"Nine is the stage name of Derrick Keyes (born September 19, 1969), an American rapper from The Bronx, New York City, New York. He also been known as 9MM or Nine Double M. Known for his harsh, gravelly flow and distinctive voice, Keyes got his break in late 1993 as a featured guest on Funkmaster Flex and the Ghetto Celebs' "Six Million Ways to Die".
Keyes originally recorded under the moniker 9MM (or Nine Double M) before changing his name to simply Nine. He stated, "I didn't want to be just be named after the gun (9mm)." His stage name refers to his date of birth (9/19/1969), his shoe size, and his lucky number.
Nine's debut album, Nine Livez, was released by the now-defunct record label Profile Records. Produced by Rob Lewis and Tony Stoute, the album produced the singles "Whutcha Want?" and "Any Emcee" (which samples Eric B. & Rakim).
Portions of Nine's "Whutcha Want?" were featured in advertisements by US automobile manufacturer Jeep. The ads used the song "Steady Bounce" by KRS-One from his album Strickly For Da Breakdancers & Emceez, which also used a sample from Nine’s "Whutcha Want?". According to an interview conducted with HalftimeOnline.com, Jeep never sought permission to use the sample, and Nine pursued legal action.
Nas referred to 9 Double M on the track "Where are They Now?" from his album Hip Hop Is Dead. He is also referred to on the track "Twinz (Deep Cover ’98)" from Big Pun's debut album Capital Punishment, where Fat Joe says "Boogie Down major like Nine" referring to Nine's lyric in his song "Whutcha Want?" where Nine describes himself as a "Boogie Down Bronx major".
