It’s Nina with the new album. No, you’re not mistaken. UK rap general Nines is back for Crop Circle 3. Touted as Nines’ “final album” and the third instalment of his ongoing musical harvest — the Church Road legend uses his new kush-laced odyssey to once again reaffirm his legacy.
Just like Rome, Nines’ legacy wasn’t built in a day. The Zino Records frontman and former XL Recordings signee has been peddling his discs through the streets of North-West London since the 2000s. Breaking out with a trilogy of revered tapes between 2012 and 2014 (From Church Rd to Hollywood, Gone Till November and Loyal to the Soil), Nines was able to master quantity, quality and musical dexterity.
The road rap alchemist demonstrated a penchant for melody and grit on “Certified North West G”. Equally, Nines taught us thug economics, became Nino Brown on “CR”, and gave us a peer into his playlist on “Gave It All”. Composed with early noughties R&B fandom in mind, the smooth Aaliyah-sampling jam flips the 2001 song “Never No More”. The sample makes a lot of sense. After all, Nines tells us on Crop Circle 3 he doesn’t listen to rap; he listens to R&B.
Nines’ impeccable mixtape run came to a close with 2015’s One Foot In. Constructed with embattled beats, hood wisdom and a strong sense of community, One Foot In was the stepping stone Nines needed to cross over into album mode.
The rapper’s debut LP, aptly titled One Foot Out, hit HMV and iTunes on the 10th February 2017. Hailed as an instant classic by many, the record widened the borders of road rap in the mainstream. Iconic tracks like the J Hus-christened “High Roller”, the lyrically dense “Going In” and the terse Jay Midge collaboration “Trapper Of The Year” all find a home on One Foot Out.
After blessing fans with (arguably) his best record in 2018’s Crop Circle, the rapper by day, hustler by night doubled back with the UK #1 Crabs In A Bucket in 2020 — saving UK rap fans from COVID-19 Lockdown boredom. The MOBO Award-winning release sandwiched the Afroswing-glazed “Airplane Mode” with NSG, the R&B-tinged detour “Stalker Interlude” and a surplus of witty, reload-worthy goods between its 17 tracks.
But few sagas in UK rap are as celebrated as Nines’ Crop Circle anthology. The original is like Disney Pixar’s Cars: it’s a focused, beloved classic centred around a skilled underdog rising through the ranks. Crop Circle 2 is The Italian Job: it’s a bold, bombastic crime caper that develops at a breakneck pace – with both offerings featuring large exports. The latest instalment, Crop Circle 3, is more akin to Michael Bay’s Transformers: it’s a rip-roaring blockbuster that opens a portal into lush set-pieces, visceral street action and lustful passages focused on women. Oh, and bars too.
With more stats than Match Attax to his name, many wonder if Nines can join the likes of DMX, Tupac Shakur and the newly anointed Cleo Sol as artists with two or more solid releases in one calendar year. He does. On Crop Circle 3, the Ice City commando doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, Nines and his smoked-out mascot, Crop Cat, juggle the worlds of partying and pain in a palatable, almost refined manner that demands the listener’s attention.
As expected for a Nines project, the opening cut “Intro” opens on a dramatic piano riff and Nines’ foreboding monologue. Treating his audience like a silent therapist, the rhymer empties his mental cache, discussing his legal troubles, financial standpoint and the passage of time. “Bout to drop my last album, I’m getting old for rapping,” he says. “I was just 16, I don’t know what happened”.
“Only One” reunites Nines and Skrapz once again. Boasting a bass-loaded backdrop, Nines and Skrapz’s bars are on point as usual. Comparing “Only One” to the duo’s previous track on Crop Circle 2 (“Highly Blessed”), it’s on par quality-wise. However, the collab isn’t quite as punchy as classics like “Jumpout”, “Ice City”, or “Rubber Bands”. Time will tell if “Only One” gets inducted into the road rap hall of fame.
The subsequent bulk of tracks inch the project closer to a compilation rather than one centralised vision. “So High” is your straightforward psychedelic rap banger co-helmed by Max Valentine and Shocktown; “Toxic” is a poppy, electronic detour featuring Bradford bassline collective Bad Boy Chiller Crew. While palatable, it’s not one of Nines’ stronger tracks on the album. Still, play “Toxic” at 2:07 AM in a nightclub, and we’re sure attendees will love it.
Fortunately, things pick back up again with “Daily Duppy“, which blissfully finds a home on Crop Circle 3. Blessing the mic over a timeless, somewhat eerie instrumental, “Daily Duppy” represents Nines at his best. “I come like Man City coz I give these youngins pep talk, I just made three milli. So much weed, I need the same scales they use to weigh Free Willy”. He’s the R9 of UK rap.
Snoop Dogg’s 1993 G-Funk heater “Gin and Juice” gets reimagined on the standout number “I Do”, featuring Tunde and Mugzz. With a solid hook, subtle sample use and sharp wordplay, the track does little to offend — especially in an era of overused samples.
The same can be said for the Tiggs and Mark Morrison-assisted “Not Guilty”. This time around, Nines flips Mark Morrison’s 2006 comeback number “Innocent Man” with grace. Building on top of the original song’s themes in eye-watering detail, the rhymer explores his inner morality.
There are plenty of gems to be found in the record’s back end. “Line of Fire Pt. 7” continues the cypher from previous albums as Nines carves out a space for some friendly competition. There’s a Big Narstie and M Dot R tribute to dancehall on “Max Elliot” that goes over better than expected, although it does feel a tad out of left field.
Equally, the penultimate track and second Skrapz collab, “Devil’s Rejects”, is the emotive swansong for the album. With no obvious hook, a soul-backed beat and explorative storytelling at its core, “Devil’s Rejects” is potentially in the future classic song conversation.
“Devil’s Rejects” perfectly cross-fades into the album’s outro. Bookending the Crop Circle trilogy in a melancholic manner, the three-minute anthem plots Nines’ future plans on the map. Supported by folk-like guitar licks and contemplative themes, the song is nothing short of cinematic.
Overall, Crop Circle 3 is a solid body of work. Comparing the album to Nines’ past work is difficult: they’re all so different. Some fans are drawn to his mixtape run, whereas others lament the greatness of the original Crop Circle and Crabs In A Bucket. Regardless of what the listener feels about the album (and its occasional clashing sonics), there’s no denying that Nines has given fans all he can.
Looking at Crop Circle 3 amongst his complete CV, there’s a medley of cohesion, chaos and crystalline penmanship. If this is truly Nines’ last album (excluding his teased mixtape with Fredo), all we can truly say is thank you.
Stream Crop Circle 3 on GRM Daily below: