Allow us to introduce you to 9Ni9ht. A gaggle that isn’t right here to play it protected or water down their artwork. They’re rooted deep in tradition, historical past, and fact. Their debut single, “Black Ark,” is a fearless assertion; a fusion of sounds, a name to ancestors, and a requirement for actual change.
BET spoke with Racquel and Chuck about their music and the that means behind it. Proper off the bat, their identify units the tone. 9Ni9ht takes inspiration from a Jamaican custom — the nine-night ceremony. It occurs 9 nights after somebody dies, when households and communities collect to assist one another and ship the spirit off in peace. However for this group, it goes past mourning. It’s about calling on the facility of our ancestors to get by way of the struggles that at the moment’s world throws at us.
Racquel defined it like this: “9 night time is when folks come collectively to ship the spirit off in peace. It’s an area to summon energy from the ancestors.” The ceremony is a ritual of launch and therapeutic, but in addition a summoning of steerage and energy. That power flows by way of their music and message.
If you take heed to it, you hear a mixture that refuses to be boxed in. Hip hop, jazz, dub, various rock — it’s all there, blended with out second-guessing. Chuck’s background formed that sound. Rising up in South Florida, he soaked up all the pieces from Caribbean music to jazz legends like Jaco Pastorius. He’s the mastermind behind the manufacturing, crafting a sound that displays their numerous influences however stays true to their roots.
Racquel added her layer, drawing from her Jamaican heritage and a lifetime of publicity to a number of genres. She talked about how hip hop and dancehall really feel linked to her, how her father’s music style and her exploration formed her. The track looks like a dialog between all these parts, pure and fearless.
“Black Ark” being launched on Jamaica’s Emancipation Day — no coincidence. Racquel’s household comes from the Maroon communities in Portland, Jamaica, descendants of fighters who took their freedom by drive. “My ancestors didn’t ask for change. They made it occur by no matter means needed. I really feel accountable to make use of my artwork to talk fact and push for actual change,” she stated.
The visuals for the debut single are extraordinarily transferring and symbolic, filmed on the grounds of a former sugar plantation that after held enslaved folks. Racquel’s mom taught on the college that now stands on the location. The video reclaims that house, flipping the script on oppression. The colours crimson, black, and white are wealthy in symbolism; crimson represents fury, black signifies destruction, and white symbolizes the change that follows. Racquel using a black horse is a picture of energy and resistance, echoing Renaissance artwork however telling a brand new story.
What stood out was their refusal to tone it down. Racquel stated, “There’s no stability. We push all of it day, each day. I’m not attempting to tame it or make it palatable.” She known as out a technology obsessive about prettiness, saying it typically glosses over actual ache and frustration. Her voice doesn’t draw back from discomfort, and neither does the music.
Chuck talked about how their connection goes past simply making songs. “When you understand one thing’s proper, you simply know. We met by probability, however this mission looks like one thing greater.” They plan to launch an album, constructing on the themes and sounds of “Black Ark.” The music will preserve pushing boundaries and mixing influences with out apology.
Listening to them, you get the sense that 9Ni9ht is about reclaiming extra than simply sound. They reclaim historical past, energy, and freedom by way of their artwork. This debut single is only a glimpse of what’s coming. They need folks to surprise what’s subsequent, to take a seat with the message, and to really feel one thing actual.
In a world the place a lot feels watered down or managed, 9Ni9ht stands agency. They converse their fact with out apology. They pull from their roots and ancestors to create one thing fierce, trustworthy, and needed. When you’re prepared for music that refuses to compromise and tells tales that matter, 9Ni9ht is the group to look at.