Mixtapes on top of mixtapes on top of mixtapes.

 The much hyped Maryland artist Logic has dropped a series of mix tapes in recent years, which to me, always fell short.

 They lacked any sort of theme, and the recurring “Everyone hates me because I’m white,” notion was a bit excessive. With that caveat out of the way, his new album Under Pressure was something new and unexpected. Going into the debut album, I expected much of the same that Young Sinatra had to offer previously but he just so happened to prove me wrong.

Throughout his project, Logic tells his story from his childhood to his come up, even going so far as to include painfully honest anecdotes of his dealing with his father’s drug addiction in the nine minute track, “Under Pressure.” The young MC skillfully delivers that familiar killer flow he packed in his previous projects but the lyrics held a lot more weight this time around.

Amidst all of the things Under Pressure gets right, there are a few negatives that  need to be pointed out. For example, the story told was sloppy at times and executed poorly. Some of the tracks in the first half could have easily been skipped and you wouldn’t feel like you missed anything. In addition, the production did tend to sound a little repetitive but the beats did pick up after the first half of the album.

 Before the album’s release, Logic teased a female romantic interest: a certain somebody named Nikki.  After the name appeared on Twitter the hashtag #WhoIsNikki blew up and became a top trending item. It had many speculating as to who this person of interest was.

 Logic just so happened to include a track titled “Nikki” in which he describes his ongoing struggle and attempts to relieve himself of his lifelong soul mate Nicotine a.ka. Nikki. This track was most definitely one of the most powerful songs on the debut album along with great production to match.

Although the album did tend to be drawn back by repetitive beats and a stale story in the first half, Logic still managed to deliver a breath of fresh air with this project.

Overall, I felt like the album shed light to a lot of Logic’s undiscovered potential and if he applied his flow with a bit more lyricism and structure, he could skyrocket. The album was somewhat a success and I do anticipate a lot more from him.

I give this album 7.5/10.