A year or so ago, if you had asked me “Hey Marc, describe Logic in one word without saying something corny like ‘dope’ or ‘ill’,” it would have proven rather difficult. But today, after listening to his debut album Under Pressure, it hit me: balanced. Logic has come to be the posterboy for balance in hip-hop. The perfect blend of old school and new school, backpack and boom-bap, classy and raw, lyrical and catchy. Maybe most importantly, he explores new horizons while never straying from his roots. Almost everything he touches is perfectly well-rounded, never veering too far into one genre, but never hunkering down and fortifying himself with only what is familiar and comfortable.
Logic has always been known to give constant respect to his hip-hop forefathers, both in song and in interviews. He doesn’t waste much time on Under Pressure before paying homage to one of hip-hop’s most iconic album skits: the female voice from A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders. Those who were fans of Logic in his mixtape days may be accustomed to this, as the voice makes a cameo in his most recent tape, 2013’s Welcome to Forever. This voice, which anchors an already solid intro track, is crucial to getting the album up and running early.
As per usual, Logic’s lyrical prowess stands out right away as the Maryland native spits killer lines like on “Soul Food” when he rhymes:
“I swear this music in my genes like denim/
Lyricism seep in ‘em like venom/
Yes I know the flow hotter than Lucifer/
Even though heaven sent ‘em.”
Since he first broke on the music scene, Logic has always been alarmingly ahead of his time in the lyrical department. Although at times he seems to get lost in his own lines. On Under Pressure, the Def Jam/Visionary Music Group artist strikes a perfect equilibrium of taking over some tracks singlehandedly. Like the fiery “Soul Food” previously mentioned for example, which Logic takes over contrary to the next track “I’m Gone,” where he lets the beat dictate the pace. Tracks like “Nikki,” “Metropolis,” and “Gang Related” provide quality from both sides of the engineering boards while providing intriguing narrative simultaneously.
From start to finish, Under Pressure is strong. No track is an obvious weak link, but none stand out either. As for the album as a whole, it should be worth noting that no other artists are featured on the record. Fans of Logic’s early days who thought his signing to Def Jam would lead to him forgetting his basic origins will take solace in this. Lack of a celebrity guest-assisted radio single means Logic’s roots are never at risk. However, the album could have used a big name, along with perhaps a mid-level feature. Two names come to mind: Jay-Z and Childish Gambino. Jigga would have fit on several of the piano-laden tracks, particularly “‘Till The End.” Gambino was featured on a non-album single/bonus track “Driving Ms. Daisy,” which would have provided another splash of diversity had it been placed on the actual album, but Childish would have also done well on tracks like the aforementioned “I’m Gone.”
While Logic holds true to his formula on Under Pressure, experimenting with some new sounds while retaining the vibe that earned him an XXL spot to begin with. It was what we had come to expect from modern debut albums sans good kid, m.A.A.d city: safe. Logic changed enough and kept enough the same for Under Pressure to be considered a step forward for him. But after Logic claimed he was going to release the next Illmatic (never a good move for someone releasing a major label debut), it fell a little flat to the colossal standards he set for himself. The album was good as a whole, but missed that stand-alone track that makes listeners ears perk up. A good overall album, but in retrospect Logic may regret making Under Pressure an album, and Welcome to Forever a mixtape.
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