Aminé refines his sound and raises the bar for himself on Limbo
Since the 2016 release of his now multi-platinum breakthrough single “Caroline,” Aminé has shown consistent growth and improvement with every release. Limbo continues this trend for the Portland rapper, combining and refining the best aspects of his previous two releases, resulting in his best and most mature work to date.
Aminé’s biggest strength is the individuality that has been present in his music since he first jumped onto the scene. His versatile and bouncy flow mixed with his trademark wit and humour have been staples of his work thus far. On this album, we see him successfully blend these aspects with more pungent, mature and introspective lyrics and topics, giving his music more depth while maintaining its distinct personality.
This personality is present regardless of the sound or content that a given song is going for. As varied as Limbo’s instrumentals are, including everything from bass-heavy bangers to more melodic R&B-leaning tracks, his unique voice and style manage to make these tracks unmistakably Aminé.
That’s not to say that he feels out of place in the modern hip hop landscape, more that he manages to stand out, even when incorporating more trendy, contemporary sounds. Limbo features an extremely diverse guest list that backs this up. The album contains features from Young Thug, Charlie Wilson, Vince Staples and Slowthai, the latter two appearing on “Pressure in My Palms” together, and all of them feel right at home in Aminé’s world.
The only song that feels like it’s out of place on this project is “Easy,” featuring Summer Walker. That’s not to say that the song is inherently bad, it’s actually quite good, it just feels like a standard fare Summer Walker song that Aminé is featuring on. Still, it’s not enough to break up the flow of the album or take away from its highs, which there are plenty of.
The biggest highlight and takeaway from Limbo is Aminé’s growth both as an artist and as a man. On songs like “Mama” and “Fetus,” he manages to showcase more depth and introspection than on previous releases, all while maintaining the humorous charm he’s become known for.
Overall, Aminé shows that he’s improved in nearly every facet on Limbo. He manages to strike a near-perfect balance between the aspects of his music that thrive in their uniqueness and contemporary hip hop conventions. With two solid projects already under his belt, Aminé has delivered once again and has proven to be one of the most exciting young acts in the genre.
