In an age when rappers seem more focused than ever on the prevailing trends, sounds and news stories of the day, Logic goes against the grain. For starters, his music is intensely personal, focusing almost solely on his daily struggles and come-up, and largely not relying on collaborators to elevate his status. This carries through to his online presence; Logic's Twitter and Facebook pages rarely contain rants or fiercely opinionated posts. In a recent interview with VladTV, the Maryland rapper was asked to explain why he rarely takes a stance on issues of national importance, including Ferguson. Here's why he doesn't consider himself an activist:
“I feel like if I go in that direction I will give up Rap. I go all the way. If I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna go all the way. If I’m gonna fight for not Black rights, White, Brown — for the rights of human beings, I’m gonna go all the way. I’m gonna drop everything I’m doing and I’m gonna dedicate my entire life and know that I could be killed for the things that I’m gonna say and the things that I wanna stand up for. That’s the type of person I am.”
He then spoke about a specific Twitter rant that his recent collaborator Childish Gambino went on in August:
“I think it was Donald Glover, Childish Gambino, a good homie of mine. Really awesome fucking person. He said, ‘We got a bunch of Twitter activists.’ #PrayForThem. #DoSomething. That’s real shit [laughs]. I don’t take to Twitter. I don’t talk about shit on Twitter. I don’t talk about equality amongst men. You know why? Because that’s not my fucking job. That’s not my job. I think my job is to discuss certain things that I believe in on my music and then have that bleed over in to this.”
Discussion then moved to Ferguson:
“A kid asked me when the whole Ferguson thing just popped — because that’s how the Internet is, some shit happens and then two minutes later it’s trending, which I think is also cool though at the same time because it does bring awareness to the world. But then I think, ‘Okay, the world is aware but then the world doesn’t do anything about it.’ That’s the annoying part. A kid said, ‘Hey, how come you haven’t said anything about Ferguson?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, I guess it’s real cool to talk about shit like that now, huh?’ I guess that’s the thing, we just talk about it. People like Killer Mike. Amazing, incredible Black men who understand the culture of not only Hip Hop but fucking human beings, they get it."
“I said, ‘I think for me to get on Twitter and fucking rant about something that I don’t fully understand, comprehend and have all the facts on is disrespectful to not only the people that have unfortunately passed away, but it is disrespectful to the cause. To the people that actually do — not saying that I don’t care — but that have the time to make that their everything. To go out their and march and fight.’ So for me and my home in L.A. working on my album to just [pull out my phone] and be like, ‘Yeah, Ferguson. That’s fucked up. Oh man, yeah for sure. Equality.’ [Laughs]. Nah, that’s bullshit. For me, I think that’s fucked up.”
Watch the full interview below.
[via]