In our current series of special interviews, we’ve been asking our guests how they’ve evolved over the last 12 months. If we were to ask this same question of Aminé, we’d have to extend the multi-talented MC from Portland an additional 12 months.
The innovative rapper, artist and director spent two years gardening his highly anticipated album ‘Limbo’.
While we applaud his growth, which stands as tall as the Brummit Fir on this excellent 14-track set, it would be negligent to ignore the world’s 24 months of evolution around him. Because he hasn’t.
On his Wu-tang-esque opening track “Burden” Aminé begins, “When your skin darker, shit gets harder”.
He follows this with “Woodlawn”; on it Aminé acknowledges the road to achieving what his potential suggests, the journey from humble beginnings, and the passing of Kobe Bryant. In verse he says the late Lakers legend “was like a dad” to him so he “had to get you tatted on me”.
“Becky”, which comes later in ‘Limbo’, is a bluesy eye-opener that feels Scarface inspired. Aminé uniquely confronts racism by using the uncomfortable, hyper-aware vantage of an interracial relationship.
Eight tracks earlier on “Roots”, a song as soulful as slow-simmered collard greens with its stirring vocals from Charlie Wilson, guest rhymer JID adds extra hocks when he interjects “Searching for my shelter through the storm; I find peace, my safe haven, keeping me far away from harm”.
During a virtual listening session that took place ahead of this album’s release, Aminé spoke openly with THISENT.com and some of our media peers.
In between songs touched on the current public unrest in Portland due to social injustice and the effects of being isolated at times due to the COVID-19 outbreak. All this subsequent turmoil grew as he did. He confessed to maturing more and thinking differently now in his mid-20s.
Having listened to the album from its opener to the brilliant closing number “My Reality”, we asked Aminé if this entire LP was built around decisions. He admitted it was, then expounded on the journey of learning more about who and what he’s become, and where his life’s going because of that.
Please understand that ‘Limbo’ has plenty of fun moments too, like “Compensating” (featuring Young Thug), among various degrees of substance.
We give it styles points for “Shimmy” and “Easy” featuring Summer Walker, and stand up and clap for standouts “Pressure In My Palms” and “Mama” (“you deserve a long vacation, a standing ovation”).
It would, however, be negligent to ignore Aminé’s 24-month evolution during his time in ‘Limbo’. Adding the album to your rotation would be a good decision. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
