Veteran MC Mode Nine has given the clearest indication that he is nearing retirement of some sort.
The rapper has announced August 16th as the release date for his 5th solo album titled Insulin which is a follow up to 2014’s Above Ground Level (AGL). This move isn’t totally unexpected, before releasing the project, Mode Nine bemoaned the lack of support of his music in recent years.
I put out a whole album nobody cared – a whole 20 track album Alphabetical Order, nobody gave a f**k, nobody cares. You see how the industry is, how do you expect me to feel? Nigerians don’t like hip hop they only follow the hype, they don’t even know what it is
AGL was a slight departure for the rapper as he released more radio-friendly singles to try and broaden his audience, the most surprising being the Don Jazzy-assisted “Some More”. On this go-around, Mode Nine hasn’t been as deliberate about appealing to the mainstream but he has put out songs with younger upcoming artists like Amuta Stones and Maka.
Even though he’s said Insulin will be his final solo album, die hard fans of the iconic MC needn’t worry about whether they’ll get new music from Mode Nine, the rapper releases a new collaborative project every few years.
Mode Nine’s Collaborative Albums
Mode Nine & Alias – Pay At-10-Shun [2010]
Mode Nine & Mills The Producer – Golden Era Guevara New Era Mandela [2011]
Mode Nine & XYZ – Alphabetical Order [2013]
Mode Nine & DJ Papercutt – Look What I Found EP [2016]
