Nines - Crabs in a Bucket review: London rapper mixes darkness in with the light on record rooted in the city

“Ibiza, I had the time of my life, came home and found out my dad had cancer / could have cried all night.” Opening lines don’t get much starker than Intro, the arresting way into Nines’ latest LP. It sets the tone for a candid collection, which mixes plenty of darkness in with the light.

The London rapper’s third full-length collection is full of contrasts, forthright lyrics and subtle experimentations in genre. The brooding trap of All Stars 2 and Energy contrasts with old-school hip hop influences on the sundrenched NIC and Movie Knights. The MC hit his stride during a golden age of London rap, and he’s brought a few faces from the scene along here.

There’s an appearance from drill favourite Headie One on the compelling Ringaling, while Tiggs da Author complements him nicely on NIC. Airplane Mode and Clout are the closest the album comes to matching previous crowd-pleasers like Oh My and Yay, but it’s the tales of hustlers and drug dealers from the streets of Harlesden that hit home the hardest on tracks like Flavours.

They’re the highlights of a disarming and autobiographical collection rooted in the city that made him.