Logic (aka Sir Robert Bryson Hall II) is a rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He’s been killing the game for a while now, and he finally received the recognition he deserves because of the success of his song “1-800-273-8255.” Logic’s music is very inspirational and influential. His music comes from his heart and his own personal experiences. His lyrics are real and relatable. Here’s a few reasons why Logic is woke AF.
1. His lyrics are meaningful.
Logic is well-known for his current hit “1-800-273-8255,” a fictional call to the suicide prevention hotline in the perspective of someone who wants to commit suicide. It was a tough topic for Logic to write about, but he knew that he needed to get out of his comfort zone and talk about these sensitive topics if he wanted to possibly save lives.
In Genius’ YouTube video, Logic explains the meaning of “1-800-273-8255” while reading his song lyrics. In the beginning of the video, he recounts a time when fans told him he saved their lives through his music. He says that he wasn’t purposefully trying to save anybody’s life. He continues saying, “Then it hit me. The power that I have as an artist with a voice. I wasn’t even trying to save your life. Now what could happen if I actually did?” This memory is what inspired him to write this hit song.
The music video for “1-800-273-8255” depicts the story of a young man who’s struggling with his sexuality and who turns to the suicide hotline for help. The hotline operator, portrayed by Alessia Cara, offers the young man hope and emotional support through the lyrics:
“It’s holding on, though the road’s long / And seeing light in the darkest things / And when you stare at your reflection / Finally knowing who it is / I know that you’ll thank God you did…”
Rapper Khalid, uses the outro to portray the initial caller realizing that they matter and their life is worth living through the lyrics:
“Pain don’t hurt the same, I know / The lane I travel feels alone / But I’m moving ’til my legs give out / And I see my tears melt in the snow / But I don’t wanna cry / I don’t wanna cry anymore / I wanna feel alive / I don’t even wanna die anymore…”
Logic realized the power that he has as an artist. He used it to discuss very important issues that can be difficult to talk about on his recent album Everybody. According to Variety magazine, after the release of “1-800-273-8255,” calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went up by 33 percent as of August 30, 2017, just four months after the song was released. Logic hoped to have a big influence on others through this song. He definitely made a difference in the lives of those he saved.
2. He had a difficult upbringing and he tells these stories through his music.
Logic’s most recent album Everybody can be described as what I like to call “woke AF.” He tackles many topics like racism, mental health, anxiety, depression as well as suicide.
In his song, “Take It Back,” he reminisces about the days of racial inequality in America (there’s still racial inequality today). He discusses when black people were seen as less than a human being, before they experienced racial profiling and racially-charged attacks. He also goes back to talk about the discovery of America and how White people looked around and said “f— it I’mma steal this land,” without any regard for the Native Americans who already lived here.
He ties in the racism of the early days to his own personal experience as a child. His father wasn’t there for him; his parents were both addicted to cocaine, alcohol and other drugs while he was growing up. His mother was also racist against him, yelling racial slurs to him as a child. (Logic is biracial with a white mother and a black father.) The kids at his school called him offensive words regarding the white side of him, as well. He was also kidnapped as a child and saw many traumatizing situations in his household.
Logic also goes on to explain how all he ever wanted was positivity and happiness, but the environment that he grew up in made it difficult for him to attain that happiness. He talks about himself in third person, saying how “this boy” was dedicated to his music and spent all his time working on it. He wanted to spread positivity through his music, which is what he is currently doing with this album.
Another woke song is “Anziety,” which is a play on the word anxiety. This song is one of my favorites because it’s very relatable. In Logic’s other YouTube video with Genius for “Anziety,” he remembers the time he got anxiety while waiting in line to watch Star Wars in 2015. He felt physically ill and unbalanced. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was then diagnosed with anxiety.
In his song, his goal was for those with anxiety to appreciate the moments when feelings of being unbalanced aren’t around. He continues to say that he wanted to be a person that can represent everybody through this album. In his song “Black SpiderMan,” he talks about how he’s proud to be biracial. He says how both sides have something negative to say about the other side of who he is. He just wants to be respected as a human being and not be judged by the color of his skin, his sexual orientation, religion, creed and race (or anyone else’s for that matter).
He ties in the title of the song saying, “Spiderman should be black, I vote for Glover instead,” mentioning the time that Donald Glover talked about how fans wanted him to be Spiderman in his stand-up comedy show, Weirdo. This song is basically an anthem for equality and self-love. It’s honestly one of my favorites from this album.
Though Logic has been through many traumatic experiences in his life, as heard through his album Everybody, he inspires people to love and respect one another. It’s very rare for a rapper to talk about his own personal struggles as well as current issues our country is facing. Logic is on the rise in the music industry because of his courage and bravery to discuss taboo topics like mental health, suicide, depression and racial inequality.
If you or somebody you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies, you can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or visit their website at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.