Nines Proves He's Still One of the Biggest

There is a moment in every great rapper's career where the mythology and the music collide — where the story behind the album becomes inseparable from the album itself. Nines has just delivered that moment with Lost Tapes, a project that wasn't supposed to exist, that was never promoted with a single or a video, and that has nonetheless just become the biggest UK rap album debut of 2026.

Debuting at Number 1 on the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, Lost Tapes didn't just top the chart — it dominated it. The album entered above Tyler, The Creator's Don't Tap the Glass, above Tyla's APOP*, above Songer's What If I Say No, and above Amy Winehouse's seemingly permanent Back to Black, which has now spent 956 weeks on the chart. Nines didn't need a rollout. He didn't need a single. He didn't need a video. He just needed the music.

This is the story of how a rapper who said he was retired — who told The Guardian in 2024 that "no money can make me come back" — just proved that the vault he was sitting on was deeper, richer, and more powerful than anything the UK rap scene has produced this year. And it's the reason PaperMedia is giving Lost Tapes its first ever 10/10 review score.

The Chart That Tells the Whole Story

Let the numbers speak. When the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart landed for the week of Lost Tapes' debut, the top five read like a who's who of global music — and Nines was sitting at the summit:

1. —LOST TAPES — Nines (NEW · Peak: 1 · Weeks: 1)
2. —WHAT IF I SAY NO — Songer (NEW · Peak: 2 · Weeks: 1)
3. —A*POP — Tyla (NEW · Peak: 3 · Weeks: 1)
4. —DON'T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, The Creator (RE · Peak: 1 · Weeks: 6)
5. —BACK TO BLACK — Amy Winehouse (LW: 2 · Peak: 1 · Weeks: 956)

Tyler, The Creator — one of the most decorated and creatively fearless artists in global hip-hop — was pushed to Number 4. Amy Winehouse, whose Back to Black has been a chart fixture for the better part of two decades, was pushed to Number 5. And Nines, a rapper operating entirely outside the major-label system, with no single, no video, and no press cycle, took the crown.

It's also worth noting that Lost Tapes hit Number 1 on the Official Independent Albums Chart — a chart that tracks the biggest independent releases in the UK. In an era where major labels pour millions into album rollouts, Nines proved that the relationship between an artist and their audience can still transcend the machinery of the industry.

The Man Behind the Vault

To understand why Lost Tapes hits this hard, you have to understand the man who made it. Nines, real name Courtney Leon Freckleton, is 34 years old and grew up on the Church End estate in north-west London — a place most people just call Church Road. For over a decade, he has been one of the defining voices of British rap, filtering stories of hustling, hunger, and survival through a trademark laid-back flow built on punchlines, metaphors, and an almost cinematic sense of storytelling.

Three of his albums are certified gold. Another is silver. Every single one of his projects has landed in the Top 5. His August 2020 album Crabs in a Bucket gave him his first Number 1. He's been nominated for Brit Awards. He walked out Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium. He built a cult following that started on YouTube and spread across the country and beyond — all while running his own label, Zino Records, named after his older brother Wayne, known as Zino, who was killed in 2008.

But the story of Nines has never been a straight line. In 2013, he was sentenced to 18 months for intent to supply cannabis, serving five months. In 2021, he was back inside, sentenced to 28 months for a plot to import 28kg of cannabis from Spain and Poland. He served six months. In a 2024 interview with The Guardian, he spoke about the phone calls with his daughter — "When you coming home, Dad?" — and lying to her that he was in Dubai. He spoke about looking out at his mum, his auntie, and his grandma in court and thinking: "I can't believe I'm doing this to them."

That second stint changed him. He moved his life fully above board. There was no fallback. "It was always fun until Crabs in a Bucket," he told The Guardian. "Then there became too much on the line."

And then, in 2024, he released Quit While You're Ahead — his sixth album, and the one he said would be his last. "I ain't coming back," he said. "I don't care how much money they offer me. No money can make me come back."

The Album That Wasn't Supposed to Exist

Lost Tapes is not a new album in the traditional sense. It's a vault project — a collection of 18 tracks pulled from across Nines' career, spanning the Crop Circle 2, Crop Circle 3, Crabs in a Bucket, Quit While You're Ahead, and One Foot Out sessions. These are songs that, for one reason or another, never made it onto the official tracklists of those projects. They were recorded, shelved, and forgotten — until now.

But here's what makes Lost Tapes extraordinary: these aren't throwaways. These aren't the scraps left on the cutting room floor. These are fully realized, meticulously crafted tracks that would have been standout moments on any of the albums they were originally intended for. The fact that Nines had this much material sitting in the vault — material this strong — is a testament to both his work ethic and his quality control.

The full tracklist reads like a roadmap of Nines' entire career:

1. —Unreleased Intro (Crop Circle 2)
2. —Bridge Is Over ft. Fatz (Crabs in a Bucket)
3. —Milan ft. Odeal & Skrapz (Crop Circle 2)
4. —Hold You Down ft. Mira May (Crop Circle 3)
5. —Gangster Holiday ft. Tiggs Da Author (Quit While You're Ahead)
6. —Want to Go Home ft. Trapstar Toxic (Crop Circle 2)
7. —Lonely Road ft. M Huncho (Crop Circle 2)
8. —High Life (Crop Circle 3)
9. —Damn ft. Larry June (Crop Circle 2)
10. —Good on My Jones ft. Mugzz (Crop Circle 3)
11. —Resident Evil (Crop Circle 3)
12. —Old Me (Quit While You're Ahead)
13. —Original High Roller ft. J Hus (One Foot Out)
14. —Flavours 2 (Quit While You're Ahead)
15. —Anti (Crop Circle 2)
16. —Freestyle (One Foot In)
17. —Steel Banglez (Quit While You're Ahead)
18. —Outro (Quit While You're Ahead)

What's immediately striking is the range. You have the introspective, reflective Nines on Old Me and Want to Go Home. You have the luxury, big-tent Nines on Milan and High Life. You have the transatlantic connections on Damn with Larry June and Original High Roller with J Hus. And you have the CSB family DNA running through the whole project with Fatz, Skrapz, Trapstar Toxic, and Mugzz all appearing.

Track-by-Track: The Standouts

"Milan" ft. Odeal & Skrapz is the early standout — a Crop Circle 2-era track that pairs Nines' signature measured delivery with Odeal's melodic instincts and Skrapz's street-level intensity. The production is cinematic, the hook is undeniable, and the three-way chemistry feels like it was always meant to be heard together.

"Lonely Road" ft. M Huncho is the emotional centrepiece of the project. Two of UK rap's most distinctive voices over a beat that gives both of them room to breathe. M Huncho's melodic, auto-tuned style has always complemented Nines' laid-back flow, and this track is proof that the pairing should have been a single years ago.

"Damn" ft. Larry June is the transatlantic moment. Larry June — the San Francisco rapper who has built one of the most consistent discographies in contemporary hip-hop — slides onto a Crop Circle 2 beat with the kind of effortless luxury that only he can deliver. It's a collaboration that makes perfect sense on paper and exceeds every expectation on record.

"Original High Roller" ft. J Hus is the One Foot Out-era gem. J Hus, one of the most influential figures in the Afroswing movement, brings his trademark energy to a track that feels like a lost classic from the golden era of UK rap collaborations.

"Gangster Holiday" ft. Tiggs Da Author is the Quit While You're Ahead session track that showcases Nines' storytelling at its most vivid. Tiggs Da Author — a songwriter and composer whose credits now include the Assassin's Creed Shadows score — provides a hook that elevates the track into something genuinely special.

"Hold You Down" ft. Mira May brings the R&B dimension. Mira May, the London singer whose house-m-meets-R&B sound has made her one of the most exciting vocalists in the UK, adds warmth and depth to a Crop Circle 3 track that needed exactly that kind of texture.

"Steel Banglez" is the Quit While You're Ahead closer that gives the project its title-adjacent moment. Steel Banglez, one of the most prolific producers in British music, provides the kind of beat that only he can — and Nines rides it with the confidence of someone who knows these bars were always meant to be heard.

The Retirement That Wasn't

When Nines told The Guardian in 2024 that Quit While You're Ahead would be his last album, the reaction was mixed. Some believed him. Some didn't. Hip-hop has a long history of retirements that turn out to be sabbaticals. But Nines was adamant: "I ain't coming back. I don't care how much money they offer me."

Lost Tapes doesn't contradict that promise — it fulfills it in a different way. This isn't Nines coming back to make new music. This is Nines opening the vault and letting the world hear what was already there. In an era where artists release albums and then immediately move on to the next rollout, Lost Tapes is a rare act of generosity: an artist giving fans a comprehensive look at the depth of the work that existed between the official releases.

As Nines himself told The Guardian: "People are like: 'I want old Nines.' But I'm not 22 no more. I live a different life." Lost Tapes is the bridge between those two Nines — the raw, hungry Church Road rapper and the reflective, above-board family man. It's a document of an artist's entire arc, compiled not as a greatest-hits package but as a greatest-unreleased package.

The CSB Family and the Featured Cast

One of the defining characteristics of Nines' career has been his loyalty to his circle. The CSB — Church Road / Ice City Boyz — family runs through Lost Tapes like a spine. Fatz appears on Bridge Is Over. Skrapz appears on Milan. Trapstar Toxic appears on Want to Go Home. Mugzz appears on Good on My Jones. These aren't feature-for-streaming-bait collaborations; these are family appearances, the kind that have defined Nines' approach since his first mixtape, From Church Road to Hollywood, in 2011.

But the album also showcases Nines' reach across the UK and beyond. M Huncho — the masked, melodic maestro known as HUNCHOLINI — brings his signature sound to Lonely Road. Larry June — Uncle Larry himself, the San Francisco rapper whose organic lifestyle brand and consistent output have made him a cult figure in American hip-hop — appears on Damn. J Hus — the East London pioneer whose Common Sense and Big Spang albums redefined what UK rap could sound like — appears on Original High Roller. Tiggs Da Author, Mira May, and Steel Banglez round out a feature list that reads like a who's who of the UK's most distinctive voices.

The Cultural Impact

What makes Lost Tapes more than just a great album is what it represents. In a UK rap scene that has become increasingly dominated by major-label machinery, algorithm-driven marketing, and viral-first strategies, Nines has just proven that the old model still works — if you have the catalogue and the credibility to back it up.

No single. No video. No press cycle. No TikTok campaign. No influencer partnerships. Just 18 tracks of vaulted material from one of the most respected rappers in the country, released with minimal fanfare, and it debuted at Number 1 on the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart and the Official Independent Albums Chart simultaneously.

This is the power of the cult following that Nines has built over 12 years, five albums, and four mixtapes. It's the power of an artist who has never compromised his vision, who has never chased a trend, and who has maintained a level of quality control that most rappers can only aspire to. It's the power of Church Road.

And it's a reminder that the UK rap scene — a scene that has produced artists like Dave, Stormzy, Central Cee, Little Simz, and Skepta — has a depth that goes far beyond the names that cross over into the mainstream. Nines has always operated in his own lane, and Lost Tapes proves that the lane is wider, deeper, and more enduring than anyone gave it credit for.

The Verdict: 10/10

PaperMedia has never given a 10/10. In a landscape where even the best albums have moments of filler, tracks that could have been cut, or sequences that drag, a perfect score has always felt like it should be reserved for something genuinely flawless — something where the concept, the execution, and the cultural moment all align.

Lost Tapes is that album.

It's flawless not because every track is a masterpiece — though most of them are — but because the concept, the execution, and the cultural moment are in perfect alignment. This is a vault project that plays like a greatest hits album. This is a retirement-era release that plays like a prime-era statement. This is an album with no rollout that debuted at Number 1 on the biggest UK rap chart in the country, above Tyler, The Creator and Amy Winehouse.

Nines said he was done. He said no money could bring him back. And then he opened the vault, and what came out was the biggest UK rap album debut of 2026. That's not just a great album — that's a great story. And in hip-hop, the story and the music have always been the same thing.

10/10. PaperMedia's first perfect score.

Lost Tapes is out now on Zino Records. Stream it on Spotify above, and follow PaperMedia for more coverage of the artists shaping the future of music.