“And on a beautiful Autumn day in 2011, Logic and his best friends drive through the slums of College Park… Cruising through an unknown universe, beginning a journey that would inevitably alter the course of not only their own but the lives of millions of people around the world.” This small utterance in the final moments of ‘Wake Up’, the first single released by Logic in the build-up to the release of College Park, echoes to the die-hard Logic fans that they may be getting the album they have been waiting for- the homecoming album.
Robert Hall, aka ‘Logic’, has had a troubled, controversial, and extremely interesting relationship with the hip-hop industry and community, being what one might label ‘hit or miss’, despite his eye-watering streaming numbers. Since his debut album in 2014, Under Pressure, he has walked the line of being labelled on both ends of the spectrum, either spectacular or underwhelming. However, fuelled by his own desires to experiment and create differing sounds throughout the years this has led to Logic developing a somewhat loyal fanbase, named the ‘Rattpack’. Logic, is privileged with fanatic members of the ‘Rattpack’ and many followers from every corner of the globe, an achievement that the young Bobby Hall (aka ‘Logic’) in 2011 would have never believed to come true. Since 2014, Logic has been signed with the major, blockbuster record label ‘Def-Jam’, however, after the release of his last studio album Vinyl Days, Logic departed from the company, becoming free from the constrains and pressures of meeting the status quo, allowing him to unleash his musical power at no cost.
College Park, stylistically, leans on an old school vibe, with a sub-narrative of snippets taking place at the end of most tracks creating a ‘day in the life’ perspective of Logic and his team in 2011. Logic rejuvenates the younger energetic, hungry and eager version of himself, certainly acting as a testimony to how far he has come.
The album opens with ‘Cruisin’ Thru the Universe’, where RZA, renowned for his work with the Wu- Tang Clan, joins Logic on an acoustic and futuristic boom bap instrumental which is accompanied with some slick lyrics vocalising a spaceship journey through a futuristic landscape. The short 2-minute song merely acts as a taster and introduction into the raw, punchy production of the album. ‘Wake Up’ then fades in, which, as it was originally released as a single in anticipation of the album, means fans know the ride they are strapped in for. This is the first inclusion of the English songwriter Lucy Rose, as she sets the tone for the skits that will follow throughout.
The record punches hard, as ‘Clone Wars III’ is reticent of the production era of De La Soul and that of Nas. A moment of both bravado and excellence, it is yet another reminder of what 6ix, Logic’s producer, has up his sleeve. The freshness of C Dot Castro as a presence throughout is a breath of fresh air, as in the jazzy opener ‘Lightsabers’. His exhortations are dynamic, lifting Logic to a crisp level. C Dot Castro again returns alongside Big Lenbo, ADÉ and Fat Trel for the trap posse cut ‘Gaithersburg Freestyle’, repping the eponymous city. Joey Bada$$ then stars on ‘Shimmy’, which pays homage to the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard over an atmospheric beat with soothing piano chords which parallel that of ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya‘, which is interpolated during the chorus. Both Logic and Joey blend together well to create a club banger, matching 90’s tropes to millennial techniques.
Meanwhile on ‘Village Slum’, things return to the boom bap with a vocal loop throughout, in a deeper and more meaningful song, where Bobby opens the door to the past, allowing the listener to understand what has shaped him over the years, through dealings with parenthood, drugs and alcohol. The drum-break resembles that of Slum Village’s ‘Fall in Love’, with Logic once again showing how he is a ‘student of the game’.
Reaching the end of the album, Logic graces us with ‘Lightyear’, a beautifully composed 8-minute track where he begins to the look at the future, reminding the listener that he does not want to be trapped and defined by simply one thing in music, hip-hop. We are treated to a heartfelt acoustic guitar outro, where Logic rather emotionally discloses that it has taken him a “lightyear” to “find himself again”.
Whilst College Park is an ambitious hour-long statement that can be unwieldly and slightly ‘hit-and-miss’, when it all clicks it is one of Logic’s finest bodies of work, that certainly showcases he has now been set free and the taste of independence is going to give members of the ‘Rattpack’ joy. Therefore, in attempt to reset the dials and re-assert his core values, College Park offers a 360 view of who Logic, Bobby Hall really is and who he wants to become.
Rating: 8/10
