. . good>> evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with rapper logic he's one of the top streaming artists in the world with over 1 billion streams. he's just re-released his latest project called everybody. the project has a unique concept and boast some surprising collaborations. we're glad you joined us. rapper logic coming up in just a moment. ♪ ♪ ♪

and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you, thank you. ♪ logic has very quietly become one of the brightest young stars in hip hop. he's one of the top 25 streaming artists in the world with over one billion streams. he joins us to talk about his third album called "everybody" which has a unique concept. let's take a look at some the video for the song "black inspiredman" ♪ i just want to be free, i know i'm in the ♪

♪ i don't ♪ i don't want to be black i don't want to be white i just want to be a man today ♪ ♪ ♪ >> your fans of course know your by racial makeup and you aren't the first artist in this general ray to be by racial. but to my mind, and listening to your work, i think this is the first time you've actually talked about it in this way. >> yeah. and i'm probably the first by

racial rapper who looks white as hake. so, yeah. >> you said that, not me. >> that's it's all good. but, because i'm comfortable with who i am. and i think sometimes, you know, i've heard things that even just within the community of hip hop he's always talking about being black and white, he's always talk about being by racial, why's he always talking about it. i'm not always talking about this is the first time i've ever discuss today on an album. it's when i would go and be interviewed what's it like being a white rap per the to to me it's like i'm black and white, i'm by racial. so i make it a statement to say this is who i am because i'm prid of who you am bauz and because of that he's pushing the whole biracial thing too much. and to me it's like, let's be honest, if everybody -- what's it like being a white rapper oh it's great and three years went by and then it came out my dad's black, what are you ashamed? so you can't win no matter what you do. >> you can't win no matter what

you do i take your point lodge irrelevant, but how have you become comfortable with the skin that you are in? >> that's kind of -- >> a lot of footwear, you know. >> no, no. >> i'm rhyming to you. but there are a lot of folk though who into adulthood, i know some of them, who still have not come to terms with who they really are? >> i think it's because we focus individually on how society perceives us, it's almost like our perception of how we're perceived and that really affects how we act and how we mature and individuals. so for me, growing newspaper my household and being a student of peace, love, and positivity, which is my whole thing, i had to be able to look inward. it's like some somebody tills something, when you're so sure of something whether you're having a conversation and it's a bet or this or that and you're so sure and then you're wrong. have you to be able to go oh, damn, i was wrong and shake that person's hand and learn from it to be able to mature.

that's what i had to do. i had to look in the mirror andsy this is me, whether people like me or not and that's high i rap and solve rubic's cubes and eye married and look how i look and represent peace and love. those things don't necessary -- aren't necessarily praised in the mainstream media that is hip hop or whatever you want to call rap today. which i think is bs because hip hop was founded on dan versity. it was founded on love and peace and being who you truly are. so i don't know, man. i'm still percent kutd every single day for being myself, but i just -- i'd rather be hated for who i am than loved for who i'm not, so that's kind of the motto. >> that's nice too. we taking turns here is that how we're going to do this? >> no, you got it. you're the show. >> you're the star, though. >> you said something a moment ago that got my attention, i'm paraphrasing but it takes a certain level of honesty and authenticity to admit that

you're wrong. we live in a world increasingly where people don't do that from the president of the country on down. >> yeah. >> people are unwilling to do that. so what you're saying is more than just -- it's not even just a statement it's more of a challenge to people, but people don't want to accept that. >> yeah, i mean, be wrong, learn. it's all good. but honestly i also think that comes from open mindedness, because my whole sthing thing is everyone day i'm out there and say always, always, peace, love, positivity. that's what this album is about, that's why it's called "everybody". i say the fight for because i believe that we are all born equal but we are not treated equally. so it is my job, you know, to be that voice and so, yeah, i think it's like you just got to be you and learn and it's okay. it's okay to fall and get back up because that's -- it's almost like -- what's that saying? the reason the master is the master and the student is the student is because the master has failed even more times than

the student has ever tried. and for the master to say i have failed and, you know, stand tall and say i have failed, is a big deal because, you know, when it comes to the masters of society, you know, it's about always being right or always be perfect rather than admitting their own defeat at times. >> three or four times now have you given us your mantra, which i love, peace, love, positivity. but knowing your backstory as i do, those three things could have been bitterness, resentment, and anger. >> yeah. >> they weren't. they aren't. tell me about your backstory and how it turned out to be peace, love, positivity and not three other characteristics that are not so admirable. >> i think, man, just kind of getting into it like growing up both of my parents were addicted to alcohol and narcotics. my father specifically to crack cocaine. and he's 62 years old now and he's been clean for a few years and he's doing well now, but back then he wasn't a part of my life. having a black father and white

mother father that wasn't there, being raised by my mother and then brothers and sisters of the half brothers -- they are my brothers and sisters but from other black men that my mother had them with, it was like a weird kind of place to grow up in my household specifically and then seeing like my brothers in the streets and selling crack and hustling and getting locked up and shooting and, you know, guns and doing all this crazy stuff. and i, you know, i've held guns and run around with knives and gotten in fights and done dumb things. and i'm so happy that i've never done anything that haunts me. i've never taken anybody's life, i've never done anything that i look in the mirror and am truly ashamed of. i mean, everybody's done stuff they're not proufd but i'm just really happy it never went there. and so kind of having to fight through all that, you know, domestic violence and abuse and seeing my mother beent by men and blood on the kitchen floor and my sisters being sexually assault and raped, my mother included an my mother dealing

with bipolar and anxiety. it's just so crazy. >> i don't know, but i saw all of it. i saw it all and i saw it and i saw it as a child. and in my mind every time i saw it it was like don't do that, that's whatnot to be, you know, don't hit a woman, love a woman, nurture a woman. don't yell, do your best do -- zblet ple me cut in. h. >> how did you know not do that because as you know most people end up emulating the behavior that you see. where did z this moral comp tus come from. midst of all that? >> i don't know. people will ask me that it's common sense or god or whatever it may be, the energy of the universe. >> i don't know. >> i felt bad. you know, i sthee and i was just like -- like that's why i always say i'm so basic. like i just come basic. everything about me is basic and it's intinkual to be myself, just be you. so i think as a whooild child that was me. it was me to not want to hurt i want or force a woman do

something or, you know, i don't know. >> i don't know. to me it makes sense. and you know what i think it comes cown to snps? it's just this mentality. a few years ago when i first started just to be completely honest with you there is people that would say hurtful things like you're a cracker, you're gay, you're stupid, you're this and just these hurtful things to try to tear me down because i was just being myself. and i never understood. >> i asked myself, how could somebody hate me, right. and i'm not trying to be like -- i'm just like how would you hate me, peace, love, positivity. i came from nothing, i social security welfare section 8 household and i made attend can't believe it and it's incredible and i'm here to wave the flag for everything that we can all do 'this. and there's people that say shut up you're this and that and your music's terrible. i would always trouble myself, high do people hate me? why do people hate me? and then it clicked i don't understand why people hate me

because i'm not a hater i'm a lover. >> i don't have the hater mentality. i don't lincoln look at things and try to die sept secretary them in a negative way and talk about what i don't like or what could be better, i talk about the things that i enjoy or love first. >> there are a couple things you said i goont back and get you to unpack about f we company. one of them is this notion of people listening to your music and saying it's whack. there may be some of that that you're getting because of the way that you look, and there may be people who legitimately don't like you sound. we all have to be happen to critics i've got them you've got them where he all have critics. the question is how did you get comfortable with your musical stielgz when there were people telling you legitimately or illegitimately that you're whack. >> i love that. >> how did you -- >> it's just -- it's just perseverance and knowing that, so the biggest thing that you have to snrs is lying -- or i had to understand is i don't make music for people that don't like '. right in the like you don't do this show for the people that are like, oh, i don't agree with

that or this or that. away don't have to agree but we don't is there v to argue about it. so for me when i came to the realization for acceptance, when i stopped looking for acceptance in others, when i stopped going on twitter, oh you're great, i know i'm grait, i know i'm talented, amazing, special, just like you, just like the people watching that's a real thing. and once i knew that abd could tell myself that, that's when i truly found that balance. so for me, now that's not even where my mind is when it comes to an album like this because it's like i didn't make the music stylistically for somebody that's not going to enjoy it. if you don't like it that's cool you're not invited to this party. million of the people around the world who are are here and that's siem happy because that's who i made the music for. the thing ways zroird r scared about was the subject matter because i've never talked about this ever before and i was just scared, scared out of my mind. >> i discuss things politically like i've never done before, race, mental health, suicide,

anxiety, like so many things and it was very scary and i'm glad i did. i have my buddy jordon's over there right now and i have people who love me from my wife and best friends to push me and support know do something i was scared do. >> you mentioned this a second time i want to go there so let's go there now, tell me about this track anxiety. >> oh, man. this one's -- all right. so anxiety -- all right. so last year i'm trying to think about how to, like, not sound a certain way. let's put it this way. this year i just paid a million dollars in taxes, so that's that shows you how great last year was. >> you had a great year. >> at the same time i was unhappy. >> i was the most unhappy i'd ever been in my life. and the reason was -- there's a few reasons but the first one i was work myself to the ground. i was not enjoying the moment. i wasn't in the moment. and i'll never forget, i mean literally constantly working, working, no time to myself. and i was standing in line, it

was twist and i was standing in line to see "star wars" with my wife in hollywood downtown and i start having this crazy physical feeling like ways going to faint. i'd never had this feeling before. >> i felt like my soul was leaving my body, i was freaking out, i felt like i needed to throw up and low and behold i ended up finding myself in a hospital bed momentarily later. >> i didn't know what was going onnd the doctor tells me it's anxiety. i'm like i'm feeling like i have no idea what's going on. and ever sibs i was beginning to experience something called derealization. now derealization is the sense of being out of one's body all the time. and what i've later come to realize it's actually a hyper an lie zation of reality and realtime. that just means you're overanalyzing every moment that you per seaver in realtime, which sounds kind of wild. but this exists. and i didn't know la it was. so i thought i had like a disease or there was something

going on with my brain or i was dying. and i didn't realize that it was anxiety. and this term, like driving -- like oh you're driving me crazy say real thing. like i auld most drive myself to the brink of insan knit if i and i didn't even know why. why am i doing meet and greets where i'm meeting a hundred people every day three hours before a show and then a sound check and then i'm performing for two lourz a night and then my off day isn't really an off day it's traveling on a bus for 18 thundershowers u hours and just over and over and over. last year nine straight months on the road away from my wife and dogs and home. so i say all of this to say i didn't understand what it was and i had the craziest anxiety it was ruling mefr day. and i was having these dark thoughts about death, not killing myself but oh my god, i'm mortal i hope i'm not going on too much. but i had all these real zagsz and they were all negative things. and once i ate better, once i said no, i'm not going to do that show or, no, i have to postpone this tower for me, my

anxiety began to get better and better and better and that song, that's what it's about. the first half of the song is a very beautiful voice from my friend lucy rose and then the second half is when anxiety hits you and comes in i'm going to get newspaper your mind right now and make you feel like dying right now. i'm giving i'm gonna let everybody know i'm in your mind right now. so it was a culmination of a year from hake for me that i put into a song. >> take away from that experience was what? >> life's awesome. stop overthinking it. just enjoy the moment. and make -- balance yourself. that's why i got this tattoo. it says balance yourself. this one says happy wife happy life, and this one says balance yourself and those are the only tattoos i have. >> those things go to together, don't they. >> that's real, man. >> you think about it they kind of go together. >> yeah. >> let me go there i'm just following you because you're moving so fast and i love this. >> oh, cool. >> i've lost count, i'm usually pretty good at this i lost count

at six as the number of times you have referenced your wife including happy wife happy life. >> yeah. >> so here's the -- here's the parallel for me. maybe even a disconnect until you explain it for me. >> okay. >> which is how you come out of that familial environment where all hake was break loose growing up and at such a young young age you find yourself married. >> yeah. >> and in a marriage that you're apparently happy in and you love your wife and she's gorgeous, i've seen poet foez toes. >> that helps. >> yeah. >> i guess what i'm getting at you could have gone the other way given those. >> of course. >> so how did this -- >> the short answer you met somebody you fell in love with i get that. >> yeah. >> tell me how you end up in such a stable family environment when what you came out of was the exact opposite and you're there at such a young age. >> maybe deep down at some subconscious level in the depths of my mind that was something i

always looked for and searched for, mo nothingmy and not being a woman nierz and from seegt things that i did maybe deep down i was looking for a good woman, deep down i want to be a great father. so maybe that's just been the goal this whole time and i'm like having this realization on the couch with you right now, a real thing. >> i never really thought about it but, wow, look at this. >> i got married at 25, i'm 27 right now. my wife is only 24, so like we were both very young. with you we knew what we wanted. and people are like you're too young, you've got your whole life ahead of you why are you getting married. but nobody should rush anything. but we didn't rush anything, we were happy, not content, we were happy to be with each other and there's hard times, man, in any relationship. but i believe that communication is the biggest thing. as long as you can truly communicate with someone, whether it's your spouse or your business partner or your friend and transparency, and being honest, you have to be honest, it really works. but i don't know, i'm just in

love and she's bad and she's fine, that's what that means. >> yeah. >> and she's a great person. and i honestly i'm going for a hundred percent, i've never been so attracted to a woman before i met them. so and that's me, you know. you've got to wage next to this person for the rest of your life. no matter what may happen but i love her. and it's really funny because when i was single i'd rap about girls just for fun you just rap about girls what's up, tina, and wlafr and this and that and just kind of like having fun. but it's really cool now to have that like rapper esthetic within my music but i'm talking about my wife. it's kind of cool and i like it. >> not that you or i would ever encourage kids to drop out of high school, but how does all this enlight enenment, i'm asking seriously, where did this come from? what do you watch, read, listen to? for a kid who didn't finish high school this is pretty

impressive. >> one thing i will say is i believe education is dprooem extremely important, you know what i mean. unfortunately my system where i was failed me and then my home was just -- and that's no excuse because i remember i actually went back my high school had me come back and speak to the kids and that was really weird and they were like -- they handed me the mike just before i talked to the kids and they were like whatever did you don't say you didn't graduate. i'm like oh, and i take the mike and i'm like, you know, i'm going everything's going fine halfway through and some kid's like how come you didn't graduate. and i was like oh, and i look at my old counselor and i'm like damn. >> moment of truth. >> and i was just a hundred. >> what'd you say? >> i was like i didn't graduate because of all the things that was -- that were going on in my household, i didn't graduate because at that point in mooi my life i didn't have people there to push me and guide me and work me to get that education. and i was like, there are so many people here that have loving parents and guardians

that are pushing them and there are so many people here as well that don't and that are skil still getting their education and you're stronger than even i was. so that's how i feel about that. and another thing is like don't be lays decide. so when i was 17 years old and unfortunately i wasn't in high school so i got two jobs that i worked in the morning and the evening and then i would go home -- >> what were they? >> i had all types of jobs. at that specific time i was working at jiffy lube so i'm changing oil and then in the evening i worked in a flower shop. >> okay. >> but then i would come home and record. so i would write and wrielt and write and i would record myself and work on myself. so i was worth this and i just say that to say if at 17 years old i can live on my own, work two jobs and still follow my dreams like then just chill, you can finish high school and do what you love. but i think, i don't know, what pushed me to kind of get to where i am today, it is others.

it's others, man, sure are, i read some books. like "think and grow rich" and just the true secret of this unspoken -- it's exactly like i was -- there's a language of success, and when i was explaining about haters, right, i don't understand why people hate because i'm not a hart. it's also like go get it, like go do it, there's -- nothing should ever stand in your way. you know, when it comes to success, you have to want success more than your next breath. it takes determination, persistent and realism and wanting success more than your next breath to attain the goals you want in life just in general. and so i feel a lot of people go, well you know i would do it but, and that's it right there. i'd go to skol school but i -- but unfortunately like my mother's sick or but this vand to be there. it's like i get it and this is the part of life, but if you want it, you have to do it because i think the worst thing

in the world is looking back in your elder years being filled with regret. >> speak of success, if there is one thing that indicates that you are on your way, it is when other giants in the rap game, in the hip hop game put their tower on your project. you've got some great collaborations on here. >> yeah. >> it's impressive. there's some secrets i won't even tell you who some of them are but when you know them you'll know who they are. but say a word about the colab about oigss on this. >> i never had -- i never had features on an album so, like, you know, big features so i wanted to wait. and i have killer mike, i have chuck "d" from public enmip, black thought from the roots. no idea rapper was an incredibly emmy producer for jay z. and the others, rapping for the first time on this album.

>> and my friend neil de grass. >> that's the crazy thing. the fun nibny thing is he's playing the role of god. >> yeah. >> one thing i would like to say to wrap all this up is this album it's a concept album and the elevator pitch is this guy adam is walk willing home from work where he walking home from work and gets hit and dies and he walks up to this guy who tells him that he's god and that he's died and that he's about to be reincore it nad and he's been reincarnate sod many times in fact that it's every human being that has exist and it's not until he has lived in the shoes of every man, woman, child, and of every operation and creed, can he get to the next level. so efr one of my songs i'm rapping about one of the lives that this man's lived in 21

years. >> i've heard this thing from top to bottom and it's an inciteful piece of work, it is called "everybody" by logic. honor to have you on this program. first time hopefully not your last. >> this smie first talk show. >> see, i feel honored. >> this is crazy. >> i've done this a few times now. we've put a few people out in the stratosphere. kanye came here years ago. >> hopefully you'll let me come back. >> let you? what you doing tomorrow? >> thank you so much. >> good to see you man. that's our show tonight thanks for watching and as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. >> hi, i'm tavis smiley join me next time for conversation about one of european's prominent thinkers dreb bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see you bra winger on hert

film, that's next time. we'll see youd bra winger on he next film, that's next time. we'll see ye bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see yb bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see yo bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see y bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see ya bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see yh bra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see ybra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll see yra winger on her next film, that's next time. we'll se then. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you, thank

. . good evening from los angeles, ooich i'm taf vis smiley if the was one of those pivotal moments in a company's history a viral video showing a passenger being dragged off a flight. while the incident received worldwide attention, lers known is united airlines track record of hiring and ploegt african american pilots at the airline. tonight thenl then a conversation with two of the pilots alleging they continue to face barriers within the airline industry. we're glad you joined us a conversation of the pilots who are part of the united we stand for diversity coalition in just a