Illogic: Got Lyrics?

Lucy Beer

Recent articles (58 total)

Published: January 1, 2002

Upstart indie hip-hop label Weightless Recordings, is proving, with Illogic's latest release Got Lyrics? that Columbus, Ohio has got some hip-hop heart. "If your mother saw you know would she be pleased or disgusted?" This is the challenge posed to the hip-hop community by Illogic on "Stop Lyin'". It is clear from the rest of his album that not only does Illogic have lyrics, but his mother would be very pleased with him, as will a lot of underground hip-hop heads. Illogic brandishes hip-hop's forceful energy in one hand and spoken word's bohemian creativity in the other, and brings them together to potent effect. "On The Name Game" he brings forth rhyming order out of musical dissonance in a tapestry reminiscent of Freestyle Fellowship. Blueprint's production is as diverse as Illogic's flow. He manages to work sampled bagpipes into the mix on "Pure Form", while at other times he uses horns, funky guitars and tripped out atmospherics. The real highlight of the album is the hidden track which is a spoken word epic – thought-provoking capsules of self-reflection encased in intelligent wordplay. Got Lyrics? is not a hip-hop masterpiece, but it effectively showcases Illogic's cerebral rhyme skills in a short and sweet 50 minutes.

Courtesy of BPM magazine / DJMixed.com

Track Listing: Introduction, Got Lyrics?, Stop Lyin', The Name Game, Pure Form, Countdown, Figment of My Concentration, Too Many Times, Day By Day, Screenplay, Break Bread

Record Label: Weightless Recordings
Style: Beyond Jazz