Bobby Tarantino III - Album Review

If you know me or have read my reviews, you’ll know that I am an avid Logic fan. I’ve been following his career since my freshman year in college, and I’ve admittedly basked in whatever he has to offer his fans, whether it be good or bad. Last year, Logic released his best work in No Pressure, so I was showered with the good as he rode off into the sunset with his retirement, putting a bold exclamation mark on his career.

Plot twist: Logic did not retire like he said he would. Surprise, surprise (I say as sarcastically as my keyboard will allow me). This hasn’t been his first fib he’s thrown for marketing purposes: remember on 2017’s Everybody when he said his next project, Ultra 85, would be his last? Pshh. He’s released seven projects since then, and none of them are titled Ultra 85. Then he said YSIV would be his last LP with physical copies? My physical copy of No Pressure says otherwise. I knew his “retirement” would last until he got bored, and sure enough, Logic got bored.

Thus enters Bobby Tarantino III, a mixtape obviously made off of sheer boredom. After conserving his rap energy for a whole twelve months, Logic leaped out of retirement with a small, lackluster drip in the water (much like this video). Logic puts two iotas worth of effort in this whole project, and he even admits it, posting on his Instagram story that this project isn’t all “lyrical lyrical schmyrical.” Oddly enough, that’s one of the most poetic lines that involves BTIII.

Let’s dissect this bad boy (emphases on “bad”) track by track:

1. introII – with seemingly no relation to the albumless “Intro” that officially shed Logic of his retirement chains, “introII” has nothing on Bobby Tarantino II’s Rick and Morty introduction, but it shockingly has promise, compared to the rest of the mixtape. However, this song is cut short before anything eventful happens, so we’re left with one minute of Logic repeating “yeah”. Blah.

2. Vaccine – oh, the lack of energy put in this title is painful. Logic turned on the TV and picked the first word he heard, then proceeded to give the most try-hard lackadaisical chorus he’s ever spat out. Gives me awful flashbacks to “Overnight” off BTII. Logic must’ve forgot to put this song on his disappointing 2019 project Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, because "Vaccine" would fit right with the others on that album.

3. Get Up – is “Get Up” awful? No. Is it good? Well, no. Does it make me want to get up? Also no. It does, however, want me to fall asleep, which is the exact opposite of what Logic wants to accomplish with his Bobby Tarantino mixtapes. This song could’ve fit perfectly in his Supermarket project and been the best song off that soundtrack, but alas, it is two years late to the party.

4. My Way – Jesus Christ, this is literally the worst song Logic has ever wasted his oxygen on. I have yet to listen to this song in its entirety, mainly because I physically cannot. "My Way" belongs in Logic’s garbage bin on his laptop, and then that laptop belongs in an actual garbage bin for having this song on it. Insert puking guy emoji.

5. Call Me – a much better uptick in quality here, but the lyrics are still dangerously lazy. You could tell me he wrote and recorded this song while sleep-walking and I’d believe you. With that said, this is the best song so far, but that’s more for the melodic backing vocals and the piano and percussion break that swallows the last ninety seconds of this song.

6. Inside – can’t decide if I like the flute throughout the song or not. Sounds like a plastic toy that was bought at a garage sale, but it kind of pushes the song forward. “Inside,” however, is a forgettable track, which is a compliment, considering I remember “My Way” for how end-my-suffering torturous it is to listen to.

7. Flawless – hey now, we have us a good beat! Too bad the lyrics make me uncomfortable as hell. We get it, Logic: you have sex. You have a son, so you don’t have to convince us.

8. Stupid Skit – very much reflects its title. Still better than “My Way.”

9. Theme for the People – Woah! It took us nine tracks, but we finally have us a good song. Not only that, but this seems like a gem Logic decided to keep off of No Pressure, and I don’t say that lightly. The mellow beats intertwine with the substance-heavy lyrics, as Logic talks about his impact on the music world and how he can connect with newer rappers and listeners without really sharing a connection.

10. God Might Judge – Logic decided to make songs worth listening to from here on out, as “God Might Judge” is a Logic tune full of vibrancy. This song, with its high-pitched Mint Condition vocals as a sample, almost sounds too much like Drake’s “Nice for What”, but I’ll look the other way for now. “God Might Judge” is fun to listen to, which has been a compliment begging for water in this review. The beat switch at the three-minute mark is a nice breakdown element that changes the mood.

11. See You Space Cowboy… – starting off hard with abrasive chimes and mach-5 bars, this is what you expect from a Logic track. Then with a piano-blazing switch-up that reels you back to “Growing Pains” during his Young Sinatra days, "See You Space Cowboy..." is a solid track to end on. Of course, it’s cut short for Logic to tell us what we already knew: that he made BTIII because he was bored. Logic tells us that he has one more album with Def Jam before he leaves the record label, but considering his track record, I’m going to expect anything but one last album.

12. untitled – oh yeah, this is actually the last track on the mixtape. Not sure why, considering the album had its monologue conclusion the track before. This song is treated like it accidentally ended up here, which is a shame because “untitled” is one of the best on BTIII. The "untitled" lyrics were disguised under an album teaser titled “Live from the Country” on Logic’s YouTube, but switching out the guitars and keyboards with a swooning beat. Either way, both versions are well-performed.

I mean, I get it. Logic makes music whenever he wants and he does it his way (I still haven't listened to it, but I assume that's what "My Way" is about). I applaud him for that. But he has a bad habit of releasing everything without stopping to think, "hmm... is this song good?" Logic's crew should not be giving the thumbs up on some of these tracks, so equal shame on them.

However, Bobby Tarantino III finishes strong, which is well-needed considering how much of a snoozeville the first half was. Imagine your local JV football team takes the field for the first half of an NFL game. They're getting clobbered. It's ugly. You're embarrassed and feel kind of bad. Then after halftime, the Green Bay Packers come out of the locker room and bulldoze over everything in front of them. That is what the track listing on BTIII feels like.

However, in that metaphor, the JV team did so bad that the Packers couldn’t catch up to take the lead.

Top 3: Theme for the People, untitled, God Might Judge

Rating: 3.5 Bobby Tarantino’s / 10