YSIV is the fourth studio album by American rapperLogic, released on September 28, 2018, by Visionary Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. The album art, featuring a mugshot of Logic, is stylized similarly to the famous mugshot of Frank Sinatra and reminiscent of the artwork for the mixtapeYoung Sinatra, released in 2011. The album serves as a sequel to the mixtape , released in 2013, and is the fourth and final installment of the Young Sinatra series. The album is notable for being credited as an album in the Young Sinatra series, as the former 3 were released as mixtapes. It features guest appearances from all living members of Wu-Tang Clan, Wale, Jaden, Ryan Tedder and Hailee Steinfeld, among others.
YSIV was released on September 28, 2018. For the first single "One Day", Logic released a music video for the song. The music video caused controversy, as it sympathized with the plight of undocumented migrants in the United States. He later performed the song at the 2018 VMA Awards with collaborator Ryan Tedder, where he brought hundreds of migrant children onto the stage. Logic himself wore a shirt which read, "F**k The Wall", and the kids wore shirts reading, "We Are All Human Beings". On August 28, Logic released a video titled "YSIV Freestyle" and a social media post, finally announcing Young Sinatra IV along with its album cover. A few weeks prior to release of the album, Logic hosted an exclusive listening party with his fans, uploading a short movie about it to YouTube. The album was released in the same week as another high-profile hip hop album, Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne.
Critical reception
YSIV received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 7 reviews. Riley Wallace from HipHopDX gave a positive review saying, "Overall, Bobby has bars for days — and days — and as a consistent top to bottom play, YSIV has vibrant energy. If you can listen to this LP the whole way through and doubt his pen game, then the question becomes: “what does he have to do to please you?” If getting the entire Wu-Tang Clan on a song doesn't impress you, nothing will." Charles Holmes from XXL said, "YSIV succeeds when it forgoes pretentious views on what hip-hop should be and instead focuses on what makes the self-proclaimed Young Sinatra unique. The trio of “Everybody Dies,” “The Return,” and “The Glorious Five” feature the Everybody MC at his most fluid and nimble." Riley Wallace wrote another review for Exclaim! where he said, "This is Logic at his best: making music that makes him happy. His comfort zone is infectious. If YSIV doesn't sell you on Logic, nothing will." Jon Caramanica from The New York Times said, "YSIV — the conclusion of his Young Sinatra series of mixtapes — is his most confident and accomplished release to date, shaking off some of the awkwardness that has long peppered his music." Trey Alston from Highsnobiety praised the project, saying that "YSIV is gaudy, confident, and cocksure; Logic talks his shit without filter, crafting mesmerizing narratives, witty punchlines, and out-of-his-comfort-zone experiments – often on the same track. It amounts to an absorbing final installment of a series that already functions as an inordinate quantum of comfort food. We’re finally stuffed." Andy Kellman from AllMusic said, "What comes through most is Logic's self-acknowledged eminence, an abundance of lyrical and sonic references to what he calls "real rap," and an insatiable eagerness" Some critics gave the album mixed feedback. Alphonse Pierre from Pitchfork said, "Over some dusty boom-bap, the undoubtedly talented Logic spends just way too much time trying to forcibly cement his place in hip-hop history." Christopher R. Weingarten from Rolling Stone said, "The chart-topping rapper positions himself as a scrappy underdog with go-getter ambition and complex bars. Logic rhymes in exciting ways, but the meanings can be a little strained."
Commercial performance
YSIV debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 167,000 album-equivalent units, including 122,000 album sales in its first week. It is Logic's fifth US top 10 album, and second in 2018.
