Prepare for a wild ride: Logic has just released his sophomore album, The Incredible True Story.
The 25-year-old rapper hailing from Maryland released his first studio album, the critically acclaimed Under Pressure, in late 2014. More than a year later and the new album has come to fruition.
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Created to be the soundtrack for an idealistic “movie” set in the future about the crew of a spaceship headed to a new planet, the experimental-esque album features Logic’s trademark flow: quick, cutting and clean.
But he switches up the sound of his voice at times, reverting to a sing-song type sound in “Upgrade” and “Lord Willin’.” This new style contrasts beautifully with the “in-your-face” flow he exhibits throughout the album.
Lyrically, The Incredible True Story is much different from the rap norm. While there isn’t really one collective theme, lines often detail creating a legacy, pursuing passion rather than money and Logic’s continued growth as a rapper.
One of the crew members on the metaphorical spaceship discussing the album in a miniature skit on “Contact,” tells another that it is “the [one] that changed everything.” Logic seems to pride himself on being different than everyone else and his work to change the rap game rather than sit in the current stalemate.
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Possibly more impressive than the lyrics themselves is Logic’s ability to keep creative rhyme schemes while still saying what he wants to. Often rappers fall victim to structure and end up spitting lines that, while sounding put together, don’t really mean anything. Logic is able to “spit knowledge like the listener is [his] only son” — a line from “Never Been” — while keeping the music itself pleasing.
The instrumentals follow along with the futuristic, space theme, but in different ways. Some, like the introductory track “Contact,” belong on an actual movie soundtrack. Others, like “Young Jesus,” seem to have Wu-Tang, 90s influences. Regardless, Logic manages to keep the album aesthetic the same without sounding repetitive.
Subtle aspects of the album seem to hint that its storyline — the future search for a new, idealistic planet— is really a metaphor for how his music is ahead of its time, and how he’s attempted to spark an evolution of the rap industry.
Logic looks back on his life and admits he has made mistakes, but insists he’s “created a world no one has been to.”
One of the most impressive songs on the album is “City of Stars.” Logic urges fellow rappers to take serious consideration of everyone’s music, in contrast to the current state of “judging rap by race instead of the better flow.”
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The track is similar in sound to Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights,” but instead of portraying the rap game as an exclusive group as West does, Logic tries to include everyone.
The True Incredible Story, while not quite a masterpiece, is certainly an album worth a listen. Fans of any genre can enjoy the picture Logic paints with his music, and applaud his attempts to make change in an industry so strictly governed by the same themes.
He has avoided the “sophomore album slump,” instead creating a project that can be described both as experimental and grounded. As Logic knows best, the future is what you make it, but it seems that his future as a rapper is in good hands.
