Logic - Ultra 85

Paul Rodriguez: The Solitary Opening of a Therapeutic Album

Paul Rodriguez plants the first seed of introspection without external witnesses. This is not merely an introductory track, but an immediate stance that sets the tone for Ultra 85. Far from the features to come later, this number-one track establishes the idea of a return to roots, far from spectacle and close to pure confession. It is from the very first second that Logic tells us he is alone face-to-face with himself, as if returning to his raw form before even meeting the other voices who will punctuate the album. This opening solitude contrasts with what follows: an album where one finally hears guests entering the conversation, but here, it's just Logic and his own thoughts reigning supreme.

Mission Control & Thank You for Believing in Me: The Intimate Boundaries of a Confession Without Witnesses

Between these two tracks that open and close the album, one can feel the entire tension between solitary introspection and what follows. Mission Control, which follows Paul Rodriguez in the tracklist sequence, seems already to mark a transition toward a space where Logic's voice is still alone but perhaps more engaged, more direct. It's as if the album takes flight before even welcoming other voices. And when the journey ends with Thank You for Believing in Me, it stops within this same intimate register. There is no grand finale at the end, just a conclusion that resembles a silent thank-you note more than a final fanfare. These two tracks frame the album like the walls of a therapy office: one enters alone and leaves changed, without anyone needing to see us to understand what we've experienced.

A balance between solitude and sharing

The album does not follow a logic of total rupture with the past, but rather one of stylistic reaffirmation where Logic's voice finds its central place before even the collaborations arrive. The narrative structure of the album reinforces this idea of an inner journey. After the introductory tracks and features, there is a series of songs that seem anchored in personal reflection: Fear, Favela, Gardens III, In Retrospect, 44ever, LOVE ME, Teleport and Peace Love & Positivity. These songs form a central block where Logic explores universal themes without the help of guests, creating a zone of calm before the end of the album. The presence of three skits — Glorious Ultra Panavision, Planet Death and Chess — serves to punctuate these musical sequences, adding a cinematic dimension that recalls the cult films cited in the songs (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). This alternation between solitary introspection, dialogues with confirmed guests and moments of narrative rupture gives the album its overall coherence. Ultra 85 presents itself therefore as an album with two sides: that of a man returning alone to his sonic roots, with these instrumentals played live which give raw authenticity to the project, and that of a rapper who finally opens the door to others. It is not a complete return to the past, nor is it a total rupture with the future. It is rather an equilibrium between intimacy and sharing, between the found boom-bap and these collaborations that come to enrich without masking Logic's voice. The album contains 20 songs for a duration of one hour and seventeen minutes, but it is especially within this tension between the solo moments and those shared ones that it finds its interest.

Technical Details

- Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Record Label: BMG, BMG Rights Management (US) LLC - Tracklist: 20 tracks (1 hour 17 minutes) - Opening / Closing Track: "Paul Rodriguez" / "Thank You for Believing in Me" - Guests: T Man The Wizard, DJ Drama, Robert Ivory, ADÉ, Lucy Rose, Zelooperz