It’s hard to think of any debut, especially from a Portland artist, with bigger expectations than Aminé’s Good for You. After his breakout single “Caroline”—which has earned triple-platinum sales and a music video with more than 179 million YouTube views—skyrocketed the Portland rapper into superstar status in mere months, the burning question on many people’s minds was, “How the hell is the dude going to follow that?”
Released last week on Republic Records, Good for You shows that Aminé hasn’t been sitting on his ass, despite what his ill-advised album cover would have you believe. In 15 tracks—which range from club beats to indie rock to hip-rolling R&B—the 23-year-old MC is eager to prove he’s no one-hit wonder.
Though he’s not a remarkable lyricist, Aminé’s delivery is versatile, playful, and adaptable to whatever beat he’s singing over: “I was down, yeah, now I’m better/Stuntin’ with my dogs like my first name Cruella,” he rhymes on the Metro Boomin’- and Frank Dukes-produced “Yellow.” “Black girls love me ’cause a nigga got some feta/And white girls love me like my first name Coachella.” Aminé’s got plenty of banging beats to work with on Good for You, including four new tracks produced by longtime collaborator Pasqué.