The Golden Era of Hip-Hop Is RIGHT NOW. Logic Proves It With His “Innermission” (Audio)

The Golden Era of Hip-Hop is RIGHT NOW. That statement will always be true no matter when it is uttered because in addition to enjoying today’s great music (and there is plenty), we also always can look back and revisit the phenomenal Hip-Hop that came from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. No one embodies that sentiment better than Logic on his new album, The Incredible True Story. On the LP, Logic embraces all aspects of Hip-Hop, new and old, from razor sharp lyricism to trap, Jazz-infused beats to autotune. He salutes several of his predecessors, including Big Daddy Kane, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast and Black Star, yet he also recognizes the greatness of peers like Drake. He explicitly calls out the dogged closed-mindedness that seems to pervade discussions about today’s Hip-Hop, rapping “I love Hip Hop and I hate Hip Hop/’cause people that love Pac hope that Drake get shot/’cause he raps about money and bitches/for heaven’s sake/Pac did the same shit/just on a drum break.”

Perhaps no song on the album exemplifies the concept of embracing both the past and the present than “Innermission.” As Logic acknowledges on the song, the 6ix and Sir Dylan-produced track is deeply reminiscent of the sound A Tribe Called Quest crafted in the 90s. “Now take a trip with me and vibe/I’m on this interstellar mission, is you down to ride?/Hold up, I know this ‘Innermission’ feeling like the Tribe/Life is beautiful I’m so lucky to be alive,” he raps. Continuing the theme, in verse 2 he adopts Nas’ cadence from Illmatic‘s “Life’s A Bitch,” yet shifts to his own present state of mind, “Yeah, I woke up early on my born, 25, it’s a blessing/Progression everyday, lesson’s got me stressing.”

The Lucy Rose-sung chorus fully drives home the point that Hip-Hop, and life, are part of a continuum, not a series of eras: “This is our time/Still I’m looking back/Let me rewind/This is our ride/Don’t let me lose my faith/Let me rewind.”

Take a listen to the past, present and future of Hip-Hop.

Click here to buy Logic’s The Incredible True Story.

Related: Logic Will Not Fade Away. He’s Just Getting Started (Audio)