Logic - No Pressure (Album Review)

Logic is back, for the last time, with 'No Pressure'. After announcing this album many months back, it came at a shock that Logic would later announce it's his final album as he intends to retire and live the family life. Logic's recent output has been below par, I don't think it's as bad as people make it out to be but it wasn't great. 'No Pressure' has to end Logic's career on a high...and it just might have done that.

No I.D. executively produced this album - so as you can expect the production is immaculate on this album from start to finish. It takes a lot of soul influence and jazz influence while incorporating many trap elements into it too when needed. There's a nice variety of instruments, including pianos, drums, guitars etc. and the instrumentals are all fantastic. 'Hit My Line' has this quick paced piano, heavy trap beat with an underlying emotional feel to it - and it captures the scared and desperate atmosphere perfectly. Logic here has emotional, and great bars throughout, "Too many kids in the community outlined in chalk // Scared of drive-bys when they should just be scared of the dark", as he talks to God about the horrible things he's witnessed - praying for it to stop. His melody on the hook is great and it's an amazing, hard hitting song. 'Celebration' also has a quick tempo'd beat with a great soul sample as he talks on his come up, haters and success. With solid verses, and a hook with a catchy cadence the song is great - but Silas' verse while decent lyrically and flow wise, was just a bit uninteresting in terms of his presence on the track. 'Amen''s instrumental uses the same piano keys as 'RUNNING OUT OF TIME' by Tyler, The Creator and helps create this heartwarming beat which is sensational as he reflects on his career, his come up, the fans he's made and thanks God for it. With introspective and emotional bars, it's an amazing final song for Logic, and the perfect ending for his career as he thanks everybody for the journey he was on.

Logic himself provides bars, punchline after punchline and slick wordplay throughout, straight from the get go on 'No Pressure', "It's chemical warfare on the block, who got the rock? // A tablespoon of baking soda leave you shellshocked // Leave the pusher in a cell block and his customer in a box". There are some meh punchlines on this track however, but overall the verse is solid over this jazzy boom bap beat as he talks on his come up and overall overlook of his career - a great intro to the album. There's some emotional and introspective verses throughout this as well, like on 'Dark Place', "Writin' rhymes was easy before the fame // Now I'm constantly overthinkin' every line, it's a shame // Rap used to fill me with joy, now it's nothin' but pain", as he talks on his low mental health related to the rap game and haters. This sentimental beat creates the emotional atmosphere perfectly, and it really hits the listener like it should do. The Alan Watts outro reflects on the theme of the album which is money isn't everything and is a decent edition itself. However, there are times he falls short lyrically and sounds a bit unfocused within the verse or just says stuff in a simplistic and uninteresting way. An example of this being 'GP4', where he wasn't very interesting with what he said and sometimes just sounded lost over this slower beat, which is pretty boring in itself as he talks on his come up and struggles of his youth. The OutKast interpolation of 'Elevators' in the hook just doesn't sound as good as the original - at least his flow is fire on this song and it isn't horrible, it just kind of passes by and is pretty forgettable. His flow over these beats sounds outstanding, it isn't unnecessarily fast but is a fire, quicker cadence which is solid all throughout.

A lot of the content on this final album revolves around Logic being happy, living a family life, the rap game and his childhood come up, such as on 'Open Mic//Aquarius III'. This track has another soul sample, and quick paced drums and it isn't doing too much for me before it switches to the piano instrumental, as he talks on his rough upbringing and family life as well as haters and status in hip-hop. He has decent punchlines, powerful bars and wordplay throughout, "Can't wait until my son shine and together we reign // My queen's by my side like Manhattan", and the beat switch came in clutch as the song started to become tedious, but the lyricism isn't as gripping as I'd like which is why a song like this doesn't push into S tier. It isn't always refreshing content, but it rarely gets stale (although it may do on a few songs). An example being '5 Hooks', which talks on the same topics of him retiring, living happy and reflecting of his rap career over this intense piano switches with a great drop (the beat switch is great too). Logic provides decent storytelling and bars throughout, and his increase in energy with his delivery over this beat which has more life was a necessary change to keep us entertained - an amazing song. 'A2Z' has a different kind of subject focus to it, as he spends the first verse teaching his son his ABC's by making sure his verse has every letter of the alphabet in at some point, "Yeah, A, I been real that's all I ever knew how to be // Fuck what you heard, I only write what I see // Second I deploy, I destroy 'til the tank on E". The hard piano melody was great and the loop worked well, as well as the drums as him including every letter kept us entertained in the first verse and it's fun to listen to how he incorporates the alphabet. The second verse is a recording from Logic's first ever song, and he was actually good with some funny punchlines and overall this is an entertaining song.

Other tracks to look at include 'Soul Food II', which has a great beat as part 1 focuses on the evils of the industry and part 2 then talks on the story of humans finding a habitual planet full of life in the future - it was entertaining but not descriptive enough. Part 2 is infact a follow up to 'Soul Food' on this albums predecessor 'Under Pressure', and again it's another great song. 'Perfect' is the only 'banger' of the album with this heavy drum and distorted bells as Logic flexes his success. He does a good job job, some moments such as the multi-layering are annoying and while nothing too crazy it's an alright turn up song - still a low point of the album though. 'man i is' has this jazzy, retro style to it and the horns from OutKast's 'SpottieOttieDopaliscious' which is an amazing move as I love these horns. Logic reflects on coming up from his youth to where he is today - and again it's a great track and like many tracks here, it hits the 8/10 kinda area but doesn't advance above that. 'DadBod' is about Logic being a happily married man as he leaves the rap game behind him, and while the contents good it's a pretty simplistic way of getting it across despite a few funny lines such as "And I love my wife like I am Chance". The beat was more bland than others, but it really grew on me because I didn't like it at first - but it just runs so smoothly and it's respectful to hear him talk on this. I don't think there was a need for a 3rd verse however. 'Heard Em Say' is a flawless song as he talks on his youth and what he's overcome - telling us we can overcome anything as well. It's nothing too flashy lyrically, but it's good and very encouraging. His flow was perfect, the sample in the in your face beat was perfect, a warming track and a victory lap for Logic - what a song. The outro to this album was 'Obediently Yours', which was an Orson Welles speech related to racial injustices in America. I can't say I'd listen again but it's a nice ending.

To conclude, Logic's final album is great and a perfect ending for the rapper. The production is solid, there's no stupid or repetitive lines that we recently would see in other albms. It was smooth running, and showed a more emotional side to Logic. I always knew he had a great album left in him and he finally provided it, with smooth rapping and great tracks throughout. A triumphant ending for Logic, enjoy retirement Bobby.

FAVOURITE TRACKS: No Pressure, Hit My Line, Celebration, Open Mic//Aquarius III, Soul Food II, man i is, DadBod, 5 Hooks, Dark Place, A2Z, Heard Em Say, Amen

LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: GP4

OVERALL RATING: Solid 8.5/10

*REVISED SCORE: Review may not match favourite tracks and overall rating because I've since re-listened and changed my score.*