"Nobody treated equally, especially the black
If you don’t get it the first time, bring it back
Now, everybody gotta fight for equal rights
Cuz the richest people in the whole world equal whites"
- Logic, "America" via Genius.
Logic, the rapper/musician, just released his new album, Everybody and one song really grabbed my attention. On the 6th track, the rapper speaks out about what it means to be a citizen of American society today. The song lyrically strings together multiple commentaries on the current social, economic and political situation in the U.S. right now.
I was drawn to the song not only for the poignant lyrics though, the album cover art also caught my eye. Being an art historian in training, immediately my mind went to Raphael's The School of Athens, a fresco painting from the High Renaissance circa 1509-1511.
Can you see some resemblance? Although hundreds of years separating these two works, there is no doubt a purposeful link between Sam Spratt's album art and the pinnacle of western art ideals from the 16th century. Spratt, the artist of Logic's new album cover, has created works for many distinguished names in the music industry throughout his career as well as producing artwork for Logic on some of his earlier records.
Learn more about Sam here.
Notice, first, the shape of the people spread around a central focal point. The semi-circular formation depicted in Raphael's work is echoed in the modern album art. This loose rendition of an arching shape of people sprawled out around a table (in the case of the album art) or central talking point (in the case of The School of Athens) brings to mind another Renaissance work, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
Gathered together, the comic-like figures in the modern work sit, talk and eat from a bountiful table. Perhaps this intentional choice of placement on the part of Spratt is a parody on the famous da Vinci piece that depicts Christ's last meal, surrounded by a wide range of emotions, or metaphors for different feelings felt in first-world life.
"All this false information I'ma unplug, young blood
It is not love, up at TrumpThugs, dot gov
The man in the high castle in a hot tub"
-Black Thought from verse 2
Back to the Raphael comparison, notice the columns and elements of classical architecture as an integral part of the modern work that is directly descended from the Classical Athenian era. Here, the artist comments on the neoclassical style so characteristic of buildings of power in our nation's capital, buildings built to represent democracy, equality, liberty and justice, stemmed from the ancient tradition. Notice the pattern of the tiles on the floor with similar muted colors and geometrical design seen in both works. There's the few steps that are present in both pieces, perhaps evidence of a social heirarchy that is always present, so deeply rooted in the old institutions constructed 200 years ago.
"Rich white man while the rest be suffering
Run from the locked down borders
Ain’t like flint ain’t got clean water
Dirty politics never gone greed
Can yall believe this s*** 2017"
-Chuck D from verse 3
The album was a collective effort, though, and many other singer/songwriters and producers are featured in the song "America" as well as throughout the rest of the album. So, who then is actually depicted on Logic's album cover?
In addition to historical figures who are significant in connection to some of the lyrics, all of the other voices on Logic's tracks are represented on the cover art. This helpful graphic points out all the important figures. Everyone from Angela Davis with fist held high, to Ansel Elgort hidden, turned towards Patrick Starrr.
In "America" Logic, Chuck D, No I.D., Big Lenbo and Black Thought bring up issues ripped straight from current events. The Flint water crisis, white supremacy, gun violence, Kanye West and President Trump are all spoken to in a frustrated tone that urges listeners to fight back against the inequality running rampant in our country's structures of power.
Many lines commented on President Trump in a way that is just as accessible to a wide audience as his own rhetoric.
"And no matter what you fighting for I promise that it’ll live on
Like Make America great again
Make it hate again
Make it white
Make everybody fight"
- Logic from verse 1
"George bush doesn't care about black people,
2017 and Donald trump is the sequel so...
I’ma tell you what we ALL need
I need my people of color...
Don't run from Trump, run against him!"
The scene painted in Logic's America is just as unequal and closed minded as the real thing. Through his lyrics and clever cover art, he calls upon the chronology of history and art to both remind us of the past and alert us of an impending doom in the future if we aren't willing to change.
