Despite having a new album out last year, Everything, which included the radio hit/suicide awareness song "1-800-273-8255 (feat. Alessia Cara & Khalid)", Logic is already back with a sequel to his 2016 mixtape, Bobby Tarantino II. I remember hearing that first mixtape, specifically "44 Bars", one of the many examples of Logic's flow and rapping talent, seeing him spit about the crazy way's his life has turned out and how he's still trying to remember who he is and where he comes from. Other songs like "Flexicution", "Slave II", and "Super Mario World" all caught my attention (the latter of which samples Mario music and combines it with rap; how can you go wrong?) and I soon found myself exploring more of his music and past work.
The thing I've found about mixtapes is that they seem to capture the nature of rap better than most albums do; they feel more natural, off the cuff, less layered and bogged down by production. So when I saw that there was a sequel for Logic's first mixtape coming, I was very excited. I enjoyed certain parts of Everything, especially the way in which he is able to tackle real life issues and bring a positivity that is rarely found in the rap game. However, I found myself more drawn to the swaggering, fire-spitting Logic of Bobby Tarantino and wanted to hear more of that sound and persona.
The mixtape kicks off with an intro from Rick and Morty from the animated TV show, which at first feels surprising, but also fits in line with the feel of the mixtape and the album. The album kicks in from there, and it's evident that we're dealing with a different mixtape than before. Everything feels bigger, louder, even more swagger and even more opportunities for Logic to flaunt his speedy word-smithing. The first single, "44 More", is a reference to the song from his first mixtape that I mentioned earlier and sees him ripping through 44 bars again, referencing people like Harry Styles, Katy Perry, David Blaine, and Starlord among others. The "Sign of the Times" reference (which is a song by Harry Styles) was my favorite:
"Sold more albums my first week than Harry Styles and Katy Perry
If that ain't a sign of the times
Then I don't know what is, man this shit is scary".
His ability to take words and put them together and send them flying out at warp speed has always impressed me, and this song definitely shows that off.
As I began hearing the rest of the album, I realized, with some disappointment, that this mixtape wasn't going to have the same charm that the last one did. While there was a balance between the humility that Logic was known for and the swagger (which sounds contradictory, but worked on the first mixtape), that balance felt tilted much farther in one direction than the other. While there are some songs that show both his humble beginnings and his new success and the perks that have followed, it feels a lot like most other rap songs I hear (and then don't listen to again). I know that the whole Bobby Tarantino is supposed to be his other "persona", similar the Eminem and Slim Shady, but it doesn't feel like there's anything worth bringing to the table with a lot of the songs, apart from giving Logic a platform to brag. He does talk a lot about how he's worked hard for what he's gotten, and that is definitely evident - considering he's been putting out mixtapes and albums for almost ten years. This comes off as a bit repetitive, however, especially on the song "Everyday", which feels a lot different from the rest of the album in that the instrumental was done by Marshmello. Both the instrumental and the raps feel a bit flat, lacking a special quality to make the song worth listening to again and again.
There are certain songs stand out a bit for different reasons. "Midnight" slows things down a bit and has a bit of a melancholy tone with the more stripped down instrumental and piano chords (although the lyrical content doesn't quite match). Halfway through, the song completely switches gears, maintaining a slower pace but upping the intensity and energy to create a new vibe all within the same track. "Indica Badu (feat. Wiz Khalifa)" also slows things down a bit with a more R&B/Jazz vibe; the bass line is simple and repetitive, but grooves along really nicely with the simple drum-set beat. The song is, not surprisingly, all about smoking weed, so the lyrical content (again) isn't that noteworthy (especially the very imature sounding line "I smoke weed!"), but it's definitely a chill song to listen to (hmm, wonder if that was intentional). "Warm It Up (feat. Young Sinatra)" is an intriguing song as "Young Sinatra" is one of Logic's other names, meaning it's featuring his alter ego (Bobby Tarantino) and his other alter ego (Young Sinatra). It gives the lyrics additional layers as he's rapping through two different personalities and neither one is necessarily him. The instrumental also stands out from the other songs as it has a bit of a throwback, underground vibe to it when Young Sinatra is rapping, moving away from the trap sound until Bobby Tarantino comes back in.
I think I wanted to like this album more than I did. I definitely enjoy some of the tracks, and I know there's certain ones that I'll listen to in my car quite loudly and it'll be a great experience. However, in terms of something that was noteworthy or that's going to leave a lasting impression, I don't think this release is going to do that.
Rating: 2.5/5
Recommended: "Contra", "Warm It Up (feat. Young Sinatra)", "44 More"
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