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In Depth Review of Logic’s ‘Everybody’

It’s been three weeks since the release of Logic’s highly anticipated third studio album, and here is my review for 'Everybody'.

By Sadé SanchezPublished 7 years ago 7 min read
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The production of the project is top notch. Executive produced by his partner in crime 6ix, the album also includes production from Logic himself, No ID, and a couple others. Features include the likes of Killer Mike, Khalid, Alessia Cara, Black Thought, Chuck D and more. Everybody did great in its first week in sales, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. And although it didn’t do so good in its second week, who cares? Logic is one talented guy, and this is a super elaborate concept album.

Logic faces some pretty serious themes, more so than any other project. We have the three main topics of religion, race and politics. Logic also dives into some other things: love, violence, life and death. There’s everything for Everybody. When you first hear the album it is a lot to digest but it is in Logic’s delivery that makes it so seamless. Conceptually, this project is seamless and just on point. Logic’s execution of not just his bars but the execution of the overall concept of the album is amazing. You can't just take the album at face value. There are so many layers that the Maryland rapper so intricately weaves together.

The Plight of The Biracial Man

Logic in the past has addressed that he’s biracial and his experiences growing up as such but never quite so much as in this project. This is a new side to Logic. He’s always been very open with his fans, but this project is Logic, or Bobby, on another level.

"This is who I am. That’s why I’m so happy for this album because I finally do and say all the things that I was told I should be ashamed of."- Genius Verified

He faced a lot of criticism on the album for solely focusing on the fact that he’s half black and white, but it’s more than that. Logic does speak on his plight as the biracial man but what other way could he speak on such issues? The emcee uses his experiences in order to emphasize the main message of finding that happiness within yourself in spite of others. Once you live with the album, you realize Logic is more so talking about just accepting yourself for who you are. Accepting yourself for what you love and where you come from.

Everybody is for Everybody.

Taking a Walk With God

“I know you need toOpen your mind” - Hallelujah

Logic opens up with “Hallelujah” and it’s the perfect opener. He’s telling you to just be open minded and prepare yourself for what he’s about to dive into. You just know this project is going to be different from the other. The track ends with a skit starring astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as God and former radio personality Big Von as Atom. Yes, Atom - not Adam. Derived from Andy Weir’s 2009 short story "The Egg,” the skits appear throughout the album. They serve as the essential backbone to this album.

Logic and his team made very minor changes to the original story, simply giving the character a name, the dialogue is more up to date, and added a speech from God that emphasize the album’s overall message.

To sum up: Atom dies in a car accident and meets God in a waiting room (purgatory) - actually the track “Waiting Room” is where this story unravels. He takes a walk with God, just shooting the breeze and finds out he’s the whole human race. He is just one soul traveling back and forth in a universe created for him as a teachable moment by God in order to mature into a god-like being. Think about it: Your kind actions are done to yourself, and your hateful actions are done to yourself. You were Hitler and “the millions he murdered." Like, what? I find the story very profound, and trippy nonetheless.

Did you get why Logic use the name “Atom” and not just “Adam”? He’s the building block of every soul that ever was and will be. Dope shit.

I dig Logic owned the story and how he just morphed an album around it. He takes the idea that we are just one soul and makes this album that is literally Everybody.

Walk In My Shoes

Where tracks like “Everybody,” “Take it Back” and “AfricAyaN” are from his point of view of the biracial man, he does speak from several different perspectives in order to relate to Everybody.

“Every perspective that you hear me rapping from…I am either that person, have that experience or it was my sister’s, or my mother, or my brother or my friends, my wife, or their cousin. These are all real people that exist. I’ve just given them a fictional scenario to paint a bigger picture for the listener at home to hopefully be able to relate to.” - Genius Verified

Here are three perspectives that stood out to me the most.

“I’ve done so much wrong I don’t know if I could ever be right” - Confess

Logic, with the help of Killer Mike, speaks from the perspective of a man who breaks into a church and confesses his sins. This guy feels as if he’s just a piece of shit and yells out to God, “I’m so tired and I don’t know what else to do.” He doesn’t even believe in God, but he’s hit rock bottom and maybe repenting will “save” him.

“I ain’t got a pocket full of money, but I’m full of hope” - Mos Definitely

Here Logic is the normal fresh of out college kid who is suffering from crippling debt and has none of the experience those jobs require. This was inspired by a close friend who came out to work with Logic and took the risk because all he had were student loans and eviction notices. I relate to this and a lot of 20-something year olds do too.

“I feel like my life ain’t mineWho can relate?” - 1-800-273-8255

This track is his darkest and most moving song. Logic takes on two perspectives, a suicidal person calling the hot line and the operator on the other end of the phone. The caller talks about how they don’t want to be alive. Then the operator explains why life is so important and why they should want to live. By the third verse the original perspective turns around and says “I finally want to be alive.” With help from Alessia Cara and Khalid, the message is so powerful. Logic has met fans who proclaimed that he and his music saved their lives. Hearing all of those stories affected him and has explained that he wasn’t even trying to. However, he’s worked on this track to actually do so and hopes it reaches more than just his fans.

I’ve chosen songs that really stand out, but he steps in the shoes of several more people. The perspectives either take over a whole song, or there's a subtle switch in the midst of a verse. We hear from a black single mother, a person who suffers from debilitating anxiety, a gay man, a misunderstood teenager looking to Logic as an idol. We even hear his take on the point of view from his mother. These point of views are real. Logic takes inspiration from those he knows so nothing about this album is contrived.

Easter Eggs-Galore

Logic was keeping a couple secrets from us in the making of this album. There are many easter eggs in the album’s cover alone, let’s focus on the music itself. For instance, the ending of the last track, “AficAyaN,” will have you shocked. Let’s start with the embedded secret verse from J. Cole. It’s self Logic has titled “Acceptance.”

“Fuck approval from strangers, that shit is dangerous as hell”

J. Cole is an artist that Logic has looked up to. His earlier music sounds a bit like Cole’s and well there is the being biracial thing. Logic spoke with Hard Knock TV’s Nick Huff about his overall relationship with J. Cole and how the secret track came into fruition.

“I spill my soul into a microphoneWith poems written in bloodIn hopes that it’s enough for you”

The two did talk about working together for this project. Logic first presented “Take It Back,” to Cole. The track is told from Logic’s point of view that dives in deeper into his own past. Although he’s biracial, Cole didn’t exactly relate; “That’s your story...a story I didn’t know.” After some time, Cole eventually sent Logic his verse via voice memo. Filled with bars of “Acceptance”, J. Cole starts it speaking in the perspective of Logic then switches it up to talking directly to Logic.

“Nigga, my advice, fuck the black and white shitBe who you are, identify as a star”

He then reached out to Cole asking if he could keep the track as is, and a secret. No tag, no marketing. We also came to realize the easter egg in the album cover, an attribution we speculated but had no proof till the album’s release. This was a huge moment for Logic. As a product of J.Cole’s earlier music, to now having a secret track from the man: "This is my idol accepting me.”

The Ending of All Endings

Before we hear J. Cole’s letter to Logic, which was just amazing, Logic drops a bomb on us. At what we believe is the end of the album, we hear some nature sounds and two people walking and talking. As Thalia, a staple in Logic’s work “concludes the program,” we’re brought back (or forward) to his last album The Incredible Story with Kai and Thomas.

Kai: Damn man, we’ve been walking foreverThomas: Well, Thalia’s tracking system says we’ll be there in just over an hourKai: Shit, at least we got good walking music or is that it?Thomas: Oh no, man. I’m cueing up the fourth album now, his final one

Now if you don’t know, the story in his last album was set 100 years from now. Kai and Thomas are just going through Logic’s albums in their walk to Paradise. At the end of the final album we’ll find Kai and Thomas at the final destination. Logic had this to say about his final album.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t necessarily be involved in hip-hop community...I’m just done with albums and it’s going to be the last one so you motherfuckers better buy that shit and tune in and see what it’s going to be about cause it’s going to be very special. I’m going to do something that has not been done in hip-hop before and I mean that conceptually as well. ... It must live in that ‘Incredible True Story’ universe and it’s going to be a story to end all stories including my own.”- Genius Verified

Damn.

Everybody is for everybody. His plight of the biracial man may have thrown people off but it just means they’re just looking to the exterior. All the perspectives Logic takes on, including his own, are all lives Atom has lived. He may not know in the moment, but from each life he matures and learns a little something as he goes along. They’re just skipping by on the surface not diving in. Utilizing the story of “The Egg” as a backbone allows Logic to play around in new territory which may have put off the average listener. His main message to his listeners is peace, love, positivity...and “Acceptance.”

“Remember that right here in this moment is all you are guaranteed, and the fact that you are living is what life is all about. So live your life to the fullest, according to your happiness and the betterment of all."
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About the Creator

Sadé Sanchez

I'm a 20-something year old who's obsessed with music, and sometimes I write about it. I hope you enjoy my ramblings.

IG: @writtenbysade

@thelyricalfixpod

@checkit.openmic

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