Logic currently occupies prime real estate in the ever-growing landscape of hip-hop. Over the past three years, he has blossomed into one of the genre’s premier artists, transitioning from lovable underdog to bonafide superstar. His journey has coincided with hip-hop officially becoming the most popular genre of music in the country, making his rise all the more impressive. For casual hip-hop fans, Logic may appear to have come out of nowhere, but success has been years in the making for the Maryland MC.
Unlike many of today’s popular rappers, Logic was not an overnight sensation. He dropped his first mixtape Psychological: The Mixtape in 2009 when he was just 19 years old. His big break into true superstardom came eight years later in 2017, when he released the Khalid and Alessia Cara-assisted “1-800-273-8255”; the song’s title is the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and Logic released the song to raise awareness for suicide prevention. It would go on to become the biggest single of Logic’s career to date, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning him nominations for Song of the Year and Video of the Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In the eight years between his debut mixtape and his biggest hit to date were eight official projects—two albums and six mixtapes.
Things aren’t slowing down for the 28-year-old rapper, either; he’s scheduled to release his fourth studio album YSIV on Sept. 28. But before we get too ahead of ourselves and start speculating on his future, let’s take a look at his full journey, and the steps he took to get to where he is today. Below is an in-depth look at Logic’s rise to the hip-hop mainstream.