Fans of Bobby Hall, more commonly known as the rapper Logic, were ready for the release of his debut book, Supermarket, on Tuesday — but they certainly weren’t ready for the genre-defying album that accompanied it.
Just five days after the release of his emotional rap single “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” Logic unveiled a surprise soundtrack which holds the same name as the book. The 13-track alternative album is immensely different from anything the Maryland-based rapper has ever done before, yet it’s still so genuinely Logic.
According to the book’s website, Supermarket tells the story of a boy named Flynn who gets a job at a local supermarket after being dumped and moving in with his mom. One day, he arrives to work, witnesses a crime scene, watches his world unravel and sees ingenuity eventually manifest itself.
Release after release keeps coming from Logic, and he doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. Supermarket is his first soundtrack to date, with his sixth album Confessions of a Dangerous Mind set to come out later this year. Fans saw Logic drop a mixtape (Bobby Tarantino II) and an album (YSIV) in 2018. Logic told Billboard in December 2018, “I want you to know that I’m very happy,” and it’s wonderful to see him channel that through his new music.
The album’s opening track, “Bohemian Trapsody,” has received mixed reviews — mostly criticism — on Twitter for its wordplay of classic rock band Queen’s mega-hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” from 1975.
Logic doesn’t leave behind his familiar style entirely here. Tracks including “Pretty Young Girl” and the rap-based “Lemon Drop” (the album’s only low point) include fast-flowing verses, but most of the album turns to a different direction of acoustic-driven melodies. The change makes the soundtrack stand out in Logic’s discography. Emotional hooks, dreamy instrumentation and soft vocals from the rapper allow Logic’s tagline of “Peace, Love and Positivity” to be solidified more than ever before.
Here is a breakdown of the five best tracks from Supermarket:
5. “Pretty Young Girl”
The main message of this track is to never forget who has been with you since the beginning. A ballad that Logic teased on his 2018 Bobby Tarantino Vs Everybody Tour before its official release, “Pretty Young Girl,” is Logic’s ode to one of his best friends who he loves and has known before fame. Guided by mainly an acoustic guitar and strings before transitioning into a trap-based verse, we see some of Logic’s most endearing lyrics to date: “She’s a pretty young lady pullin’ at my heartstrings / Pretty young girl, take my hand / I’ll be your man, I’ll be your man / I don’t think you know all the things you do to me.” The message and overall sound is sweet, mesmerizing and pleasing to the ears.
4. “Time Machine”
Logic is showing listeners in more ways than one that he is capable of creating successful music based in a number of genres. “Time Machine” is an emotional piece propelled by desolate piano keys, gorgeous harmonies and a steady bass line with profound lyrics that disclose the beautiful, poetic nature of Logic’s mind. The metaphor of a time machine is used to describe missed opportunities with someone Logic loves and how he spends his days regretting that: “I’ve seen you die a thousand times / The moment it happens is burned in my mind / But I know I’m gonna save you this time / I’ll meet you in the clouds if I don’t this time.” By the end of the heart-wrenching track, you’ll find yourself rooting for Logic, hoping he can find a way to get this girl back.
3. “DeLorean”
Time machines seem to be a prevalent theme on this soundtrack — and this Back to the Future reference does not deviate from that. Marty McFly and Doc in Back to the Future transform a classic DeLorean car into a time machine, and Logic yearns to do the same so he can get his old friend back. The artist rappers, “Take a trip inside my DeLorean / Back to the future where everyone’s been dead for a long, long time / Oh, the past, the past, the past, past, past / We already know what happens when it happens.” The track only has a chorus and two verses, but the enticing synths and Logic’s blatantly emotional vocals allow it to stand out.
2. “Can I Kick It (feat. Juto)”
If you attempt to commemorate a legendary hip-hop song and group with good intentions, it often results in success. “Can I Kick It?” references the hit song under the same name from A Tribe Called Quest in 1990. What makes this collaboration exceptional is Juto’s sublime, soulful vocals in the chorus that mix flawlessly with the lovely lyricism: “Wonderful beauty queen, you’re the only one for me / It don’t matter what it seems, but you can come kick it with me.” We’re also gifted with a stellar rap verse and a captivating falsetto in the bridge from Logic. All that combined with a soothing guitar riff and Juto’s harmonies makes for a track that is bound to be on repeat.
1.“I Love You Forever”
Concluding the soundtrack, “I Love You Forever,” is another poetic ballad that outstands the rest of the tracklist for its ability to instantly instill happiness into the listener more and more as the song continues. Logic is talking to a girl — probably the mysterious girl who is mentioned in the majority of the tracks — about how he wishes he could fulfill all his dreams and be with her: “Even on the days we don’t speak, just the thought of you makes me weak.” She responds in the best way possible: “You can’t fathom the possibilities / And if you’d open up your mind, maybe there you would find that I love you forever.” The last minute is filled with some of Logic’s best vocals to date, along with harmonies and instrumentation that are sure to entrance you. The song is simply delightful, and it is undoubtedly the best on Supermarket.
Rating: 8.5/10
