Album Review: Logic - Everybody
"Everybody" is the follow up to rapper Logic's last project The Incredible True Story.
*Anthony Fantano voice* Yall know this is just my opinion right?
I'm a fairy ravenous hip hop nerd, It's easily my favorite genre of music. While Logic isn't my favorite rapper in the world, I'd definitely rank him somewhere in my top 15 artists out right now. Hell, maybe even top 10. Logic gets a lot of flack for being "corny" or taking a bit too much influence from his contemporaries. While I think the latter complaint is somewhat justified, I don't really agree with him being corny. I'd personally save that adjective for artists like Hopsin. I'd hazard a guess that a lot of that perception comes from his biracial heritage despite looking white, which he usually has a bit too much to say about, which leads me into this album...
Logic finally made an album almost entirely about race, and it's readily apparent that this is what he's wanted to talk about for the entirety of his career. I think this subject matter works at times, but I'll get to that later. Upon my first listen the first thing I found myself appreciating was just how much Logic stepped up his flows this time around. This is best represented by tracks like Take it Back. I don't think I've ever appreciated his straight rapping on any past project as I did on this one. Yet, I think every Logic fan can acknowledge that he can rap his ass off at this point. While I enjoyed the production on this LP, I feel as if it's a step down from that present on The Incredible True Story, which felt larger than life.
Like I said, it's obvious that this is what Logic's wanted to talk about for years now. As a result, this is the most passionate I think we've ever heard him on an album. There's even moments on here where he abandons rapping entirely in favor of speaking with malice in his voice. My biggest problem with this album though, is the subject matter, go figure. While I can appreciate the passion for what he's saying, I think this project exposed Logic as sort of a hypocrite. Throughout his entire career he's talked about how he's experienced racism from both sides for being half black and half white. He's spoken out against generalizations people make about groups of people, and has preached acceptance of everyone since the beginning. More recently he's even developed a manta: Peace love and Positivity. Yet on this album... I can't help but feel as if he's resentful of his Caucasian half. Littered throughout this project are very broad generalizations about whites, oftentimes painting them as racist rich super villains laughing at the fruits of their labor in keeping minorities down, such as on Mos Definitely where he raps "Come now folk, get woke, stay woke 'Cause the white man want the black man stay broke." Another example would be on the song America where towards the end Black Thought and Logic repeatedly chant lines such as "Bear down on the gringo." Even worse, with tracks like Black Spiderman he treads dangerously close to "social justice warrior" territory.
This isn't the worst thing in the world, all things considered. It's just mildly irritating as despite talking so much about acceptance of all creeds and colors, he still chose to resort to the old "bring them whites down to empower everyone else" route. Not only did it come off as hypocritical, it just seemed lazy. Now that's not to say that there weren't instances in which the subject matter worked. A prime example of this would be the songs Killing Spree and Everybody, which are both phenomenal. Or the track Take it Back (For the most part). He drifts away from these topics at times, such as on tracks like 1-800-273-8255 - is incredible - or Anziety, which is also great by the way. However, overall it seems as if Logic holds some animosity towards whites. While yes every racial group has it's issues, I just wish he didn't choose to speak only on those regarding white people.
Despite this, the concept which holds the project together encapsulates the positive side of Logic's message to the fullest. The idea that we're all essentially the same (albeit with a fantastical spin) is powerful within the context of the album, as the idea of walking in the shoes of every unique sector of the world before coming to accept/reject said groups definitely hits the intended note. It doesn't hurt that this is narrated by Neil Degrasse Tyson either. Seriously, I love Neil Degrasse Tyson. Overall, while I enjoyed this album very much sonically, what I perceive to be mildly racist comments scattered throughout it take me out of the music somewhat. If Logic continues down the trajectory he's on rapping wise, I think by the time his next album rolls around he'll definitely be deserving of an insertion into the "best out right now" conversation.
That surprise J. Cole feature on the last track though???!?!? Where the hell was this Cole on 4 Your Eyez Only, I sure as hell missed him. Also, the fact that Killer Mike didn't have a verse is a tragedy. That is all.