A week or so ago, Nines was spotted meeting up with Larry June and The Alchemist. Earlier this week, Twitter was arguing about which UK artists Al should work with. Rightly, someone pointed out that there aren’t many UK rhymers who would mesh with that sound, either because of style or experience. One exception that came up, however, was Nines and, as it turns out, Crop Circle 2 goes a long way to proving that point. The soul samples (proper sampling, by the way; no over-the-top botch jobs here) and the laid-back swagger, maybe it would make sense, maybe it wouldn’t. But it’s hard not to think Nines would be the best contender.
This fourth album is a bit of a departure from the Nines of old—even from 2018’s Crop Circle and 2020’s Crabs In A Bucket, where he folded in elements of Afroswing and more into his sound—so it remains to be seen what the purists will think. As those two albums will attest, it’s not as if Nines has always been doom-and-gloom, but he sounds happier, more laid-back and comfortable in himself than we’ve ever really heard. Production comes from a wide range of producers, most of them from the UK, but there are a few from further afield.
That list includes Jerome Williams, Flo, Show N Prove, Jacob Manson, EY, Karlos, Mansur Brown, Monte Booker, Swifta, Benji Benji, R14 Beats, Michelin Shin, Beat Butcha, Danny Got That Juice, GX, Monro, and Sokari. Features-wise, it’s a similarly broad spread, with guest verses and hooks coming from Skrapz, Wretch 32, J Styles, M Huncho, Lylo Gold, Potter Payper, Nafe Smallz, Clavish, Tiggs Da Author, Kojey Radical, Fatz, Streetz and Little Torment.
Having had a couple of weeks to sit with the album, some of the Complex UK team—Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, James Keith and Emmanuel Onapa—sat down to share their first thoughts. Get into it after the jump.
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Best song?
JP: Picture it: It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon and you’re cruising through the ends in your drop-top Benz and Wretch 32’s righteous hook on “Highly Blessed” is blasting from the woofer… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reloaded this tune since Crop Circle 2 landed in my inbox a couple weeks back. Producer Jerome Williams was probably daydreaming about the heavens when he hit the boards to create this masterful soundscape for Nines, Wretch 32 and Skrapz to talk their talk about the obstacles they’ve faced and conquered over time to now be sitting comfortably in their blessings (Skrapz’s quick Bible lesson was also a touch). It’s just three GOATs doing what they do best! Strong contender for Song Of The Summer.
James: Everyone associates Nines with the road talk, but his role as a silver-tongued lothario is very underrated and nearly earned “Calendar” the title. Don’t get me wrong: we absolutely don’t condone this behaviour, but you know what? It’s fun and that beat is a stunner. A big part of that is Jacob Manson and Show N Prove’s sterling production, which is stuffed full of turn-of-the-millenium R&B shimmer. Probably not one for the mosh-pits, but when the heatwave hits in August, this is going to take on a whole new lease of life—I promise you. Honourable mentions should also go to “Wrist Watch / Prayed For This”, “F**k The Worl” and “Line Of Fire Part 6”.
Emmanuel: For me, it would have to be “Calendar”. Sampling Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal’s 1985 hit, “Saturday Love”, Nines goes on to detail the complicated and frankly dysfunctional romantic relationships that he has with women. Starting the track with an aggravated woman expressing her anger on the phone, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing in the gym when I first heard it. When he starts listing the characteristics of the zodiac signs of each woman with whom he has a romantic connection, listeners can relate to at least one of them. This track sounds very similar to “Stalker’s Interlude” on his previous album, 2020’s Crabs In A Bucket, but is much more of a creative version, in my opinion.
Biggest skip?
JP: This is me finding something to be picky about because, overall, it’s a solid work, but I will say that the second-to-last track, “Hear Me Out”, should have been the “Outro” track as a lot of what was talked about—Nines transitioning from trapper to millionaire rapper—was duplicated on the latter and I don’t think it was needed.
James: There aren’t really any clangers on this LP, but there were one are two that didn’t shine quite as bright as the rest. I’m liable to change my mind on this, but after these early listens, I’m going to have to say “Tony Soprano 2” is my least favourite. On the one hand, I get why he led with this single—it’s a solid way to reintroduce him—but his flow sounds weakest on this track. Every other track sounds more dynamic, more energetic, but here he didn’t sound as fired up.
Emmanuel: “Favela” isn’t necessarily a bad song, but it feels like it was just put on the project to fill space. And, with all due respect, it sounds like we’ve heard this exact track from Nines before. It doesn’t even sound like he was that interested in performing it himself.
Best thing about the album?
JP: I like how inclusive Nines is with his features on this one. It’s not just road rap legends and unknown dons from his block on the set—we also see him working with alternative talents like Lylo Gold (“Weedman”) and Kojey Radical (“F**k The Worl”) to share their magic—and it all just works! Sometimes when street rappers venture outside of their usual realm, it doesn’t always connect. But it does here, and CC2 is all the better for it.
James: There’s a lot to love on CC2, but what sits above it all is the production. A mix of late ‘90s, peak Bad Boy and modern-day Alchemist, threaded together with some beautiful, soulful vocal samples. Show N Prove and Karlos did a phenomenal job of guiding the expansive team of producers and reconciling their disparate individual styles with the overall sound. On top of that, broadening the production team to include characters like Mansur Brown and Jacob Manson, for example, is the defining creative decision. Both Brown, whose usual output is a bit more experimental, and Manson, whose background includes pop and dance music, are keen rap heads with extensive rap credentials. But their differing backgrounds has drawn something newer out of Nines, something fresher, and to be honest, he really does sound like he had fun making this project.
Emmanuel: CC2 is overloaded with bangers. It would be hard for fans not to love the project: Nines comes blazing through with his unique style of music that blends elements of street rap and introspective lyricism. From braggadocious tracks like “Different League” with Nafe Smallz and Clavish, to more menacing cuts like “What’s Beef” with Potter Payper, Nines offers us his laid-back, understated flow with a monotone delivery on a silver platter, creating a sense of calm and control that we have come to know and love him for.
Worst thing about the album?
JP: *See Biggest skip.
James: It’s hard to pick out anything particularly bad about this album, there really isn’t anything that spoils it, but at a push I’d be tempted to say there’s a couple of moments where he sounds as if he’s not fully committed to this new sound. “Tony Soprano 2” and “Favela”, in particular, feel as if he wants to slip back into his old style and for that reason they don’t fit quite as well into the overall album.
Emmanuel: There’s nothing here that could be considered terrible. Still, it would have been great if we could’ve had more songs like “Calender”. Nines is known for his ability to convey a sense of vulnerability and emotion through his lyrics—which often touch on themes of love, loss and the challenges of life in the city. I personally just wanted to hear more of lover-boy Nines on this one.
Best guest feature?
JP: I’m not a fan of Auto-Tune. Never have been, never will be. And while M Huncho isn’t the most Auto-Tuned rapper/singer out there, I’ve always found it hard to truly lock-in to his stuff. Maybe I’m just old. Who knows? Who cares? But, for me, how M Huncho croons over EY, Karlos and Mansur Brown’s exquisite production, for “Nothing Like Me”, is honestly the best I’ve heard him sound in a minute. He might just have a new fan in me after this...
James: After production, the feature-selection is a close second. It’s good to hear him keep a few people like Skrapz and J Styles in the mix, but what makes this album so refreshing is hearing him paired with people like Kojey Radical, Tiggs Da Author and Zino Records signee Lylo Gold. In fact, I’m tempted to give her the crown in this category, but Tiggs Da Author just inches past with his fiendishly catchy hook on “F**k The Worl”. That hook has been so deeply lodged in my brain ever since the first listen it’s distracting.
Emmanuel: Kojey Radical. “F**k The Worl” is a highlight, and will likely leave you in a state of reflection upon first listen. With Nines painting a vivid picture of his reality using words with a vital element of storytelling and Kojey providing a heartfelt and introspective account of his own experience (not forgetting Tiggs’ catchy hook), it’s one that you’ll want to take some time out to deep.
Overall first impression?
JP: While a lot of the same stories have been covered in past projects, this 15-track refresher (kudos to the top-tier production team and artists Nines hit up for the assist) was needed in UK rap’s currently lackluster climate. And, let’s be honest—who doesn’t love hearing a hood success story over and over again? 4/5.
James: One of Nines’ most cohesive projects. The production value is sky high. There’s a noticeable U.S. influence on the production—soul samples, strings, etc—but rather than make himself sound American to fit those tropes, he instead makes those tropes sound British to the bone. Everyone celebrates the raw Nines of his early mixtapes—and they’re right to; they’re hugely important—but I can’t get enough of this cinematic, high-end, glossy Nines. 4/5.
Emmanuel: Nines is well and truly back! Crop Circle 2 is certainly contending to be one of the best albums to come out of the UK rap scene this year. The production felt clean and thorough throughout, and we’ll never get tired of his nonchalant style and flow. 4/5.
