Ninho & Sativa Music: “Zodiac” Marks a Street-Rap Return

It feels like “The Return of the King” following the release of M.I.L.S 4. On January 9, Ninho unveiled the fourth instalment of M.I.L.S (“Maintenant ils savent” — “Now They Know”), ten years after releasing the first chapter in 2016. Even back then, the artist effortlessly moved between hard-hitting street tracks and more introspective songs such as “Malcolm”, where the strength of his writing met his remarkable ability to get a message across.

At one point in his career, TF1 even dedicated a feature to him titled “The rapper who knows how to speak to young people”. And for good reason: Ninho has continued to rack up success after success, regularly ranking among the most-streamed artists on Spotify in France. Since his album Destin, which went diamond, Ninho has established himself as one of the biggest names in French rap, alongside artists such as Gims, Jul and PLK.

M.I.L.S 4 was no exception. Ninho achieved the second-biggest opening of his career, behind JEFE, moving more than 30,000 units in just three days and over 50,000 in its first week. The project has already been certified platinum.

During an appearance with Fred Musa on Planète Rap to promote the project, he admitted that he sometimes goes over his lyrics before stepping on stage to make sure he does not forget them. He also offered a refreshingly candid answer when he revealed that he simply “isn’t used to listening to himself in the car”.

Johnny is now back alongside Sativa Music for a brand-new single.

Ninho and Sativa Music join forces on “Zodiac”!

Sativa Music is a Spanish music outfit based in Barcelona that has already worked with a long list of French artists. Among them is Gims, who teamed up with Spanish rapper Morad on “Seya”, as well as Aya Nakamura, who also joined forces with Morad on “Si Si”. Jul and Morad also released “Piccolo” through Sativa Music. Apparently, the label seems to have something against manga.

For its collaboration with Ninho, Sativa Music has unveiled “Zodiac”. The track finds Ninho firmly back in rap mode, with a sound reminiscent of his early days.

The production is handled by K2NTheTrack, Amine Farsi and Ricky S. As usual, Sativa Music has gone all out.

K2NTheTrack had previously been credited as a producer on “911”, featuring Ninho, Niska and Koba LaD. The track paid tribute to the French department of Essonne, where all three rappers come from.

Amine Farsi hardly needs an introduction. The acclaimed producer has built up an impressive list of credits over the years. He notably produced “Interlope” by 3ARBI in 2023 and also worked on a collaborative album with Roshi. His credits also include “Tranquille” by OldPee in 2024 and “Fraude” by Freeze Corleone.

The producer has also been selected as an FL Studio mentor alongside Noxious. Amine Farsi has become one of the most recognisable French production names when it comes to raw, uncompromising street rap.

The instrumental behind “Zodiac” is unapologetically rap-driven. Throughout his career, Ninho has shown that he can move just as comfortably between hard street records and more melodic, almost pop-leaning urban songs such as his hit “Lettre à une femme”. “Zodiac”, however, unquestionably belongs to the first category.

On “Zodiac”, Ninho goes straight into braggadocio mode, as he so often does, while delivering a few memorable punchlines:

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been adding up problems. I treat myself at Christian Dior. If I need guys to redecorate your place, I send the youngest ones from my block.”

The visuals were directed by Cherif NoColor. It is a full-on street video, drawing on many of the genre’s familiar codes: luxury cars, shots filmed around housing estates and a dark, gritty urban aesthetic.

Cherif NoColor is no newcomer to the French rap scene. He regularly works with French artists and has notably directed “Cadeau” by Saamou and Genezio, “10 ans d’âge” by Timal, Leto and Gradur, as well as “Sentiments billets de 100” by Leto.