Maryland-born, multi-platinum rapper
Logic
's 2020 retirement from music was short-lived to say the least, as his would-be final album
No Pressure
was quickly followed by more new mixtapes and studio albums before even a full 12 months passed.
College Park
continues the technical flexing
displayed on its immediate predecessor,
Vinyl Days
, but fixates on nostalgia with both its production and lyrical themes. Musically,
ventures back the stoned, jazzy instrumentals and mellow production of golden-era '90s hip-hop, with relaxed horn samples and gentle grooves backdropping lucid flows on "Clone Wars III" and a smiling guitar loop, soulful backup singers, and flute runs on "Village Slum" (the title itself an obvious homage to the influence of Detroit's finest late-'90s rap group,
Slum Village
). This vibrant and nostalgic production defines the majority of the album, moving more towards pop on the catchy weed ode "Highlife" and opting for sharp funk and hooks sung by special guest
Norah Jones
on "Paradise II." While
's lyrics move between remembering his days making songs in his basement and accessing how far he's come,
plays out like a docudrama on the rapper's early days, with dramatized skits between songs set in 2011, when
and his friends were just getting their start in music and playing their first shows. The overall feel of the album is warm and feel-good, as
strolls through the past and considers how it took him to where he is now, as
RZA
,
Bun B
Juicy J
Lucy Rose
Redman
, and others stop by to join in on the fun and reminiscing. ~ TiVo Staff