It’s no wonder people have been calling 2017 the “Renaissance” of Hip-Hop, with new albums from Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$ and Logic.
Hoping to leave his mark, rapper Logic released “Everybody” on May 5, his first full-length album since 2015.
Following the style of his previous works, the album incorporates a wide variety of elements from both modern-day rap and the traditional old-school rap. Logic often gets credit for not being “a talentless, sell-out rapper” and for his unconventional style. Because he speaks about common problems, he appeals to many types of fans.
But “Everybody” is not a groundbreaking Hip-Hop album like Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly.” It did not receive as much praise or sell as many copies as the latter album. It is, however, not a bad album in any way. It pushes the boundary of what topics are acceptable to talk about in rap and discusses themes that have rarely been covered in hip hop.
In this album, Logic tries to address emotional, serious themes such as suicide, but delivers in a simple way that lacks depth. In “1-800-273-8255,” for example, he raps in the chorus “I finally wanna be alive / I finally wanna be alive / I don't wanna die today / I don't wanna die.”
While the repetition of this idea emphasizes his message, the lyrics can feel repetitive and lack depth. Rap songs need more variation, and the chorus of this song does not have particularly interesting lines as it is fairly monotone. There are certainly better ways to portray the theme of depression and suicide than simply repeating “I want to be alive.” Logic could have talked about a certain experience or used clever wordplay and symbolism as other artists often do.
Yet the rapper redeemed himself in the way he rapped about his personal problems, such as being a light-skinned biracial man in his song “Black Spiderman,” which has a catchy beat and unique lyrics, showcasing Logic’s robust flow.
On his last mixtape, “Bobby Tarantino,” Logic was more versatile, incorporating auto-tune into one of the songs. Compared to his older albums, he has lost lyrical originality, but compensates for it with his thematic ambition.
If Logic incorporates original rhyming schemes like the ones found in The Notorious B.I.G’s “Hypnotize,” he can bring his flow to a new level while also having many different “types” of voices so people do not get bored.
Logic undoubtedly addressed about personal topics that many listeners can relate to such as biraciality and depression. And he does not try to be something he is not — something which more rappers nowadays desperately need to understand. He is confident in his abilities and is not afraid to express himself.
He rapped, “Black is beautiful / Be black and proud / F*** everybody hatin' on me right now, I’m black and proud / I’m just as white as that Mona Lisa / I’m just as black as my cousin Keisha / I’m biracial so bye Felicia.” Logic talks about how people should be treated as equals regardless of what they believe in, therefore highlighting how proud he is of his biraciality.
Logic also brings light upon unique social issues such as racism and LGBT rights in this album.
Here, he takes another artistic leap by talking about normally taboo topics in the rap industry. He talks about more than just violence, women and money, making this rap album an emotionally conscious one.
Specifically, on the song “Take It Back,” Logic revisits the hardships he endured growing up and how he preserved through these hardships to become the great rapper he is today.
Critics generally agree that his previous album, “The Incredible True Story,” is far better, but “Everybody” stands as one of the best albums released in 2017 so far. My rating: four out of five Falcons.
