“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Okay, let’s make another “Pine and Ginger.”’ That’s not a thing that can happen because we didn’t even make "Pine and Ginger" with the intent of it being a “Pine and Ginger.” It was all organic.” At 18-years-old, Amindi Kiara Frost—who performs under a stylized moniker of her own name, Amindi K. Fro$t (the $ is solely for the culture)—is a vibrant artist of Jamaican heritage from LA who, in spite of her age, speaks with the intuity of someone well beyond her years. “Pine and Ginger” is the song that shot her into the limelight— though the earliest single released on her SoundCloud page dates back three years. Originally it premiered on the SoundCloud page of Film Noir Sound—a record label whose co-founder, KRS, has credits on the track—but it has now garnered the eyes and ears of virtually everyone, popping back into rotation since it was recently given a video treatment by director Lil Internet.
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Created alongside another Jamaican artist, Tessellated, and produced by Valleyz, the record is the meeting place of the Frost’s heritage—being Jamaican and American—but that is simply a footnote into what she has to offer musically. Amindi K. Fro$t is the unique-sounding, genre-bending, artist that we need to pay attention to and, quite frankly, is the coolest Libra in LA.
“I was raised like a Q-Tip. One side is dipped in my LA culture while the other side is dipped in my very strong household Jamaican culture,” Frost says. “Both sides of the Q-tip are supersaturated. There’s no denying that I’m from LA, but also, I’m very proud to be Caribbean and West Indian.” Frost’s parents were both born in Jamaica and later met in Los Angeles. Her father, who is also a musician, has encouraged her to pursue her love for music and find happiness in her craft. She says, “He wants me to just find my niche and stick to it and express myself in a way that I’m comfortable doing it,” which is exactly what she’s doing.A creative through and through, Frost reaches into the worlds close to her heart—and worlds outside of singing—to shape her sound and her approach to music. She’s cited film as a fountain from which she draws inspiration, in particular works from Wes Anderson, John Hughes, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and John Singleton, and uses techniques like writing from the point of view of their characters to create some of her lyrics. Frost has also used this technique for understanding how rappers approach their writing. She positions her own characters’ point of view from that of a rapper sometimes, which has allowed her to appreciate their craft more. “I love rap. Rappers are definitely my favourite people to mimic because when they create their music, they’re creating from like a place of passion—I think every musicians does—but I think I’m really interested in the mindsets of rappers and how they express themselves.”
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Life has certainly been as sweet as pine and ginger since the song’s release and it’s safe to say that her 11:00 a.m.’s are a little different than before. Frost is now met with an overwhelming amount of love from new fans who appreciate the newly released record. “When I open my Instagram, there’s more followers, more comments, my DMs telling me that they love “Pine and Ginger” [and] people telling me that they love the video,” she says. “It’s positivity. All around, all the time and it’s just so cool. There’s always a random notification from somebody, whether it’s on Twitter or Instagram. It’s mostly from Jamaican people and it’s just so cool that I can connect with these people via the internet because they like the art I created with my friends.”The best part about it? This love translates from online to offline. As Frost gears up to perform on the Tessellated and Friends bill later this month, she recounts a time where she was able to perform the record live in Portmore, Jamaica. “It was so cool. I’ve never been to a space or performed in a space where everyone knows the song that I’m singing and in Jamaica, and in the Caribbean in general, the song has been spreading so wide. It’s definitely a blessing.”
She is ready now to more broadly share her talent. “Pine and Ginger” was and still is a bop. We all know it and so does Frost. It’s a record whose sound embodies what most producers and artists strive for when trying to make a Caribbean-sounding record but, of course, authenticity is what makes it standout. Her next step is creating something that will be as impactful and she’s steadily working toward that goal. “I’m constantly recording, constantly writing, constantly creating,” she mentions. “I wanna make something really good. Put out something really good to follow up “Pine and Ginger” because I feel like now people are kind of anticipating [that].”She is also looking forward to expanding her creative breadth. With a love for film and visuals, she hopes that there will be ample opportunities for her to direct her own music videos. Shares Frost, “I wanna make more music videos. I wanna do the coolest stuff just to add something for the eyes to all the things I make for the ears. I like pretty, I like art, I like movies, I like cinematic stuff so in the future I’d definitely want to make as many cool and well made music videos as I can.” Frost is excited at the prospect of collaborating with other like-minded creatives and continuing to make more art that resonates with anyone who listens to her work.Amindi K. Fro$t is a true artist, one who refuses to be bound by anything that will limit her creative reach. “I’m proud of my Caribbean heritage and I’m proud of being who I am but I won’t let that define my art. I feel like art and artists, they create the content that reflects them as a person, not what other people want to see. I feel like that’s what makes the most pure and beautiful art.”
Sharine stans for all Jamaican creatives. You can follow her on Twitter.Photos by Desiree Parham.