This is the latest full-length album from rapper, singer, songwriter, biracial, “Bobby Tarantino” himself, Logic. Logic doesn’t really need much of an introduction around these parts, I’ve already covered a good few of his projects lately: this year alone, I’ve reviewed both of his “Bobby Tarantino” mixtapes, as well as last year’s full-length album “Everybody.” This project right here is his fourth studio album (and the first in his “Young Sinatra” series that is classified as a studio album, since the first three “Young Sinatra” projects were all mixtapes), and it’s the second project he’s released this year, following the “Bobby Tarantino II” mixtape that he dropped back in March. Since then, he’s provided several hints at this album right here with the release of three singles, “One Day” which features OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, “The Return” and “Everybody Dies.”
Now, I’m sure you guys know it already, but I do enjoy much of Logic’s music. I love both “Bobby Tarantino” mixtapes, and I’ve definitely given “Bobby Tarantino II” plenty of repeat listens this year, as I’ve continued to return to songs like “44 More,” “Everyday,” and ESPECIALLY “Midnight,” I absolutely love that track, but honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this album. For starters, as someone that has only listened to “Everybody” and the two “Bobby Tarantino” tapes, I’m not really all that familiar with Logic’s “Young Sinatra” persona, and I’m not sure if it’s any different than his other voices. Not only that, but I honestly didn’t really pay much attention to the lead singles that he dropped for this thing. Not out of malice, but I just never really got around to listening to them. Still, I do like Logic’s music, and he definitely knows how to come through with some bangers, so I’m definitely excited to see if he does that here. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Thank You (ft. Lucy Rose & The RattPack): Always starting the albums with the skits, huh? Well, actually, this one is a skit and actual music, so at least there’s that. Anyway, Logic kicks off by informing everyone that this is just the end of the “Young Sinatra” series and that it’s not actually his final album like he’s been teasing. And right from the jump, it’s a seven-minute track! Well, at least we get the idea early and often that this thing is gonna be long. Either way, while I like the message and find Logic’s performance on the verse to be rather confident, I’m not really all that into the production. It just feels like a serviceable beat, and I think Logic’s crooning on the hook is somewhat clunky. And again, it’s sweet that he’s thanking his “RattPack” for giving him a platform to spread his message of PLP (peace, love, and positivity), but this song really didn’t need to be seven minutes. Definitely not the hardest-hitting starter the album could’ve had.
Everybody Dies: A single that sees Logic telling everyone to live their best life since we’re all inevitably going to die (very dark, Logic), I like the very dark production and I really love Logic’s rapid-fire flow and lyricism on this one. Sure, he does go over a few of the same points he mentioned before, but he sounds great doing it, and the song’s production really cuts deep. I don’t really think the hook is one of Logic’s strongest, and it does hold the song back from being one of my favorites on the album, but I do think the song itself sounds really good, and it could end up being a grower with a few more listens.
The Return: The resurrection track of his “Young Sinatra” persona, Logic talks on this one about everything from his come-up to Donald Trump to his haters to even Jay-Z, who he wants to make a song with. I’m down with it, but first Hov has to put “4:44” on Spotify so I can listen to that thing! Anyway, while I wasn’t initially super into this because it sounded a bit too much like the last song, I do think the beat is really fun, the hook is pretty sticky, and Logic comes through with a lot of really clever bars, too. I actually got a kick out of when Logic said “I wish I could face my homophobic, racist attacker / and smack the shit outta they face as peaceful as possible,” and I love how he rapid-fires bar after bar like this throughout the song. Really dig this track.
The Glorious Five: Something of a personal track, Logic details his relationship with his father with this cut, while also talking about how the fame hasn’t changed him at all. You know, just another day in the life of Logic. But honestly, I really thought this was an emotional track. Beyond the hard-hitting boom-bap production and Logic’s rapid-fire flow (and a hook that’s probably one of the album’s best), I actually found his story about his father to be really hard-hitting and resonant. I also like how this track sees Logic, a usually confident performer, in a somewhat more vulnerable frame of mind, still feeling like he doesn’t quite belong yet. It’s a cut that really hits at the heartstrings, and it’s one I can tell Logic definitely put his hard and soul into.
One Day (ft. Ryan Tedder): With the help of OneRepublic's lead singer Ryan Tedder, Logic talks about making his dreams come true, being successful, and other such things that he's talked about in the past. I really like Ryan Tedder’s vocals on the chorus, though I do feel like they are a little bit at odds with Logic’s at certain points of the song. Still, Logic’s performance has plenty of charisma, the boom-bap production is exciting and vibrant (as are the really fun keys), and while some of the lyrics are clearly stuff Logic’s talked about before, the bright and positive vibes of the song are strong enough to make this a good single.
Wu Tang Forever (ft. Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, RZA, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, Jackpot Scotty Wotty, U-God, Masta Killa & GZA): Mad respect to Logic for having the Wu-Tang Clan on their album, but couldn't you give us something a bit shorter? I get it, there’s a lot of features so the song has to be long to give them all their time, but jeez, eight minutes? Yeesh, talk about excess. And honestly, “excess” is the perfect way to describe this song. Yes, the flows are good, and the boom-bap beat is fine (oh, and some of the bars are pretty clever), but damn, did this really need to be eight minutes? Especially given that Logic feels like a non-presence for most of the song, this feels a bit at odds with the rest of the album. Maybe it’d be better if it was on a Wu-Tang album, but as it is, it’s just out of place and overly long.
100 Miles and Running (ft. Wale & John Lindahl): This one sees Logic making references to featured artist Wale’s 2007 mixtape “100 Miles and Running,” which is apparently one of his most successful projects. Wouldn’t know, because I don’t really listen to the guy. Either way, I do like the rather bright sound of this one (and I love the groovy bassline and bright guitar riffs) and Logic’s flow is great as always, though I do find some of his lyrics on this to be a bit redundant and it just feels like he’s kinda repeating himself. Wale’s flow and technicality are good as well, as is John Lindahl’s hook, but I personally don’t find myself really loving the overly long interludes. Still, there’s a lot to really adore about the track, it’s just there’s just as much to dislike about it.
Ordinary Day (ft. Hailee Steinfeld): A song that was apparently scrapped from “Everybody,” Logic teams up with the lovely singer/actress Hailee Steinfeld for this slightly more moody track, given some of the synths and Logic’s moody auto-crooning on the hook. I do like the beat and as always, Logic’s technicality is on point, but I think that the chorus is one of the clumsier ones on the album, as it’s just a bit too repetitive and dull for me. And while I like Hailee Steinfeld’s vocals, I feel like she’s not given enough time to really show them off here. It’s definitely not one of my favorites from the album.
YSIV: The title track sees Logic use some of his “YSIV Freestyle” that he used to announce the album, while also paying homage to the recently deceased rapper Mac Miller. This is another rather long cut, clocking in at just over six minutes. I know Logic has a lot of time on his hands given how much he drops at once, but jeez, dude, this is a bit much. Still, I think he rapid-fires some rather clever bars on this one (and he also gives a very sweet tribute to Mac), though I do find some of the subject matter to again be redundant (something Logic admits to on this song, frustratingly). And the boom-bap beat is nice, as are the very smooth piano riffs and feel changes, though I again think the song could’ve used a better chorus. Still, this could be another grower, it’s definitely a nice enough song despite its length.
Street Dreams II: A sequel to a track that apparently never got released, Logic pays homage to Big L and tells a fictional story about robbing a store with his producer, 6ix, though he reveals that it was all just a dream. Don’t you love when stories end like that? Anyway, this is another merely middle-of-the-road song to me: I love the very moody instrumentals and the boom-bap beat is good enough, but Logic’s performance honestly doesn’t stick with me as much. Yeah, his flow is strong as always, and the story is interesting enough, but it doesn’t really sound like he’s doing much to distinguish himself with this one. I’m sure the hardcore fans will dig it, but for me, it just doesn’t do much.
The Adventures of Stoney Bob (ft. Kajo, Slaydro & Big Lenbo): It’s a song about smoking weed! “Indica Badu” is calling my name. And honestly, I feel like the song isn’t really as strong as “Indica Badu” because, with “Indica Badu,” I really felt like, even as someone that doesn’t smoke weed, the song’s production was interesting enough that it created the feeling of being on a weed high. This one doesn’t really do that: the instrumental just feels like a number of the other songs on this album, and while Logic’s performance (as well as the performances of the guest vocalists) are all good, the production just feels somewhat dime-a-dozen and doesn’t really stick like a number of the other songs on here. One of the weaker tracks on the album, even if I appreciate that the weed-smoking song is 4:20 in length.
Legacy: A more emotional track, Logic talks about his fear of working so hard that he ends up missing important moments in his family’s life. Fortunately, I actually like this one a lot more than many of the other songs on the album. Even if some of the production still feels a bit “same-y” compared to some of the other songs on the album (with some rather moody, piano-driven melodies and rather standard boom-bap beats), I really like Logic’s storytelling, and I think this is one of the album’s more interesting songs lyrically. It comes from a different perspective since Logic doesn’t actually have a kid, but I do like what he’s saying on this one, and that’s what makes it one of the album’s more compelling tracks.
ICONIC (ft. Jaden Smith): Apparently, this one is called “ICONIC” because Jaden Smith is on it and he still thinks he’s an “icon living.” Funny, Jaden, funny. Anyway, there are a few things I really like about this one: I like that Logic references Eminem’s name-drop from “Kamikaze” with class (because regardless of how good or bad he is now, you’ve gotta respect Eminem, he’s a legend), and as someone that’s generally not a huge Jaden fan, I do like that his contribution to the track is short, sweet and to the point, not feeling like it goes on too long (I also like how it leads into the feel-change I’ll talk about later). I also like the more pumping beat, Logic’s hook is one of the more compelling choruses on the album, and I think his performance is one of the more exciting and energetic vocal performances on the album. And the feel-change the song takes towards the end actually works for the better here, giving the song nice variance and increased fun factor. Definitely one of my favorite cuts on the album.
Last Call: Logic finishes off by trying to be Kanye West (since Kanye did this on “The College Dropout”), while also talking about his come-up, his success, and his future. So, essentially he talks about Logic topics, but he just brings his future into it. And not only does he do that, but he makes the song 11 minutes as well…as if he hasn’t been bloating out runtimes enough with this record. And it also doesn’t help to me that this song just feels like so many of the others on the album, with very similar moody piano riffs and a very same-y boom-bap beat. And there are some good flows and crooning on this song, but it just becomes so dull listening to Logic’s bloated spoken-word interludes on this one. I get it, it’s supposed to make him seem more personable, and Logic is definitely likable when he talks, but I feel like they just make the song go on too long. Overall, just as the album started off a bit rough, this is definitely an unfortunately weak end to a disappointing album.
Overall, while the album mostly ended pretty well, I have to say that “YSIV” is easily the most middle-of-the-road Logic project I’ve listened to at this point. Yes, Logic continues to prove that he, technically speaking, is one of the more talented rappers in the game, and I do believe that many of his flows are very fun and impressive, but honestly, even with the hype and the return to the “boom-bap,” most of the production on this thing just doesn’t really stick. A lot of it just tends to mesh together, as do Logic’s lyrics, since he finds himself just recycling the same tired themes with no real care at all. At the very least, “Everybody” was conceptual in some way. This honestly just felt like an extended “Bobby Tarantino” tape to me, especially since it felt to me like Logic referred to himself as “Bobby Tarantino” more times than he referred to himself as “Young Sinatra.” And furthermore, I feel like Logic’s previous albums saw him come through with some really strong hooks, but here, most of the songs just didn’t hook. A lot of them just kinda felt like white noise to me, in one ear and then out the other. All things considered, despite the hype behind the fact that it’s the final “Sinatra” project from Logic, this is one of his least special and least distinct works to date, unfortunately.
Logic, I love ya, man, but I’m sorry, I wasn’t all the way into this album.
Favorite tracks: The Return, The Glorious Five, One Day, Legacy, ICONIC
Least favorite tracks: Thank You, Wu-Tang Forever, Ordinary Day, The Adventures of Stoney Bob, Last Call
Rating: Okay
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