Nines

Trailblazing London rapper Nines rose to international acclaim by telling honest and compelling stories of life in the Church End Estate, where he grew up. • Inspired by television drug kingpins, a teenage Nines began selling drugs in hopes of escaping poverty. Discouraged by the risks of the lifestyle, he ultimately shifted his focus to music. • Just one year after his 2012 debut mixtape, From Church Rd. to Hollywood, Nines landed a coveted spot on BBC DJ Chris Sloth’s Fire in the Booth freestyle series. His performance—his first video to hit a million views on YouTube—catapulted him into the public eye. • Shortly after, he was convicted on drug charges, which sent him away for five months. The weekend before the start of his prison term, he recorded 2013’s aptly titled Gone Till November, which was released while he was behind bars. • Following his first post-release mixtapes—2014’s Loyal to the Soil and 2015’s One Foot In—Nines issued his debut album, One Foot Out, in 2017. The record topped the UK R&B chart and hit the Top 5 on the UK pop albums chart. • His silver-certified 2018 album Crop Circle was accompanied by a short film of the same name. It was written, directed and scored by Nines, who had written a number of television scripts in prison. • Nines’ 2020 LP Crabs in a Bucket reached No. 1 on the UK charts and earned him two MOBO Awards: Album of the Year and Best Hip-Hop Act.