What makes Nine Livez by Nine notable?

Nine Livez received critical acclaim for its unfiltered approach to street life and personal struggles. It notably peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, reflecting its impact within the hip-hop community despite lacking mainstream commercial success. Released in January 1995, Nine Livez was Nine's debut album, introducing his distinct voice and style to the hardcore hip-hop scene. This album arrived after a series of underground successes and helped establish him as a prominent figure in East Coast rap during a period marked by fierce competition.

How many songs are on Nine Livez?

Nine Livez has 14 tracks, running approximately 60 minutes.

Nine Livez

Nine · 1995

60 min · 14 tracks · hardcore hip-hop

Aggressive beats and gritty lyricism collide, embodying the raw essence of 90s East Coast hip-hop.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Redrum — This track showcases Nine's signature flow and lyrical dexterity, addressing themes of violence and survival with an intense delivery that captures the album's overall tone.
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Hit Em Like Dis — The song stands out with its hard-hitting production and assertive lyrics, making it a quintessential example of Nine's aggressive style and the album's hardcore ethos.
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Who You Won Test — This track features a memorable hook and punchy verses that underline Nine's confidence and resilience, solidifying his position within the competitive landscape of 90s hip-hop.
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Everybody Won Heaven (Redrum the remix) — As a remix, it reinterprets earlier themes while enhancing Nine's storytelling ability, offering listeners a fresh perspective on his narrative style.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

50 /100

Foothills

Higher than 23% of albums we've rated

Nine Livez showcases aggressive lyricism and strong production typical of its era, establishing a solid yet niche presence in hardcore hip-hop.

What we noticed

The album opens with a spoken intro that sets a gritty tone, followed by aggressive beats that maintain a high energy throughout the first half.
Tracks often feature rapid-fire verses with minimal hooks, emphasizing lyrical content over melody.
Several tracks incorporate samples from classic hip-hop records, grounding the sound in the genre's history while pushing forward with Nine's unique delivery.
The sequencing includes a notable shift in tone around track 10, where the pace slows down slightly before returning to intensity.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 5/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 6/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 Intro (Death of a Demo) / Ova Confident 5:12
2 Redrum 4:42
3 Da Fundamentalz 4:07
4 Hit Em Like Dis 4:47
5 Who You Won Test 3:31
6 Whutcha Want? 4:34
7 Fo'eva Blunted 3:43
8 Peel 3:37
9 Retaliate 4:15
10 Tha Cypha 3:46
11 Ahh Shit 3:53
12 Everybody Won Heaven (Redrum the remix) 5:03
13 Any Emcee 4:02
14 Ta Rasss 4:50

What to play next

Listen next

Cloud 9

1996

Go back to

Cloud 9

Full Nine discography Artists like Nine

East Coast hip-hop hardcore hip-hop

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata