ONEPOINTFIVE

With his concentrated lyrical potency, Portland-born, Los Angeles-based MC Aminé is something of an anomaly: a boom-bap rapper with R&B chops who flows over trap-style beats. His second album *ONEPOINTFIVE* shows multiple sides of his personality. Breeziness (“WHY?”) and ruthlessness (“CHINGY,” “STFU2”) are equally represented. “DR. WHOEVER” sums up his story so far, recalling his ambitions, frustrations, and the lessons learned—and that’s just in the intro. Meanwhile, “BLACKJACK” and “REEL IT IN” are powerful flexes, celebrating the spoils of success, and the ballad “RATCHET SATURN GIRL” reveals a beating heart lurking underneath the wool beanie.

On the Portland rapper’s surprise “EP/LP/Mixtape/Album,” his feel-good music starts to lose some of the stained, lived-in quality that once made it so rich.