Logic’s No Pressure and the Weight of Identity

“Why do you talk so white?” “Why don’t you act black?” “Is that really your dad?” I heard these questions over and over throughout my childhood. They never offended me. But I couldn’t fully conceptualize the reasons people were saying this and how it affected me. I would often shrug it off or laugh a long with the joke. Now, as a 25-year-old man, I’m much closer to understanding the impact of this stereotype.

As I press play on Logic’s final album, No Pressure, I ponder on the constant criticism he has received through the years. A lot of which stemmed from his own self reflections on race and the identity of being half black and half white. These criticisms are a key factor that drove him into retirement in the first place.

 The album is executive produced by No I.D. The first time the two have connected since Logic’s debut album Under Pressure. No Pressure is an honest and unflinching foray into the new lifestyle changes of the 28-year-old rapper. He’s married, has a child and has now officially retired from hip-hop. Before doing so, he made sure his family would still be able to eat, signing a reported $700K Twitch deal for the foreseeable future. So, with all these changes in place, how does this translate to the music? No pressure is a rap album from the perspective of success. There isn’t the struggle of family drama and poverty to fuel Logic’s fire anymore. He is a successful artist, he’s rich and has the unconditional love of a wife and son. The album is in similar vain to Chance the Rapper’s The Big Day, but executed on a far greater level. It’s an album about being happy. It’s positive music. While that may not always be the approach that appeals to the masses, what Logic does well on this album is talk about what he’s currently living. Bringing me to one of my favorite lines from the project. “I can tell you more about diapers than the new rap cyphers,” Logic raps on Dadbod.

The album begins with a 3-minute lyrical assault on the “No Pressure intro.” The track eloquently weaves movie samples over No ID production while Logic splatters the beat with punchline after punchline. Referencing everything from braggadocios competitive bars to introspective reflections of his personal insecurities. The album is a constant balance between emphatic punchlines, creative flows and proper storytelling.

Throughout the album, Logic makes multiple mentions of criticisms and opinions that have overshadowed his career. In a recent interview he dove into further detail, saying that statements made by Joe Budden and Charlemagne the God “make people want to kill themselves.” Much of these comments revolve around Logic’s struggle with identity crisis and the media making light of the idea.  Memes about Logic being biracial and emphasizing this throughout his music were rampant around the time his second studio album The Incredible True Story was released in 2015.

Some of these insecurities were brought to the surface on the track “Dark Place.” “Behold it’s me, the piece of shit that’s not good enough/Not black enough, not hood enough/Not rich enough, not poor enough/My heart has poured enough/I been beaten and battered, my confidence shattered,” Logic raps.

In the same sentiment, the idea of not being black enough has been on my mind since elementary school. Children would constantly wonder why I spoke “so proper” and why I didn’t wear the name brand outfits and shoes. Just as logic stated, this in turn caused my confidence to shatter. I was constantly second guessing my own personal interests. I tried to use my race as means to chameleon into certain social situations. Often leaving me without a sense of self-identity.

No Pressure does a great job of showcasing the many styles Logic has to offer. Tracks like “Dark Place” and “man I is” are introspective and thought provoking. Switching gears, “Celebration and “DadBod” are lighthearted and fun. Throughout the project Logic highlights some of his highs as well as some of his lows. He speaks on retiring from hip-hop and worthless feeling that accompanied much of his critical feedback. It’s a great example of someone owning their individuality. Logic doesn’t detour from his sci-fi storytelling of obscure nerd-like reference. He presents the whole of his personality and refuses to filter it for the sake of popularity.

This is the same confidence I hope to embody as I enter my 25^th rotation around the sun. Now more than ever, I refuse to let the expectations of society shape my point of view. If I want to belt out Ellie Goulding while bass fishing on the lake, there shouldn’t be some shitty person there to tell me I’m acting too white. I appreciate the sincerity that Logic brought forth on No Pressure. I feel empowered by his decision to retire at the height of his hip-hop career and focus on his family and his mental health. It takes a lot of courage to do something like that. Hopefully that same courage can lift me out of this lack of confidence and into a purposeful creative.