Hip-hop and rap have taken the world by storm. Now one of the biggest entertainment industries in America, music is culturally significant all over the country and the rest of the world. Hip-hop artists such as Quavo, Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem have recently produced new albums, and many have been touring the country spreading and performing their music. Among these artists is rapper Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, more famously known as Logic.
Logic’s newest collection of songs, “YSIV,” was released on Sept. 28 and includes 14 tracks. The fourth, and last mixtape in the Young Sinatra series features artists such as Jaden Smith, Hailee Steinfeld and Ryan Tedder. The mixtape is full of nostalgia and stories from Logic’s life, and this is well-paired with the music that accompanies his vocal lyrics in each rap.
The Young Sinatra mixtapes are especially known for their unique sound, resembling the 80s and 90s rap and hip-hop music that focused on interesting experimentation with sound and catchy lyrics. Young Sinatra is Logic’s pseudonym, or as he calls it, his “alter-ego.” Each song in these albums are is completely different, as Logic tries out different styles and beats that come together and make up a very diverse collection.
The mixtape, or freestyle-type album, begins with “Thank You,” an upbeat track featuring Lucy Rose and The RattPack. It starts with a conversation between two people, which reveals to the audience that this album will be the last one in the series of Young Sinatra mixtapes. The song includes intermittent pauses where fan’s audio files have been inserted into the track. These fans introduce themselves from all over the world, and express their excitement for the new album and their appreciation for Logic’s music. It opens the album with a strong and powerful message that gets listeners excited to hear the rest of the songs.
The next song in the mixtape, “Everybody Dies,” uses strong and passionate language to reflect on Logic’s life and talks about the things he wishes he could have done differently in his past. This song has an intricate and creative beat that plays in the background as Logic tells his fans stories about his childhood and the place he was born.
“One Day” is an inspirational song, featuring Logic’s views on society and opinions about how the world can be changed for the better. Ryan Tedder sings the chorus to the song, and breaks up Logic’s fast-paced lyrics with a short, slower-paced break.
“Adventures of Stoney Bob,” “Legacy” and “Street Dreams II” are other songs included in the mixtape that each have their own special sound and rhythmic structure to them. Logic’s voice changes throughout each one in order to fit the tone or sound of the song, and to convey the intended message or feeling.
“Last Call” is the final song in the album. It is an 11 minute mixture of both personal biography, monologue and rap. Logic tells his life story, explaining how got to where he is today, as both an artist who had to sacrifice a lot to get to there and as a man who loves his family.
During his career, Logic has produced four studio albums, eight mixtapes and 20 singles. The first Young Sinatra album, titled “Young Sinatra,” was released Sept. 19, 2011. His first mixtape is titled “Logic: The Mixtape,” and was released in 2009. This mixtape “YSIV” has been his first full-length project since “Bobby Tarantino II.”
