Nine Vicious - EMOTIONS: Album Review

Atlanta’s own Nine Vicious has found himself in a unique position over the last couple of years by submerging himself into what seems like any and every controversy he can possibly take part in. From cloning the look of a 2015 Young Thug and beefing with any artist willing, to writing a song in response to predatory allegations, Nine Vicious thrives on being the bad guy in his scene. At one point, it seemed as if the antics surrounding him outweighed the importance of making the best music he was capable of, and it showed — as reflected in my review of his 2025 project, Tumblr Music, which I rated a 3/10. My ultimate critique of that album was a lack of effort in becoming his own artist and an over-reliance on his association with YSL to produce what I can only describe as a watered-down 2010s Young Thug dupe.

Fast forward to the release of his new album, Emotions, and I would honestly say that my criticism has almost wholly subsided. This is the first album from Nine Vicious where I feel he has genuinely come into his own, showcasing his real capabilities as an artist without leaning on controversies or poor artistic reconstruction to generate buzz. I started to sense that this album would show major improvements as early as his last EP, B4EM, which had already shown signs of something memorable — music that existed outside the world of gimmicks and stood on its own. Songs that particularly stood out include “Vivienne Westwood/RIP” for its catchy lyricism and vibrant sound, “Project4play/Svj” for offering a glimpse into a more solemn side of Nine that we haven’t seen much of before, and most notably, “Need” — a reggaeton-adjacent track that comes across as the most tastefully experimental song in his catalog to date.

Overall, through his many releases between Tumblr Music and Emotions, Nine has slowly gotten better at capturing what makes him an interesting artist. While I wasn’t a huge fan of much of what came out in that interim period, I can appreciate the work he has put into growing individually, which was the only thing I hoped for when writing my original review. Nine Vicious still has plenty of room to grow and mature, but it’s exciting to know he is on a path to something great — one where he no longer needs outside noise to stay relevant, and can finally let the music speak for itself.

Rating: 7/10