Aminé - Limbo: Album Review

Republic Records, 2020

It’s been nearly 4 and a half years since Aminé first broke into the music industry as a skinny, yellow-short-wearing kid from Oregon with his breakthrough hit “Caroline.” The song and the accompanying video were wildly entertaining, and showcased his unique style, both in fashion and music, as he’s seen rocking yellow short shorts and performing in the back seat of a car. Just over a year later, still riding off the success of “Caroline,” he dropped his debut album titled Good for You, attempting to prove that the success of “Caroline” was not just luck. Throughout the album, he perfectly executed other pop-rap records just like it, but unfortunately, that’s a sub genre of the culture that isn’t exactly embraced by “hip-hop heads” or well-respected when it comes to evaluating rappers and their bars. Fast forward to 2020, when Aminé is two projects deep and a well-established name in hip-hop, he has finally found his place with his third full-length offering, Limbo.

The intro, "Burden," makes it immediately clear that Aminé has matured musically and found his best-suited sound. He instantly catches listeners’ attention through his blatant honesty and vulnerability executed in a serious tone; “bury me before I’m a burden / don’t bury me 'til n****s is certain.” He continues, “when your skin darker, shit get harder / this a black album, like Sean Carter.” On past releases, this is something he wouldn’t have even dared to touch on, even just on the surface level as he does here. The reflective intro lets it be known that Aminé didn’t come to play this time around, and he instantly demands his respect as a rapper. The beat was produced by Mac Wetha and samples “Thank You God” by Darondo; a track that might sound similar to some hip-hop heads, as Westside Gunn’s 2018 collaboration with Anderson .Paak features the same sample. Maybe Aminé needs to rap over production like this more often, as he credits it for inspiring him to be more personal; “beat so cold, it made Aminé wanna open up.” I think a lot of listeners would agree that hearing Aminé rap like this more often would be ideal.

The next track, “Woodlawn,” is a smooth transition from an introspective song in "Burden," to a more hard-hitting banger, instantly showing Aminé’s improved diversity. He uses this song to confidently flex; “came a long way from that Woodlawn park / now young Aminé pushing push to start,” he raps with ease on the hook. However, some bars are reminders that he is still the same guy who created “Caroline”; “bitch, you bad as fuck, swipe the Visa / just watch what you spend ‘cause my mama need rent / and my neck gotta look like a freezer” comes across as rather corny, but at least his delivery is much more confident this time around. Talk your shit, Aminé. We hear you.

After only two tracks in, the album comes to a halt with the sole interlude on the album; a skit that pays tribute to Kobe Bryant. It’s narrated by Jak Knight, who speaks about how Kobe’s death affected him; “he died and I feel like my, like, a lot of my innocence in, like, being a young person died with Kobe.” It's clear that Kobe's legacy is impactful beyond words, and goes much deeper than just Kobe the basketball player; he was an inspirational human being. The emotions are genuine and tie into the next track well, which is “Roots” featuring JID and Charlie Wilson. The roots of their heritage are used in comparison to the roots of plants; “when my flaws like ice, keep my soul inside / The sun is on me / and my stems don’t bite if the light shines bright.” The fact that Aminé can even rap alongside JID on a song with this subject matter and not sound out of place, is another testament to his maturity.

The rest of the album features a number of songs about complicated relationships, which is a topic familiar to the rest of his discography, but he uses clever bars and his confidence to make them sound more mature than past songs with the same content matter. For example, on the third single that he released prior to the album’s release, “Compensating” featuring Young Thug, Aminé discusses relationship struggles on the hook; “I fucked up once again / and you know that I’m never too proud to beg / it’s hard to admit that I’ve made my bed.” Young Thug comes thru with a clever verse as he always does, over the pop-sounding production; “the black and orange Aventador like Daffy Duck / I swerve Mercedes Benz ‘cause my credentials up / I told her I got my millions up.” Aminé and Young Thug definitely wasn't a predictable collaboration, but each of their distinct musical styles blend together here to create a unique, up-beat single.

One of the most impressive parts of the album is on “Shimmy,” the album’s first single that acted as his comeback to music, dropping it after being quiet for a year and a half after the release of ONEPOINTFIVE. It’s inspired by and interpolates “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by Ol Dirty Bastard, and finds Aminé having fun, yet still showcasing his rapping abilities as takes aim at capping rappers; “I’m bigger than Texas, me and God text message / you see how easy lyin’ is, it’s easy to forget this.”

Arguably the most unforgettable song on the album comes in the form of a collaboration with slowthai and Vince Staples that features so many quotable bars, it’s hard to keep count. It continues the theme of braggadocio raps, but it’s so clear that Aminé is having fun, and this is when he sounds at his best. He opens his verse by rapping “this is Britney Spears when she was bald / punkin’ n****s way before there was Punk’d / smokin’ Ashton Kush so I calm down / we don’t wanna hear your mixtape.” Slowthai follows with a short yet entertaining few bars where he labels himself as a menace to society and questions why “they” keep eyeing him, before aggressively rapping “plank is mahogany, your head leaking burgundy.” Maybe that’s why they're eyeing you, Slowthai. The Vince Staples verse that follows is opened with “I hate a bitch who think a baby finna keep a n**** / why every time he see his kids, we gotta see the picture?” Based on the above bars alone, it’s clear as to why this track is a stand-out, but their deliveries make it that much more entertaining.

A few songs before the album comes to a close, Aminé becomes the next rapper on the list of those who have made a song dedicated to their mother. Appropriately titled “Mama,” it’s a beautiful salute and appreciation for everything she has done for him throughout his life. While any rapper who attempts to create a tribute song to their mother is applaudable, this one in particular is executed so genuinely, that it's hard not to shed a tear. Hearing him air out his appreciation for his mother over the near four minutes that the song lasts, is emotional to say the least. It’s probably fair to say that it also serves as the biggest testament to Aminé’s growth and maturity as a rapper, ultimately helping prove his artistic growth.

As a whole, Limbo exists to showcase Aminé’s newly-found place in the rap game. On his past two projects, he worked on mastering the pop-rap sound with bouncy singles and clever, yet sometimes laughable bars, while Limbo serves as his most introspective and personal release to date. Tracks like “Burden” and “Mama” show his musical maturity, while “Pressure In My Palms” and “Roots” show his ability to create memorable moments alongside other industry favourites, while not sounding out of place and still staying true to his sound. This mature step forward will certainly have Aminé receiving respect and praise from fans and other artists alike, leaving it up to interpretation as to what direction he'll take next.