Among Atlanta’s seemingly limitless supply of endlessly talented, melodically inclined rappers, Nine Vicious has slowly separated himself as a leader of a new pack, a status he confirms on his 2026 self-released effort B4EM. The artist rose to fame as a graduate of the Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely school of rap, who themselves studied under the tutelage of YSL founder Young Thug. Though Vicious is young enough to be two rap generations removed from Thugger, he still taps into the MC’s whimsy and unpredictability, blended with the technicolour fever dreams pioneered by a younger collection of artists. B4EM brings forward the influence of another Atlanta staple, Playboi Carti. On opener “Raging Love”, Vicious shouts out the crews of both Carti and Thugger, rapping: “I’m YVL every day/I got a bad bitch, YSL, she tatted her face.” By referencing both Carti’s Young Vamp Life and Thugger’s Young Stoner Life throughout B4EM, Nine Vicious highlights the DNA that unites Atlanta and all of rap music.