It's Logic!

After the consecration, it's time for some recreation. Logic rounded off 2017 with an authoritative statement of the same stature as Everybody, his third gold record in a row. Almost without fanfare, the Maryland rapper brought out the immensely successful 1-800-273-8255 with its commentary on the younger generation's suicidal tendencies. The whole album aims to be a wake-up call for society, an artistic response from the middle class to the violence of Trump's election.

On Bobby Valentino II, the second volume in his series of mixtapes, the direction is very different. The introduction sets the tone with Rick & Morty, characters from a sci-fi cartoon series, debating on the feeling of ennui they get from listening to Logic's music. This offbeat humour is present throughout the project, with liberating gags and lyrical puns. Where Everybody had Logic in the role of the politically-aware orator, here he has deconstructed his thinking, giving it a mischievous edge without spilling over into provocation.

Flanked by his producer 6ix, Logic is making conscious music which still stays out in front of contemporary sounds. Indeed, that's often exactly what he is criticised for: lacking his own identity and taking the fire of Kendrick Lamar or Drake's entrancing melodies. But taken as a whole, the rapper's productions always represent perfectly-judged surgical strikes. Take, for example, the brilliantly made 44 more, a kind of CV: a 44-bar couplet that showcases Logic's utterly versatile skill. And don't forget Indica Badu, his sweet collaboration with the underrated Wiz Khalifa, who is always up for this type of adventure with Bobby Tarantino II, and Logic gives him permission to cut loose, revealing a more hedonistic side of his personality. This little break is the best entry point to learn to love his music, which remains little-known on this side of the Atlantic.

Listen to BOBBY TARANTINO II By LOGIC

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