Def Jam rapper Logic is coming off of the biggest year of his career following his chart-topping album “Everybody.” His latest project, “Bobby Tarantino II” is the sequel to the fun, uptempo 2016 mixtape “Bobby Tarantino.” This time around, Logic spits playful lyrics over punchy trap beats that will have listeners nodding their heads from start to finish. 

6ix steals the show

One of the highlights of this tape is Logic’s producer, 6ix. The Maryland-born producer has become Logic’s go-to man, serving as the executive producer on three of Logic’s last five projects. On “Bobby Tarantino II,” 6ix serves up aggressive yet animated beats for Logic to spit over. His use of crunchy, profound snare drums and snappy high-hats add a genuine trap feel for the project as a whole. The melodies are usually simple, but 6ix keeps it fresh with an abundance of beat switches throughout the tape. The song “Midnight” is the best example of this, for it starts off with a sleepy, dark tone and quickly shifts in energy to an uptempo, energetic trap anthem. 6ix particularly shines on the tracks “Indica Badu” and “Warm it Up” with slow, West-Coast style drums over a laid-back melody that serves as a nice break in the energy.

Less is more

On Logic’s third studio album “Everybody,” he attempts to spread peace, love and positivity through his project. However, many found the project overambitious, trying to tackle complex issues while presenting shallow, corny lyrics. 

The preachy rap does grow tiresome, but Logic departs from this persona on “Bobby Tarantino II.” The less Logic tries to do with a project, the better it sounds. He’s rapping about things he can personally relate to and never oversteps his bounds in “Bobby Tarantino II.” Logic is at his best when his lyrics are clever and witty, displaying a variety of flows over a mixed bag of beats. The mixtape thrives off of being light on its toes, and what it lacks in substance Logic makes up for with his attention to style.

Each track on “Bobby Tarantino II” is unique and great in its own right. The track “Yuck” is a ruthless and apologetic spin on Logic’s beef with Joyner Lucas. The lyrics are slightly vague, but after doing some research it’s pretty clear who he is referring to. He says, “Talkin’ sh*t ’bout Logic, I never respond/I’ll let success talk, ’cause a word of advice: More achievements for yourself and less talk/Cats beef with Logic, yeah, they prayin’ I respond/If I ever did, I dead you in this game with no respawn/Peace, love, and positivity, that’s all I want with you/But you push the issue ’cause I give you more press than your publicist could ever get you.” 

“Indica Badu” is a great change of pace for the project. The simple, laid-back drums layered under a smooth melody turns a simple song about smoking weed into a pleasant listen. Logic displays his lyrical talent on “Warm it Up,” which is my personal favorite song on the record. He features his former moniker “Young Sinatra” and raps just like vintage Logic would. He spits, “The deeper and deeper I go, it get darker/They say they want the old me, they want the Young Sinatra back/The one that murder it, rip it up, no, never givin’ up on the almanac/Yeah, I’m all of that, fall back, like September again/ Baskin’ these rappers so hard they won’t remember again.” These clever, witty bars are prime Logic. It’s refreshing and nostalgic to see him revert to his old style, a style he maintains throughout the majority of the project.

Oh no Bobby, don’t do ‘em like that

As with any project, “Bobby Tarantino II” has its flaws. Logic is his own worst enemy on this tape and it shows through flashes of what he calls “album Logic.” There are plenty of struggle bars on tracks like “Overnight” and “Everyday,” two of the first three singles for the project. On “Overnight,” Logic spits the verse: “Tell me, is it really so hard?/Really so hard, to be a good person?/Tell me, is it really so hard?/Really so hard, to stop acting like a b*tch? (woo!)/I treated everybody with respect and now I’m rich (woo!)/I treated everybody with respect/Maybe you got issues with your daddy, though/Maybe you was bullied back in high school/Maybe you are just a tool.” The whole verse is just corny, and a clear struggle to fill the rest of the instrumental in what is cluttered nonsense. “Overnight” is easily one of the worst tracks on the album for its abundance of struggle bars and corny verses. Not a great way to start the project.

Logic also falls short in credibility and originality with this project. Logic has been called out by a number of artists for biting flows and cramping style. We see Logic taking style on the track “Wizard of Oz.” Ironically, this is sonically one of Logic’s best songs on the album, but the overbearing use of autotune makes him sound like Travis Scott. It is still debated if Logic intentionally ripped off Scott’s style, but the many adlibs and flow alone make it seem all too obvious. 

VERDICT: 6.5/10

For the most part, this album is an enjoyable listen. Its highs are high but its lows are oh-so-low. The production is particularly impressive, allowing 6ix to yet again demonstrate his talent and understanding of different genres. However, the shortcomings of this album are hard to miss. Listeners will find themselves cringing at corny bars while having trouble looking past Logic’s imitations of other artists. That being said, “Bobby Tarantino II” still has some great tracks with a little something for everybody.

Tracks to check out:

1. “Contra”
2. “Yuck”
3. “Indica Badu”
4. “Warm It Up”
5. “44 More”

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