Logic Has Made It Hard To Like Him & It’s Not Just Joe Budden

Among chart-topping Hip-Hop artists of the last decade, Logic is arguably the most polarizing. The Gaithersburg, Maryland native MC/producer who began as a DIY artist in the early 2010s Hip-Hop underground, has since gone on to achieve a wall full of platinum and gold plaques, was nominated for “Song Of The Year” just five years ago, and remains among the most prolific of Rap’s mainstream stars. However, peers and fans continue to put disrespect on Logic’s name.

Logic recently circulated a mellowed-out, live band-assisted cover performance of Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day.” In addition to some reaction from Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson, Jr. and Living Legends MC Luckyiam, the March video (with 300,000 streams), prompted Joe Budden to plead with Logic to retire, again.

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“Logic, I hate to continue to make a career at your expense,” the former MC said on episode #608 of The Joe Budden Podcast. Budden, who has been retired since releasing 2016’s Rage & The Machine, doubled down with his message. “Logic, I beg of you, I’m pleading with you: please join me in retirement. Never step near a recording device again! Throw your phone in the ocean! Be allergic to microphones! Promise your fans nothing! Don’t go to the studio ever again! You are the worst, yo! You are really, really bad!” Budden clarified that his sentiments about Logic go beyond this latest cover. “And then when we think he can’t get any worse, you have the bright idea of doing an Ice Cube flip.”

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Logic previously announced a Rap retirement in mid-2020. At that time, Joe Budden celebrated the retirement news, before apologizing for disrespecting what some thought was a permanent break from music. Logic broke that hiatus within a year to release a major label albumafter posting and deleting songs online. In 2019, Budden made a similar jab, proclaiming, “Logic, you are easily one of the worst rappers to ever grace a microphone; I’ma be honest with you. I don’t know what they telling you at Def Jam,” before adding, “I have to be honest, you are horrible, man.” Logic has also been the subject of disses from (now-friend) Joyner Lucas, Your Old Droog, and IDK.

On episode #103 of the What’s The Headline podcast (embedded below in video and audio), the Ambrosia For Heads team examines why Logic is disliked (and outright hated) by so many peers, Hip-Hop fans, and more. At 6:45 in the podcast, two longtime professional supporters of Logic and his work—including his latest release College Park—look at the factors that play into all the jokes, disses, and general distaste for an artist who takes concepts, boom-bap nostalgia, and socially-conscious messages to the top of the charts.

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The conversation covers factors surrounding Logic’s image—from his physical appearance to his ways of addressing his biracial identity. The discussion also looks at Logic’s shifting narrative. On “Wake Up,” Logic raps, “Had a gat in my hand, but I didn’t wanna be that man.” Later, guest Lucy Rose narrates Logic’s past: “And on a beautiful Autumn day in 2011, Logic and his best friends drive through the slums of College Park in a Chevy Impala around the streets of Prince George’s county cruising through an unknown universe beginning a journey that would inevitably alter the course, of not only their own, but the lives of millions of people around the world.” A dozen years ago, on his Young Sinatra mixtape, Logic offered a differing account of his youth on “One.” There, he rapped, “I was around drugs and gats, but never delved in crime / Had other things in mind, so I began to grind.” On that breakthrough-era track, the Frank Sinatra self-comparing MC also rapped, “White boy at first glance but when I rhyme, they know / Race don’t mean a f*cking thing the second that I flow.” Many, including The Joe Budden Podcast, have highlighted Logic’s assertion of his biracial identity since, including a hidden track with J. Cole on that very subject and a sharp rebuttal to those who make fun of his emphasis on race on Royce 5’9’s “Caterpillar Remix.” While many of Hip-Hop’s greats can be accused of contradiction, is Logic conflicted?

The same MC who literally may have saved lives in 2017 with a Grammy-embraced suicide prevention hotline hit, used that as a joke on a French Montana “Twisted” feature verse when he rapped, “F*ck her then I bounce, hell nah, I can’t do no date / 1-800, then I kill the p*ssy, who can relate?” Rolling Stone was not alone in condemning the artist who made headlines for getting married the same year as these misogynistic lyrics. 

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The nearly one-hour discussion examines other lyrics and contrasts, from Logic’s Young Sinatra days to his subsequent stardom. However, despite arguing that the artist’s choices and questionable motives may be a product of inner conflict and confusion, What’s The Headline credits Logic’s accomplishments—including his Hip-Hop-purist collaboration choicesa technically-advanced flow, and some truly amazing songwriting.

Beyond the extensive discussion on Logic, the episode features some talk around new music by Statik Selektah, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and Method Man as well as T-Pain, plus Curren$y and Jermaine Dupri.

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AFH readers can catch regular discussions about the culture on our What’s The Headline. The podcast also features interviews with Joe’s former band-mate Joell Ortiz as well as Rapper Big PoohCormegaMeyhem Lauren & DaringerDiamond DAZBlu & Mickey FactzKuruptEvidenceSkyzooPharoahe MonchPrince Paul & Don NewkirkStatik SelektahLyric JonesThe LOXMC EihtHavocDuckwrthphotographer T. Eric Monroe, and Lord Finesse.

#BonusBeat: A curated selection of songs from Logic’s College Park are currently on the AFH playlist: