![]() Aminé is also frequently caught between his swagger and his conscience, resulting in a moral ambiguity that’s further explored on “Fetus,” which, in another stroke of highly uncharacteristic attitudes in rap, ponders the potential harms of bringing a child into the world. One of the album’s more complex lyrical moments, “Becky” is an examination of racial inequality in America that centers on Aminé’s suburban upbringing, repeatedly returning to the line “Mama said/don’t ever bring a white girl home to me.” The song fascinatingly looks at the contradictions between the behaviors of individuals and the trends of the masses, a kind of liminality hinted at in the album’s title. “Roots” features R&B/funk icon Charlie Wilson, a favored collaborator of Kanye, while “Pressure in My Palms” includes a reference to the origin of the divisive rapper’s beef with Taylor Swift, as well as a brief but unmistakable interpolation of Kanye’s 2005 track “We Major.” On “Mama,” Aminé lovingly sings the praises of his mother and her herculean efforts to raise him, as if in homage to Kanye’s “Hey Mama”-though the song also links to 2Pac’s “Dear Mama.” The album also contains new spins on the dormant practice of skits, and one such interlude pays tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, while others serve as outros for the tracks “Riri” and “Fetus.” These skits find Aminé conversationally musing to himself and his friends about growing older and his place in the world, and they’re a welcome, thoughtful nod to the rap opuses of yesteryear.īy the album’s halfway point, though, it’s clear that this isn’t just another throwback, as Aminé’s full-bodied beats, vintage soul samples, and clever rhymes set him up as a deserving carrier of Kanye West’s torch. The opening track of the Portland-based rapper’s second studio album, Limbo, likewise sets the stage with a chopped soul sample-driven beat and telling references to hip-hop’s past (Jay-Z) and future (Rico Nasty), while unfurling some of the moral concerns plaguing his thoughts. It will be exciting to see what he can do next.On the intro to his 2018 mixtape, Onepointfive, Aminé demonstrated his talent for verbose, declaratory scene-setting. “Limbo” is Amine’s best work and one of the best rap albums this year. On the album’s last song “My Reality,” Amine sings about how he is living his dream while still trying to figure out life. ![]() I wondered if this could be due to the passing of Kobe Bryant as Bryant is mentioned multiple times through songs like “Woodlawn” and the interlude “Kobe,” where Amine explains that Bryant’s death fast forwarded his maturity. Groggs sings “Pray you nothin’ like your daddy, stay away from drugs, I hope I can be half the father that my mama was.” The song is the first released since the death of Groggs which adds to the sadness of the track.Īmine feels more confident and mature on “Limbo” than in his previous releases. Groggs, work together for a song about their future kids and their hopes and fears for them. However, Amine’s lyrics are funny for a lot of the album, including songs like “Pressure in My Palms” where he opens up the song with the lyric “This is Brittany Spears when she was bald.” His lyrics are also clever like on “Burden” when he raps “Wide awake, but comatose, Hollywood’s in overdose, Girls send innuendos I’m in limbo but I know the ropes.”ĭespite being lighthearted at times the album can also be sad like the song “Fetus” where Amine and the rap group Injury Reserve, including the late Stepa J. ![]() Sometimes that causes the mood of the song to conflict with the lyrics, like on “Burden” where the hook is “Bury me before I’m a burden” on an incongruous beat. The whole album is fun and easy to listen to despite covering heavy topics. The album has solid and diverse production throughout like the R&B instrumental on “Easy” and “Roots” and the fluty trap beat on “Woodlawn.” “Limbo” is an album about Amine’s influences and the transition from being a kid to becoming an adult. He has also released multiple mixtapes and EP’s since 2014. Now 26 years old, Amine has been making music since high school, where he attended Benson and made diss tracks against rival schools Lincoln and Grant. In an interview with Vulture, Amine says “ I needed this much time because the pressure of a sophomore album is real… rappers my age and of this generation are putting out projects like every other week.” There was a reason for the three year gap between albums. ![]() “Good For You” was his first album released on July 28, 2017. “Limbo” is his best and biggest project yet, pushing him farther into the mainstream and solidifying him as the best rapper to ever come out of Portland. “Limbo” is Portland rap artist Amine’s second album released on August 7, 2020.
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