Logic is a Maryland rapper that’s been around for quite some time, and he recently gained fame for what was one of 2017’s biggest (and arguably most impactful) singles, “1-800-273-8255.” This was a mixtape he dropped back in 2016, and while I wasn’t interested in doing a marathon of Logic’s records, I thought it would be interesting to look back at this (since the rumored new project is obviously “Bobby Tarantino 2”), as well as last year’s album “Everybody,” since I had been interested in covering that one for some time now. So, without further ado, let’s get into this record, shall we?
illuminatro: Essentially just an intro that transitions into “Flexicution,” this just has Logic speaking backward about wanting to have fun with this record and not think too much about it. It’s nothing I’ll come back to in the future, but it does flow nicely into the next track.
Flexicution: A very braggadocious track, Logic boasts his success over a really loud, electronic drum beat. It’s definitely not lacking in energy, and while I wasn't all that crazy about the hook at first, it's definitely grown on me, and I do like Logic’s flow a lot, especially on the second verse. Sure, his lyricism might be a bit basic, but he clearly shows here that he has great technical rap skills, and I think that’s what’s gonna keep me coming back to the song.
The Jam: Logic takes some time here to compare himself to Kanye West and Beyoncé over another pumping electronic beat. He once again sounds really confident over this loud beat, his flow is pretty amazing, and even though his vocals on the hook are drowning in autotune, he does sound really good throughout. Even if he repeats some of the same bars on this one, he just sounds so confident and excited, and the song is too fun and energetic to ignore.
Slave II: Another electronic beat accompanies this far darker song where Logic talks all about how he wants to get his name out there. Logic starts off sounding a little more melodic, singing instead of rapping, but around the second verse, we get a big feel change that sees him rapid-firing lyrics about how well his previous album did. It’s definitely not my favorite track on the mixtape, but I do appreciate Logic’s confidence on the track, and the overall darker instrumental melody keeps this one interesting to me.
A Word From Our Sponsor: Logic goes into his Marty Randolph alter-ego on this interlude, calling "Logic" in an attempt to get him to sell his soul, while YaLocalWhiteBoy (a close friend of Logic’s) talks about how much success Logic has seen and how his next album is gonna be so conceptual and all that. It’s a silly little skit, but at least it’s pretty entertaining. I don’t see myself coming back to it all that much, but hey, it at least got a few chuckles out of me, so there’s that.
Wrist (ft. Pusha T): The only song on this record to have a feature (that being Pusha T), this one also has a kind of dark feel to it, thanks to the choir-driven intro and the subject matter (the song is a fictional story about a drug lord reflecting on his personal choices and morality). As always, I love Logic’s very loud, confident demeanor through this track, and I think Pusha T’s verse is pretty solid as well. Really energetic and enjoyable track, I think I’ll definitely come back to it in the future.
Super Mario World: No, this track isn’t called “Super Mario World” because it references the game a lot, it’s called that because it’s got a very 8-bit instrumental melody that, as a gamer, I particularly love. It’s so bright and fun, and it really adds to the general playfulness of the song, from the lyrics to Logic’s flow to the rather basic hook (which he even jokes about), it feels like this song was meant to be a little more silly, and it works for that! I really like this one a lot!
Studio Ambience At Night: Malibu: A little tease for the track “AfricAryaN” from his next album (which I will cover, of course), I like the kind of unconsciousness of this track, where it kind of feels like someone just put a microphone/camera somewhere in the studio and hit the record button to preview the track. Obviously, I feel like I won’t come back to this track after I review the next album and listen to “AfricAryaN,” but it still has a cool vibe to it.
44 Bars: A song where Logic literally spits 44 bars, talking all about his come-up and determination to keep his fans happy, Logic remains as confident as ever on this track, and while it’s not my favorite here, I do think his flow remains solid. My only real gripe is that it does feel like he’s kind of repeating himself at this point and kind of reminding us once again that his last album did so well. Still not a bad track.
Slave: Oddly enough, Logic puts “Slave” after “Slave II.” Figure that one out. But either way, it’s an interesting track to me because Logic spends it talking less about his success, and more about his life as a biracial man. And I like the slightly brighter sound on this one, Logic’s vocals, even if they are slightly autotuned, sound very nice, and his flow remains as strong as ever. It’s a track that I feel deserves to be put after “Slave II,” and I think it’s a really good song overall.
Deeper Than Money: The final track on this tape has a kind of strange, off-beat percussion section which kind of gets a little annoying to me. And while I do like the subject matter, and how the first half of the song talks about wanting money to be happy, where the second half talks about things that make you happy beyond money, I do think there are a few corny moments on this one. There are some pretty decent bars hidden behind those corny moments, but the percussion sections makes it hard for me to love it. I kinda wish that “Slave” ended the mixtape, and not this.
Overall, though, I did dig this project. Logic does spend quite a bit of the mixtape flexing, which could be a bit tiring to some, and that shows on a few of the tracks, but I think that, given that it’s a project that’s more of a holdover, it’s definitely a well-crafted tape. There’s a lot of really memorable tracks here, I like Logic’s overall braggadocio on this one, and his flow is very strong. Given that this was my first true introduction to Logic (outside of “1-800-273-8255,” of course), I’m very impressed with his technicality, and even though I’m well aware that his next album “Everybody” will be far different from this, his general abilities as a rapper make me very interested in checking that record out.
That’ll be my next review, so stay tuned for it!
Favorite tracks: Flexicution, The Jam, Wrist, Super Mario World, Slave
Least favorite tracks: Deeper Than Money (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
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