Still as productive at 27 as when he was 17, prodigy Ninho has just unveiled his fourth solo album, "NI", once again creating quite a stir. As usual, it was his most scrutinized and anticipated release of the year, and while the project has already gone gold, it's time to take a closer look at the album to see if it has lived up to all expectations.
"NI", a new page for Ninho
We can say that Ninho was eagerly awaited after the huge success of "Jefe", his album released at the end of 2021, which was such a rapid and resounding success that it brought him some rivalries in the rap game (Booba, to name but one). But the rapper took his time before returning with a new project, knowing that he was now surrounded by a special status, that of rap industry leader. A deserved status, since he was not only one of the most productive artists, but also one of the most certified (almost 300 gold, platinum and even diamond records or singles). With "NI", he had to raise the bar even higher, by opening himself up to new horizons, and that's what he did. Not least of all by offering himself a veritable cast of international stars for the tracklist of his album. It's a historic first in French rap, for never before has an FR rapper had so many of the world's biggest names on his album: Lil Baby and Central Cee, both at the top of the hype for the past few years, as well as Omah Lay, a Nigerian singer with tens of millions of views, and Ayra Starr, a Nigerian singer who is also hugely successful. A truly 5-star line-up to support Ninho on his fourth solo album.
And it's a success, since the featuring with Lil Baby, "Blue Story", and the one with Central Cee, "Eurostar", are both among the most streamed tracks on the album. The album went gold in just 13 days, which is nothing out of the ordinary for Ninho, who is sometimes used to even better figures than that. In terms of content, the album is fairly intimate, with the rapper often revealing himself in small snatches. This begins on the very first track of the album, "La vie de Johnny". There are also plenty of melodies, top lines and slightly sung flows, areas in which NI has excelled almost since his debut (we recommend "Bad" in this mood). And for those who are a little more into the Ninho "Binks to Binks" version of kicking and mic ripping, there's plenty for you too: "Yo moko oyebi", "25 G", "Grio" - there's no shortage of street tracks. In the middle of it all, a few slightly hybrid tracks, UFOs like the featuring with Central Cee. Overall, we have a fine panorama of everything Ninho knows how to do on the mic, or thereabouts, the only regret being the absence of featurings with some of the biggest names in French rap, such as Niska and Sadek, with whom the rapper has often collaborated. Even if it's true that on "Jefe", the previous album, there were simply no feats.
Numbers down, but target achieved?
Now comes the question of whether the album lives up to the public's expectations. Given the figures - 18,000 copies sold in 3 days and a gold disc in less than 13 days - we'd be tempted to say yes. These figures would make just about any other rapper in the game green with envy, but this is Ninho. And with "NI", he has achieved the worst start of any of his albums, behind " Jefe "Destin" and "Comme Prévu" (in that order). These figures can be explained by a number of factors: the first being the release date, at the end of June, very close to the summer season, when most radio stations and platforms have already wrapped up their vacation playlists. And a summer release inevitably means less visibility for its promotion, since everyone's out in the sun and very few people are watching the interviews on the beach. Add to this the fact that the album was released just a few days after Nahel's death, which shook the country to its core, and you can imagine that the young people had other things on their minds than listening to music. In any case, all these obstacles didn't stop Ninho from getting his gold record, and quickly.
Another reason why we may not have heard as much about his project is that the album is very homogeneous. With a melancholy Ninho, who talks about love, regrets and the time before, and an angry and determined Ninho, who raps like the boss he's become. But what's missing is perhaps a single that stands out from the rest. But a month hasn't gone by yet, and we're confident that tracks like "Bad" will find their way into your summer evenings, with its effective rhythm and melody. An album that's perhaps more for the rapper's die-hard fans and less for attracting the widest possible audience, then. In any case, you can rest assured that with this album, NI has achieved a crucial objective: that of exporting himself internationally. Thanks to his featurings with American, British and Nigerian artists, he has opened doors like no other French rapper before. A visionary mentality, then, with a willingness to explore new horizons, as we sensed when we worked with him a few years ago. For all these reasons, we'd like to congratulate Ninho and wish him all the best for the future, which promises to be even more interesting.