Album Mode

Demar and Adriel recap the Grammys and breakdown why the award continues to lose relevance. Also the duo catch up on the TikTok and UMG negotiation breakdown, independent artists are up!

P.S. Hard times for Drew Walls and his content with the UMG negotiations, keep him in your prayers

TIMECODES:

0:58 - Grammys who cares
8:10 - Rod Wave should be considered a mainstream artist
9:58 - Understanding Drake and The Weeknd frustrations
11:16 - Never nominating anything off after hours
12:52 - They don't understand people that who win the awards are saying your award sucks
14:19 - Someone's auntie that smokes cigarettes
14:54 - Ludacris story and JT
15:21 - Aligning yourself with blackness as a white artist vs doing the opposite
17:45 - Billie Eyelish case study
18:48 - Tik-tok UMG
26:49 - Schoolboy Q

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This week Démar and Adriel discuss The Last Dinner Party's debut studio album 'Prelude to Ecstasy', their tug of war between sexuality and religion and their industry plant allegations.

Démar’s rating: 9 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 9 / 10

The Love List: Sinner, Burn Alive, Prelude To Ecstasy, The Feminine Urge, Nothing Matters

TIMECODES:

2:39 - Just a band
4:03 - Industry plant allegations
7:40 - Hip-Hop DIY
11:37 - Grade 10 band nostalgia
16:46 - Rock beat switch
19:40 - Sinner
23:14 - Mirror is 2012 Lana Del Rey
28:16 - Heaviest song
31:05 - This girl band thing
35:30 - This Album is mad gay
43:43 - Odd love song
52:44 - Theatrical without being cheesy
58:00 - Scores


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The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy / 2024 / rock, indie rock, glam rock

We've got beef again! Nicki Minaj is livid over a few sneak disses from Megan Thee Stallion in her single 'Hiss'... In response she dropped 'Big Foot' and it's one of the worst diss track in hip hop history. Let's discuss.

TIMECODES:

1:00 Don’t know if it’s real beef
5:50 Demar needs to cut this part (finding info)
7:05 People are selective on what lines get a rise out of people
7:42 Big Foot
12:12 Nikki made it about Nikki
14:09 Can Nikki recover from this
15:50 S he took an L
20:28 Sympathetic shit goes out the window
23:10 Meg has to drop an album next

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This week Démar and Adriel discuss Benny the Butcher's fourth studio album 'Everybody Can't Go', building a bridge between mainstream and underground production and leveling up as an artist.

Démar’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 8.5 / 10

The Love List: Jermaine's Graduation, BRON, How To Rap, One Foot In,

TIMECODES:

1:30 - Demar can’t stand Westside Gunn's voice
3:22 - 2000’s style coming back
5:31 - Why he’s a legend
7:01 - Adriel’s a Benny fan
8:00 - Best Features
12:38 - 2008 single
13:18 - Limewire type beat
18:30 - Space for real drums
21:12 - It’s still Benny
23:27 - Taylor x Benny
25:16 - Snoop Dogg breaks the song
29:10 - Lyrics
32:07 - Very aware of his Legacy
33:54 - The mp3 bar
40:44 - Comparing Benny to Nas
41:46 - We like artists who continue to grow
44:08 - Cover
50:06 - Haven’t stood outside of a building doing nothing long enough


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Benny the Butcher - Everybody Can't Go / 2024 / rap, hip hop, old-school hip hop

We've somehow come full circle in Drake's career and old heads are calling him "not hip hop" again. This time is Yasiin Bey / Mos Def who can't grasp versitility. Also, are Playboi Carti's new singles just 2015 Future knock offs? The duo breakdown and respond to the discourse.


*NOTE*: This episode was recorded before Pitchfork's layoffs were announced or there'd be a lengthy conversation. Pitchfork is one of the main inspirations for Album Mode and we love the work they do there. Our best wishes go out to those who have been let go land on their feet. .


TIMECODES:

2:30 - Back at the beginning of Drake’s career / full circle moment
4:55 - Hip-hop becoming commercial is something people would push back against
6:55 - A lot of people commenting have not listened to Mos Def
11:05 - That is the sound Drake comes from
12:24 - Drake popularized singing and rapping
13:57 - Drake is like friends
16:50 - Think he’s jealous?
18:07 - Playboi Carti
20:50 - Satanic music has existed
30:44 - Janet Jackson going on tour
35:14 - Ringtone rap era

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This week Démar and Adriel discuss 21 Savage's third solo album 'American Dream', his constant improvement and how he's finally found a way to incorporate his love for R&B in his music.

Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 6.5 / 10

The Love List: all of me, n.h.i.e., prove it, dark days

TIMECODES:

6:30 the trailer
9:20 21 being born in Uk
10:50 collaboration projects
15:08 favourite 21 song
17:00 the duality of 21s style/character (big bad wolf)
19:30 there’s more behind the murder
20:00 things get lonely too
21:15 how you know someone is a 21 savage fan
24:10 growth period / most improved in Hip-hop
26:15 Clay comparison
26:40 Vince staples
27:55 young thug never saw a flow he couldn’t do
32:20 names under him
35:00 21 savage on a uk drill beat
36:20 Jamaicans are the common denominator
37:10 not as explosive
40:00 why are we redoing 2016 trap future
43:39 like a WWE entrance
46:59 where is the drake feature
51:00a lot of different elements happening
53:00 the cover
1:00:39 you live with the fact you are not the singer


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21 Savage - American Dream / 2024 / rap, hip hop, R&B

In the era of TikTok songs and sporatic singles you know we had to give our top 10 singles of 2023 2023. Adriel and Démar list their best singles of the year and come to realize there's a difference between music listeners who are 'outside' versus 'inside' it's a weird discovery, so strap in for the last pod of the year.

P.S. If Boy's a Liar isn't in your top 10 we need to have a serious conversation...

TIMECODES:

2:50 - #10’s
5:58 - She is doing something with the sample
7:12 - #9’s
9:43 - Demar showing love to Demar
10:20 - #8’s
10:40 - What has Jermaine Dupri been up to
15:30 - #7’s
19:50 - Learning about Jungle from Tik-Tok
20:20 - #6’s
26:38 - Demar is a potential guy
27:33 - #5’s
29:41 - “You Broke My Heart” will be on the setlist
32:16 - #4’s
32:43 - Beef with J Cole
33:52 - #3’s
34:29 - It’s like the inside of a club
36:58 - Song kills the vibe, this is the only song like this
39:35 - #2’s
41:20 - OMG was Demar’s gateway drug
42:20 - Singing in Korean & English
43:02 - #1’s
48:05 - Inside vs outside
56:22 - Playboi Carti is back

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Finally the episode you've all been waiting for, the top 10 albums of 2023. Adriel and Démar list their best albums of the year and hand out some supperlatives to cap off 2023. There's some surprises in both lists so strap in for our year-ender.

TIMECODES:
2:46 - #10’s
6:50 - #9’s
7:00 - Jessie Ware is the Jimmy Butler of music
10:05 - Demar has been saying Yeat's name for years
12:03 - #8’s
19:23 - Tame Impala since currents
19:45 - #7’s
20:32 - Avril Lavine vs Taylor Swift for Olivia Rodrigo
27:18 - #6’s
27:30 - We're surprised Paramore was still this good
34:00 - Burna Boy, Grammy-nominated in the hip-hop category
34:18 - #5’s
38:19 - Do you think Doja Cat can get here?
43:47 - #4’s
46:45 - Sounds like the music women in Adriel’s spin class would like
49:12 - We're in a hip hop recession
49:50 - #3’s
55:19 - #2’s, Adriel and Demar are aligned
59:13 - #1’s
59:24 - Demar revises his score 👀
1:04:20 - Adriel is blinded by fandom
1:11:13 - Our favourite EPs
1:12:00 - Boygenius
1:13:50 - The Grammy's new favourite white woman
1:16:30 - Most Underrated album
1:18:50 - Most Surprising Album


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This week Démar and Adriel discuss the sequel to Nicki Minaj's influential debut album, Pink Friday 2 and scourge of lazy samples in modern hip hop.

Démar’s rating: 7 / 10
Adriel’s rating: 7.5 / 10

The Love List: RNB, Everybody, Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Pink Birthday, Cowgirl


TIMECODES:

3:20 - Women in hip-hop
3:52 - Nicki top 50?
5:09 - Popstar Nicki
6:50 - Monster
8:04 - Good Friday’s
12:25 - Demar likes 'Super Bass'
18:33 - Barbie Dangerous
23:30 - Sampling
26:45 - 808’s
29:45 - Waste of a feature
32:22 - Didn’t see a Gospel song coming on this project
35:29 - Could see Doja cat saying no to this
37:14 - Dudes vs women when they rap about sex
41:05 - Clever funny raps
43:19 - Imagery on ‘Pink Birthday’
49:55 - Lyrical duds
50:50 - Song shouldn’t have had a chorus
52:24 ‘- Everybody’ is the one
55:30 - A huge ‘Everybody’ Remix
1:10:30 - The Score


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Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday 2 / 2023 / rap, hip hop, reggae, dancehall, pop

The Music year is nearly over so Demar and Adriel recap their favourite stories. Taylor Swift, Diddy, DJ Envy, Tory Lanez all included and Frank Ocean catches another stray.

TIMECODES:

4:55 - Redefining what success is
9:37 - A lot of it is noise
12:15 - We have the same 3 / DJ Envy
15:50 - Breakfast Club documentary (we gotta do it now)
17:23 - DJ Envy is going to be fine
18:30 - 2000s mindset
19:58 - Frank Ocean doubles down
23:30 - They’re delusional
24:34 - Jay-Z treatment
28:50 - P. Diddy
37:14 - Hip-hop is a don’t ask don’t tell type of culture
41:45 - Tory Lanez
46:20 - Biggest bag fumble
52:40 - Between Tory & Milli Vanilli
55:35 - Silence is an option
58:45 - The idol


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