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“Retired” rapper Logic signs new music partnership with Twitch
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 21 July 2020
Whenever a rapper announces their retirement from the music industry, it’s always hard not to cynically wonder how long it’ll be before they return. In the case of Logic, it was three days. Although he is coming back in a somewhat different form, having signed a seven figure deal to become Twitch’s “first official music partner”.
The partnership will see him stream “a mixture of in-studio sessions, special guests, AMA style formats and gaming” on his Twitch channel on a weekly basis.
Noting that he was doing this already anyway, he tells The Verge: “I think it’s a powerful platform that allows me to connect with my fans in the best way possible. And the safest way possible for someone in my position”.
“This is the place where if you want to interact with me, you’re going to do it here”, he says. “I’m not going to be on Twitch having political debates. I’m going to be on Twitch helping people, after they’ve had a day of protesting or political debates, unwind and laugh and smile. And if you want to know how I feel about the world, you listen to my music”.
Logic announced his retirement from music last Friday, stating that his new album, ‘No Pressure’ – released this Friday – would be his last. “It’s been a great decade”, he said on Twitter. “Now it’s time to be a great father”.
Insisting that the Twitch deal isn’t backtracking on that announcement, he says: “I announced my retirement from music because it came to a point where I felt forced, like I had to do certain things. And it’s not that the label made me feel that way. I was doing it to myself, because I’m such a businessman, and I was pushing myself to the brink of insanity”.
“I think if I said, ‘yeah, this is a new era’ and all this shit, you could put it on the headline and it would, like, make it sound cooler”, he adds. “Of course, it’s a new era, but I’m not fooling myself. I’m a musician, I’ll always be one. I’m still gonna rap on songs that probably won’t come out”.
In a press release announcing the Twitch tie-up, he also said that he hopes his Twitch channel will become “a place of creation but also collaboration”.
Confirming the deal from it’s side, Twitch’s Head Of Music Mike Olsen noted how Logic’s involvement with the live streaming platform had followed its evolution – ie from a place for gamers to live-stream, to hosting a more eclectic mix of creators.
“Logic embodies the evolution of creators that we’ve seen over the last few years on Twitch”, Olsen said. “He came to Twitch as a gamer but understands the value of the Twitch community and how our passionate and engaged audience can also connect with and support his music”.
“This type of streaming partnership is new for Twitch but speaks to what is happening on the service with our growth across non-gaming content, and particularly the massive interest we’re seeing within music”, he added.
You can catch Logic’s first Twitch stream as part of the new partnership tonight at 1am UK time.
