Logic is a nice guy. A really nice guy. Watching
interviews with him at Hot 97 and HardKnockTV ahead
of this latest project, I found myself being inspired simply by his constant
exuberant energy. There was a moment when he was talking on Hot 97 that to me
felt very symbolic of where Logic is in his career. It came when he was showing
Ebro and the crew that he could solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute. It was
impressive to watch, but also to hear him proclaim that solving it put his mind
into the same gear as when he is trying to memorise rap bars. Logic is
obviously a very talented rapper and has been from his first mixtapes, yet he
has been pigeon holed and labelled as the 'nice guy' who relies too heavily on
his influences. Both of these statements are unequivocally true in my opinion.
He's incredibly nice, but in the best possible way. A great role model for rap
fans. He does also wear his many, rather predictable, influences on his sleeve
a lot of the time. I don't see this as necessarily a bad thing though, and he
has admitted many times how much artists like Kanye, Kendrick, Drake and
Quentin Taratino have shaped his sound and aesthetic. But in trying to write an
objective review of this album, I must take the latter point into
consideration. Indeed, why would I listen to Logic trying to sound like Drake
on 'I Am The Greatest' if I can listen to Drizzy himself? The short of it is I
do think Logic has the ability to use his inspiration to form a unique sound
and flow, I'd just like to see it a bit more often.
This album kicks off
with a really great intro, 'Contact', constructed using some distinctive drums
that Logic claims he first heard watching Anime as a kid and later on Kanye's
'808s and Heartbreak'. Its a very cinematic intro and it sets up the album's
concept perfectly. Logic was very clear in his Hot97 interview, saying that the
space travelling concept that strings the skits together on this album are
separate from the songs. I like this, as I think an album full of space themed
tracks would have been tiresome. Overall though I dig the cinematic story, with
the AI from Under Pressure making another appearance with cleverly upgraded
software. I'm not going to go into the details on the concept, but its clear
Logic put a lot of effort into it.
We then get 'Fade Away',
one of my favourites on the album. A classic Under Pressure style beat and
Logic spitting hard and distinctively. His flow and delivery on this song sound
fresh and unique, making it stand out as one of the most authentic on the album.
'Upgrade' is where I start to hear some Kendrick influence creep in, but not in
a way where it feels like he's biting. Its another very solid song with a
blissful laid back beat and Logic throwing out some good bars, but nothing
mind-blowing. 'Like Woah' is where we really start to run into some flow biting
problems. Logic sounds almost exactly like Kendrick on 'Alright' from To Pimp A
Butterfly. The flow, the tempo, the delivery - it's too obvious to miss this
time. Unfortunately, I can't give Logic a pass for this one, especially as it
was one of the hit singles. Thankfully the next track we have Logic back on top
form with 'Young Jesus'. Easily one of my favourite hip hop tracks of the year,
this song has everything from hard-hitting lyrics, an infectious and resonant
beat, a flawless delivery and a fitting feature from Big Lenbo. The James Blake
sample was flipped to perfection and really gave the track a vibe that I just
kept me coming back to listen to it.
Innermission is another
great track, with a beautiful vocal from Lucy Rose. Logic tones his lyrics down
to a more reflective mode, reminiscing about his past and thinking about those
he left behind. We then get 'I Am The Greatest', Logic's attempt to switch the
album up a notch. Yet again though, what we get is another obvious attempt to
imitate a fellow rapper, this time the 6 God. I think this was purposeful
though, and although I still don't think its fully justified, I kind of get it.
This is the type of delivery the masses want to hear in 2015, and Drake is
proving the most popular of those spitting like that. I like the message of the
track, pushing the idea of being the greatest version of yourself and not caring
what other people think, yet I can't help but feel a hint of irony, as this
sounds like it could have come straight off 'If You're Reading This It's Too
Late'.
'Lord Willin'' is good,
but not particularly memorable either lyrically or sonically. We're then
straight back to biting on 'City Of Stars', with what sounds like an ode to
Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. In fact, if I heard just the chorus without
knowing it was Logic, I'd think I was listening to an 808s outtake. He manages
to rectify the song a bit though with a ferocious verse to close it out.
'Stainless' comes next, and by this point I start to understand why Logic does
sometimes feel the need to reach so deeply into his influences. It might be
because his normal flow is quite one dimensional, as is the production on many
of the tracks on here. The way he raps doesn't draw you into the lyrics in the
same way I feel Kendrick’s or Kanye’s does. Don't get me wrong, I like his
natural delivery a lot, and my favourite tracks on here are the ones where he
does sound like himself, but I think 18 tracks of the same delivery, similar
tempo, similar tone would leave me wanting more. Unlike Kendrick, he doesn't
yet seem to be able to adapt his delivery without it coming off as a rip off of
another artist, and I consider this to be one of his only obstacles as an
artist going forward.
'Paradise' is another
one of my favourite tracks, with a dark and ethereal instrumental and some
absolute gems lyrically. But the beat switch up takes it back to a familiar
place, sounding like a Good Kid M.A.A.D City instrumental. I think the next two
tracks are a bit unnecessary too, not really treading any new ground and only
serving to drag the album out a bit longer for no real purpose. They aren't bad
tracks, and Logic is spitting on both, but the production feels slightly stale
by this point. The title track closes the album off in solid fashion. I don't
love it, but at least its something fresh. Logic mixes singing and rapping here
to nice effect, backed up by some great instrumentation. The vocal snippet he
uses in the latter half of the track talks about not seeking money for its own
sake, but doing what you love to do to the best of your ability. Hardly a
groundbreaking sentiment, but I think one that is synonymous with Logic's main
message as a musician at this point.
All things considered,
The Incredible True Story was a bit inconsistent, much like its predecessor
Under Pressure. I don't think its a step up from that album in any other aspect
but the concept, which I found more entertaining. Sonically, I think Logic is
still carving out his lane, resulting in this album sounding confused at some
points. He still sounds best when he's rapping over bouncy, heavily sampled
beats like on 'Young Jesus', or over heavier production like Under Pressure's
'Gang Related' or 'Paradise' on this album. In regard to him biting other rappers’
styles, I do see it as a problem. I respect his viewpoint that he doesn't care
what other people think as long as he likes what he's doing, but I have to look
at his music in the context of hip hop today when writing a review. I realise
that it's becoming increasingly hard for up and coming rappers to sound
original, but it’s still a vital requirement if he wants be put in the same
category as those who are progressing the genre in the 21st century. That being
said, I still love listening to Logic and can appreciate his raw talent as an
MC. With his enthusiasm and passion for music and life, I can still see him
putting out a knock out project sometime in the future. I look forward to the
day.
Lyrics: 80
Production: 75
Cohesion: 75
Originality: 50
Overall: 70/100
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