Portland born rapper, Aminé has been making waves in the Hiphop scene since his breakout single ‘Caroline’. Debuting at 96 on the US Billboard Top 100, the single then climbed all the way to 11 on the chart. In June of 2017 the song was certified triple platinum status. To follow this up he released ‘REDMERCEDES’ , which showed his diversity in style and sound. Where his first track was more soulful and melodic, his second release showed he could create energetic songs as well. Following the successes of these songs, he was then put on the 2017 XXL Freshman Class list, solidifying himself as a talented up-and-comer. He has since released two studio albums, ‘Good for You’ and ‘ONEPOINTFIVE’. The first being a very soulful album, featuring lots of catchy hooks and great vocal melodies. While the second includes more intricate production and introspective lyrics. If Aminé’s strong discography has taught us anything about him, it’s that he refuses to keep himself within a specific sound. Which was incredibly apparent during his live performance.
Aminé came out to a charged up crowd of young people ready for a show. He was wearing a contrasting outfit of a durag and military-esque vest, paired with sparkly converse and purple eyeshadow. To me this was another blatant example of being who he wants to be and not limiting himself by conforming to artistic norms. The opening songs were soulful and the stage was filled with smoke and colors. He was backed by a stage displaying colorful graphics and animations. The crowd seemed to love his energy and charisma, as they screamed at every opportunity they were given.
He segued into his more energetic material as he got the crowd jumping with ‘Campfire’ and ‘STFU2’, before quickly jumping back to slowed down meaningful songs like ‘SHINE’. He would go from jumping and running across the stage to taking a seat and giving a heartfelt vocal melody. For the length of a song he donned a green wig he had worn in a music video which brought lots of cheers from the crowd.
Throughout the night he would take time between songs to remind the audience “You are beautiful, you are beautiful, you are beautiful”. It was clear he wanted all of his fans to have a wholesome experience where they could enjoy his music and be around like-minded fans. He asked the crowd who would like to come on stage and the whole venue exploded with cheers. Once someone was chosen he had them sign a Minnesota themed patch on his pants, which was going to be done for every stop on his tour. His last few tracks were HeebieJeebies, Caroline, REDMERCEDES, and REEL IT IN which the crowd seemed to love. We were the first to find out that he has a newly released remix of REEL IT IN featuring Gucci Mane. Following that, he wished everyone a good night and reminded us all that “you are beautiful”, concluding the mix of feelings and emotions he had just created for everyone in the room.