If you haven’t heard of Animé, you’ll be forgiven for struggling with pronunciation. You’re not the first, however, his song Hero is perhaps a good place to start if you don’t want to pronounce it wrong as he has given the world an informative skit, presumably referencing the number of different ways his name has been mistaken over the years.
If you HAVE heard of Aminé, then you’ve probably heard today’s track, Caroline. The rapper’s stand out single comes from his debut studio album, Good For You and, in typical Aminé fashion, opens with a skit to set the mood. The eponymous, fictional character of Caroline is the focus of the rapper’s lustings throughout the song and, whilst it fails to deliver any new, groundbreaking concepts through its lyrics, Caroline is thoughtfully produced and infectiously catchy. With Aminé himself and Pasqué on production duties, it is clear to see how meticulous the Oregon rapper wanted to be with his lead single from his first body of work.
The song fits into the mold of “I want to fuck bitches” that a lot of hip-hop can stray into, but there are subtle distinctions that bring a slight smirk rather than a bored eye-roll. Aminé raps about finding the one rather than settling for perfection that might not be a right fit, which is refreshing from a young rapper (admittedly there’s a lot of metaphors surrounding sex and fellatio, but it’s a start). He also credits film director Quentin Tarantino as an inspiration for him, name dropping him during the song’s verse (verse one and two is repeated) and also wearing a Pulp Fiction T-shirt in the music video, one of Tarantino’s most-loved classics. Clearly, some of the director’s creativity has seeped into Aminé’s own storytelling, as he has discussed previously on writing for Tupac Shakur at the age of five and finding his muse in a Himalayan dragon that was pointed out to him by a Tibetan monk on a trip he was sent on by his sugar mama. Say what you want, but you can’t criticise his imagination.
The album is a solid debut project, and his sophomore album ONEPOINTFIVE, released last year on Republic Records, is a considered and enjoyable follow up. If you’re looking for a place to start to delve into Aminé and his work, why not start chronologically and enjoy Caroline?
Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex
A Song A Day 