Drawing inspiration from Atlanta-rap staples like Young Thug, Playboi Carti and Lil Keed, up-and-coming artist Nine Vicious tops the list of artists breaking through the underground scene.
Having made a name off previous projects such as “Studio Addict,” “FOR NOTHING” and “B4EM,” Nine earned two placements on Ye, formerly Kanye West’s, 2026 album release “BULLY” on March 28.
Nine’s newest album, “EMOTIONS,” released on April 3, is packed with 23 tracks and a lone feature by Kacy Hill with great beats, eyebrow-raising bars and high energy.
The album doesn’t necessarily push boundaries, but it solidifies Nine’s sound further.
“EMOTIONS” production is built by returning collaborators 406ahmad, prodbypatrick and R8 who have cultivated Nine’s sound over the two years he’s been rapping professionally.
The transitions between tracks on “EMOTIONS” showcase Nine’s creative vision, with seamless blends throughout the 71-minute run time.
The first track, “Talk About It” is a classic example of Nine and Ahmad’s synergy.
The track, which samples “The Meaning of Love” by Steve Kuhn, serves as an elegant intro to the album and Nine’s vocal sample sound.
A highlight from the album comes in the track “Clock It,” an eccentric confidence anthem that features a chill whirring beat from prodbypatrick.
The lyrics read, “You so bad (Say what?), you so tea (Say what? Say what? Tea)/You know you a baddie (Woo-hoo), come and be with me (Say What?),” hyping listeners up.
While Nine is not praised for his lyricism, he pairs boisterous comedic bars with outstanding production.
The track “Molly Ecstasy” stood out in terms of obscene humor.
“Yeah, she give that head like a MAGA hat (Woo-hoo), she give that head like a MAGA hat (Woo, ha) / I’m tryna make this shit great again (What?), yeah, I stand on that.”
Another track “Amazing” references his reputation for being an edge-laying flamboyant rap star.
“I’m so sassy, I’m so sassy, bad bitch, she call me a baddie.”
Nine never shies away from taking shots at his adversaries on his tracks.
Track 11 “Project4play/svj,” contained a diss against Atlanta rapper, Tezzus and Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records founder, Young Thug, who previously signed Nine to YSL before a falling out, according to a September 2025 Hot New Hip Hop article.
“Been rappin’ for ten years (On God), should’ve been in a rush (What’s up?)/Your OG fallin’ off, he should’ve been out the cut (Hold up, yeah, if you scared, get the f—, let’s go).”
Although Young Thug has shown support to Nine on Instagram following the release of “EMOTIONS,” changing his profile picture to the album cover and reposting Nine’s content.
On “EMOTIONS,” Nine continued his habit of combining two songs into one track.
The trend takes away the enjoyment of listening to his songs because of how frequently it’s used in Nine’s recent projects.
Songs like “Project4play/svj” and “Blowing Emotions” are examples of double-song tracks where the second half of the songs are the most enjoyable.
Another drawback of this project is the length.
The album feels like a large mixtape, rather than a traditional studio album. Nine should know that less is more to fans.
The lengthy nature of “EMOTIONS” however, leaves listeners with plenty of songs to pick from.
His range is on full display, from melodic singing on “Sunset Hill” to “Need” which uses dancehall production, to rage songs like “Rolling Loud,” which were almost certainly made to be played at live shows.
“EMOTIONS” brings him to new heights and solidifies his signature sound.
