Image Courtesy: Def Jam Recordings
By: Gio Mio
What's the difference between borrowing and completely stealing? This is a line we tend to debate and cross a lot in rap. There's the argument of if Young Thug is a carbon copy of Lil' Wayne, or if Kanye's sampling is genius in making a song out of a snippet or straight up thievery. But what about a story that lasts multiple albums? If the sounds on those albums stay the same along with the story, is it great storytelling, or running out of ideas?
This is where Logic comes into play. Ever since his Young Sinatra mixtapes, the Maryland-born rapper has released three albums into his quadrilogy entering 2017. The album that comes into question is his latest, Everybody. Starting off with an album name change from AfricAryaN (it's at least a track name) and Freddie Gibbs accusing Logic of jacking his album covert art, the PR run for the album before the release didn't seem too promising.
Just like the accusations, Everbody sounds diverse but fails to stands out. The album starts with our main character dying in a car accident and "God," voiced by Neil deGrasse Tyson, explaining why he was there in the first place. I love the attempt to put religion in your album, but Kendrick Lamar did that more recently and more successfully, especially according to critics. Then there's using Killer Mike as only a preaching sermon on "Confess" and not letting him rap. C'mon Logic, I know you're keeping a storyline, but as a big Run The Jewels fan, I'm sure a verse would elevate this album higher than what I have it as. And just like any recent rapper's songs after November 2016, Logic calls out President Donald Trump. Naming a track "America" and featuring Chuck D, along with calling out Trump, isn't original at all.
While it sounds like I'm highly critical of Everybody, the second half of the album is the Logic I want consistently. Starting from "Ink Blot" featuring Juicy J, all the way to the surprise at the end of "AfricAryaN" (I'm not playing spoiler, listen to the full track,) Logic hits on all of the topics he's trying to preach. During his promotion for the album, Logic admitted to suffering from anxiety and not being happy while recording Everybody. You can hear that pain and suffering on the song "1-800-273-8255," which is the number to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline. This is a song that hasn't been done in the mainstream before and hits a topic that everyone who suffers from depression can relate to. A story of a man who calls the hotline looking to end his life, only to end up wanting to live again thanks to talking to someone. This goes a long way to what Logic's trying to accomplish. I can't forget the good vibes you get while listening to "Black SpiderMan" as well. Damian Lemar Hudson KILLS his feature on that song. Although I'll be honest, the philosophy deGrasse Tyson talks about on "Waiting Room" doesn't fit with the concept of the album.
Logic's at his best delivering the message he wants when he's not trying to force cliche controversial topics down our throat. If you listen to "Take It Back," he rants for a few minutes about his upbringing and struggling with having white skin while having African American descent. In retrospect this is a topic that should take over, but with how he's yelling and not rapping about it takes away from how special his story is. But on "Mos Definitely," he uses an automatic gun flow to discuss the topics that current 20-somethings deal with, like being in six figure debt from student loans.
Everybody is an attempt to make an album that "everybody" can relate to, but fails to highlight what makes Logic such a great rapper. When you lose yourself in the art of making others happy compared to what makes you happy, the results will show. Logic even discussed this back when he was talking about his panic attacks. That's why I love the second half of the album; you can hear his pain and fear of the world. You can hear the aftermath of his panic attack on "Anziety." You can hear his changed mindset in "Black SpiderMan." There's no need to reach out to everyone when you're at your best when you're yourself. A little deep for a last paragraph on a review, but it's true.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Notable Tracks
"Everybody"
"1-800-273-8255"
"Black Spiderman"
What's the difference between borrowing and completely stealing? This is a line we tend to debate and cross a lot in rap. There's the argument of if Young Thug is a carbon copy of Lil' Wayne, or if Kanye's sampling is genius in making a song out of a snippet or straight up thievery. But what about a story that lasts multiple albums? If the sounds on those albums stay the same along with the story, is it great storytelling, or running out of ideas?
This is where Logic comes into play. Ever since his Young Sinatra mixtapes, the Maryland-born rapper has released three albums into his quadrilogy entering 2017. The album that comes into question is his latest, Everybody. Starting off with an album name change from AfricAryaN (it's at least a track name) and Freddie Gibbs accusing Logic of jacking his album covert art, the PR run for the album before the release didn't seem too promising.
Just like the accusations, Everbody sounds diverse but fails to stands out. The album starts with our main character dying in a car accident and "God," voiced by Neil deGrasse Tyson, explaining why he was there in the first place. I love the attempt to put religion in your album, but Kendrick Lamar did that more recently and more successfully, especially according to critics. Then there's using Killer Mike as only a preaching sermon on "Confess" and not letting him rap. C'mon Logic, I know you're keeping a storyline, but as a big Run The Jewels fan, I'm sure a verse would elevate this album higher than what I have it as. And just like any recent rapper's songs after November 2016, Logic calls out President Donald Trump. Naming a track "America" and featuring Chuck D, along with calling out Trump, isn't original at all.
While it sounds like I'm highly critical of Everybody, the second half of the album is the Logic I want consistently. Starting from "Ink Blot" featuring Juicy J, all the way to the surprise at the end of "AfricAryaN" (I'm not playing spoiler, listen to the full track,) Logic hits on all of the topics he's trying to preach. During his promotion for the album, Logic admitted to suffering from anxiety and not being happy while recording Everybody. You can hear that pain and suffering on the song "1-800-273-8255," which is the number to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline. This is a song that hasn't been done in the mainstream before and hits a topic that everyone who suffers from depression can relate to. A story of a man who calls the hotline looking to end his life, only to end up wanting to live again thanks to talking to someone. This goes a long way to what Logic's trying to accomplish. I can't forget the good vibes you get while listening to "Black SpiderMan" as well. Damian Lemar Hudson KILLS his feature on that song. Although I'll be honest, the philosophy deGrasse Tyson talks about on "Waiting Room" doesn't fit with the concept of the album.
Logic's at his best delivering the message he wants when he's not trying to force cliche controversial topics down our throat. If you listen to "Take It Back," he rants for a few minutes about his upbringing and struggling with having white skin while having African American descent. In retrospect this is a topic that should take over, but with how he's yelling and not rapping about it takes away from how special his story is. But on "Mos Definitely," he uses an automatic gun flow to discuss the topics that current 20-somethings deal with, like being in six figure debt from student loans.
Everybody is an attempt to make an album that "everybody" can relate to, but fails to highlight what makes Logic such a great rapper. When you lose yourself in the art of making others happy compared to what makes you happy, the results will show. Logic even discussed this back when he was talking about his panic attacks. That's why I love the second half of the album; you can hear his pain and fear of the world. You can hear the aftermath of his panic attack on "Anziety." You can hear his changed mindset in "Black SpiderMan." There's no need to reach out to everyone when you're at your best when you're yourself. A little deep for a last paragraph on a review, but it's true.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Notable Tracks
"Everybody"
"1-800-273-8255"
"Black Spiderman"