Under Pressure (album)
| Under Pressure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Studio album by Logic | ||||
| Released | October 21, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 56:23 | |||
| Label |
|
|||
| Producer |
|
|||
| Logic chronology | ||||
|
||||
| Deluxe edition cover | ||||
.jpg) |
||||
| Singles from Under Pressure | ||||
|
||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Exclaim! | 9/10 |
| HipHopDX | 4.5/5 |
| RapReviews.com | 9/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Sputnikmusic | 1/5 |
| XXL | 4/5 (XL) |
Under Pressure is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Logic. It was released on October 21, 2014, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. The album was developed and composed over several years, however, it was recorded over a period of two weeks, beginning in early 2014. The album's production was primarily handled by No I.D., and oversaw a wide range of involvement by various producers including 6ix, DJ Dahi, DJ Khalil, S1, Jake One and Dun Deal. The album also saw no guest appearances on the standard edition of the album, with only Big Sean and Childish Gambino being credited with vocal contributions on the album's deluxe edition.
Logic sought to establish an album that was able to appear both "beautiful, musical and melodic" and to also include "raw lyricism". In order to establish his desired sound, he wrote lyrics that were concerned with introspection, analyzing himself by exploring his ambivalent outlook on his newfound fame, family, self-consciousness, success and addiction. He had hoped to provide an autobiography which detailed explicit scenarios and experiences that impacted him during his rise in the music industry. The album was promoted by the critically acclaimed singles "Under Pressure" and "Buried Alive", each elaborating on Logic's hardships in and out of his musical career.
Under Pressure received generally positive reviews from critics, drawing particular attention to the Logic's bluntness in his storytelling, its perceptive lyricism, and the album's toned down production, which resembled the ever changing production seen in hip hop releases in the 1990s. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling 72,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
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 factor of his rise 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 characterized 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 run by Logic, managed and funded his audio mixing, mastering, tours and album art.
...
Wikipedia