Aminé, “a nappy-headed black lil cool kid”, as he calls himself on the song “BLACKJACK”, recently dropped his fifth studio album “ONEPOINTFIVE”, 13 songs jammed into a half hour. Though Aminé has been in the game since 2014, his sounds weren’t widely recognized until his hit single “Caroline”. “Caroline” is also his only song to have reached the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, he has quietly crept into popularity being known for his inventive lyrics and music videos. Expect heavy trap beats, auto-tuned melodies, quick lyrical spits, and Ricky Thompson samplings—a Youtube star and internet personality who Aminé also decided to feature in the first music video produced for the album.
Aminé consistently shows throughout the album that he can keep up with a number of styles and he isn’t afraid to throw them all into the same album. He begins the album with the song “DR. WHOEVER” where he opens up about how his life has changed post fame. “I went from plaque in my teeth to havin’ plaques on the wall.” My favorites were songs like “REEL IT IN” that play with a fusion of flute, classical guitar plucking, and hard bass knocking beats. This provides a multi-layered experience for the listener that will cause them to rock back and forth sporting that signature stank face (rap heads you know what I’m talking about). Songs like “WHY?”; however, seem whiny, repetitive lyrically, and out of place on this album and would best be reserved for some SoundCloud emo rapper.
Overall this album is a solid compilation for the rising Aminé and shows the range that he has as an artist; though, true fans of Aminé might find themselves longing for the old sound when he wasn’t playing chameleon.