Nines

Nines, the North West London rapper, cultivated a devoted following by juxtaposing stark depictions of street existence with a clear yearning to transcend those conditions in his work. Originating from Harlesden, the rising figure—born Courtney Freckleton—gradually expanded his reach by issuing a succession of mixtapes. His opening release, From Church Road to Hollywood, surfaced in 2012 and appeared to allude to the notorious Church Road gang in London, of which his murdered brother was reportedly a member. Radio 1Xtra presented him with its People’s Choice award in 2013, while a Mobo nomination arrived in the Best New Hip-Hop category. That year also brought the second mixtape, Gone Til November, although an 18-month term at Wormwood Scrubs for undisclosed offenses placed his progress on pause. The industrious creator nevertheless delivered two further projects: Loyal to the Soil in 2014 and One Foot Out in 2015. Across those four mixtapes, mounting YouTube exposure helped elevate his visibility, resulting in a contract with XL Recordings to issue his first album. One Foot Out appeared in early 2017, incorporating appearances by Akala and J Hus, and advanced immediately to number two on the U.K. iTunes chart.