A solid “answer back” to the changing tide of rap music, Logic’s YSIV (Young Sinatra 4) brings it back to the old-school with New York style “Break Beats”, “Boom Bap” and “Cowboy Bebop”-esque jazz sounds. Layered with an Eminem-style “Rap God” flow, the album will have you feeling nostalgic while at the same time feeling like you’re right on the cutting edge of sound.

Just like bell bottoms, crop tops, and tie-die tees, there appears to be a resurgence of “real” rap—the kind that was started back in ‘88 with N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton,” yet has fallen off with the emergence of 2016’s “mumble rap”.

“Real” rap, pioneered by lyrical heavyweights like Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, Wu Tang, Nas, Tupac, Biggie, Eminem and the entire N.W.A. crew, has always placed meaningful messages and a clever play-on-words over the baser desire of an overly produced hip hop beat; contrast to the rap game of today, where overly produced beats are the only thing that matter…

Thankfully, “real” rap lives on through today’s future crowned champions—Kendrick, J. Cole, Vince Staples, Logic, Childish Gambino and Drake (yes, Drake…). It will be interesting to see where the tide starts to turn now; though, it’s pretty evident with albums like this, Kamikaze, Scorpion, and DAMN.

I guess, as with all things, there will always be an eventual ebb and flow. But could this string of “real” rap albums be the signalling of a change back towards a more outspoken, meaningful and honest time? Or is this style of “real” rap destined to only find its way into the ears of a small niche-group of “Red Pill” consumers? Only time and iTunes download stats will tell.

-peace, power and positivity!