Logic Could Not Have Gone Out On a Better Note Than 'No Pressure'

I think the only person this album's title could possibly apply to would be Logic himself. It's totally possible that Logic is just in such a solid, confident and comfortable position in his life that his potential final album is one that he released without feeling any pressure at all. For the rest of the world though, I think it's safe to say that we all went into this one with as much possible pressure as we possibly could have. After the trainwreck that was Supermarket and the careless travesty that was Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Logic's career was nothing short of the on the hot seat before this album. Everybody, even most of his own fans, were in unanimous agreement that he had totally fallen off at this point. His last two albums were both two of the worst albums of all of 2019, his attitude towards his music was worryingly nonchalant, and it just seemed like the passionate and talented artist we all fell in love with was a thing of the past. Given that No Pressure would be the last album we'd get from Logic for likely a very long time, this was basically the most make or break record he's ever put out by far. I mean seriously, even the most diehard Logic fans probably would've been totally done with the guy if this record, a sequel to Under Pressure and the last LP before retirement, wound up sucking. Thankfully though, by some form of miracle, Logic has managed to bounce back by delivering quite possibly the greatest body of work he's ever put out.

I remember back in 2017 when I first got into Logic I was talking to one of my friends about how I couldn't decide if I preferred Under Pressure or The Incredible True Story. I still haven't been able to determine for sure which is my favorite, though I love both, since the former contains superior rapping and the latter contains superior production. I remember telling that friend that if Logic ever put out an album with bars as fantastic as Under Pressure and with a sound as smooth as True Story that it would be untouchable. This just might be that album. Throughout the last 6 years and 9 records since Logic broke into the mainstream Hip-Hop world, he's clearly finally found a way to combine all of the best elements of his sound into one lightning in a bottle release. Reuniting with No ID proved to be the best possible decision he could have made, as saying every beat on this project slaps is a massive understatement. The production on this project is so vibrant, memorable and most importantly signifies the fullest realization of Logic’s sound to date. The way this record sounds sonically embodies all of the greatest attributes of Logic’s sound in a way that makes it sound more uniquely like him than anything else he’s ever put out. The instrumentals are packed with soulful samples and passionate melodies that are chill and colorful, whilst always remaining just a little bit sci-fi and high-tech despite all those old-school samples and influences. It’s nerdy, mature and classy all at once. Each beat on this record perfectly compliments all of Logic’s performances as well, always leaning into each style of track he’s going for just perfectly. When he’s trying to lay down an intro that sets the mood, we get a futuristic instrumental that’s a perfect sonic match with the spoken word intro and hilarious Solid Snake sample. When we get a meaningful Conscious track like Dark Place we get something that’s emotional and hits in all the right places. When we get something that’s supposed to be an upbeat banger we get the kind of unforgettable instrumental that was brought to the table on songs like Celebration and 5 Hooks. Every beat on this project is always exactly what it’s supposed to be at the right time. It’s near perfect.

The most worrying thing all of us Logic fans were worried about going into this was Logic himself and the performance he would be bringing to the table. After dropping a record full of some of the most cringeworthy and memeable bars that have ever graced a mainstream Rap record, we all feared for the worst. I know for sure there were tons of people, the kind of people that didn’t want to see this album succeed, that were combing through every single lyric and line just to find something they could bully Logic on twitter for. Yet, for possibly the first time since his golden era, I don’t think there’s a single bar on this album that stuck out like a sore thumb in a bad way at all. Logic even manages to make a line about Chance the Rapper loving his wife come across as simultaneously funny, lighthearted and wholesome. I mean seriously, I don’t remember hearing a single line on this project that didn’t land. There were some lines that were super nerdy, but Logic pulls them off in a way that makes them just contribute to his charm as a personality and an artist. There are some filler lines that I’ve heard other rappers use before, but none of them were offensively plagiaristic in the slightest and they usually just served as smooth sounding glue in between more interesting bars. Logic’s flow on every single song is just on point, too. He kills every single mood, flow and style of delivery he goes for. Whether he’s going for introspective and deep, funny and entertaining, or braggadocious and intense he makes it sound effortless and extremely enjoyable. Every track on this album, without exception, is at the very least a fun and enjoyable zeitgeist of perfectly paired bars and beats. It may not be the most life-changing, Kendrick Lamar-esque Conscious record that will change everyone’s life, but this is honestly about the best Logic album we could have ever gotten. It may be too early to tell, but I’m honestly about ready to say that it’s just the best Logic album.

The primary criticism I’ve heard about this album and all the other top tier Logic releases is that he wears all of his influences on his sleeve, arguably far too much. With moments on this record like Logic essentially interpolating an entire Outkast song, I can certainly see why that criticism would apply to this record. However, I’d have to disagree and say that it’s actually a strength that greatly adds to the charm of Logic’s persona. I wholeheartedly agree that Logic is an artist that bears his influences in a way that makes his audience well aware of every little thing that inspired him. I think Logic himself would agree with that statement as well, because that aspect of his music is entirely intentional. He literally cites tons of influences and inspirations throughout the record through the voice of Thalia, the narrator voice that is a core to the fan theorized lore behind Logic’s discography. Thalia cites all the artists that Logic’s production style was inspires by, lists off different Anime shows that were in rotation inspiring the record, says that everyone involved was playing chess the whole time, and reveals plenty of other influential properties that Logic used throughout his creative process. That’s just a thing that’s part of the guy’s musical persona, and even his real world personality as well. He’s a geek, a guy that’s obsessed with Pop Culture and loves paying homage to things in every way he can. He made an entire song about wanting to show love to other rappers in the game, he always calls out his favorite TV shows and video games, and just generally goes out of his way to cite his influences. While many criticize this as something that makes him derivative and unoriginal, I would argue that he utilizes this in a way that makes him unique. He incorporates all these influences in meaningful ways on this record, ways that lend themselves to his established core sound whilst still paying homage to those who came before Logic.

All of these elements come together so well on this record that it seems to make for what is essentially a perfect storm of a Logic record. There is legit nothing else I could have asked for from this thing as a Logic fan. Every instrumental is varied, vibrant, memorable and exciting. Every verse is held to the highest standard of Logic’s past discography and manages to easily stay up to par with even his best lyrical moments. The record oozes personality from start to finish and stands as the greatest example of everything Logic’s music stands for and sounds like. It really is just the ultimate culmination of what his musical career has been working towards since the start. If this really is Logic’s last album, which I don’t believe it will be if I’m being honest, I’d be fine with that. I’m sure we’ll get a comeback record in 5 or so years, but even if we don’t I’m just overjoyed that we got such an amazing form of closure. This really is just such a great album to sit through from start to finish and vibe to. There is so much genuine knowledge packed into these bars that get you thinking. The overall ethos and sound of the beats makes you feel like you’re soaring through the atmosphere on a spaceship, in the most relaxing way possible. It’s just a record filled with such subtle bravado, such confidence that leaves you feeling fantastic as you let every single song wash over you. It’s feel good music, but unlike many prior Logic records it doesn’t come across as corny in the slightest. After following Logic’s rocky journey throughout his 6 year run at the top of the Rap game, I think it’s safe to say that No Pressure truly is his magnum opus. This is such a victorious feeling record, especially as a Logic fan that’s been hoping for him to pull out of the rut he was in, and it just makes me feel so incredible every time I listen to it. It’s full of surprising twists and turns, lush and gorgeous soundscapes and instrumentals, and legitimately the greatest vocal performance from Logic that I’ve ever heard. I didn’t think he had this album in him in the slightest, but Bobby Boy just went out on top. - 9.4/10 (Best Songs - Celebration, Open Mic\\Aquarius III, 5 Hooks)