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  • Writer's picturePigeon Montes

Amine - Limbo: Review




Aminé has been one of the more prominent and unique hip-hop artists in the industry. Since his breakout hit “Caroline,” Amine kept going up. His debut album, Good For You, carried these vibrant acoustic and R&B undertones and quirky tracks like “Spice Girl.”





His follow up, Limbo, continues that streak of vibrant sounds with melancholic overtones that resonates from the soul. It doesn’t try to be anything that appeases every ear and the gambles taken hit more than not.


Aminé’s quirkiness is usually juxtaposed by the symphonic production and melancholic lyricism. Limbo takes an almost complete 180 where Aminé takes that quirkiness and pushes it to the back. His fame has escalated him so it disavows him from being a fun dork at times and maturing. He puts more work into achieving new and unique rhythmic patterns and flows to tell his story at this current time aka limbo.


Like Aminé proclaims on the opening track “Burden,” he is in Limbo. The album then feels like a therapeutic session for Aminé that lasts less than an hour. He explores similar themes as his previous works and at least 70ish percent of the album does so in fun and inventive ways, like the grimey and west coast hybrid in “Pressure In My Palms,” featuring slowthai & Vince Staples.


Like most artists in the new age, unfortunately, a lot of them want to be like the influencer known as Drake. He may not have been the first but he made the duality in hip hop popular. And when Aminé decides to sing for more than 75% of a song it never lands with grand effect. It unfortunately hinders one of the more profound tracks “Becky.” This track reflects an aspect of social and racial issues regarding relationships. Aminé makes note on how his parents were against him dating white girls because of the emotional dangers that come from it. And in contrast he still has this connection despite being fed up with the way her friends saw him, or how he never met the family. It could almost make you feel like you’re a menace when you’re not. His voice however isn’t cut out to have a raspy charm. It’s raspy and uninspired.


It’s an improvement from the more tame and standardly constructed Good For You. It’s as if Aminé has flourished in the song writing department. He has better choruses, lyricism in the verses and more interesting rhythmic patterns/flows. Like on “Roots,” featuring JID and Charlie Wilson, where Aminé takes it upon himself to use a raw and authentic basement flow.


Limbo is more experimental than his previous work, and that is an overstatement. The production is tailor made to be akin to Aminé’s sound and for the most part they are these great bombastic instrumentals. But tracks like “Easy,” don’t really elevate past a poppy like R&B tune without the audible depth. Still, it lands as an improvement from his previous album, even when the latter is a little more fun and concise than the Limbo.


7/10


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