The physical editions of Everybody, Logic’s 2017 third album, came with a hidden message: “For the real fans reading this hidden message, my next album will be called Ultra 85, and it will be the conclusion to this saga.” The space Western-inspired story, started by Logic on The Incredible True Story in 2015 and brought to life by Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop’s Spike Spiegel) and Kevin Randolph (of Cocaine 80s fame), was set to be put to rest. He also intended to retire upon the album’s release. Nearly nine years removed from The Incredible True Story and seven years on from the first time he announced Ultra 85, a lot has happened in Logic’s life. The Gaithersburg MC had his run with superstardom, becoming the hottest act signed to Def Jam for a time. He’s soon to be a father of two. He did actually retire… for a year. Ultra 85 does not really end the saga he started years ago. However, Logic’s flows, beat selection, and cohesive, topical verses lead to one of the strongest rap albums of the year so far.
Logic Is As Self-Assured As Ever, Continues To Develop
Ultra 85 begins with “Paul Rodriguez,” featuring a story from Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez, a legendary street skateboarder, about the first time Logic heard the song’s beat. The production across the album, handled primarily by 6ix and Logic, is outstanding. 6ix somehow continues to get better, often feeling inspired by Madlib and J Dilla these days.
P-Rod’s brief story gives way to nearly seven uninterrupted minutes of rapping. It revisits familiar subjects, including his troubled upbringing, the hip-hop legends that inspired him, and how his come up shaped him. In between are witty lines where Logic is in his element as a rapper (“we takin’ it back on these hip-hop heads like fitteds”). It is an excellent opener, with Logic’s confidence shining through on a lengthy “lyrical exercise” track.
The third track, “Deja Vu,” featuring additional talk from DJ Drama, is a redux of “Fade Away.” The beat is almost the exact same as the original track, but the main vocal sample is reversed. His lone verse deals with the pitfalls of stardom, but also acknowledges that his rise helped inspire people. “What can I say? I guess I won’t fade away,” the verse ends. It’s a very good song that effectively calls back to The Incredible True Story, while his bars illustrate how he and his career have changed since then.
Logic Brings In The Right Features At The Halfway Point
“Ghost In The Machine” features singer Robert Ivory and fellow Maryland native ADÉ. ADÉ steals the show, penning an introspective and heartfelt verse. He recalls how proud it made him to provide for his mother after she worked hard to provide for him, adding his own perspective to one of the album’s overarching themes of family.
“Interstellar,” featuring frequent collaborator Lucy Rose, is a standout. Rose is a wonderful vocalist, whose more subdued (but still powerful) vocals always work on a Logic song. They make the songs Eminem and Skylar Grey could make if they had musical chemistry. “Interstellar” also features one of Logic’s best performances on the album. His flow feels old-school, and he delivers a tightly written verse about mortality, passion, and self-care. Logic has often excelled at writing therapeutic tracks that detail his mental health. His vulnerability is a strength of his latest music.
A Lot Of Skits, Not Much Of A Problem
Despite there being no bad tracks, one thing on Ultra 85 that does not always land is the skits. In isolation, they’re fine and they all move the story along. Though, at times, it feels like there are too many of them. At this point in his career, he has more interest in telling the story he wants to tell than chasing radio hits or playlist placements. Ultimately, the skits are not egregious enough to affect the overall quality of the album.
Track 16, “ANTIDOTE,” features ZelooperZ, who delivers a fun verse. Logic’s own verse is adequate, though it’s his weakest on Ultra 85. It’s a hollow verse on a bland trap beat after the introspection on many of the previous tracks. He talks about the problems that come with having money and also makes a generic “women love me” statement. Such a braggadocious song feels better suited for a Bobby Tarantino mixtape.
The next track, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” touches on how film shaped his life. Logic talks about how Kill Bill led to him discovering RZA. Those RZA-led soundtracks directly contributed to him discovering hip-hop, and eventually becoming a rapper himself. Early RZA-produced albums sound more like RZA-directed films, with skits and movie samples that turned those albums into cinematic experiences. It’s clear Logic took inspiration from RZA’s approach to album making, writing scripts and building narratives that hold his albums together almost as much as the rapping and beats do.
A Worthy Conclusion
The final track, “Thank You For Believing In Me,” is a pleasant closer. Every Logic album has a track where he shows gratitude to his fans for their continued support, and this is among the better ones. He sing-raps over an indie rock-inspired beat, discussing how content he is with his life and thanking his fans for being there even when he doubted himself and his work. After Supermarket, he’s made progress as a singer. He’s still not the most technically impressive vocalist, but he’s a capable one. “See you on the next one, cowboy,” says Steve Blum’s character as the album concludes.
Ultra 85 is the most uniquely “Logic” album to date. This does still mean that it is prone to some of those “Logic-isms,” as every idea and every bar doesn’t land. However, there is so much to like about the album that harping on any negatives would be more like nitpicking. It is his most impressive individual effort in years. “How you follow up a classic? What’s the outcome?” Logic asks on the opening track. Based on the result, he was more than able to answer his own question.