Entertainment
Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Logic performs on day three of the Governors Ball Music Festival on Sunday, June 4, 2017, in New York.
Logic's Sunday night performance at the Governors Ball music festival in New York City was something of a coming-out party for the 27-year-old rapper.The show was one of his first since the May release of "Everbody," his anticipated followup to his 2015 hit "The Incredible True Story," and his first concert in New York since the release. Logic begins a major headlining tour with Joey Bada$$ and Big Lenbo next month.
While "Everybody" has received cautious praise and healthy criticism for its ambitious, but "heavy-handed" approach, Logic answered the critics with a tireless performance that put the focus where he always has: on giving back and connecting with his fans, who he calls the "Ratt Pack" (an acronym for "Real All The Time").
Logic spoke to the audience often, pointing out specific fans in the crowd who he recognized from past performances, and calling on no less than 10 young fans in the audience to hear their name, their age, and where they were from. That level of crowd work could seem stilted for another artist, but when it's someone who appears as good-hearted and earnest as Logic, you can't help but root for him.
And then he took the playfulness to another level, stepping down to introduce the American Sign Language interpreter for his show, Kat, and asking her if he could test the speed of her signing by freestyle rapping. She, of course, assented, and Logic showed off his impressive flow, all while Kat kept pace.
Here's a video of the moment:
He showed why he has such a rabid fanbase throughout the show, with energetic and heartfelt renditions of "Black SpiderMan," "1-800-273-8255" (the number for the National Suicide Prevention hotline), and "Anziety."
Logic ended the concert with a monologue about his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks and, seemingly, an answer to those knocks about his "heavy handedness."
"I want y'all to know that all of the music I make is for the people that truly appreciate it and care about it. It's not for the people who don't f-k with it or say it's this or that or whatever. That's subjective. This song is for everybody who needed it. I love you," he said, leaving more than a few audience members in tears.