Taking the hip-hop scene by storm with two back to back critically acclaimed albums, Logic has gone from a hot up-and-coming star to a hip-hop name stay. Like all established musicians, it didn’t start that way. From a rough childhood to an unfinished education, Logic’s experiences have defined his sound, his brand, and his devoted fans.
Here are three things any musician can learn from Logic’s own incredible true story.
1. Experiment with your sound.
Before the release of his freshman album Under Pressure, before he even had a record deal, Logic released a total of four mixtapes independently. With each mixtape he released, Logic experimented with various sounds, recording techniques, and lyrical focus.
This gave each tape its own unique feel while allowing Logic to discover and fine tune the starting point for his sound. His willingness to experiment and uniqueness of each mixtape has earned his early work critical acclaim.
Like Logic, you should always tinker and experiment. Discover new ways to create your music, and don’t be afraid to never do the same thing twice.
2. Build off of your strengths.
Logic has been praised for everything from his music production to his level mastery, but where his true strengths lie is his lyrical genius. Though he is a high school dropout, the subject he excelled in was English. That is where he starts every song- with the lyrics.
His propensity for telling stories and his vast vocabulary have earned him the respect of his fans as well as critical praise, especially for his sophomore effort, the sci-fi hip-hop-driven narrative The Incredible True Story.
Whether you are a great lyricist, or whether your talents lie elsewhere, always build off of what your strengths are.
3. Don’t just write what you know, write what you love.
Part of what makes The Incredible True Story such an acclaimed album is Logic’s incorporation of old sci-fi sensibilities from the ‘90s. This is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. Logic is actually a fan of older anime shows such as Cowboy Bebop and Akira, and it’s the genuine love for these older shows that really sells the narrative of the album.
The interplay of humanity’s journey to the planet Paradise with the real life reflection of his own childhood and outlook on the hip-hop scene underpins Logic’s ability as a writer, lyricist, and musician. By combining what he knows with what he loves, Logic wrote from a genuine place that romanticizes youthful exploration while looking critically at social injustices across the country.
Your music should not only be true to who you are but true to who you were and who you want to be.
Logic’s swift rise to critical acclaim and fame is a reminder of how there is more than just one way to succeed. He experimented and continues to do so, he always starts from the place he is most comfortable strength-wise, and he writes about what he loves. You should too.
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Anthony Mauro is a San Francisco State graduate who splits his time between the Bay Area and San Diego. He spends his free time thinking long hair is cool, playing video games for an online audience, and writing short stories, comic books, and novels.
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