9ice isn’t so 9ice on C.N.N [Album Review]

By Ayomide Tayo

Artiste- 9ice
Album- C.N.N
Guest Artistes- Phyno, Olamide
Record Label- Alapomeji (2014)
Duration- 48 minutes.

It’s pretty hard to be objective about 9ice. Since his slip from the apex post 2009, 9ice hasn’t been a darling of music fans and music critics. It’s difficult to separate the man and drama, but for all 9ice’s shortcomings he still knows how to do good music, although it might not be great.

C.N.N, which means Cancelling Numerous Negativity, is 9ice’s sixth studio album, and it is part of another double album package. At this point in 9ice’s career, the singer is tired of people telling him how to move his career forward. He lets his frustration be known on ‘I Insist’ featuring rapper Phyno. He takes shots at people who advise him on how to move his career. 9ice believes nothing should substitute his happiness, and whatever he feels that doesn’t make him happy he won’t do it. No matter the criticisms all he wants to do is have a nice time. ‘Na you one tell me which song to sing (I insist). Na you go tell me which producer to use (I insist)…bring me that bottle of Rosé’. Whether his approach is right, ‘I Insist‘ is a good song that boasts of a beat that 9ice’s producers should craft more of if they want to see their act head back to the top.

9ice still wants more. Stuck in his journey, 9ice goes down memory lane on ‘Aje’- a deep Yoruba song. He sings about his suffering before his colossal 2008 hit ‘Gongo Aso‘. ‘Fast cash, quick money all around me‘, he sings on the track. It’s a deep thinking song that has him stating that Jesus is popular, but still not as popular as he should be. Weird observation or not, 9ice confesses he still wants ‘more money to live life’.

‘Perfect Imperfection’ is a slow tempo love song from 9ice, which is one of the few standout songs from CNN. He sings about two imperfect people coming together to have a perfect relationship. With a song like this you believe that 9ice still has that fire. The problem is that he doesn’t show it enough and when it does it doesn’t burn brightly on this project.

‘Olomi’- is a remake of Chief Ebenezer Obey‘s evergreen song ‘Olomi Gbo Temi‘ released in 1967. You can’t replicate success. This is just a mere modern version of the classic song not a better one. ‘Last Bus Stop’ is a decent dance track that upholds the momentum 9ice had been building on the album.

Unfortunately these are the best tracks 9ice has to offer on this project. ‘Falling My Hand’ bears up to its name sadly and disrupts the good pace 9ice had been on.

‘Gbona Lokan Mi’ is a slow love song from 9ice. Sadly it drags the entire project. His voice can’t carry the emotions he wants to express. Speaking about his voice, it has lost the charm and presence it had years ago. ‘Palongo’ is a paperweight collabo with rapper Olamide. The track ‘Quality’ is ironic because the song doesn’t just cut it.

With this album, 9ice has offered a few good songs, but in all they are not enough to dispel the notion that the ‘Gongo Aso’ hit maker is past his prime. The album is great or strong enough to put 9ice back on top. It’s just enough for him to remain relevant in this jungle. He was once a lion, but based on the songs on C.N.N he is an aging lion about to enter the winter of his life.

Rating- 3/5