Logic officially unretires with the release of “Vinyl Days.”
TOP 5
5. In my lifetime
Two underrated white rappers (Logic and Action Bronson) make quite the tandem in “In my lifetime” (Logic is white, right?).
Action Bronson goes the f**k off in “In my lifetime!” His aggression, confidence, and ridiculously random lyrics struck a major chord with me. As for Logic, I love how he knifes up the song’s hard-hitting beat with vicious deliveries and lyrics that confirm that he’s actually seen some serious s**t in his lifetime (I would be traumatized if I saw someone get shot in the eye like he did. S**t, I can’t get Paul George’s leg injury from 2013 out of my head).
4. BLACKWHITEBOY
In “BLACKWHITEBOY,” Logic finally comes across as politically incorrect.
Logic goes off in a very productive way in “BLACKWHITEBOY.” In the song, he explosively tells us what motivates him, how he currently views himself as an MC, and why he decided to retire. The consistent flows that he spits his bars with are impressive. What’s even more impressive is how he comes across as someone who totally doesn’t give a f**k what people think about him.
Logic loves letting people know that he’s biracial. Like, we get it, you have issues filling out the race part on tests. You need to get over it!
3. I guess I love it
“I guess I love it” changed faces more times than Renee Zellwegger.
Logic and The Game are not cut from the same cloth at all. With that being said, they each approach “I guess I love it” differently. While The Game focuses on namedropping, verifying his sicko/petty ways, and proving his love for hip-hop music to us, Logic focuses on letting aspiring artists know what they really should be chasing when it comes to success in the music industry. The combination of the two rappers’ dissimilar approaches makes for a listen that is pretty unusual.
2. Therapy Music
Two rappers with punchable faces unite for “Therapy Music.”
Honestly, we should keep hating on both Logic and Russ; it might keep them feeling like underdogs (They excel as underdogs). In “Therapy Music,” the passion, the hunger, and the skills they display are outstanding. While Russ sets the tone for the song with smooth melodies and braggadocios raps, Logic goes nuclear by hitting us with raps about his brand new motivations using flows that are harder than eating a pancake with no syrup. All in all, I think “Therapy Music” is the definition of a good ole rap song.
1. Vinyl Days
Logic’s raps blend very well with DJ Premier’s sound.
Think about all of the MCs that validated their greatness by hopping on a DJ Premier beat: Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, Ludacris, Kanye West, etc, etc… Logic is yet another MC that you can add to that list. In “Vinyl Days,” the Gaithersburg rapper hurls out tough-ass raps that contain killer punchlines, impregnable flows, and lyrics that highlight his competitive mentality and superior rap skills. If he decided to retire again after releasing this track, I wouldn’t be mad.
SONG BY SONG RATING
1. Danger (N/A)
2. Tetris (4/5)
3. In my lifetime (4/5)
4. Decades (4/5)
5. JJ Abrahams (N/A)
6. BLACKWHITEBOY (4/5)
7. Quasi (4/5)
8. Bleed It (3/5)
9. LaDonda (4/5)
10. Aaron Judge (N/A)
11. Clouds (4/5)
12. Michael Rap (N/A)
13. Therapy Music (5/5)
14. Tony Revolori (N/A)
15. Rogue One (5/5) (Too Short)
16. Breath Control (4/5)
17. NEMS (N/A)
18. Nardwuar (N/A)
19. KickStyle (3/5)
20. EarlyBird (N/A)
21. Ten Years (3/5)
22. Porta One (3/5)
23. NeedleDrop (N/A)
24. Introducing Nezi (3/5)
25. Orville (4/5)
26. Carnival (4/5)
27. Lena’s Insight (N/A)
28. Vinyl Days (5/5)
29. I guess I love it (N/A)
30. Sayonara (N/A)
RGM RATING
(B-)
Do you know how many anniversaries you would have with your wife if you loved her as much as Logic loves old-school hip-hop music? Seriously, you can tell that he studies, mimics, and makes love to songs that his rap idols from the past made. With that being said, Vinyl Days feels like a 30-track project that Q from Juice would’ve spun at that one DJ competition hosted by Queen Latifah.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Logic is the best beat-picker on this planet. In my very humble opinion, Vinyl Days boasts some of the best/most authentic hip-hop beats I’ve ever heard. What I like is that Logic doesn’t back down from a single beat on the album; instead, he meets each of them with force, knowing that if he doesn’t come with the heat, he would get drowned out by them. At times, his bars do come out sounding a little forced, but for the most part, he comes with the right energy.
I think the content that Logic blesses us with in Vinyl Days is pretty interesting. In a good chunk of the album, he speaks about his retirement, fatherhood, what he hates about the music industry, his Bitcoin investments, and his impressive resume. As usual, he comes across as a disgruntled/older-than-his-age overcompensator that may not have the respect that the J. Coles of the world have but does have hunger in his belly. At this point in my life, I really admire his lyrics (I don’t know if anyone that is >30 would).
Some albums are great listens, while others are fun experiences; this album is a fun experience. Matter of fact, Vinyl Days almost feels like the audio version of an exhibit that you might see at a hip-hop museum. Say what you want about Logic (And I know you have a lot to say), but you can’t say that he hasn’t done everything in his power to keep rap’s golden age alive. You also can’t say that he’s a bad rapper (He bodied a bunch of songs on this album).
Listening to Logic and Kevin Gates’ new albums more than Drake’s new album this weekend is the right thing to do.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
