On Kaytraminé, their first collaborative album, producer Kaytranada and rapper Aminé create a carefree summer soundtrack. Kaytranada is pictured floating in a pool on the album’s cover, brandishing a smoldering joint with laissez-faire cool that echoes his production style, which is rife with beats that ripple in slow motion and synthesizers that reverberate like fireworks. Alongside Kaytra, Aminé is seen leaning forward, champagne flute in hand, with a mischievous smile, all perfectly mirroring his dynamism as an MC.
Aminé’s performance on “Rebuke” unfolds with an assured nonchalance, while his flair for infectious hooks is evident on “Eye.” As the album unfurls, his focus shifts seamlessly between past and present, placing his humble beginnings in the context of his success. “I used to sip Jarritos every goddamn day…Now I’m in the Swiss alps sippin’ champagne,” he boasts on “Master P,” a playful flex but also a proud ode to how far he’s come.
Aminé peppers his songs with French verses and elusive pop-culture winks. On “Westside,” he raps with a flair for the theatrical about savoring poached eggs while sitting cross-legged in Puglia. At other times, he comes across as authentic and sincere: “Your ego got a ego/Now your ego got a chain/Mi amigo pobrecito/Be yourself and stay the same,” he raps on “K&A.”
There’s a clear-cut cheekiness to the album’s sexual content—one that doesn’t shy away from getting raunchy when necessary. “I hit ‘em with that rhythm, call it pussy percussion” Aminé quips on “4EVA.” And Ghanaian singer Amaarae pulls no punches on “Sossaup,” purring, “Fuck him on tape, press replay/Gave him sticky icky on the first date.”
For his part, Kaytra serves beats that are just as varied as his counterpart’s verses. On “Who He Iz,” he bounces a murky, digitized jaw harp, a hat-tip to grime, and “Letstalkaboutit” shifts gears with heavenly wind chimes and alien-sounding synths while guest Freddie Gibbs’s raw baritone grounds the track with a fierce braggadocio. Kaytra’s production isn’t just about variety; it’s a full-bodied embrace of unpredictability and experimentation.
Displaying Kaytra’s mastery of kinetics, “4EVA” is the album’s pulsating heart, with beats that are vibrant and animated, at the intersection of hip-hop and dance music. And while Kaytra sprinkles dancehall and tropical polyrhythms throughout, he keeps things consistent.
Kaytraminé boasts a contagious whatever-happens-happens attitude that encapsulates the freedom of summer. You could be anywhere: eating poached eggs in Puglia, sipping champagne in the Swiss Alps, or just drinking beer in an aboveground pool—it doesn’t matter. Kaytraminé suggests that as long as the sun’s high and your vibes are higher, you’re in the right place.
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