Alex shares quick thoughts on [redacted] and the FIFA World Cup (0:38) before jumping into his year-end list.

Agenda:

1. Introducing the list / Things to keep in mind (5:39)

2. Favorite songs of 2022 that didn't come out in 2022

3. 2022 Honorable Mentions & Past Song of the Year Winners (16:10)

4. Top 8 songs of 2022 (22:33)

Alex and the BOYs Dylan Jones and Schaefer Edwards break down their thoughts on God of War Ragnarök [SPOILERS] (1:14). They argue about the story, new gameplay mechanics, how it stacks up to God of War 2018, and where the franchise goes from here. They close things out talking about the games they're most excited for in 2023.

Check out part 1 for our top five games of 2022!

Alex and his fellow tarnished friends Schaefer Edwards, and Dylan Jones jockey for the Elden Throne as they recap the year that was in video games (0:38). They start by discussing the year as a whole, how it compares to previous years, and how the Steam Deck and the greater PS5 accessibility changed their gaming habits. They then count down their five favorite games of 2022.

Check out part 2 for an in-depth discussion of God of War Ragnarök!

Note: We forgot to talk about Stray and Power Wash Simulator. Their inclusion in the cover art is bait.

In a video episode, Alex celebrates the five-year anniversary of Iglooghost's "Neo Wax Bloom" by explaining 1) what the hell an Iglooghost is, 2) why Iglooghost's music means so much to him, and 3) breaking down the evolution of the music, art, and lore over time.

This is the dorkiest stuff I have ever put on the internet. Enjoy!

Mario and Alex use a finger that is not the index or pinky or the ring or the thumb to point out their favorite moments as they revisit Eminem's classic album, the Marshall Mathers LP (0:38). Alex explains the controversy surrounding Eminem and the record and how those theme are front and center on the record (3:07) before Alex and Mario discuss Eminem's fight with his own label and PC culture (12:48). They discuss their favorite moments (17:28) including a deep dive into "The Way I Am" (27:38). In an album that serves shock tactics as its main course, there's plenty to discuss with what's aged the best (36:45) and what's aged the worst (36:46). Your favorite podcast duo then recap MMLP's extraordinary commercial success (48:51), the best quotes (55:11), the album's parents and children (1:00:54) before Mario gives an unnecessary basketball comparison that makes Alex jealous (1:06:55). The pod closes out with Apex Mountain (1:13:12) and their personal ratings for the album (1:17:12).

Hope you like it! If you enjoyed this episode please consider sharing with a friend!

Alex, Mario and Tyler get big as the Eiffel Tower as they rank Kendrick's studio albums from their least favorites to their favorites before giving a final score to Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers (29:09). This list includes untitled.unmastered but does not include the Black Panther album. Timestamps for the rankings are below:

(1:17) - Album #7

(5:01) - Album #6

(7:48) - Album #5

(12:51) - Album #4

(13:16) - Album #3 (Controversial)

(21:45) - Album #2 and #1

(29:09) - Mr. Morale Ratings

Let us know your thoughts!

Mario, Alex, and special guest Ty Iams get of their hot takes like hyuh as they react to Kendrick Lamar's long-awaited double album - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers (1:38). They start breaking down is your biggest takeaways (6:29) and cite their favorite moments on the record (10:46) before delving into some of the music theory behind N95 and the Kanyeisms that pop up in Kendrick's lyrics (25:16). The crew delve into some of their criticisms of the record and discuss the "Mirror" album theory (33:10) before Mario lampoons the Pitchfork review of the record (43:16). The trio debates their favorite features (45:17) and discuss the album "parents" or predecessor parallels they see (56:54). Alex then meets pushback when he compares Kendrick to Will Ferrell in the Unnecessary Basketball Comparison segment (59:18). Finally they share their favorite songs and any skips they may have for the record (1:06:09). Check out Part 2 for our final scores and a Kendrick Lamar worst-to-best ranking!

After watching too much college basketball and listening to too many NBA Draft podcasts, Alex is ready to plant his flag on the NBA draft prospects he believes are going to make it big in the league.

Alex starts off explaining why the NBA draft has become his favorite sporting event of the year (0:38) before sharing his biggest hits and misses in drafts past. Alex then walks through his top 5 prospects of the draft, before sharing his thoughts on the five Duke prospects he watched all year. Finally, Alex shares his hopes and dreams for the San Antonio Spurs, who have three first round picks this year. 

Mario and Alex finally uncover the secret Kendrick Lamar companion album as they celebrate the 5-year anniversary of Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. They relive one of the most hyped releases of their lifetimes (0:38), buoyed by the Reddit conspiracy that there was a second Kendrick album titled ".NATION" set to release on the following Easter Sunday (13:30). They examine their current thoughts on the music (21:52) and what's aged the worst (30:55) before exploring their favorite moments of the record (42:42). After a heated discussion about the U2 feature on "XXX." (47:59) and discussing their favorite quotes (58:26), they list out DAMN.'s spiritual parents and children (1:02:00). They close out with "Unnecessary Basketball Comparison" (1:06:13) and Apex Mountain (1:15:11) before examining DAMN.'s classic status and giving their own personal ratings (1:19:59). 

Recorded 4/14/22, before learning of Kendrick's upcoming record, this episode sets the stage for where things stand going into Kendrick's new album coming 5/13/22.

In a special video episode (viewable on Spotify) - Alex and Mario predict every matchup of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Alex did too much research and Mario didn't do any research - so Mario's probably going to have a better bracket - and it makes for some lively discussion about bracket-picking philosophy as they run through the matchups.

Moments include: