much-hyped Bradford bassline collective Bad Boy Chiller Crew.
North-west London meets West Yorkshire on this light-hearted track, which pulls plenty of influence from UK garage as it stalls and hesitates to leave a toxic relationship; “she’s saying I’m toxic, I wanna leave if I could, I would” Nines raps over a playful, pogoing instrumental. The sound suits both him and Bad Boy Chiller Crew, and this latest pivot reflects Nines’ confidence in experimenting with his sound.
Surprise samples
If one particular track on Crop Circle 3 evokes a certain sense of deju vu for you, you’re not alone – I Do samples a West Coast rap classic, and reframes it through a UK rap lens. The instrumental sample is originally from Snoop Dogg’s iconic 1994 track Gin and Juice, but here Dr Dre’s smooth production finds fresh life.
Featuring yet more collaborations, Nines is joined here by Manchester rapper Tunde and Essex lyricist Mugzz, with the trio each adding their own character and flair to the laidback banger, without feeling too overshadowed by their ubiquitous backing track. Cheers to that!
Plenty of greenery
Nines has named this project Crop Circle for a good reason – plants get lots of airtime here, but we’re not talking about the rapper’s newfound passion for gardening or houseplants. Instead, there are plenty of shout-outs to his love of weed. On Devils Rejects, which also features fellow London rapper Skrapz, he cheekily references his gardening skills: “now I get like six Z’s off of every light”. Elsewhere on the project, another standout one-line from So High has to be:“It’s like I stared in Medusa’s eyes, the way I’m stoned”.
Outro
After starting with a surprise, Crop Circles 3 ultimately brings things full circle. In its closing track, simply named Outro, Nines collaborates with rising soul singer Debbie on a mellow tune that seems to double-down on the idea of this being his last project.
Delving deep into the reasons around his supposed musical retirement, he says: “As for me, this rap s**t is feeling easy, that’s why I’m moving on to film and TV”. While the track seems like a softly-worded goodbye for fans, it feels like even if he does end up taking a step away from music, it won’t be a step away from the limelight altogether.
