It’s well-known among winter athletes and friends of Devin Logan is a hip-hop and rap, music enthusiast. From deep cut 90s classics like Souls of Mischief to today’s renowned Drake and her all-time favorite DMX, Devin has a spot for it all. We recently chatted with the U.S. ski team member over the phone as she gears up and prepares for the upcoming winter season from Salt Lake City, Utah, and scratched the topic of all things music. Read on down below and stream a custom-curated music playlist by Devin in her On Rotation interview below.
Let’s start out with what’s your favorite type of music?
My favorite type of music is rap. I was born in the early 90s, but I consider myself an older soul because I feel like I listen to a lot of 90s hip hop and stuff like that. But, yeah, I’ve always liked rap. I feel like it came with having older brothers, being in the car with them, and controlling the radio.
Can you drop a few names of some of the 90s hip-hop artists that you listen to?
I mean everyone from Biggie, Tupac, on my Spotify, I have this playlist, and it’s legit I Love My 90s Hip-Hop, and it’s the dopest playlist because it starts mixing songs together and it’s just so well put together. It has some OutKast; I actually just saw Big Boi in concert in Salt Lake City the other week, so that was pretty cool. Tribe Called Quest, of course, Mos Def, Wu-Tang, like pretty much bigger name. It’s just like a dope station to put on. I use it a lot when camping with friends, and for some background music, so it’s something I feel like everyone can get behind.
Can never go wrong with 90s hip hop. So do you strictly listen to hip-hop, or do you sprinkle other types of genres into the mix?
I like a bunch of other genres, too. I listen to everything except for country. (laughs) My mom loves country, and I just can’t get on board. I feel like the only country I’ve really listened to is the Dixie Chicks just because of my sister. But I like everything; there’s a bunch of new stuff too. I actually follow this chef, Melissa King, she was on Top Chef, and I think she’s super dope. I follow her on Spotify, and I don’t know what technically her genre is, but I like finding new artists and other things where it’s more mellow and sing along and different beats and stuff, which is cool. That’s like the coolest thing about music, and all these apps are like you can follow friends and see what they’re listening to. I really get bored of my music after a while. I’m that person that will listen to it on repeat and then overplay it.
Music apps are great with suggesting new artists you might like and tracking what you listen to.
Yeah, exactly, and they show you if an artist is around your area, which is pretty cool. I like new music Fridays, where they make a playlist just for me based on songs I’ve listened to, which is really fun to mix it up. I feel like that’s the hardest, especially going into winter and having a good playlist, especially a comp playlist.
With the winter season just starting up, who is already making the cut for this year’s playlist?
Well, Drake just dropped his album, and I’m a huge Drake fan. I’ve listened to that whole album on repeat multiple times, and I already picked out all the songs that I like, but for the season, I haven’t really done that yet. I was actually just talking to my teammate, Caroline Claire, because I dropped her off at the airport, and she’s in Europe now, but she was like, “Oh, I gotta make a playlist for skiing,” and I thought, oh the airplane is the perfect time for that. I just start playing all my songs on shuffle, and because you have so many hours, I can listen to it and find songs you forgot about. Even if a song was on my playlist last season or three seasons ago, I’ll remember a moment from that. When I go to Europe in the next few weeks, I’ll probably create a playlist just because I’ll have time on my hands.
I was just reading your bio on the Dew Tour website, and it mentions if someone is ever trying to find you on the snow, just listen out for and follow the gangster rap as you can almost always be found bumping DMX before dropping in.
Yeah, I actually just went to a buddy’s wedding, and he was like, “yeah, you’re going to definitely know some of the songs we put on for you,” and of course, anytime DMX’s Ruff Ryders’ Anthem, X Gon’ Give It To Ya, people just look at me, and they’re like, “D-Lo get out there” (laughs). Now I’m known for it, which is so funny. Also, RIP DMX.
RIP to a legend. Do you always listen to music when you ski or only during a competition?
Yeah, I can’t ski without music. It’s weird I need something in the background to get me into a certain vibe or mood, and music definitely relates to that. This last season, I had a couple of ska and punk songs on my competition playlist to get a little angry. I need some of that aggressiveness, or if I’m a little too hyped, I tone it back and put something else on that’s a chiller like one of Drake’s more chill singing songs. So my music definitely describes my style, and there are so many videos of me just rocking out in the start gate before dropping in. It just gets me into a good zone and thinking but not overthinking on my run, and I don’t get into my head.
Let’s break down your competition music routine. Do you have a single song that is always on repeat, or do you skip through a playlist?
I feel like I have song A.D.D where like if you’re in the start gate and they’re like, oh, you got two minutes before you drop then its like I was vibing to this, but I got two minutes, so onto the next song. There’s not just one song, it’s kind of like a handful of songs, and after you’ve had a playlist for a while, you know what songs are next on that playlist, and when I get to know that and where I’m at then I’ll skip three songs ahead like these [songs] aren’t it right now or something.
What do you have playing on a pow day?
This is weird because I say I can’t ski without music, but I’ll have music on a pow day, but it’ll be super low, or I’ll have no music at all. I like to hear my surroundings in that situation, especially in the backcountry. I just think that it’s an important key; God forbid anything happens, like hearing avalanches break, and you kind of want to be on alert. But if it’s on like resort skiing pow day, definitely more chill music like, you know, everyone does the reggae a little bit, but there’s no set playlist. It’s more of a shuffle kind of day.
Thinking back to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi where you won silver in slopestyle, do you remember what you were listening to that day?
That was my huge DMX year for sure, and I don’t remember what specific song was playing. It was definitely DMX, but during my run, it all goes silent. You can see people after their run, they instantly reach for the headphones, and I’m that person because it’s so loud and I need to hear other things. I instantly either pause or turn it down so I can listen to the announcers and stuff.
Do you remember watching ski videos growing up that influenced you because of the riding and music choices?
That’s funny you say that because I don’t know who did this, but I found on Spotify, like from probably the first Level 1 movie, they made playlists of the soundtracks of all the Level 1 films. So when I discovered that it was like time travel back, because that’s what I grew up with and with my brothers, Chris and Shawn, watching all these ski movies and hearing the soundtracks. Even today, we quiz each other, and we’re like, what’s this song from? (laughs) I’m looking through my playlist right now because there’s one song I keep listening to, and it recently popped up in my songs. Oh, my God, what is it? Is it—oh, This Way by Dilated People from Shanghai Six from like 2005! Rediscovering songs from when you were
What would you pick if you had a video part ready to be released and could choose any song you wanted all rights free?
Oh, that’s hard because when I dropped clips and stuff, I just have my mom’s voice in the back of my head when choosing a song. I’m like, I probably shouldn’t choose that lyric or verse because some younger kids watch these, so I play the safe card a lot when I pick songs for clips. (laughs) With Instagram now, it’s way easier to give the artist credit so you can actually get access to all these artists were before you had to slowly record it with a second off or something, so the copyrights don’t catch it.
Right, with TikTok and Instagram Reels, you can pick any song that’s on there to use for clips.
Yeah, and I feel like there’s no one particular song or artist. It’s just more the rap genre and picking one that plays well into the clip. I feel like old Kanye is really good. Not new Kanye. (laughs)
What was it like growing up with your brothers? Who got to choose and play the music in the car growing up?
Definitely, growing up with my brothers, they influenced me as a person, as a skier, and what I liked and stuff. My brother Chris and I are super closer now than ever. We have very similar traits, just being the closest in age in our big family. So definitely riding in the car with him like you knew you couldn’t touch it, but like being a little sister and trying to be a brat, I’d be like, I want to hear something else and like you know teen girls go through some weird times. I definitely went through weird stages where I listened to Ashley Simpson and things like that (laughs), just being weird and figuring myself out.
But also music is a big thing in my family. I remember my mom playing a bunch of her music. We had a record player in the house. My mom is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. She took us to concerts when we were super young. My first concert was actually the Beach Boys when I was like six years old. I like Neil Diamond and Eric Clapton a lot and things like that. The funniest thing and biggest memory is that we’d play Bruce Springsteen’s Santa is coming to town version during Christmas. I remember that with my brother and being super silly and stuff, but music has always been around and has influenced us. I feel like a lot of memories growing up are based around music, or you can tie it back to that, you know?
Who gets to play DJ in the car now when you’re on a road trip?
I feel like depending on how long the road trip is, you listen to music, and if I feel like I’m sick of hearing my music, I’ll ask someone else to play. Then there’s a lot of podcasts as well, like murder mysteries. Britta Sigourney and I make a lot of trips out to Colorado, and we kind of scare ourselves with crime thrillers. I feel like it depends on the situation, the crew you’re with, if it’s super close homies, then everyone will get a shot. It just depends on the vibes and the people you’re with.
How has music helped you get through injuries and during recovery?
Music is one of those things that everyone can relate to, like depending on the lyrics, you can take it in your own way. With injuries, I feel like a lot of time is spent in the gym, in the PT room, and putting in work to try to get back to the snow. So, every time in the gym, if you have like a heavy lift, you try to put on inspiring music, for you be like, ‘alright, I’m going to do this now.’ Even the other day with my trainer, I was like, ‘I’m going to wait till the next song because I really can’t put this weight on my back right now listening to this.’ I feel like music comes in the most on those days when you don’t want to put in work at the gym, but I can put on headphones and put my head down for an hour and get through it with the music that can help me grind.
Do you find yourself listening to music while at the gym through headphones or out loud on a speaker?
There’s a speaker like throughout the Center of Excellence, where the U.S. ski and snowboard team train. It’s funny like everyone’s in there right now gearing up, and you have a handful of different teams and athletes, and one of our boardercross athletes is really into heavy metal. So he takes over the music when they’re doing their circuit training because they got to get into the zone for ISO (isometric) holds in a squat with weight on their back while other people are lifting. Then someone else takes it over and puts on hip hop, or if no one’s in the gym, someone will put on more boppy music or something like that. There’s always a rotation which is really cool, and the gym can’t be silent. I feel like that would be weird.
I saw on your Instagram that you are super into cooking. Do you have anything playing in the background when in the kitchen, or are you focusing on reading recipes, temperature, and cooking time?
No, we definitely play a whole bunch of different music while cooking and throughout the house. It’s funny that you mention it because I actually found a playlist with the exact song times for cooking different pastas. But I mean, if a new album is out, we’ll be playing it, or my boyfriend will put on something he’s been listening to, and that’s cool.
That’s funny instead of just going by a timer for what a recipe says, you know your pasta is done by the end of a DMX song.
Yeah, exactly. It’s definitely a feel thing. Recipes are just like a suggestion. It’s like skiing and music. It’s another way to express myself. I definitely enjoy it, and it’s been fun during quarantine and being at home trying to cook up things that taste good.
We’ll wrap this up on a fun note. Are you a fan of karaoke?
Yes! I’m tone-deaf, but yes. (laughs)
Do you have a go-to karaoke song?
Yes, it is Believe by Cher.
Do you remember the last time that you sang karaoke?
I think it was two summers ago at Mt. Hood with some of my teammates. I was down to karaoke, and they didn’t know how good my go-to karaoke Cher song is, so I had to show them. (laughs)
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