Nines Takes On New Heights With Album and Accompanying Film Crop Circle 3.

Rounding up the trilogy of his Crop Circle, UK rap pioneer Nines releases Crop Circle 3. With a heavy discography underneath his belt, Harlesden's very own Nina is no stranger when it comes to versatility, with his latest album and what we suspect might be his last, it is clear to see that he’s introduced an array of new sounds in his field.

After gracing the music scene more than a decade ago and successfully becoming one of the most established rappers here in the UK, Nines brought us a variety of now-known classics. From his first project ‘From Church Road to Hollywood’ ultimately sharing the story of his humble beginnings to the start of the Crop Circle trilogy in 2018 to then releasing his UK number 1 2020 album 'Crabs in a Bucket', the quality and commitment to his sound and artistry is something to credit when looking at his latest work.

As any great artist will know, no two projects are the same, and with only a 6-month difference between the release of the second Crop Circle, it’s safe to say that Crop Circle 3 might be Nines’ most creative project. With the album itself formatting a new side of the rap pioneer, there's the possibility that the rapper may have been foreshadowing 9 years before when naming From Church Road to Hollywood as we now see him writing, directing, and co-starring in the film Crop Circle 3 which features a few familiar faces including Alhan Gençay and Talia Storm the short film ties any lovers of the colour green and romantic comedy’s which brings an entertaining yet intriguing element to the project.

The album’s introduction essentially takes us back to his original music roots of narration and monologues, making us, the listeners listen to him express his life and musical journey- "Bout to drop my last album, I’m getting old for rapping, I was just 16, I don’t know what happened”. The start of the album almost feels like a send-off to the musical side of Nines whilst also reminding us of the reason behind the memorable tagline that is Zino Records.

Though the album takes us to new music formations, Nines continues to show us his commitment to the craft and his musical origins, with the return of musical partners Skrapz in Only One and Tiggs Da Author in Not Guilty, the songs provide the OG listeners something familiar to listen to whilst shining a spotlight on the artists who have been with him since his earlier music days.

The album overall is eclectic, blending elements of reggae, psychedelic rap, and house music which may not be something his dedicated listeners are used to but it is something for both new and old music fans to look back at when we review his future legacy.

With songs such as Toxic featuring Bradford's Bad Boy Chiller Crew (BBCC), which ties similar upbeat sounds of the early 2000s Bassline genre that many of us from the North of England are still reminiscent of, the song may have to be a song that his day one musical fans will come back to shortly but for anyone who has listened to him long enough will know that this is a strategic and smart way of letting the world know of his capabilities to be versatile.

The link-up comes as no surprise for anyone following the predictions of mainstream music as the northern group BBCC has been chart-topping since their popularity started to rise in 2021, their presence to revive nostalgic sub-genres such as Bassline and garage back into the mainstream music world has been a successful one so far and as we head towards the end of 2023, the musical turntables are directing us to more care-free and electronic tracks.

The project as a whole is re-imaginative, with one of the highest streaming songs from the album being ‘I Do’ featuring Tunde and Muggz, the subtle sample of Snoop Dogg's 1993 Gin and Juice brings the sharpness of lyrics and lighthearted wordplay to a catchy and upbeat rhythm that can be played in any environment.

Overall, we have to expect the unexpected with this Harlesden legend as he continuously surprises us and leaves us asking the question “What is next?”. The album ties in different sounds and flows from his previous music library and combines them with the current sounds of the present. Seeing the artist explore his creativity with this album you can’t blame him for wanting to unlock new heights.