Logic has been under the heavy scrutiny of hip hop fans ever since his 2017 flop “Everybody”. Following it up with even more poorly received projects like “Supermarket” and” Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”, the once-beloved mc became one of the biggest jokes in the industry. This week, Bobby announced that his retirement would coincide with his brand new album “No Pressure“. Being executive produced by the legendary No I.D., the record serves as a sequel to his acclaimed debut “Under Pressure”. With all odds against him, will Logic be able to bounce back and create a satisfying farewell?
Lyrically, Logic’s pen seems sharper than ever. From the self-titled intro, we see Young Sinatra back in his element as he drowns the listener with complicated wordplay consisting of double sometimes even triple entendres. “GP4” stood out to me as Logic pays homage to southern legend Andre 3000 and the Outkast song “Elevators”. Cuts like “Open Mic\\Aquaris III” and “Soul Food II” are clever callbacks to the tapes prequel while “man I is” and “Heard Em Say display Logic at his maturest. The songs “DadBod” and “A2Z” show how fatherhood has taken over Logic’s life as he paints a vivid picture of his joyous days, which revolve around his wife and son. No other moment is as emotional as “Dark Place”, which tells the story of how criticism and hatred has deteriorated Logic’s mental state. No matter how much money, fame, or success he has had, Logic tells listeners that none of that matters without self love. In today’s society, where men’s mental health has been made out to be a joke, having a celebrity guide us through his own experience is extremely inspiring to anyone in need of help. Overall, the blend of profound songwriting and heartfelt subject matter should reestablish Logic as one of the premier artists hip hop has to offer.
With assistance from No I.D., Logic was able to make “No Pressure” his best sounding record to date. Each instrumental is vibrant, and unique which can be seen from the boom-bap infused “No Pressure” all the way to the glorious “Celebration”. Long time collaborator 6ix was crucial to the lp’s creation as he helped embed each second with the authentic feel the Rattpack has grown to expect. The prolific duo Outkast was sampled three times on this record, which can be seen on “Hit My Line”, “GP4”, and “man I is” which sample “So Fresh, So Clean”, “Elevators”, and “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” respectively. The placement of various clips from classic filmmaker Orson Welles ties the entire project together as his commentary helps allude to what’s going on in the record’s narrative. Most importantly, none of the instrumentals feel out of place, nor do they outshine Logic, which gives him the perfect playing field to deliver his unforgettable performance. All in all, the production on “No Pressure” culminates everything Logic’s fans know and love him for while also, bringing in enough new material where fans and critics alike will be engaged.
In conclusion, “No Pressure” isn’t just a comeback from Logic, it’s his magnum opus if you ask me. To me, this is his stylistic peak as his ability to change flows, pockets, and tones was nearly perfect. Additionally, his lyricism was substantial on multiple fronts as he brought up plenty of relevant subjects and cut the corniness to an all-time low. Sonically, my highest hopes were exceeded as No I.D. was able to do here what he did for Jay-Z on his 2017 return “4:44”. This was one of the greatest comeback and farewell albums I have ever seen, and if this is actually Logic’s last album, I couldn’t have asked for a better swan song!
Rating: 8.4/10
