With only a few Logic mixtapes left on the list, my attention is drawn to how his recurring stories of personal struggles, proving his craft and defying the odds have extend all the way back through his records to this moment here, six years back. With an attentive ear one may also notice his voice is a little lighter and more youthful, something I was anticipating. Articulating his battles and ambitions Logic sounds as sharp and natural as everything Ive heard before. At some point I am expecting a dip but this is not It, intact for a fair portion of the record it has to be my favorite thanks to its avenues into classic 90s Hip Hop and the tight rhymes.
To my ears the record has four phases. Its opening tracks set the stage of his situation, his mission to prove himself, the actualization of its reality. The beats are tight, modern for the time, throwing in some piano samples fit for the classic era, illuminating with classic Nas lyrics for the hooks. In its second phase we get a string of Hip Hop's best. Biggie's Kick In The Door, Dr.Dre & Snoop Dogg with Deep Cover and A Tribe Called Quest's Electric Relaxation. Logic goes ham over these beats, toying with his technicality, flexing cunning rhymes, locking you in with his narrative. Its killer how he picks up untouchable instrumentals and puts a memorable mark on them.
Tic Tac Toe marks the third phase, its sudden beat switch to a sleek and swish club track sees a dip in quality as his subject matter becomes diluted and the lyrical successions are led more by his thoughts and the point hes trying to make. Its a long record at eighty four minutes and after a flurry of mood shifting tracks we land on Aye Girl, its summery popping synths and jaunting beat dazzles, prepping us for the forth phase as Logic once again picks up some classic instrumental to show his prowess on with the best of his rhymes.
Milkbone's classic Keep It Real, that plays like an AZ cut, Jay-Z's Bring It On from his slick Mafioso Rap debut Reasonable Doubt. Maybe its my love of these classic beats blinding me but it seems to bring the best out of Logic. The record has a couple more bright songs in it before ending on a really warm and endearing note as his fans call in, leaving voice mail messages over an emotional beat. Its a great way to tie up an important record for the young artist. He accomplishes a lot of within this record, only curation could of made the experience any better.
Favorite Tracks: Dead Presidents III, No Biggie, Disgusting, Relaxation, Aye Girl, Young Sinatra III, All Sinatra Everything
Rating: 8/10