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Logic’s fourth and final Young Sinatra mixtape is a 75-minute exploration into the mind of Sir Robert Bryson Hall. It delves into topics such as his absent crack-addicted father, the legacy he wants to leave behind and the cash he has made from rapping (a whopping $30 million!). This tape follows Logic’s incredibly successful 2017 album Everybody which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the 2018 mixtape Bobby Tarantino II.
YSIV begins with a track titled “Thank You” in which young people from around the globe thank Logic for his inspirational music. Like many artists who came from nothing and now have millions, Logic tells a story of obsessive hard work, perseverance and faith.
“The Return”, features an uplifting chorus, exclaiming“I get up, when I’m down, had enough, almost drowned, when shit get rough I get tough…” One can almost imagine a modern-day Rocky listening through his headphones as he runs through Philadelphia. The next track, “The Glorious Five”, details Logic’s issues with his father, through lyrics like “all I ever wanted was a daddy, but that man priority was huggin’s with a fatty, but I’m glad he did cause it made me who I am, now I’m the man that I always wish he woulda been”. The last line is one of the strongest points throughout the album and explains his mission to become a better man.
“The Glorious Five” leads into the singles, “One Day (feat. Ryan Tedder)”, another inspirational track that Logic told his followers via Twitter, “This one is for anyone with a dream!”. The sixth track features all living members of the iconic NYC rap group Wu-Tang Clan: Ghostface Killah, Capadonna, GZA, Inspectah Deck, Jackpot Scotty Wotty, Mastah Killa, Method Man, RZA and U-God. Like in the 90’s they trade verses over a heavy boom-bap beat.
“YSIV”, the ninth track on the eponymous album, begins with a tribute to Mac Miller whose passing shook up the music world last month. Logic then spits, “Respected by my peers from drizzy, cole, to kenny / thank you for the love and inspiration plenty / yeah I’m loved by many”, implying he is now on the same level, “a peer”, as the often-chosen top three current hip-hop artists. He ends the song with a heartfelt monologue of Mac Miller’s influence on him coming up and finally, “We just some mother— kids”, a reference to the 2010 Mac Miller mixtape titled K.I.D.S.
“ICONIC” is a reference to the Jaden Smith track, “Icon”, from his album SYRE. Over a similar production style, Logic spits “Tell me what you know about real life / tell me what you know about dark nights / B- I’m Bruce Wayne in the game”, another reference to Jaden’s track, “Batman”. Jaden’s feature is a minimal interlude highlighted by the spoken lines, “Young Sinatra, icons inspire icons / Gold chains wrapped around my neck like pythons”.
The final track of the album is titled “Last Call”, a concept that Logic was inspired by Kanye and J. Cole to do. The track features references to his previous work; memories of a drug-riddled household; his first time at a studio; shoutouts to his inspirations Nas, Big L, Mos Def, and Wu Tang; thank yous to his producer 6ix, his entire Rattpack team, his godparents, and more.
Relying on his unique, fast flows, meaningful, uplifting content, and exemplary production by 6ix, Logic scored another W with YSIV albeit it was a close one. If rating this album was a baseball game, it’d have taken extra innings to decide the outcome. Logic claims to be a peer of Kendrick and J. Cole, but neither of them have released an album/mixtape as commercially and lyrically weak as YSIV. Two of the lead singles, “One Day” and “The Return”,were decent tracks, but not excellent by any means. Songs that really stood out were “YSIV”, “Everybody Dies” and “100 Miles and Running”. Guest verses by bigger names would have helped out the M.C. create a stronger overall project, but it’s hard to complain when all of Wu-Tang is on a track. Overall, it seems as if Logic might have sacrificed the creation of a better collection of work for a brief wrap-up to his Young Sinatra series.
Standout Songs: “YSIV”, “Everybody Dies”, “100 Miles and Running”
Rating: 6/10
Album Review By: Jason Levin
