Aminé -- Limbo: Review

Aminé -- Limbo

[Republic]

Aminé’s Limbo captures his stagnation in his stage in life, being too old to be a kid but too young to have to start living as an adult. Even just three years from his debut record, it feels like a lifetime since he was first featured on the 2017 XXL Freshman Class and subsequently releasing his debut Good For You. Back then, Aminé was still a fresh-faced newcomer with something to prove on the first record and part of the appeal was his eager zeal for fame.

On Limbo, Aminé returns with more experience and an established place in the rap game. After the blow-up success of Good For You and the trap pop appeal his 2018 mixtape ONEPOINTFIVE, Limbo is a well-deserved meditation of maturity for Aminé as he reflects on his fame, family, and future.

Aminé specifically sets this meditative tone the interlude “Kobe” where producer Pasque talks about how the death of Kobe Bryant was a harsh moment of reality that forced him to grow up. “He died and I felt like my, like a lot of my innocence, In like being a young person died with Kobe” Pasque continues “...Let me figure how money works. Let me figure how like, how to buy a house, And how to move”. Aminé places this song right in the beginning to really enforce the introspective tone of the record.

Aminé’s air of introspection immediately follows in “Roots”, an empowering kickback anthem that reminds Aminé how he got here. The features an fitting JID verse as well as a blissful outro led by Charlie Wilson’s angelic chants of “Holy holy holy”. Skip ahead to “Becky” where Aminé opens up about the difficulties in a biracial relationship, openly decrying his unrelenting pressure from parents and society on the relationship. Following is ”Fetus”, the emotional climax of the record where Aminé confronts fatherhood and the anxieties of raising a child in the current social landscape. This song features a posthumous verse from Groggs and Injury Reserve whose early passing makes his sentimental plans for fatherhood ring ever more.

The lyrics on Limbo are Aminé’s funniest and most thoughtful yet but the instrumentals on each track are all a peg above past records too. Aminé’s producers wear their influences proudly from NAV-esque banger “Woodlawn” or soulful opener “Burden” reminiscent of something off of J.Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive. “Shimmy” is a fiery hot anthem reminiscent of both the lyrics and the production of Wu-Tang’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard (think “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”). And of course, it would be a crime not to mention the strong Kanye influence in the various soul samples littered across the album. “Fetus” and “Roots” are obvious examples as well as the honest closer “My Reality” which hones Ye’s cinetmatic autotune freakouts over a high-pitched soul sample: Textbook Kanye.

However this wide array of influences doesn’t distract from the unique pop appeal Aminé. Above all the influences, Aminé’s flows and charisma is still the star of the show. As I was saying “My Reality” has its explicit influences but Aminé’s voices and the gospel vocals still feel unique. “Pressure In My Palms” offers his angriest lyrics yet accompanied by fitting features from slowthai and Vince Staples. “Can’t Decide” and “Riri” are sexy, summer grooves that run smoothly enough to fit on any Summertime playlist.

Even with influences and tones from all over the place, Aminé’s Limbo is simultaneously his most versatile and focused record to date.