Rapper Logic Spotted In Middletown Wearing 'Clerks'-Inspired Uniform

MIDDLETOWN, NJ - It’s not every day that you meet a Grammy-nominated musician in your own backyard – but for Joseph Hoff, he jumped at the rare opportunity to meet a star.

Hoff spotted Logic, the rapper behind the hit song 1-800-273-8255 (which has amassed over 1 billion streams on Spotify to date), outside the Quick Stop convenience store in Leonardo this past Saturday.

Rapper Logic was in Middletown because he was filming a new music video with filmmaker Kevin Smith, the director of "Clerks," the cult hit filmed at the Leonardo Quick Stop. Smith was also there Saturday, in costume as Silent Bob, as were "Clerks" stars Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran, ComicBook.com reported.

“It was the right place and right time," Hoff said. “I was just getting back from [work] … I sat from a distance and just observed.”

It wasn’t until minutes of watching the cast that Hoff noticed the rapper stand out in the crowd.

“I thought I noticed Logic, so I stared,” Hoff said. “We made eye contact, I pointed at him, he pointed back at me, and I was like … ‘Logic?’”

In a photo Hoff provided to Patch, Logic was seen sporting a familiar uniform – one worn by employees of the fictional Mooby’s fast-food joint in Smith’s film universe.

Last summer, Smith returned to Middletown to open a podcast theater. Smith's theater is called SModcastle Cinemas and it's at 58 Leonard Ave., only a few feet away from the original Quick Stop Groceries. Here's the website: https://www.smodcastle.com/

Smith also said he plans to open a summer film school camp for local kids. Middletown residents should expect to see some big names in the area due to Smith working in the area: Smith said last month he'll be hosting upcoming Q&As at the theater with George R.R. Martin, who wrote the original book adapted into "Game of Thrones;" plus "Dawn of the Dead" filmmaker Zack Snyder and "Captain America" and "Avengers" directors the Russo Brothers.

It's unknown if these interviews will take place in person at the Middletown theater or will be virtual.

A member of Smith’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

“It was such a cool experience,” Hoff said, reflecting on the encounter with Logic. “He’s humble, very outgoing, and stands for some really awesome things!”

The rapper’s biggest hit, 1-800-273-8255, doesn’t list an arbitrary phone number. In fact, it serves as the contact for the national hotline for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Upon release of the song in 2017, the organization stated the hotline’s calls increased by nearly 50 percent.

“This was no coincidence. To have an artist and musician like Logic write about depression and advocate for suicide prevention is helping to create a culture that’s smart about mental health and suicide prevention,” AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia said in a statement at the time. “With the help of celebrities and musicians like Logic, use a public platform to open up about their own mental health, we can reach more people with the message that it’s okay to reach out for help when you need it.”