Logic isn’t nearly as bad as people say. Social media clowns him for his rapping skill, copying flows, possessing a catalog with way more hits than misses and only rapping about being bi-racial. Let the internet tell the tale and Logic has never been good. Obviously, this argument can be put to rest within two minutes of listening to any of his seven major label projects or countless mixtapes (18 projects over 10 years to be exact).
Though his credibility and durability as a rapper is true in the streets, Twitter believes Logic hasn’t been able to shake this try-hard, culture vulture persona for much of his career. So how does a recently record label-free Bobby Tarantino deal with the years of Internet slander? By going back to his Maryland roots and releasing one of his best projects in years, College Park.
College Park’s overall narrative has similarities to Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, mAAd city. It takes place early in the rappers’ formative years, driving around in a car with friends, following the same “one-day-storyline” as Kendrick’s opus. But, instead, Logic isn’t out here looking for Sherane or committing peer pressured break-and-entries. He’s driving from College Park, Maryland to D.C. to perform at a sold out 150 person show. Although this is a structural spitting image of GKMC, Logic does it justice – putting his own spin on the movie-like album.
But unlike GKMC, College Park struggles a bit before finding its footing. Album intro “Cruisin’ Through The Universe” is an abstract cut that starts with a long guitar-laden hum and finishes with a spacey RZA feature that should’ve been saved for another project. An odd choice for such a narrative driven album. Then, next track “Wake Up” is a solid foray into the 24 hour world Logic is about to bring listeners in. Logic touches on his origin story and the process of “waking up” to achieve his rap dreams.
Songs like “Lightsabers” and “Insipio” exist perfectly alone on a playlist as well as this album’s proverbial screenplay. Where it differs the most from GKMC though is the skits. They’re mostly too literal and some of the voice acting by his crew borders on cringey. Logic’s never been good at skits, (The Incredible True Story being a chief offender on an otherwise ok album) so the momentum this album builds falls off everytime Bobby wants to be Tarrantino. The gas station stick up skit on “Paradise II” is just too ridiculous to be passable; a guaranteed skip.
Other than the aforementioned “Cruisin’ Through The Universe”, every beat on College Park delivers. “Playwright” sounds like it’s built straight from a Large Professor handbook. The bouncy boom bap drums and ambient melody is like chicken soup for the Hip Hop head’s soul. Gears get shifted on “Gaithersburg Freestyle” with Logic rapping ferociously over a speaker distorting crunk era beat. He gets lyrical assists from his Chevy Impala passengers C Dot Castro, Big Lenbo, ADE and even Fat Trel, making the song sound like cruising on the beltway during rush hour traffic.
Towards the end of the album’s Hip Hop heavy journey, Logic adds in one song too many that sticks out like an experimental sore thumb. “Highlife” is a sparkly, Auto-Tuned sing-a-long that doesn’t have anything to do with the plot of the album. It has no contextual skits, no real references to College Park and most detrimentally, it’s a bad song where Logic’s karaoke crooning sounds more like your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving than a real artist.
“Lightyear” serves as the album’s closing track and metaphorical end credits. 6ix, PosT and Kal Banx serve up a multi-layered boom-bap beat with intricate little accents and modifications that Logic effortlessly glides over. Though no rapper ever retires this song hints that this could very well be Logic’s last album (though we’ve heard this claim before). With lines like “to the fans that ain’t need me to spell all this shit out/Thank you for riding with me beyond a reasonable doubt/Logic out”. That’s before 6ix switches the beat and Logic drops back in for his own rendition of Kendrick’s “Rigamortis”; a near impossible beat to rap well over. Logic handles it with ease.
College Park is the most free, fun and formidable Logic has sounded in years. It would be safe to assume the Internet has already made up its mind on the album and unfortunately Logic’s perceived corniness can’t be shaken with one solid outing. But with bars, beats and a positive belief system as strong as Logic’s its hard to deny the joy ride.
Album of the year contender
Album of the year contender
Logic can be cringe at times but this album is fire
I found this album in my trash and made sure throw it in the garbage truck
I found this album in my trash and made sure throw it in the garbage truck
Your favorite rapper lil pump just dropped an album, go listen to it
Imo his best album yet. So refreshing. 5/5 easy and my AOTY together with the madlib and Talib joint
Imo his best album yet. Good review, but don’t agree on the Cruising through the Uniiverse critiqu. 5/5 easily and my AOTY together with the madlib and Talib joint
The article is about comparing this to GKMC. The journalist approach to this review is wack and boring. Talk about the music not how it compares to GKMC.
This project has heat.
Retirement Logic has been putting out the best music in his post-career. I’m not even a fan, but i’m feeling this.
Like every other listener over 13 years old, i think logic can be quite corny at times, but this album was solid. 4/5
Best album since first joint to me
Best album since first joint to me
Album isn’t bad. Kinda reminds me of his old mixtape stuff. Seth McFarlands feature was actually pretty dope
Damn it’s been a minute since I managed to listen and vibe to an entire rap album
Roughly a 5 or 6 a best and these man who say its AOTY contender don’t know other music
Logic’s great. Vinyl Days is my favorite but he’s always delivering.
Great album. I think I love it more than Vinyl days honestly
Makes rappers look lazy as fuck! Good shit!
Tbh only geeky hip hop heads hate logic. Most of his albums are great to listen to. He is versatile and multi talented. This was a great album.
The skits were admittedly corny, but Logic’s personality matched that energy. The voices of the women in the album seemed fake, but if we focus on the music itself, it was executed masterfully.
The features on the album make the album. They were truly unique and added depth, unlike most albums that were produced this year. It makes the album a contender for AOTY.
Could have lived without Highlife and Come on Down, since it had low-vibrational connotations to it, but every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Overall, I’d give the album a 4.4/5 rating even though it’ll only let me rate with whole numbers.
The skits were admittedly corny, but Logic’s personality matched that energy. The voices of the women in the album seemed fake, but if we focus on the music itself, it was executed masterfully.
The features on the album make the album. They were truly unique and added depth, unlike most albums that were produced this year. It makes the album a contender for AOTY.
Could have lived without Highlife and Come on Down, since it had low-vibrational connotations to it, but every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Overall, I’d give the album a 4.4/5 rating even though it’ll only let me rate with whole numbers.
The features on the album make the album. They were truly unique and added depth, unlike most albums that were produced this year. It makes the album a contender for AOTY.
Could have lived without Highlife and Come on Down, since it had low-vibrational connotations to it, but every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Overall, I’d give the album a 4.4/5 rating even though it’ll only let me rate with whole numbers.
The features on the album make the album. They were truly unique and added depth, unlike most albums that were produced this year. It makes the album a contender for AOTY. Could have lived without Highlife and Come on Down, since it had low-vibrational connotations to it, but every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Overall, I’d give the album a 4.4/5 rating even though it’ll only let me rate with whole numbers.
The features on the album really make the album. They were truly unique and added depth, unlike most albums that were produced this year. It makes the album a contender for AOTY.
Besides Highlife and Come on Down, every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Minus the cringe skits, I’d give the album a 4.3/5 rating.
Besides Highlife and Come on Down, every other track gives listeners a rap style that seems to be lacking in most mainstream rappers. Minus the cringe skits, I’d give the album a 4.3/5 rating. It’s an AOTY contender.
I’m changing my rating. Ayo, Cruisin, GBurg Freestyle, Lightsabers, Self Medication, Shimmey, Village Slum, the location song all fire! He did very well!!! It’s how Hip Hop should sound. Take out the semi-cringe skits that match his energy and it’s an AOTY contender. He deserves it!