Alternative hip-hop darling Amine, flirting with household name status around the time of his 2016 breakout single “Caroline,” has been quieter than usual in the past couple of years. KAYTRAMINE, naturally a collab album produced with hip-house royalty KAYTRANADA, marked the Portland MC’s last full-fledged release in 2022. However, a spate of loosie singles began to heat up in the fall, now culminating with the .mp3s EP, a roundup of Amine singles that hit the ‘net in the preceding weeks. Here’s an overview of what to expect with this latest project.
.mp3s Contains A Further Dive Into Electronic From Amine
If you indeed tuned into KAYTRAMINE, this release’s opener, “s2wik,” will closely align with what you likely expect from .mp3s. That’s not to say that it’s entirely a retread—rather than the energetic, clubby fare that KAYTRANADA tends towards in his recent material, “s2wik” veers closer to the chilled-out atmosphere you’d get from someone like Fred again.. Despite the aesthetic divergence, Amine is still plenty up to the task, copping a melancholic, reflective demeanor that nevertheless carries an optimistic lining.
From there, we hit “Wingz,” deriving its title from the chorus where Amine shouts out its producer, Cardo Got Wingz. Centering the song so heavily around the beat-maker extraordinaire reflects how his contributions are the main selling point; the rapper’s presence here takes on a much more boisterous tenor, delivering choppy rhythms of short lines rich with glitzy imagery: “Bumpin’ JAY-Z with the top down / Ridin’ ’round my town with a crown.”
The Highs And The Lows Of This Roundup EP
“Passenger Princess” contains the only vocal feature on .mp3s, Amine enlisting fellow “underground” phenom Smino. Marking the pair’s first collaboration, the track is a match made in heaven, uniting two rappers uniquely fluent in “vibey” material and off-the-wall flows. However, both lean into a more relaxed part of their register and don’t pull out any particular inventive cadences on top of it. That’s not inherently bad, but the instrumental also tips in that direction, sadly resulting in a song that washes over you rather than fully grabbing your attention.
.mp3s sees Amine close out with “Adam,” quickly righting any potential wrongs from “Passenger Princess.” Utilizing his government first name, the Oregon rapper takes a sharp left from the carefree, energetic persona that defines the songs that lead up to this, instead hitting on alt R&B and a vulnerable slice-of-life narrative. Amine confesses to insecurity and low self-esteem, showcasing serious melodic range in the back half of the track over some tender instrumentation. It’s a knockout punch delivered in the closing moments of the project, perhaps the moment that excites us most for what he has in store next.
Stream the .mp3s EP and everything Amine wherever you get your music.
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