Logic and Meaningful Work
The rapper, and musical genius, used desirable disadvantages, 10,000 hours, and meaningful work to become successful.
By Marcus Krupke | Biokinetics Major
“I am here to fight for your equality because I believe we are all born equal, but not treated equally, and that is why we must fight.”
Logic walks onto the stage of the Video Music Awards as slow rhythmic music plays around him. He starts with the words, “I’ve been on a low, I’ve been taking my time. I feel like I’m out of my mind, it feels like my life ain’t mine, who can relate?” Logic stands on Forum stage in Los Angeles and sings his new hit song, “1–800–273–8255” in front of thousands in attendance, and over 5 million more watching at home. His new partners, Alessia Cara and Khalid, join him on stage along with people from throughout the United States, all wearing white t-shirts saying ‘you’re not alone’ on the back. Logic ends the song and begins his big speech that relates to those who have faced anxiety, depression, suicide, and racism because he has witnessed and experienced these all first hand. He ends with this statement “I am here to fight for your equality because I believe we are all born equal, but not treated equally, and that is why we must fight.”
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Psychological, or best known as Logic, officially kick started his career in April of 2013 when he signed to the record label Def Jam Recordings. A year after signing to Def Jam, he released his first album: Under Pressure. The album received many awards, but the most notable is when it reached the Billboard 200. Complex, Vibes, and HipHopDX all ranked it upon the top albums released in all of 2014. On October 6, 2016, Under Pressure would officially be certified gold. After the release of his first album, his name was on the map. He would go on to release many more albums, These albums include (with certification): The Incredible True Story (Gold), Bobby Tarantino, Everybody (Platinum), Bobby Tarantino II (Gold), YSIV, and Supermarket. In the album Everybody Logic takes on very difficult topics such as racism, suicide, anxiety, and metal health. On this album, his most famous song is “1–800–272–8255.” This number is the phone number to the suicide hotline. This hotline is available 24/7 and is known around the world as a number to call when things get too hard for someone. This song was nominated for both Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year at the Grammy's in 2018 (Miller 3). To add to his many accomplishments, he is now the first, and only, rapper to ever reach the top of New York Times’ Best Seller list with the release of his first novel, Supermarket. It reached the #1 spot within the first week of being out (Podcast H3).
Logic has reached people around the world with his machine gun raps and ability to reach out to people of other ethnic groups. In all of his work, he has expressed how he has never done any of his work for the money, but for those that can’t fight or need to hear the words he’s saying. In Outliers, the Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell states, “It’s not how much money we make that ultimately makes us happy between nine and five. It’s whether or not our work fulfills us.” (149–150) Logic displays many successful traits that Gladwell talks about to his audience, but the ones that stands out the most to his audiences are his desirable disadvantages, his obvious 10,000 hours of work, and most importantly, his meaningful work.
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II was born to a black father, who wasn’t there at his birth, and a white mother. Sir Robert grew up in a home that was filled with addiction, drugs, alcohol, and madness. He was raised by a mother addicted to various drugs, but most of all, alcohol. (Miller 6). Not only was his house always filled with people he never knew, he was also taught how to create, produce, and sell crack cocaine by age 12. Him and his brothers ran this business out of their basement, but not because they wanted to or were addicted to drugs, but because they were forced to. Their mother never had a job and was always “popping pills,” high, or intoxicated (Edes 1).
Out of his seven brothers and sisters, Sir Robert is the only child that appears to be Caucasian. In Logic’s interview with Billboard, he says this: “I’m biracial, but it’s not about being black, it’s not about being white, it’s about me being a person of mixed race and being proud of who I am”(Gale 4). Logic also goes on to say that his mother would verbally abuse Sir Robert and the rest of her children and toss racial slurs and other phrases that a 12-year-old should not hear. All of this confused Sir Robert and his siblings. From his interview with Billboard, Logic adds:
“The crazy part is my mother, she was prejudiced. She was racist — but why would she have children by black men? Exactly. It’s very weird. When I was a young boy, there was a lot of mental anguish that she would inflict on me. She stayed in the house all day, popped pills and drank. One minute she was a Bible thumper and then the next she’s cursing up a storm. She would talk to me when I was only like six years old and go into detail about the times that she was raped.” (Miller 7)
All of this craziness and bustle comes alive in Logic’s music. He uses these disadvantages that he had as a kid to write lyrics. He has created a platform to talk about the things that he has gone through, and ultimately, what others may be facing at this exact moment. Gladwell goes into depth on how these disadvantages can be desirable in a way. In an interview with GOODKIN, Gladwell uses the example of dyslexic people in the workforce. He explains that because these people had dyslexia, they learned at a very young age certain things like delegation, communication, motivation, etc. (Hight 2). So, he believes that even things like dyslexia can be considered positive in someone’s life since it enhances and teaches certain skills early in their life. Anything from dyslexia, growing up in a rough house, being locked in a room when a child is young, and other disadvantages that are prevalent at a young age.
These disadvantages that Logic had to grow up with only made him a better artist with depth in his music. Although he went through a variety of obstacles, they allowed him to reach an even wider community of supporters. Logic says in much of his music that without growing up with these hardships, he wouldn’t be as successful as he is now. Logic’s life is truly a testament to Gladwell’s success idea of desirable disadvantages, just as the successful business people with dyslexia.
Logic wakes up in his Maryland home at 6 a.m. next to his lifelong friend, and now producer, 6ix, with his headphones still on. They are tired from a long night, but they go straight to work early in the morning. Logic and 6ix continue their work: music. Logic sits in the makeshift studio and writes his raps and lyrics as 6ix plays beats over the speakers. The two worked endlessly to find and produce the music they are looking for. They would work together for days at a time creating mix tapes and singles that would gain Logic his ever-growing fan base.
Gladwell believes that to achieve mastery in anything you do, you have to reach the magical number of 10,000 hours. It seems that the difference from being “good” and “mastery” is the number of hours you involve yourself in the passion you have. Gladwell writes, “The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert — in anything” (Gladwell 20). Gladwell uses the example of the study done about the Canadian youth hockey players. This study shows that the older the hockey players were in their class, the more advanced their skills were, and hence the more opportunities they received. Later, they also used a study done on a violinist. This study shows that the violinist that reached 10,000 hours of practice achieved mastery and the others that had fewer hours were below mastery, or average. 10,000 hours of practice became the magical number.
At a very early time in Logic’s life, he achieved his 10,000 hours. He started rapping and writing lyrics by the age of 10. To do the math, if someone on average spent 3 hours a day doing their profession it would take them 3,333 days to get to 10,000 hours. That calculates to roughly 9 years. This meant that when Logic had reached the age of 19, the age when he released his first mixtape, he was well on his way towards 10,000 hours. In one of his most recent albums, Bobby Tarantino II, Logic admits to doing the 13 song album all overnight. Needless to say, by Logic putting in his 10,000 hours, his success began to grow immensely.
On a scorching day in May as Logic stood outside his sprawling Beverly Hills home he received a frantic text from 6ix. Logic read the text quickly and swiped to his Safari on his phone. Quickly he looked up Billboard.com to see the cover of his album on the front page. Everybody had reached #1 on the Billboard top 200. His eyes welled with tears. He was now able to mark off one of his life goals. He had just written the album that he felt he was put on this earth to write, and it had gained the publicity it deserved. It spread around the nation like wildfire, reaching all sorts of people. Logic touches on the things that he believes the population is scared to talk about. He touches on racism, mental disorders, and abuse all on this album and that’s why he received so much attention (Gale).
Logic began to receive countless tweets, emails, and texts about his album and about how he had impacted someone’s life. After the release of Everybody, the stage was set for him. He had always felt that his meaning in life was to create this album for the people that didn’t always have a say in things. In an interview with Nation Public Radio, Logic says that he was very scared to release this album. He says this in the interview: “It’s scary to say, ‘This is who I am,’ and the world goes, ‘No, you’re not.’ You know, ‘You haven’t experienced that, you didn’t grow up like this’” (Edes 2). Logic was also scared that people would miss his theme because he was ‘so in their face’ about things such as racism and mental health. Logic wants everyone to feel his love no matter the circumstances. He loves you for who you are. After performing at the VMAs, he ends with a speech that brings tears to many in the crowd. He states, “I don’t give a damn if you’re black, white, or any color in between. I don’t care if you’re Christian, Muslim, gay, or straight… we must fight for the equality of every man, woman, and child regardless of race, religion, color, creed, or sexual orientation.” He uses this quote frequently as it encompasses his goal for the world. He spreads the message of ‘peace, love, and positivity’ in all of his work and music.
Mrim Boutla, a leadership coach with a Ph.D. in Neuroplasticity, describes meaningful work as, “work that serves a population or cause that is dear to their heart” (Boutla 2). It is clear in Logic’s music that he is trying to reach out to a large population of people that he loves and is very dear to him. In a study done by researchers at HR Mars, a research team that does research in business and social sciences, said this about meaningful work: “Meaningful work refers to the perception pertaining to the job role and responsibilities to be noteworthy, valuable and serving some purpose” (Steger 3). Both of these sources show that people are looking for things in either their jobs or in their life: to serve a purpose, be valuable, and feel needed.
Logic’s meaningful work has changed the views of a lot of people around the world. He has raised awareness for racism and violence, but most of all, mental health. After his performance at the Video Music Awards, the calls to the Suicide prevention line increased by 50%. No one has ever been able to do this before and Logic does it with the release of one song. Logic says the following in an interview with CBS: “I just wanted them to know that they really weren’t alone. That’s why I write songs like that. That’s why I’m myself. That’s why I walk around with fanny packs and love sci-fi and say it, because I want people to be themselves, no matter who they are or what they do” (Miller 3). This is how Logic has reached so many people and become so successful. His ability to use his meaningful work to reach people of every race, religion, color, creed, and sexual orientation has changed the game of rap, and gained him a very big fan foundation.
Many people say that Logic’s ‘Claim to Fame’ is his breathtaking performance at the Video Music Awards. He would disagree, saying that all of the things leading up to and after his performance are what shaped him. His performance doesn’t define him, nor does it make him who he is. Sir Robert Bryson Hall II is going to be who he wants to be. Whether it’s the young boy rapper who started with the name ‘Psychological’ rapping in small clubs and shows, or the young man that has changed so many people’s lives, he will always relay his message of ‘peace, love, and positivity.’ He was able to be successful and make all of these impacts because of his rough upbringing or desirable disadvantages, countless hours of work, and his impactful meaningful work.
The wide smiled rapper known as Logic takes it all in for a moment. The crowd is all on their feet, some in tears, and everyone else in awe. He smiles, turns, and starts to dance with the rest of the survivors that joined him on stage. The lights dim on the stage, Logic bows his head, and the music fades away.
WORKS CITED
Boutla, Mrim. “What Does Meaningful Work Mean?” LinkedIn, LinkedIn, 11 Feb. 2015, www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-meaningful-work-mean-mrim-boutla-phd.
Clarke, Marcus A, director. Rapture LOGIC : Grey Matters . Netflix, 2018,
www.netflix.com/watch/80145232?trackId=250342370&tctx
Edes, Alyssa, et al. “Logic Is Ready To Tell The World Who He Is.” NPR, NPR, 15 May 2017,
www.npr.org/2017/05/15/528159035/logic-is-ready-to-tell-the-world-who-he-is.
Gale, Alex. “Exclusive: Logic’s 6 Things to Know About Him.” Billboard, 23 Oct. 2014, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6289399/logic-breaks-down-6-things-you-should-know-about-him-exclusive.
Gladwell, Malcolm. “Chapter 2.” Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, Back Bay Books, 2013, pp. 15–26.
Hall, Bobby. Supermarket, by Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Hight, Bethany. “Desirable Difficulties With Malcolm Gladwell.” Goodkin, GOODKIN, 12 July 2017, goodkin.org/malcolm-gladwell-desirable-difficulties/.
Miller, Michelle. “Logic Says ‘Be Happy to Be You.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 10 Dec.
2017, www.cbsnews.com/news/logic-says-be-happy-to-be-you/.
Podcast, H3, director. Podcast #105. YouTube, YouTube, 21 Feb. 2019,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FStiNMo4-Jk.
Steger, M. F., Dik, B. J., Duffy, R. D. (in press). Measuring Meaningful Work: The Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment.
Steger, Michael F. “Meaningful Work.” Michael F. Steger, Laboratory for the Study of Meaning and Quality of Life, 15 Aug. 2012, www.michaelfsteger.com/?page_id=105.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marcus Krupke, a freshmen from St. Michael, Minn., seeks an internship as a Chiropractic understudy to help him one day become a chiropractor. Krupke likes all sports, the outdoors, and helping others get to the places they want to go.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Meaningful work is work that serves a population or a cause dear to someones heart.
Speaking isn’t easy, so practice.
Malcolm Gladwell is a smart dude. Using other people’s successful work to benefit his own success. That’s genius.
Meeting with Scott was intimidating. The lights darkened and the cluttered office smelled like coffee. He sat at his desk listening to rock muisc, and talked to a girl I have never seen before. I open my paper and he simply told me to read it out loud to him. Simple. After finishing, he said, “You’re doing great, I’ll see you later in class brother.” And that was my 7 minute meeting with the legend, Scott Winter.
Book clubs are the best. If you act like you know what you’re talking about you’re totally set.
Being old for your grade is very important in sports. Outliers teaches a lesson that blew my mind. When I was young, I always wondered why Jacob Steinke and Mitchell Kartes were always the strongest and fastest. Then, it all hit me when we read the section about the Canadian hockey players. Being young sucks.
Sarah Clark gave me hope. Through all of the stuff she had thrown at her she had to grit and determination to finish High School. Her story inspired me.
Success isn’t defined by one Gladwell trait. Successful people have many specific Gladwellian traits working collectively for them to become successful.
Naming dogs is super important in successful writing. You would never shoot a dog that you name, so why not do that in your writings. This specificity makes it much harder for the reader to dislike your writing.
Selfie are the best. Take more of them.
I hope to one day be successful enough to own a burnt orange 1969 Camaro SS with black racing stripes. See that? That’s naming the dog.
Dropping someone into a persons defining moment is key to a great start of any paper.
I know now that Scott Winter is someone that I can talk to about anything. He is a great Professor and mentor and I really enjoyed his quirky jokes and ways of teaching. Might have to invite him to my wedding someday…
Walking into the lifeless, bricked, AC classroom on the first day of my spring semester was interesting. My roommate and I looked at each other and wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. This moment would later define my success in this class. Our class brought the life to this lifeless brick classroom, and I now believe that beyond the things I learned in this class, the life that was brought to my education will be what I will remember the most.
(Editor’s note: This paper was written as part of a GES160 Inquiry Seminar class at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn.)
