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Under Pressure (album)
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Under Pressure (album)
Under Pressure is the debut studio album by American rapper Logic. It was released on October 21, 2014, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Development and composition of the album began in 2013, with recording taking place during a two-week span at the beginning of 2014. The album's production was primarily handled by No I.D., with smaller contributions from a variety of record producers, including 6ix, DJ Dahi, DJ Khalil, S1, Jake One and Dun Deal. The standard edition of the album contained no guest appearances; Big Sean and Childish Gambino were featured on the album's deluxe edition.
Under Pressure received generally positive reviews from critics, drawing particular attention to Logic's bluntness in his storytelling, its perceptive lyricism, and the album's toned-down production, resembling the ever-changing production of rap and hip hop releases of the 1990s. It was also named one of the best albums of 2014 by several publications. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 72,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2020.
Between 2010 and 2013, Logic released four free mixtapes online and funded his own tours, through which he built his fanbase and reputation. According to Logic, the largest contributing factor to his rise to stardom was that he "hit the road and actually saw [the fans] face to face and shook their hands." He signed with Def Jam five months after the release of his Young Sinatra mixtape in 2011; a deal kept secret until 2013 because he "didn't want the fans to be like, 'Oh, he's going to change!'" Logic has metaphorically described Def Jam as his "bank", which does not interfere with his creative control or deal much with his publicity. Visionary Music Group, an independent label, managed and funded his audio mixing, mastering, touring, and commissioning of album art.
In 2013, Logic moved to Los Angeles to work on his debut album with Def Jam's No I.D., a mentor he later compared to Yoda. Several people advised Logic to make the album more personal than his mixtapes, inspiring him to write about his difficult upbringing in Gaithersburg, Maryland. On the advice of Don Cannon, he chose to maintain the album's personal theme by omitting guest appearances. Its title Under Pressure reflects the challenges of Logic's private life and rap career, while also referencing his belief that the album is "his diamond", as diamonds are formed by pressure. His prior mixtapes had dealt heavily with his biracial heritage, but he changed his focus from race to culture on the album. Rather than go "the radio route" with Under Pressure, Logic wanted to create a classic hip hop album in the style of Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Big Daddy Kane, Kanye West and Big L. To help new listeners understand that his roots lie in this music, Logic tried to make Under Pressure more consistent and more quintessentially hip hop than his mixtapes, which he found incohesive. Although he admitted to emulating other rappers on his earlier releases, he believed that the album would finally crystallize "the sound of Logic".
The album artwork was painted by Sam Spratt, an artist based in New York City. He was asked to depict the basement of Logic's friend Big Lenbo, where Logic had lived and recorded early in his career. Using photographs taken at that time for reference, Spratt painted a detailed reproduction of the space. The artwork's "half dark[,] half bright and beautiful look" symbolizes the two sides of Logic's life. Spratt wrote that he collaborated heavily with Logic to make the album's narrative "sync up on the art side". The title and track list on the album art were hand-written by Big Lenbo.
While Under Pressure's development spanned several years, it was recorded in roughly two weeks. Recording locations included No I.D.'s studio and Logic's home, both in Los Angeles, and hotel rooms where Logic stayed while touring. No I.D. served as executive producer and exercised high-level oversight of the album, utilizing a loose management style that Logic compared to that of Quincy Jones. Although Logic found No I.D.'s advice and connections to be critical to Under Pressure's quality, he later clarified that "it was me and [Visionary Music Group producer] 6ix who created this entire album." During the album's development, Logic regularly watched Quentin Tarantino films and listened to A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Other influences on the album include Kanye West's Late Registration and Graduation, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Kendrick Lamar's song "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst".
The first track to be composed was the nine-minute "Under Pressure", which Logic wrote and self-produced while on tour with Kid Cudi. After returning to the studio to work on the song in Pro Tools, an error caused a sample of Eazy-E's "Eazy-Duz-It" to play over aggressive drums, which Logic decided to use as an opening half to "Under Pressure". Live instruments such as guitars and cellos were then added. The two-halves of the track came to represent "the duality of man", as Logic rapped from the perspectives of both his hip hop persona and his everyday identity as well as those of his sister and his father. The resultant song would "set the tone for the rest of the album", according to Logic.
Opening track "Intro" was initially based on a sample from the song "Aeroplane (Reprise)" by Wee, which Logic and 6ix had heard in Kanye West's "Bound 2". However, technical issues forced them to interpolate the sample. Work on track two, "Soul Food", began when Logic found the song's instrumental hosted on SoundCloud by rapper and producer Alkebulan. Logic obtained permission to use the track and polished it with his team. After they were unable to clear or interpolate a key sample, DJ Khalil was recruited to recreate it. The song's second half consists of production from 6ix which had been recorded a year before the rest of the track. "Intro" and "Soul Food" were placed together at the beginning of the album to create a jolting transition from a "beautiful and musical and melodic" song to "six minutes of raw lyricism".
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Under Pressure (album)
Under Pressure is the debut studio album by American rapper Logic. It was released on October 21, 2014, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Development and composition of the album began in 2013, with recording taking place during a two-week span at the beginning of 2014. The album's production was primarily handled by No I.D., with smaller contributions from a variety of record producers, including 6ix, DJ Dahi, DJ Khalil, S1, Jake One and Dun Deal. The standard edition of the album contained no guest appearances; Big Sean and Childish Gambino were featured on the album's deluxe edition.
Under Pressure received generally positive reviews from critics, drawing particular attention to Logic's bluntness in his storytelling, its perceptive lyricism, and the album's toned-down production, resembling the ever-changing production of rap and hip hop releases of the 1990s. It was also named one of the best albums of 2014 by several publications. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 72,000 copies in its first week. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2020.
Between 2010 and 2013, Logic released four free mixtapes online and funded his own tours, through which he built his fanbase and reputation. According to Logic, the largest contributing factor to his rise to stardom was that he "hit the road and actually saw [the fans] face to face and shook their hands." He signed with Def Jam five months after the release of his Young Sinatra mixtape in 2011; a deal kept secret until 2013 because he "didn't want the fans to be like, 'Oh, he's going to change!'" Logic has metaphorically described Def Jam as his "bank", which does not interfere with his creative control or deal much with his publicity. Visionary Music Group, an independent label, managed and funded his audio mixing, mastering, touring, and commissioning of album art.
In 2013, Logic moved to Los Angeles to work on his debut album with Def Jam's No I.D., a mentor he later compared to Yoda. Several people advised Logic to make the album more personal than his mixtapes, inspiring him to write about his difficult upbringing in Gaithersburg, Maryland. On the advice of Don Cannon, he chose to maintain the album's personal theme by omitting guest appearances. Its title Under Pressure reflects the challenges of Logic's private life and rap career, while also referencing his belief that the album is "his diamond", as diamonds are formed by pressure. His prior mixtapes had dealt heavily with his biracial heritage, but he changed his focus from race to culture on the album. Rather than go "the radio route" with Under Pressure, Logic wanted to create a classic hip hop album in the style of Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Big Daddy Kane, Kanye West and Big L. To help new listeners understand that his roots lie in this music, Logic tried to make Under Pressure more consistent and more quintessentially hip hop than his mixtapes, which he found incohesive. Although he admitted to emulating other rappers on his earlier releases, he believed that the album would finally crystallize "the sound of Logic".
The album artwork was painted by Sam Spratt, an artist based in New York City. He was asked to depict the basement of Logic's friend Big Lenbo, where Logic had lived and recorded early in his career. Using photographs taken at that time for reference, Spratt painted a detailed reproduction of the space. The artwork's "half dark[,] half bright and beautiful look" symbolizes the two sides of Logic's life. Spratt wrote that he collaborated heavily with Logic to make the album's narrative "sync up on the art side". The title and track list on the album art were hand-written by Big Lenbo.
While Under Pressure's development spanned several years, it was recorded in roughly two weeks. Recording locations included No I.D.'s studio and Logic's home, both in Los Angeles, and hotel rooms where Logic stayed while touring. No I.D. served as executive producer and exercised high-level oversight of the album, utilizing a loose management style that Logic compared to that of Quincy Jones. Although Logic found No I.D.'s advice and connections to be critical to Under Pressure's quality, he later clarified that "it was me and [Visionary Music Group producer] 6ix who created this entire album." During the album's development, Logic regularly watched Quentin Tarantino films and listened to A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Other influences on the album include Kanye West's Late Registration and Graduation, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Kendrick Lamar's song "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst".
The first track to be composed was the nine-minute "Under Pressure", which Logic wrote and self-produced while on tour with Kid Cudi. After returning to the studio to work on the song in Pro Tools, an error caused a sample of Eazy-E's "Eazy-Duz-It" to play over aggressive drums, which Logic decided to use as an opening half to "Under Pressure". Live instruments such as guitars and cellos were then added. The two-halves of the track came to represent "the duality of man", as Logic rapped from the perspectives of both his hip hop persona and his everyday identity as well as those of his sister and his father. The resultant song would "set the tone for the rest of the album", according to Logic.
Opening track "Intro" was initially based on a sample from the song "Aeroplane (Reprise)" by Wee, which Logic and 6ix had heard in Kanye West's "Bound 2". However, technical issues forced them to interpolate the sample. Work on track two, "Soul Food", began when Logic found the song's instrumental hosted on SoundCloud by rapper and producer Alkebulan. Logic obtained permission to use the track and polished it with his team. After they were unable to clear or interpolate a key sample, DJ Khalil was recruited to recreate it. The song's second half consists of production from 6ix which had been recorded a year before the rest of the track. "Intro" and "Soul Food" were placed together at the beginning of the album to create a jolting transition from a "beautiful and musical and melodic" song to "six minutes of raw lyricism".