Courtney Freckleton, known by many as Nines, presents us with seventh project ‘Crabs in a Bucket ‘. Nines so far in his illustrious career give us a glimpse into his world throughout his projects, notably ; ‘From Church Rd to Hollywood’, ‘Gone Till November ‘One Foot In’, ‘One Foot Out’ and ‘Crop Circle’. Fast forward to 2020 and the choice in album title is very fitting as it’s a familiar tale of “ If I can’t have it, then no one will “. Crabs in a Bucket serves as a wakeup call to the rapper. The album is an ode to the constant reminder of his surroundings and how its toxicity nearly cost him his life. As Nines said “They don’t wanna see me chasin’ my dreams, rather see me posted on the estate with the friends” – Energy, Nines (2020).
Nines starts off the album with an introspective outlook over laid back drums and distorted vocals throughout. The intro captures the essence of the album without fail, as Nines raps “Guess the hood got me institutionalised”, referring to the so called “bucket” that Nines is trapped in. These sentiments waver throughout, “I just wanna be free like some doves in the sky”. However, Nines questions whether he has control over his destiny with the words “I’m way too rich to stand in the ends”. Nonetheless, being a crab in the bucket is like an “invisible knife stuck in my back”.
With every Nines project it’s expected that we will get our fair share of dope-boy anthems, but this time rounds it comes with a twist. ‘Monster’ illustrates this twist as the track details the contrasting lifestyles of a drug dealer and a musician, which Nines was once at crossroads with. He’s certainly come a ‘long way from sellin eight balls’. Nines, like everyone is going through a maturation process; ‘NIC’ is a reflection of Courtney’s turbulent youth in the “life of a thug”. These sentiments continue on the ‘Haill The Duke’s’ sample ‘Lights’ featuring WSTRN’s Louis Rei. One’s outlook can play a huge part in overcoming the struggle, “I got nothin’ to lose, it’s just me against the world” is Nines taking on his struggles head on. Some may be prepared to except that their destiny is only in the realm of their current situation; but Nines has always had aspirations of ‘making it out of the hood’, an outlook only the brave can comprehend.
Highlights from the album can be found on ‘Clout’ where Nines shows us why he’s one of the elites in the UK scene, from his braggadocios bravado to the stunning visuals directed by Charlie Di Placido; definitely a front-runner for visuals of the year. Bars like “They act like I sell pies, b***h, I’m a pioneer” are ready to be unleashed as Instagram captions. The Steel Banglez produced track ‘Ringaling’ featuring Headie One and Odeal, sees a more tongue and cheek side of Nines, where the basis of the song is simply about answering the call whenever money’s calling no matter whatever he is preoccupied with; even if it involves the opposite sex.
Crabs in the Bucket demonstrates a more versatile approach, from the afrobeat infused track ‘Airplane Mode’ featuring NSG, which scream summer vibes throughout. Not to mention the ones for the ladies; ‘Don’t Change’ sampling Kut’s Close record and ‘Stalker Interlude’. Nina has finally cracked the formula for the perfect balance.
However, there can always be room for improvement. Nines can often be predictable in his approach to song structure, following the verse, chorus, verse format. It would benefit Nines greatly if he could step away from this simplistic structure and follow suit of rappers like Wretch 32 who are more skilled with their pen. Moreover, as Nines continues to grow in his musical career, fans would love to hear a different perspective from the rapper, maybe future tracks on his rise to fame and struggles as an artist. Overall, Crabs in a Bucket is a solid album from the Church Road rapper and leaves me anticipating his next release in the near future.
Music Moose 
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