Nine Vicious – EMOTIONS (Album Review)

Nine Vicious looks to keep his momentum going with the extremely wild “EMOTIONS.”

STREAM

TOP 5 SONGS

Honorable Mention. Amazing

You’ve got to give Nine Vicious major credit for flipping Rihanna’s “Sex With Me,” right? What makes the track interesting, though, is how he balances nonstop reckless talk with a smoother sound that hints at a softer side. Of course, he eventually snaps back to his usual savage self, talking about smashing joints in Motel 6s, but at least he tried to show us something new.

Honorable Mention. Talk About It

In “Talk About It,” I love how Nine Vicious’s energy feels cool yet unchained, opening the project with a raw edge. I also f**k with the Michael Jackson “Beat It” reference, which shows he’s a jit that has a real appreciation for timeless music. Pair that with killer trash talk and a smooth beat built around what sounds like a Beatles sample, and you’ve got something pretty solid here.

Honorable Mention. Fashion Killa

I’m not going to lie, hearing a love song here caught me off guard. The production leans into a sensual R&B vibe while still carrying some weight, creating a nice balance. Nine Vicious uses the moment to highlight a loyal partner who complements his lifestyle. His vocal delivery is a highlight, and the pacing is smooth. Still, I could’ve done without the extra gun talk sprinkled in. Like, bruh, can we get one track without you talking about sliding?

5. Purple Swag

Out of all the tracks on this project, this is the one that made me say Nine Vicious needs Jesus or Jaden Ivey more than ever. His voice changes in intensity often, and he spews out random s**t like having a big-ass Cadillac with CarPlay and smashing chicks from USC. As I think about it, NV mentions sipping on a purple drink at one point, so unless it’s f**king Welch’s, he’s sipping lean.

More than anything, this s**t will make you want to slam s**t, punch s**t, and throw yourself out of the window. Don’t do that, though.

4. Need

I didn’t know I needed an island-inspired track from this crazy person.

Seriously, though, the vibes in “Need” are outstanding, mainly because the production has a smooth, dancey feel and emits feel-good energy. We also get a pretty chill version of Nine Vicious, who taps into vocals that could be interpreted as gentle.

Lyrically, well, he’s still reckless as hell. He gives us random bars about his tats, codeine coming out of his pee, and, of course, catering to a chick like a male Destiny’s Child. Yes, this s**t is all over the place, but it’s a vibe at least.

3. Sunset Hill (Ft. Kacy Hill)

“Sunset Hill” slows things down dramatically. The track features a stripped-down, dreamy instrumental designed to lower your blood pressure. That doesn’t stop Nine Vicious from being wahala.

Though he has his moments where he hits us with something smooth, he still bounces off the walls, mentioning his chick working him like a slave and having his shooters do some ungodly things. Kacy Hill provides the background vocals, which, if I were to guess, she had no clue they would be added to some crazy s**t like this. All in all, I do like this track a lot.

2. Clock It / Trevon O’Ryan Echols

Look, most of the tracks on this project cannot be played by anyone over 20; this is one of the few that can.

Nine Vicious turns down the intensity, delivers a very stomachable (dare I say catchy) chorus, and mainly glides over the beat in a way that would make your average music listener say, “Damn, that boy is gliding.” I also love how the track ends with this elegant feel, reminding us all why, 9 times out of 10, it’s a bad idea to bring your crazy ass cousin to Ruth Chris’s. But nah, I’m digging it, especially how it immediately switches to “Trevon O’Ryan Echols,” which also has him rapping with a pretty dope flow and talking s**t to everyone from his ex-idol to women he ain’t feeling. This is the best two-track run on the project.

1. Lifes Funny

Sometimes, chaotic and smooth just make the perfect match. I think that happens in “Lifes Funny.” I just love how the production and sample give off an almost therapeutic feel, while Nine Vicious plows through it, occasionally taking aim at his opps and bragging about his come-up, but mainly speaking on falling in love with this bad chick that plays around from time to time. What I particularly love is how he feels out the beat, knowing when to let it breathe or deliver something subtle. I’m definitely replaying this one.

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. Talk About It (3.5/5)

2. Amazing (3/5)

3. Posing Tonight (3/5)

4. Rolling Loud (3/5)

5. Fashion Killa (4/5)

6. Purple Swag (3.5/5)

7. Clock It (3.5/5)

8. Trevon O’Ryan Echols (3.5/5)

9. Vivienne Westwood / RIP (2.5/5)

10. Want U (3/5)

11. Project4play/Svj (3.5/5)

12. Molly Ecstacy (3/5)

13. Sunset Hill (Ft. Kacy Hill) (4/5)

14. U Dig Det (3.5/5)

15. My Whole Heart (4/5)

16. Julia (3.5/5)

17. Need (3.5/5)

18. Love Album (3/5)

19. Italy (3/5)

20. Electric Feel (3/5)

21. Lifes Funny (3.5/5)

22. Forgot (3.5/5)

23. Blowing Emotions (3/5)

RGM RATING

(68%)

Nine Vicious is back with a 23-track statement piece in EMOTIONS, an album that feels less like a traditional rollout and more like stepping into a glitch-filled arcade built on trap foundations and R&B moments. The momentum surrounding him is undeniable, especially after sliding into the orbit of Kanye West’s BULLY, and this project aims to cement exactly what kind of artist he is becoming.

Across EMOTIONS, Nine Vicious operates like he’s permanently plugged into a live wire. His vocal delivery constantly shifts, bending, mutating, and occasionally sounding like it’s chasing its own reflection. The production leans heavily into video game textures, quirky sound effects, and trap rhythms that swing between smooth and chaotic in unpredictable waves. At times, it feels like the beats are reacting to him rather than the other way around.

Lyrically, we get a whole bunch of nonsense from NV. He doubles down on flexing, drug talk, stomping on his competition, romantic entanglements, and unfiltered self-assurance. The appeal is not in complexity but in energy, a refusal to stay still long enough to be categorized.

EMOTIONS is an acquired taste, but once you lock into its rhythm, it becomes strangely hypnotic.

Loading poll ...