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PODCAST

Album Mode

Demar Grant & Adriel Smiley

Welcome to Album Mode where journalist, Demar Grant and The Cool Table host, Adriel Smiley breakdown and review the latest albums. Each episode features a new album where both hosts dive in-depth about the project and the artist’s path to its release.

music music commentary

All Episodes

69:36

CLXXVIII. Billie Eilish | HIT ME HARD AND SOFT

Album Mode ·

2024/05/22

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Billie Eilish's third studio album 'HIT ME HARD AND SOFT', Eilish's versatility accidentally causing her to make blander music and her ever-stellar songwriting. Démar’s rating: 6 / 10Adriel’s rating: 6 / 10The Love List: LUNCH, L'AMOUR DE MA VIE, THE DINER, BITTERSUITE, BLUE2:07 First time hearing Billie5:08 Happier than ever left Demar underwhelmed7:05 What she said about the project and the title7:53 Liking her popular songs10:06 Skinny as the introduction13:40

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29:39

DJ Akademiks is Getting Sued for Rape and Defamation,...

Album Mode ·

2024/05/15

DJ Akademiks's fat is back in the fire after a string of hip hop sexual misconduct allegations that have been plaguing 2024. Ak is facing a new lawsuit accusing him of rape, sexual assault, and defamation by Fauziya “Ziya” Abashe for an alleged incident in 2022. The duo breakdown what it means for Ak and hip hop as sexual misconduct allegations continue to pile up against men in the industry. Then we talk about what we've been spinning lately and possible song of the summer candidates.TIMECODES:3:18

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60:41

CLXXVII. Gunna | One of Wun

Album Mode ·

2024/05/15

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Gunna's fifth studio album 'One of Wun', its surprisingly impressive production and Gunna never killing the vibe.Démar’s rating: 3 / 10Adriel’s rating: 5.5 / 10The Love List: hakuna matata, back in the a, whatsapp, one of wunTIMECODES:5:41 - Demar’s favourite Gunna song8:30 - Very little hype around this album9:45 - Is there another hit we can find10:45 - Gunna is somehow getting better12:00 - Title track - I understand why you like listening to it12:50 -

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63:14

Kendrick Lamar Obliterates Drake with Not Like Us

Album Mode ·

2024/05/09

Kendrick Lamar has obliterated Drake in the beef with the hit diss song 'Not Like Us' with 'meet the grahams' to set it up. Drake had a chance in this beef but it look like that time is over and he's left to salvage what's left of his reputation. Adriel and Demar analyze how Kendrick dismantled Drake in the beef, whether the pyrrhic victory is worth it and if Drake is still too big to fail.TIMECODES:4:20 - Demar is always right7:05 - Mistake with family matters (20v1)9:10 - The Nuke didn't nuke9:40

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47:51

CLXXVI. 4batz | U Made Me a St4r

Album Mode ·

2024/05/09

This week Démar and Adriel discuss 4Batz's first mixtape 'U Made Me a St4r', Aaliyah's sound inspiring another R&B revival and whether 4Batz is just Brent Faiyaz with a mask on.Démar’s rating: 7 / 10Adriel’s rating: 8 / 10The Love List: act i: stickerz "99", act ii: date @ 8, act vi: made man, act v: there goes another vase, get out yo feelings hoTIMECODES:5:44 Do we need to see 4batz face?10:25 OVO deal13:12 2000’s R&B is making a comeback14:57 Sounds more like real instruments15:40

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49:40

Kendrick Lamar Fires Back at Drake with 'Euphoria'...

Album Mode ·

2024/05/01

Kendrick Lamar has finally dropped his reply diss track to Drake, 'Euphoria' and it's everything we thought it'd be and more. Join us as we bask in the heat of Kenrick Lamar cooking Drake for 6 straight minutes.TIMECODES:0:15 - Intro1:30 - Euphoria is officially out / The oven mitts are out3:10 - Kendrick Lamar is up right now3:50 - People catching strays4:23 - Kendrick Lamar's approach5:33 - Demar is everyone's opp6:42 - Diving into the diss track / Kendrick Lamar's musical density8:41 - Is replay

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51:12

CLXXV. PARTYNEXTDOOR | PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4)

Album Mode ·

2024/05/01

This week Démar and Adriel discuss PARTYNEXTDOOR's fourth studio album 'PARTYNEXTDOOR 4', circling back on his sound and whether he's the forefather of toxic R&B.Démar’s rating: 4 / 10Adriel’s rating: 8 / 10The Love List: Cheers, Stuck In My Ways, Make It To The MorningTIMECODES:3:07 - Favorite from the PND series 6:54 - Cheers single8:57 - Album for the hardcore fans9:17 - Control intro12:03 - Image that is a part of their music14:18 - Same beat as Lose My Mind17:33 - The production can be soft

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39:38

Is Drake's AI 'Taylor Made Freestyle' Wack? And the...

Album Mode ·

2024/04/25

Drake's AI diss track 'Taylor Made Freestyle' is out but is it in good taste? We're talking about beef but are there some technological lines that you just don't cross? Also, Chris Brown and Quavo are beefing and its gone to blows over diss tracks. We're here breaking it down and laughing at the absurdity.TIMECODES:1:56 - Drake AI3:30 - Taunting Kendrick Lamar3:50 - One of the largest artists in the music using AI4:08 - Using Tupac’s voice6:28 - Demar thinks it’s wack7:44 - Even Kendrick fans say he

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72:18

CLXXIV. Taylor Swift | The Tortured Poets Department

Album Mode ·

2024/04/25

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Taylor Swift's 11th studio album 'The Tortured Poets Department', the boring production, Taylor's hyper-literal lyrics and her minimal singing range.Démar’s rating: 3 / 10Adriel’s rating: 3 / 10The Love List: Florida!!!, I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can), thanK you aIMee, I Look in People's WindowsTIMECODES:2:10 - Drake should write for Taylor 3:28 - Previous scores6:27 - Competent group7:44 - No single8:16 - Shrinking the world9:46 - Slow album12:09 - So boring

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40:21

Drake Responds to Kendrick Lamar Emphatically with...

Album Mode ·

2024/04/19

Drake has responded to Kendrick Lamar in emphatic fashion with his unofficial track 'Push Ups (Drop & Give Me 50)'. We breakdown the lyrics and really discuss if this beef is winnable for anyone involved.TIMECODES:0:17 - Intro3:54 - Thinking Drake's diss is AI 5:56 - What's Beef sample?7:46 - Kendrick is at a disadvantage 8:47 - Contract discussions 9:46 - Distract lyric breakdown12:36 - When is the Kendrick track dropping?15:20 - Drake's writing speed18:19 - Did Kendrick expect Drake to

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51:46

CLXXIII. Future & Metro Boomin | WE STILL DON'T...

Album Mode ·

2024/04/18

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative album 'We Still Don't Trust You', Future's strained vocals and Future being one of the rappers with minimal skill at rapping.Démar’s rating: 4 / 10Adriel’s rating: 7 / 10The Love List: We Still Don't Trust, Nights Like This, Nobody Knows My Struggle, Crossed Out, Red LeatherTIMECODES:1:54 - First album was the single for the 2nd album2:52 - Future establishing himself as an album artist 6:54 - This is what we have been

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66:46

CLXXII. J. Cole | Might Delete Later

Album Mode ·

2024/04/12

This week Démar and Adriel discuss J. Cole's surprise mixtape 'Might Delete Later', his Kendrick Lamar diss, his apology to Kendrick Lamar and how he's destroyed the bravado in his music.Démar’s rating: 6 / 10Adriel’s rating: 9 / 10The Love List: H.Y.B., Stealth Mode, Stickz N Stonez, PriceyTIMECODES: 2:25 Surprise drop3:54 Demar was in bed5:40 Pre-apology J. Cole10:07 The music sounds different and hollow11:40 People not living their rhymes12:25 Connecting his first song with his last song14:58

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35:23

Who Should Replace J. Cole in the Big 3?

Album Mode ·

2024/04/11

Since we've determined that J. Cole is no longer in the big three because of his apology Démar and Adriel take stock of artists that can replace him in the rap hierarchy. Also the duo do a little bit of recap on Bryson Tiller's latest album 'Bryson Tiller' and Doja Cat's deluxe ‘Scarlet 2: Claude’TIMECODES:1:12 Bryson Tiller ‘The Man Who Made Trapsoul’8:20 Doja Cat15:05 Deciding the future of Hip-Hop16:19 Yeat18:00 Playboi Carti21:27 Tyler The Creator24:37 Doja Cat26:33 Travis Scott27:50 Future30:09

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26:16

Best Albums of 2024 So Far and Lizzo Isn't Quitting...

Album Mode ·

2024/04/04

We're a quarter through the calendar, so it's time for Démar and Adriel to go over their favourite albums so far this year. Also Lizzo quit music and then unquit music. Grand opening, grand closing.TIMECODES:00:39 Lizzo’s ‘Retirement’04:48 Yeat | 209305:54 The Last Dinner Party | Prelude to Ecstasy07:45 Flo Milli | Fine Ho, Stay09:27 Future & Metro Boomin | WE DON’T TRUST YOU11:00 Tyla | Tyla15:19 Illit | Super Real Me16:36 SiR | Heavy117:24 Schoolboy Q | Blue Lips19:20 Ghetts | On Purpose, With

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62:42

CLXXI. Cowboy Carter | Beyoncé

Album Mode ·

2024/04/04

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Beyoncé's eighth studio album 'Cowboy Carter', pandering to white people and her approaching Michael Jackson status.Démar’s rating: 8.5 / 10Adriel’s rating: 7.5 / 10The Love List: BODYGUARD, YA YA, RIIVERDANCE, II MOST WANTED, LEVII'S JEANSTIMECODES: 4:32 - A teenager in 2024 listening to Beyonce for the first time5:29 - Features we haven’t heard before5:59 - Miley feature7:35 - Bodyguard 11:00 River dance as a single12:40 - Is 27 songs too many?14:54 - Hootenanny

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50:14

Taking Sides in the Drake-Kendrick Lamar Beef and...

Album Mode ·

2024/03/29

Sean 'Diddy' Combs just got his houses in LA and Miami raided by Homeland Security, does that mean he's done for? Also Demar and Adriel take sides in the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, ranking the so-called 'Big 3'.TIMECODES:00:50 Diddy’s House gets Raided 6:50 Diddy is going down 12:12 Kendrick Lamar shoots at Drake 18:18 Remembering 2013 Hip-Hop Twitter 24:20 Kendrick Lamar is more critically acclaimed 32:44 GKMC is integral to Hip-Hop 37:47 Is Drake more Wilt or LeBron? 41:00 Drake’s omniscient

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56:39

CLXX. Future & Metro Boomin | WE DON'T TRUST YOU

Album Mode ·

2024/03/28

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative album 'We Don't Trust You', Metro Boomin being a top 10 producer in hip hop history and Kendrick Lamar's instant classic diss verse on 'Like That'.Démar’s rating: 8.5 / 10Adriel’s rating: 7 / 10The Love List: Like That, Type Shit, Claustrophobic, WTFYM, CinderellaTIMECODES:3:42 Past reviews/collaborations 9:10 2 Intros?12:07 Future is versatile 14:21 Future’s music can get repetitive15:34 Everyday hustle – hear all the

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29:10

The U.S. Government Wants to Ban TikTok and Vybz...

Album Mode ·

2024/03/21

The US government wants to ban TikTok or at least have an American company own, what does that mean for music creation and discover? Demar and Adriel break it down. Vybz Kartel, the Jamaican Drake, just won his murder conviction appeal but that doesn't necessarily mean he's getting out. The duo talk about what it means if he does.P.S. Chinese national security laws require that all Chinese companies acquiesce to Beijing’s demands for intelligence. The Chinese government also has a stake and a board

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45:20

CLXIX. Justin Timberlake | Everything I Thought It Was

Album Mode ·

2024/03/20

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Justin Timberlake's sixth studio album, whether we should care about his music anymore and if the rest of music has lapped him creatively.Démar’s rating: 4 / 10Adriel’s rating: 5.5 / 10The Love List: Technicolor, Sanctified, FlameTIMECODES:4:50 - Similar to the 3-point shot8:00 - Démar loves all women 9:35 - The direction of the slower singles10:00 - JT fell to the wayside for Démar14:50 - Fucking up the disco missing juice15:25 - Upbeat tracks don’t hit anymore,

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42:25

CLXVIII. Flo Milli | Fine Ho, Stay

Album Mode ·

2024/03/20

This week Démar and Adriel discuss Flo Millis second studio album, her playful yet gritty songs and the art of the remix.Démar’s rating: 8 / 10Adriel’s rating: 7 / 10The Love List: Never Lose Me (every version), Edible, Can't Stay Mad, Life Hack, UnderstandTIMECODES:2:43 - Flo Mili fans around Adriel’s orbit6:23 - Bryson Tiller has the best verse on Never Lose Me6:55 - 3rd version of the song, and it’s the best version of the song7:10 - Not Losing the soul of the song9:04 - Demar says the Gunna

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