“Sedition” released on Sept. 11 on major streaming platforms. (Rithvik Hari / Fourth Estate)

Nine drops an overdue introduction to a familiar sound

BY BASIL MUSTAFA, ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR

Nine Vicious, a leader of Atlanta’s post-YSL underground hip hop scene, dropped his fifth album in two years, “Sedition,” on Sept. 11. “Sedition” contains 15 songs and runs just over 45 minutes. 

There’s no question that Nine Vicious is a hallmark of consistency; he’s dropped over 40 songs on streaming services in 2026 alone. These qualities of success are mirrored by many breakout artists in experimental rap, such as fakemink, Yeat and others.  

What Nine does well is mix his harmonic voice with more orchestral production, especially in songs like “Casino” and the first part of “To Be Continued,” the album’s outro. There is also a noticeable effort to make this project sound cohesive, with smooth transitions layered throughout. The transition from “Anytime” to the controversial track, “Cracker,” is reminiscent of early Young Thug. 

The amount of lyrics riddled with racial slurs and references to domestic violence beg the question of whether this project could have been a throwaway album.

As with most underground, new-age hip hop, there is a certain level of conditioning your brain has to go through before this project is at all listenable. This is not a project for people attempting to explore genres. The level of distorted production and screamo vocals isn’t for casual listeners.

The project does get better on the second listen, as more subtle aspects of the production come into focus.

This album ponders how Nine sees himself as an artist, while the high volume of drops and the overall lack of experimentation on this project show that he isn’t quite aware of his status in the underground scene. There has been a gradual process in the life cycle of an underground rapper, beginning with a heavy output of tracks before dedicated rap fans take notice. Nine has passed this stage and should look to establish himself as a cornerstone of hip-hop.

Nine has earned a dedicated fanbase that has stuck with him through several waves of controversy. He’s been involved in conflicts with other Atlanta rappers, and had a publicized relationship with a girl three years younger while he was 19. Nine has the ability to take his time with a project, have a dedicated rollout and experiment with new sounds. This project felt rushed and didn’t have an identity it sorely needed.

“Sedition” is decent. The issue with it isn’t necessarily the quality; it’s simply the fact that it doesn’t elevate the Nine Vicious brand to any new heights.