Since talks of the album began I've been anticipating the release of this project, not only because it's Logic's first album but because it's been a while since he gave us a new project. Logic didn't leave us completely desolate though, during the course of the year he released singles in anticipation of the album such as 'While You Wait'. The title is pretty self explanatory and the track is basically something that kept us hype while we waited for the release of the full album. I remember when I first found out about Logic I watched some interviews to try get a sense of who exactly the man behind the mic was even though it comes through quite clearly in his rhymes too. In one of the interviews Logic talked about how some of his fans commended him for the quality of his Young Sinatra trilogy mixtapes and how some even insisted on paying him for them! This was no doubt a feeling I could relate to. In fact, one of the driving forces that kept The Influence going was Logic's 'World Wide' which captured not just his global affect but Hip Hop's too. With all of that wit coming through in his raps and definitely in his skits, it's quite seldom that you come across a very underground rapper with mixtapes of that quality; the lyricism and production in a unanimously dope frequency. So, having gotten over the excitement for my highest anticipated release of the year, I got the album and indulged.
The Under Pressure Program, as the album's "tour guide" Thalia addresses it, starts off with a dope intro where he talks about wondering in the past what the life that he's currently living would feel like. One of the most interesting things about the album I'd say is Thalia and the facts and commentry she gives (such as "Making a single before an album is like putting together a trailer for a movie you have yet to shoot.") between almost every track which brings the piece of art together quite well. It makes the whole journey through Under Pressure a lot more fun.
After the intro, the album goes into Soul Food which starts off as quite a laid back track then makes the transition into hardcore, typical Logic punchline filled verses with lines like "I swear this music in my genes like denim. Lyricism seeping in like vemin".
From here we're taken through 'I'm Gone' which is a another chilled out laid back one with some beautiful lyricism followed by 'Gang Related', 'Buried Alive', and 'Bounce'.
After Bounce we come to something every Bobby Soxer and member of the Ratt Pack loves: GROWING PAINS III! Logic has been taking his listener on this Growing Pains journey and this one is really, very easily my favourite one. It starts off with a conversation and makes the transition into the track where Logic goes, as per usual, spitting bars about his life and the trials we all face daily.
From here Thalia takes us into 'Never Enough' which is followed by 'Metropolis' and then what seems to be, judging by the tweets on my timeline, already a Ratt Pack favourite Nikki. Nikki, accompanied by a more melancholic beat and a different kind of sound, brings the whole album and the listener down for a little bit to vibe with Logic as he spits about his love/hate (mostly love) relationship with nicotine. One of my favourite Logic tracks by far. The true poet and artist in him comes alive here.
'Under Pressure' is a 9 minute track, not something we see too often from a solo rapper, about the pressures Logic faces trying to make the dreams he has come true. Another gem.
In 'Till The End' we see another Logic track packed full with punchlines and the whole idea of being unstoppable in his craft and how he's come so far in his career. For me it has quite a dope similarity to '925' on one of his previous mixtapes.
After the conclusion from Thalia, Childish Gambino assists Logic with a dope feature on 'Driving Ms Daisy', an upbeat track. This welcomes the deluxe edition of the album.
"Fucking with me now? FUCKING WITH ME NOW?" We see something quite common that we get from underground artists that start making it big come in 'Now'. Logic addresses the fact that everybody is bumping him now when before they weren't. Quite a dope one.
The deluxe edition album ends with a feature from Big Sean on 'Alright' which is one of the tracks that was released during the course of the year. I see some similarities between Logic and Big Sean when looking at their rises and passion for rap; so this feature is one of the best ways to end the album for me personally. The two worked well together and brought the album to a close quite well.
Through Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever, Young Sinatra: Undeniable and Young Sinatra, this is definitely an album to be proud of on Logic's part and for the Ratt Pack and Bobby Soxer's like myslef, it's definitely an album to cop as soon as possible. Really happy for Logic. It's really bittersweet to see an underground rapper you've been supporting finally releasing their debut album. Excited for the progress and that the grind has paid off but a bit sour that the climb might be coming to an end soon. Literally nothing I'd wanna change about Under Pressure. Thanks for bringing us such a lyrically dope and sonically pleasing album, Logic! Keep making that Ratt Pack proud, boi!
Rating: 8/10
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