In regards to UK hip hop, North London artist Nines has been consistently building his fan base over the past decade with non-fiction raps about his life growing up on Church Road. Following mixtapes like 2012’s From Church Rd to Hollywood and 2015’s One Foot In, Nines blessed the masses with two albums, 2017’s One Foot Out and 2018’s Crop Circle, both of which were released under his then-deal with XL Recordings. Over the weekend, Nines added to his highly rated discography with his new album Crabs In A Bucket, which boasts 17 tracks and additional appearances from Skrapz, Nafe Smallz, NSG, Headie One, Roy Woods, WSTRN’s Louis Rei, Cherrie, and more.
The project was preceded by the singles “Clout” and “Airplane Mode,” the latter of which — even on catchy, club-ready production from Kztheproducer and Rudimental — sees Nines unwavering in regards to where he comes from:
“I ain’t these rap n***as, I supply bricks, I got three phones, one’s for my side chicks, so you better feel special if I let you in my life, all friendly in the DM, that could never be my wife/
She gettin’ too attached while I need space, tryna turn this Nokia into a briefcase, chicks, I got plenty, Brum’s all them miles away, I’ll get there in forty-five minutes in this Bentley…/”
The album is also accompanied by a short film of the same name, which is centered around Nines on his UK tour. In addition to the usual rockstar shenanigans (from hotel debauchery to girl issues), Nines also shows how he’s still torn between his current and past life, even showing scenes of him talking to a therapist in regards to those concerns. Adding in his financial woes with loved ones, it’s clear that the balance between good and bad is a lot more stressful than fans and fellow peers can imagine.
Press play on the new album, short film, and visuals for the aforementioned singles below.