At Anime Expo 2024, we sat down with GRAMMY-nominated rapper Logic, who has seamlessly incorporated his love for anime into his music and public persona. Fresh off his collaboration with Crunchyroll for a streetwear collection inspired by Cowboy Bebop, Logic opened up about his lifelong connection to anime. He discussed the cultural fusion of hip-hop and anime and his journey from writing fanfiction to becoming a celebrated artist bridging both worlds. Logic’s genuine passion for geek culture and his desire to inspire authenticity in others shone through in our candid conversation. Join us as we explore how anime has profoundly shaped Logic’s life and career.
BUT WHY THO: You’ve been pretty open about how anime, especially Cowboy Bebop, has influenced your journey. Is there any anime out now that gets those same creative juices flowing, whether in their story or their music?
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LOGIC: You know, I haven’t seen too many new anime because I’ve been too busy taking care of my kids. “My Hero Academia”—I definitely enjoy it. That one’s fun because I like to watch it with my wife and different stuff like that. “Attack on Titan” is a more recent one. But as far as anything going on right now, I haven’t been up to date.
BUT WHY THO: Hey, look, “My Hero” is going on right now and it’s great. You know, nothing makes me want to go through a wall more than watching those characters do what they do. So, it makes a lot of sense.
Like many millennials, you found anime at a pretty young age, and that obviously hasn’t gone anywhere. Are you still writing fanfic at all? Or is there any anime that you think might inspire some of that down the road?s
LOGIC: No. But you know what’s funny? I used to write Cowboy Bebop fan fiction when I was a kid. I even wrote a Cowboy Bebop script that I might one day actually do on an album because the entire American cast of Cowboy Bebop wants to do it. So, I think it could be really cool to just write my own fan fiction and put it out. How crazy would that be?
BUT WHY THO: You’ve been hitting conventions all over the country, and I’m sure you’ve seen how anime and hip-hop cultures collide, especially in places like LA and New York. What’s been the wildest and most memorable moment you’ve seen from these two worlds colliding like this?
LOGIC: Honestly, I’d probably— I swear to God, I’m not just saying this. This shirt I’m wearing right now. I’m pointing to my shirt, by the way. A rapper collaborating with the original anime artist [Toshihiro Kawamoto]? It’s a dream come true. So, it’s like, man, what’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen between hip-hop and anime colliding? You’re looking at it.
BUT WHY THO: Right, YOU are the thing.
LOGIC: I love this stuff. I speak the language. I’m not here for some check. I’m here because I want to be here, you know what I mean? And going to these conventions, I remember my first one, it was a con up in Toronto or something like that. I almost threw up in the hotel room because I was so nervous. I was like, man, I hope they show up.
No rapper really does stuff like this, you know? And then I got there. They showed me a picture before I arrived, my managers did, and I saw this line. I was like, Oh, that’s my line on the right. That’s nice. And they’re like, no, the whole thing is your line. I almost wanted to cry, man. Because I was like, I hope they know what’s up.
And now I realize it’s like, you can’t con a con artist. These people can sniff out what’s real and what’s not. And I love this culture. I game, I’m a nerd, and I’m really about this life. It’s been an incredible experience. Not to sound like Kanye talking about myself all the time, but this is the biggest moment I’ve seen in hip-hop and anime personally.
BUT WHY THO: You mentioned gaming, and I know how much that plays into your downtime and creative process. With recent games coming out, especially like Dragon Ball Sparking Zero and other fighting games, are you planning on jumping on the sticks at all? Giving fans a shot to take on the champ?
LOGIC: Yeah, big time. A thousand percent. Man, I used to be so into fighters. And not used to, I still love it. But man, I got arcade sticks. I have like seven. I customize the buttons and everything, hot pink, green, and all this different stuff. So, yeah, I think that’d be a lot of fun. You know what I’d really love to do though? eSports Competitions. Like Lupe Fiasco.
BUT WHY THO: Yeah, those are great and have huge followings. I’m sure they would love to see you there.
LOGIC: Hey man, write that down. Let’s do some gaming competitions too. Not just cons. Let’s do the gaming competitions. Y’all heard it here live and direct.
BUT WHY THO: Speaking of you being one of the first to mix these cultures, anime is definitely more mainstream now than when we were kids. How do you think that impacts both anime and hip-hop to see everyone embracing it now?
LOGIC: You know what? It feels like, well, hip-hop is such a loose term, right? Because what is hip-hop? You’ve got people who love cats like Mos Def, Tribe Called Quest, Black Thought, Wu-Tang. Some of the originators brought in Kung Fu stuff. There are levels to this. When you say hip-hop, I think it’s more about the mainstream consensus of what’s allowed, what’s not.
Hip-hop has grown, and this generation of mixed people being multiple things—it’s like in hip-hop, you used to have to be street and tough, and that’s not the case anymore. I came from the hood, you know what I mean? I made it out, and I wasn’t trying to represent that. I think it’s a beautiful way to unite various cultures and people to just be themselves. So, that’s why I really do rock with Uzi and Meg, of course.
BUT WHY THO: Based on your background as a teacher and mentor, you’ve been with the younger generations for a while now. How has that influenced you, being one of those people to bring anime to the center stage?
LOGIC: You know what’s really crazy, bro? Now I’ve become a filmmaker, right? I just shot a film that’s not out yet that I wrote, starred in, directed, produced, paid for myself—millions of dollars. I’ve been so focused on art and cinema that I’ll be walking around the street, and people are like, “Oh shit, it’s Logic”. People come up to me, crying and all this other stuff. I’m like, yo, I can’t believe I’m not the kid on the come-up anymore. I’m the dude who made it. It blows my mind.
So, for you to ask me a question like that, it’s like, Damn. Hip-hop can make you feel old. I’m 34, but I’m a young man. The brand of Logic has made over a hundred million dollars. And stepping into cinema, talking to my producers or collaborators like Kevin Smith and Seth MacFarlane, they’re looking at me like, dude, you’re a baby. Why are you saying you’re old?
And for you to say this, not that I’m old, but for you to say I’ve matured and gone from the young dude to this—how does that feel? It could make me cry, man. My whole life I wanted to sit at this table talking to someone like you and used to pray I’d get a question like that. So, how does it feel? It feels like I won the life lottery. Yeah, that’s how it feels.
BUT WHY THO: Speaking to the more adult audience who might have drifted away from anime because of cultural perspective, what would you say to encourage them to reconnect with it?
LOGIC: I would say good riddance, motherfucker. We only want the people who want to be here, not because it’s cool or trendy. If you’re not watching anime and you love it but aren’t doing it because of what the world tells you, tough luck.
You just opened up a spot for a young human, insert pronoun, to show up and enjoy something that you don’t have the love, respect, or appreciation for. If I’m being honest, I feel sad for you. I’m trying to work with people who want to be here. I want to hang out with people proud to be who they are.
BUT WHY THO: Your tracks are often used in anime music videos (AMVs). How does it feel to see your music become part of this unique subculture and to be so well represented within it?
LOGIC: It’s just really cool, man. In the face of adversity or what’s cool and not, I never veered. It was really hard, man. Being me, being a human being is difficult. We’re told every day we’re not enough—not cool enough ,Black enough, strong enough, sexy enough, this enough.
I’m here to tell anybody reading, you are enough. On my come-up, everybody was like, you’re not enough, and liking anime is whack, and whatever. I’m so proud that, through the scariest times and people shitting on me, I still did it anyway.
I was just kicking it with Dave Chappelle the other day, and we were talking about fear and pushing through fear. He hit me with the most gangster quote of all time: “Fear should never be a deciding factor in anything you do.” I had come to that realization just months before when I decided to really dive into cinema and make this film. I’m very proud of myself that I didn’t let that fear stop me.
Our conversation with Logic at Anime Expo 2024 revealed the depth of his connection to anime and its significant influence on his life and career. Logic’s passion for anime is evident in every aspect of his creative journey. His candid reflections on the fusion of hip-hop and anime cultures, his experiences at conventions, and his commitment to inspiring authenticity in others highlight the unique blend of influences that define him as an artist. As Logic continues to bridge these worlds, his impact on both the anime and hip-hop communities remains profound and inspiring.
The Crunchyroll x Logic x Cowboy Bepop collection is available on the Crunchyroll Store now.
