What do you get when you combine a rapper whose calling card is his witty lyricism and a producer whose 2013 Boiler Room set was enough to practically break the house music-loving corners of the internet? Sprinkle in an opportune feature or five—heyyy Freddie Gibbs, Pharrell, Big Sean, (Bacchanal alum!) Amaarae, and Snoop Dogg 👋🏻—and you have yourself a heater of an album. Released May 19, KAYTRAMINÉ witnesses the long-overdue mind meld between two industry veterans: Portland-bred rapper Aminé and Haitian-Québécois producer Kaytranada.
With KAYTRAMINÉ, we see the fruits of two once-underground artists who have found their footing in the mainstream—but this isn’t their first time working together. Listeners got a taste of the super-duo’s sonic spectacularity with a smattering of collaborative tracks over the years, like 2015’s “La Danse”—a personal favorite—off of Aminé’s Calling Brio mixtape. Kaytra, hearing Aminé’s bootleg remix of his song “At All”, offered to officially lend his prowess to the project, ultimately producing three of Calling Brio’s ten tracks. It took nearly a decade for the pair to put out a full-length album, but it was well worth the wait.
A clever portmanteau of the two musicians’ names, KAYTRAMINÉ is pure bliss neatly packaged into eleven tracks; best enjoyed waterside or cityside, on a rooftop or in a basement—from Portland to Montréal to Malibu and back again.
It may be a little too early to call it, but could KAYTRAMINÉ be the release of the summer?
Their socials would like to think so, and for good reason. The LP’s punchy, groovy beats and the neon-saturated vibrancy of the album art and promo have the scorching heat of the summer written all over it. Aminé’s carefree, fluid bars fused with Kaytra’s alchemical propensity for production make for a solidly enjoyable addition to 2023’s musical landscape.
Starting the album off strong, “Who He Iz” immediately leans into the LP’s signature pulsating percussion and clever lyrics. On this track—one of my top picks—Kaytra’s funky production couples nicely with Aminé’s laidback flow to create an unskippable opener.
“4EVA”, the first track that came out in advance of the album’s release, is clearly the breakout star of the project. Right off the bat, it hits you with explosive artistry all wrapped up in a Pharrell-approved bow. If KAYTRAMINÉ isn’t the album of the summer, at least “4EVA” could possibly be the song.
Closer “K&A” concludes the album with a resounding expression of the effortless (and entirely deserved) braggadocio that punctuates KAYTRAMINÉ. With this track, it’s evident that Kaytranada and Aminé are aware of their elite status in the industry—and rightfully so. “It’s K to the, A to the, A to the, K to the/Doin’ what we want ’cause we want,” Aminé echoes throughout the song’s post-chorus.
All in all, each track offers listeners an invitation to escape to a tropical paradise. The entire album is lavishly refreshing—the musical embodiment of the crisp pop of a soda can cracking open and the inevitable “ahh” that comes after tasting the first sip of something good.
That being said, a longtime fan of the two’s solo careers, I expected the most earth-shattering, groundbreaking project. I was mildly underwhelmed upon first listen (I mean, when your debut album is as game-changing as 99.9%, your fans tend to expect something of that caliber with every release). After several listens, however, it’s clear the album gets better with time.
Heralding a summer filled with breezy, bouncy melodies reminiscent of the musical idyll of summer 2016, it’s no surprise that KAYTRAMINÉ is getting the hype they deserve. The two’s unquestionable skill as artists aside, cheeky musical bromances have been en vogue as of late. We’ve seen this most prominently with dream team Four Tet, Fred Again., and Skrillex (Pangbourne House Mafia, if you will) helming the redefinition of electronic music in the mainstream, selling out Madison Square Garden and headlining Coachella in the process. KAYTRAMINÉ is hot on their heels, making their live debut at weekend one of Coachella and recently dropping a line of playfully distinctive merchandise.
Whether or not you get your hands on a bottle of their branded wine, KAYTRAMINÉ pairs delightfully with some sunglasses and a fruity drink or joint in hand—a la the album cover, which features a nonchalant Kaytra and gleeful Aminé doing just that on a pair of bright pink lounge chairs, zero fucks given.
Clocking in at a brisk 33 minutes 43 seconds, KAYTRAMINÉ gives us just what we need and nothing more: a fast-paced, funky, summertime delicacy that’s easy on the ears—a springboard for this powerhouse pair’s continued collaboration.