New Music: Limbo by Aminé
- Killjoy Reviews
- Aug 15, 2020
- 2 min read
By Dylan Shulman
Aminé is relatively new on the hiphop scene, and yet he has already made his mark. His 2016 breakout hit "Caroline," a song with a memorable chorus and synthesized instrumental, brought him here, and now he's brought us "Limbo." Aminé has made his own sound, mixing catchy and melodic hooks, pretty beats, and light rap to stand out in an enormous genre. This new album shows an artist with confidence and versatility. I really enjoyed it, and I think it's one of my favorites from 2020 so far. My favorite tracks are "Pressure In My Palms," "Woodlawn," and "Can't Decide," plus all three singles. "Mama," "My Reality," and "Fetus" fell short. While enjoyable, the album wasn't very focused and seemed to bounce all over the place, besides references to Kobe (R.I.P.), although I think it worked in a way to show he's got a lot of tools on his belt.
Aminé talks a lot about his hometown, relationships, and his relatively new success on this record. There isn't any real fantastic storytelling but some nice lyrics paired with equally nice, sample-heavy production. "Woodlawn" is one about his success, and the chorus tells of Aminé playing the song for his friend Marc in prison. It's a highlight for sure, and the previous track was a nice lead into it since they're both high energy and poppy, even if the sample on "Burden" got old after a while. I heard all three singles before the album ("Shimmy," "Riri," and "Compensating") but didn't really love them until I heard them on this record. "Can't Decide" has a melody just close enough to "Compensating" that I think they flow into each other nicely and Young Thug has a great feature. The real star of the album is "Pressure In My Palms," a low, slinky track with a lot of punch, plus slowthai and Vince Staples trade two nice and quick verses. "Mama" and "My Reality" were a little boring to me, and the nails-on-chalkboard instrumental on "Fetus" ruined good performances from both Aminé and Injury Reserve (R.I.P. Stepa J. Groggs).
This was a clean and polished project from an artist who shows he's someone who can contend for a spot in the crowded world of hiphop. He can sing, he can rap, he knows a good instrumental, and he can write. It's a step up from his previous projects, and I like where he's headed. Plus I never get tired of his "ayy!" ad-lib.
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