The return of Amine in February with “Shimmy” was for me, a pleasant surprise. Not just because I think it’s a great song but because I realized how long it had been since I had heard his voice. The announcement of “Limbo” and a few more singles over the following months just kept my anticipation growing. Now it’s finally here. Although I found most of “ONEPOINTFIVE” underwhelming, I’ve considered myself a fan of Amine since he took off with “Caroline”. (“Good For You” as a whole was a very solid debut) So with no further ado, let’s dive in.
“Burden” kicks the album off on a grimier note than I ever would have predicted. The beat brings producers like Daringer or The Alchemist to my mind. Producing for someone like Pusha T. But even without the aggression or cocaine bars, Amine delivers a strong opener. It’s an intro packed with social commentary and brief personal moments. I wouldn’t mind hearing Amine on more of those beats in the future. In a similar vein to Tyler The Creator, he demonstrates an understanding of the style without compromising the personality of his rapping.
“Woodlawn” takes things in a more accessible direction. The woodwind beat sounds like it was made for a Dababy single but I much prefer what Amine does with it. Mostly again because of the personality his rapping in any style carries. His flows on this song and many others are fun and infectious. If you’ve heard his debut album, it’s a lot like “Yellow” but a little more modernized. There are a handful of songs here with big mainstream potential that actually have the replay value to back it up. He’s gotten much better at crafting “bangers” since “ONEPOINTFIVE”.
Kobe Bryant is paid homage throughout this album but the “Kobe” interlude is the only moment that focuses in on it. I think what Jak Knight says about losing a piece of his childhood with Kobe is a statement that a whole generation can find relatable. In this day and age, it takes a lot for an event to shock the entire world but the loss of Kobe was definitely one of those events. It goes without saying but may he and the other casualties of that crash rest in peace.
“Roots” makes sense following an interlude about losing a figure closely connected to Amine’s. From start to finish, it’s one of the best arranged songs I’ve heard all year. Huge props to Injury Reserve’s Parker Corey on the production. (He does a phenomenal job on “Fetus” later in the album as well)
Amine’s verse is clever and well delivered but I have to say the features are really what elevate this one. Charlie Wilson is a feature you can never go wrong with and his contributions to “Roots” are top tier. Just him singing “let me grow” at the end nearly got me to tears. Then there’s J.I.D. who takes the plant metaphor and runs miles with it. He’s so good at doing that on features and this is one of his best. Everything about the song is just perfect to me. Amine’s best songs are the ones that hit the soul and “Roots” hits it dead on.
“Can’t Decide” picks things up with a Latin-flavored instrumental that Amine once again just makes work for him. His versatility when it comes to adapting to beats outside of the expected is very worthy of praise. The hook is my favorite on the whole album and the verses are just as strong melodically. I like “Compensating” fine enough but truthfully I wish this song was the one with a Young Thug feature. I think they’d work far better together on T-Minus’ production here.
But that being said, “Compensating” isn’t bad at all. It’s pretty similar to “Can’t Decide” but it’s just not nearly as flavorful. It’s pretty typical pop-rap fare and Young Thug’s presence is the biggest thing helping it stand out in the tracklist.
The aforementioned lead single “Shimmy” is just as good now as it was months ago. While not as gritty as “Burden”, it has a similarly old-school feel to it. Boosted immensely by the Ol Dirty Bastard sample. Amine’s not a “bar fest” rapper but this is as close to it as I’ve ever seen him get. The unexpected aggression made it a strong comeback single and while there’s no added value in the context of the album, it still shines.
“Pressure In My Palms” is a song that kept me on my toes from start to finish. It’s a pulsating track with more anxious build up than a Safdie Brothers movie. I don’t know if the internal discomfort that accompanies this song on first listen is intentional or not but it’s a strong presence. But despite how that may sound, it’s not a criticism. The Safdie comparison works because like with their films, I love the adrenaline of “Pressure In My Palms”. The song refuses to let me get comfortable and I accept that. I’ve grown to love it.
But the production wouldn’t hit me that hard if the rapping over it was less than great. But great is exactly what it is. Amine’s first verse is packed with references aimed right at my demographic and though I wish they stayed longer, slowthai and Vince Staples were perfect inclusions to compliment the song. But even after all that, the beat switch is my favorite part. The way it caught me by surprise was just so euphoric. “Pressure In My Palms” is just an overall intense experience I’ll soon wish I could relive.
So of course something like that needs a digestible “cool down” song and “Riri” is just that. It’s another track about heartbreak and complications where Amine sounds great vocally. I have to give him credit. By this point in an album, I’d normally be bored with poppy “love songs” but Amine keeps them fun and catchy. There’s not a song on this album I don’t like. I’m very impressed.
I’m not a big Summer Walker fan but even “Easy” is a song I really enjoy. Her and Amine are a fitting pair vocally. Something about their respective tones just aligns the right way. It leans way harder into an R&B edge than any other song on this album and that’s to it’s benefit. That being said, I’m still glad it’s the last song of it’s kind going into the final leg of the album. Even with Amine’s talent, it would’ve gotten excessive sooner or later.
I praised “Roots” for being soulful and it is in spades. But “Mama” is a heartfelt anthem for Amine’s mother that hits the soul in a much warmer way. (As all great songs about moms do. Look to Kanye West or Tupac for prevalent examples) Bringing back Charlie Wilson definitely plays a big part in that. The man can do no wrong in my eyes. As well as Amine’s lyrics reminiscing on his upbringing and all his mom did for him through that time. It’s a tale as old as time but it makes for a beautiful moment on the album. Call your mom today if you can.
Amine’s vocals on “Becky” are so entrancing I didn’t pick up on the lyrical content until my 3rd or 4th listen. Once I read into it, I found it to be a pretty unique perspective on a situation a lot of people don’t receive if they don’t experience it firsthand. Amine sings about being given an almost unanimous side-eye for being in an interracial relationship. Being stigmatized by his family, his friends and the general public at large. The simple line “I’m fed up with a world that I know I can’t change” sums it all up fairly well. I appreciate the song for presenting that reality and for making it so captivating to listen to.
For Injury Reserve fans, Parker Corey’s production is far more recognizable on “Fetus”. The beat is hard to describe but it honestly borders on experimental. Just with a softer touch. Once I was used to it, I liked it a lot. It’s actually kinda soothing accompanied by the verses from Amine and the other Injury Reserve members. Amine uses references similarly to how he does on “Pressure In My Palms” but it’s in the service of imagery on “Fetus”. Setting a scene as he raps about the state of the world and his hesitance to bring a child into it.
The first posthumous verse from Steppa J Groggs being about his daughter is hard to take in. Listening to him reflect on finding out his daughter was coming and how she’s grown, quite frankly, hurts. Groggs was a talent taken far too soon. Ritchie With A T matches the energy in his bars too. Particularly with the line “I hope I can be half the father that The Mamba was”. “Fetus”, like “Becky”, is a hard dose of reality in a couple different ways and it’s thought provoking. I think that’s why I’ll come back to it frequently.
“My Fantasy” closes the album out with multiple eras of Kanye influence. Amine has the confidence of “MBDTF” Kanye breaking into “808s”-esque melodies. The sample driven beat of course brings older Kanye to mind as well. But Amine is his own artist and definitely brings his own unique delivery. It’s nice to be able to put aside the emotional heft of the songs preceding “My Fantasy” and just end the album with a smile. Daniel Caesar is always an excellent choice on vocals and he wraps the album up smooth as butter.
Overall this is, in every aspect, Amine’s best crafted body of work to date. Significantly so. Each song after the next flows like water. Nothing feels out of place or overstays it’s welcome. But I don’t feel like anything’s missing either. “Limbo” is basically airtight. Amine demonstrates versatility left and right going from hard bars to catchy pop-rap fusions to smooth R&B. Listening to “Limbo”, put plainly, is fun. It’s a fun summer album even if it’s a little late. The replay value on it is very high regardless.
There’s no telling where Amine can go from here and that excites me. If he takes his time on another project as well structured and polished as “Limbo” I think he’ll (ironically) only go up. Either way, I’ll anticipate hearing from him again.
