Ninho hits hard with "NI"
Still as productive at 27 as he was at 17, the prodigy Ninho has just unveiled his fourth solo album, "NI", once again creating a buzz. As usual, it was the 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 met all expectations.
"NI", a new chapter for Ninho
It can be said that Ninho was highly awaited after the huge success of "Jefe", his album released at the end of 2021, whose success was so rapid and resounding that it even sparked some rivalries in the rap game (Booba, to name just one). But the rapper took his time before coming back with a new project, knowing that he was now crowned with a special status, that of leader of the rap industry. A well-deserved status, as 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, possibly opening up to other horizons, and that’s exactly what he did. Notably by assembling a true cast of international stars for the album’s tracklist. This is actually a historic first in French rap, as no French rapper has ever had so many big global names on their album: Lil Baby and Central Cee, both at the peak of hype for several years, as well as Omah Lay, a Nigerian singer with tens of millions of views, and Ayra Starr, another very successful Nigerian singer. A true 5-star cast came to support Ninho on his fourth solo album.
It can indeed be said that it’s a success, as the features with Lil Baby, "Blue Story", and with Central Cee, "Eurostar", are both among the most streamed tracks on the album. An album that went gold in just 13 days, quite ordinary for Ninho, sometimes even used to better numbers. In terms of content, the record is quite intimate and we often find the rapper opening up in small fragments. It actually starts right from the first track of the album, "La vie de Johnny". There are also many melodies, top lines, and somewhat sung flows, areas in which NI has excelled almost since the beginning (we recommend "Bad" in this mood). And for those who are more fans of the Ninho version "Binks to Binks" with kick and mic-snatching style, there will also be what you need: "Yo moko oyebi", "25 G", "Grio", the more street tracks are not lacking. In the middle of all that, a few hybrid tracks, UFOs like the feature with Central Cee. So overall, we have a nice panorama of everything Ninho can do on the mic or almost, we just regret the absence of some really angry features with some big names of French Rap like Niska or Sadek, with whom the rapper has often collaborated. Even though it’s true that on "Jefe", the previous album, there was simply no feat at all.
Declining numbers, but a goal achieved?
Now comes the question of whether the album meets the public’s expectations. Given the numbers, namely 18,000 copies sold in 3 days and a gold record achieved in less than 13 days, one would be tempted to say yes. Because these figures would make almost any other rapper in the game envious, but here, it’s Ninho. And with "NI", he signs the weakest start of all his albums, behind " Jefe ", "Destin" and "Comme Prévu" (in that order). These numbers can be explained by several factors: the first being the release date, late June, very close to summer when most radios and platforms have already finalized their playlists for the holidays. And a summer release inevitably means less visibility for promotion, since everyone goes to the sun and very few people watch interviews on the beach. Add to that the album was released a few days after the death of Nahel, which shook the country, and one can imagine that young people had other things on their minds than listening to music. In any case, none of these obstacles prevented Ninho from quickly achieving his gold record.
Another element that might explain why we heard less about his project is the very homogeneous nature of the album. With a melancholic Ninho, who talks about love, regrets, the past, and an angry and determined Ninho, who raps like the boss he has become. But what’s missing is perhaps a single that stands out and detaches itself from the rest. But not even a month has passed yet, and we are hopeful that some tracks like "Bad" will eventually find their audience and maybe even make their way into your summer parties, with their very effective rhythmic and melodic side. So this album may be more made for the rapper’s die-hard fans and less to attract the widest possible audience. In any case, keep in mind that with this album, NI has achieved a crucial goal: to export internationally. Thanks to his features with American, British, and Nigerian artists, he’s opening doors like no other French rapper before him. A visionary mentality then, with a will to explore new horizons, as we could guess from him during our collaboration a few years ago. For all these reasons, we send a big congratulations to Ninho and wish him good luck for what promises to be even more interesting ahead.