The ReClásico Podcast: Recent Episodes

Alex Young

Each episode, Alex Young and Mario Destephen revisit a popular album from years past and answer some important and silly questions. What's aged the best? What's aged the worst? Who should've been featured on the album? What was the album's "child" or spiritual predecessor? What's an unnecessary basketball comparison? And most importantly, is this album a classic, cult classic, or something else entirely? Whether you're a hardcore fan or hearing about the album for the first time, The ReClásico Podcast serves to explore an album's past and how it impacted its genre in the coming years.

It's that time of year again! Alex runs through the ten rules he follows when filling out a bracket (0:00) before picking every matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament (23:13).

Alex, Mario and Garrett run through their Big Boards as they take turns drafting their favorite J. Cole songs. Alex explains why J. Cole was his very first unnecessary basketball comparison before the three draft one song from each J. Cole album. The crew closes out by rating their favorite J. Cole project.

Alex give an in-depth breakdown of one of his favorite albums ever - The Postal Service's "Give Up." He starts explaining what the album has meant to him over the years and how he inspired Anthony Fantano to review the record (1:48) before walking through and analyzing each individual track (14:29).

Alex along with special guests Schaefer Edwards and Dylan Jones cry tears of kingdomly joy as they discuss their favorite video games of 2023. They start by talking about their respective years in gaming (1:00) before counting down their top 5 games of 2023 (16:00). Finally, they list off the games they're most excited about coming in 2024 (1:18:39).

We did it! In the final music episode of 2023, Alex recaps his year in music, including his thoughts on classic albums that he listened to for the first time this year (0:00) before getting into his top 4 albums of 2023 (26:30). Alex closes it out with some of his most anticipated albums of 2024 at the end.

It's that time of the year again! Alex introduces a special gimmick for this episode (0:00) before discussing the year's themes and handing out miscellaneous awards (3:33) as a prelude to counting down his top ten songs of 2023 (16:17).

In this special edition of Fansville, Alex recaps how Florida State got screwed out of the College Football Playoff, explains the eternal difficulty of picking the "best four teams," and brainstorms some of the solutions to fix the college football playoff (0:00).

Then, Alex wades into the Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama rookie of the year debate (22:38) before discussing the State of the Spurs™ after watching most of the team's 3-16 start (38:26).

Alex discusses a conundrum as old as music itself as he walks through various examples of popular artists who have committed crimes or engaged in offensive rhetoric. He examines the relationship between the listener, the music, and the artist and weighs in on the difficulty in figuring out and justifying what music is okay or not okay to listen to. Examples include Kanye West, R. Kelly, and discussion of Noname's new album, Sundial. Check it out - if you're real.

Welcome to the NBA Draft - my favorite sports day of the year! In this episode, I'll be sharing my thoughts and reactions to the San Antonio Spurs winning the #1 overall pick and the excitement of generational prospect 7'4" French Center Victor Wembanyama coming to the NBA (0:00). I then revisit my predictions from the 2022 NBA Draft episode and the hits and the misses (9:28) before listing my top 10 prospects for 2023 including a surprise pick at #2 (28:12).

Apologies for the slight crackling.. tried to fix it in post, but my computer may just be getting old when recording.

Did your bracket bust? Did you have Arizona winning it all? (Whoops) Did you pick Purdue to make your Final 4? (LOL) Did you have Kansas cutting down the nets? (😬) - well you aren't alone. In this pod, Alex reads the notes he scribbled on his busted bracket to recap the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament - breaking down big losses by Purdue and Duke. He then reviews the performance of his inaugural bracket manifesto from the previous episode, adds a few lessons learned to keep in mind for next year, and then previews the Sweet Sixteen of the 2023 NCAA tournament (0:38).

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Alex makes all of his selections on Sunday to preview the 2023 NCAA Tournament! After a quick intro and running through brief, 3-month-late list of his albums of the year he never posted (0:38), he goes through lessons learned from his 2022 bracket (4:19). Alex then unveils his inaugural 2023 Bracket Manifesto - A.K.A. the seven guiding principles he uses to pick a bracket (7:00). Finally, Alex reveals his bracket picks for the 2023 NCAA tournament (35:08).

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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

Agenda:

Introducing the list / Things to keep in mind (5:39)
Favorite songs of 2022 that didn't come out in 2022
2022 Honorable Mentions & Past Song of the Year Winners (16:10)
Top 8 songs of 2022 (22:33)

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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!

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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.

--- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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.

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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.

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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:

Alex trying to spin-zone Mario into thinking that Duke is an underdog.
Mario talking Alex into Longwood University's cinderella chances.
Upset specials, Final 4 Picks, and an overall good time.

Alex scavenges together 22 random questions from his family, the internet and his mind and answers them one by one (0:38) before going into depth on his favorite rap lyric of the past five years (32:24).

Questions Answered:

Favorite book?
Favorite movie?
What did you think of the Super Bowl halftime show?
How would you design the perfect SuperBowl halftime show?
What is your pop culture guilty pleasure?
What song do you have stuck in your head?
Who are your podcast influences?
Most prized possession?
Is Duke winning it all this year?
Favorite fun fact?
Something people misunderstand about me?
Go to order at Whataburger?
Whataburger or Cookout or In N Out?
What is your fast food horror story? (Got a lot of fast food questions lol)
Biggest dating fail?
What would your dream bathroom look like?
If you were to create your own album, what would it be called?
Which celebrity would you like to be friends with?
Best money ever spent?
Non-gambling advice you’d give your younger self?
Gambling advice you’d give your younger self?
What is your favorite rap lyric ever?

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Alex and Mario go on a trip like Grayson Allen when they revisit Rapsody’s Laila’s Wisdom - the most slept on rap album of 2017 (0:38). They discuss their personal experiences with the album and debate where it stacks up in one of the most loaded rap years of the 2010s (8:48). They discuss what’s aged the best and worst as well as the best moments on the record (17:06) and pick their favorite features in one of the most loaded feature lists of recent memory (24:48). Alex and Mario pick their favorite quotables (where they have plenty to choose from) (30:35) before assessing the albums influences and its connection to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly (35:48). They share their unnecessary basketball comparisons (41:26) and Apex Mountains (48:00) before asking if producer 9th Wonder actually sampled an electric toothbrush (51:08). Finally, the two determine the album’s classic status and engage in unnecessary J Cole slander (52:38).

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Alex, Mario and special guest Tyler Taldone get the new year Chica-going with the seminal, 2005 Chicago rap album, Be. The group discusses Kanye West and Common joining forces at the peak of their powers as well as Be's legacy of being easy to listen to and how it inspired them to get into the hip-hop genre (0:38). They share their favorite moments (14:26), and get into an unexpectedly heated conversation when discussing what's aged the worst (22:40). As the pod goes on, they discuss their favorite features (37:39), Be's album parents and children (46:32), and their unnecessary basketball comparisons (51:34). The group shares some interesting Apex Mountains and their favorite songs (57:12) before giving their classic/cult classic designations and their own personal ratings (1:03:59). Spoiler, it's a classic.

Thanks again for checking it out! Consider leaving a 5-star review if you'd like!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Alex first reflects on his experience making a podcast and what he's learned from it, setting podcast goals for 2022 in the process (3:28). Alex then explores how work and the pandemic have affected our listening patterns, his methodology for his list, and his one dishonorable mention (15:41). Then, he recaps his past albums of the year (25:32) before getting into his 2021 list (28:25). Timestamps for his top 6 albums are as follows:

6 (30:08) #5 (34:23) #4 (37:40) #3 (43:35) #2 (48:26) #1 (53:33)

Finally, Alex shares his Spotify Wrapped results and his final thoughts for the year (1:03:53).

Thanks everyone for making it a great year! 🎉

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Alex gives out some awards for his favorite songs of 2021. He starts out with some general thoughts and laying out his ground rules and criteria (0:00) before sharing his winners for best Christmas song (7:33), best rap instrumental (10:10), best featured artist (14:29), past songs of the year (16:39) and his 2021 honorable mentions. Alex then goes through his 8 favorite songs of 2021, gauntlet-style.

8 (21:54), #7 (24:42), #6 (25:50), #5 (30:00), #4 (34:28), #3 (36:52), #2 (41:50), #1 (45:04)

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Mario and Alex get matching Playboi Carti tattoos as they vamp out to Playboi Carti's 2020 album, 🧛 Whole Lotta Red 🔴 Mario Explains “The Playboi Carti” experience and why Whole Lotta Red is the most experimental trap album out today. (0:38). Mario then explains the story behind his WLR tattoo (7:27) before explaining the leaks and the many different iterations of the album that are floating around the internet. Alex and Mario then share their personal experiences with the album (17:59). The crew then share their favorite moments of the album (24:42), before explaining what's aged the worst (35:26). The duo then breaks down their favorite features(42:05), quotes (44:50) before exploring the album parents (50:24). They then make unnecessary basketball comparisons (57:31), before going through the rest of the categories (1:00:31). Finally, they have discussion of Whole Lotta Red's classic before sharing their differing personal ratings (1:05:36) #slatt

Also, if you want to submit a clip for our album and or songs of the year podcasts, let me know!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In a heavy, awkward, and unedited episode, Alex gives his unsolicited thoughts on how we process celebrity death as well as the Astroworldfest Tragedy.

AKA "The Tree" episode. Mario, Alex and Frank Ocean super fan Avi Sukhramani just want some Nikes and also want to share their hot takes on Frank Ocean's Blonde, one of the most popular R&B albums of the 2010s (2:35). After Avi breaks down all of the drama and lore surrounding the album's release, the boys don't cry as they share their experiences listening to the album today (18:27). This turns into an intense discussion on whether or not the French guy on "Facebook Story" should be obligated to add his significant other on social media (23:42) before the crew revisits the best moments on Blonde (26:56). After the trio determines what's aged the worst (32:46), what's aged the best (36:54), they give their spiritual "parents" and "children" of Blonde (53:34). This gives way to our best ever but also worst ever and NSFW Unnecessary Basketball/Tree Comparison (1:00:34), before a discussion of whether Frank Ocean's Endless is actually better than the much celebrated Blonde (1:08:16). Finally, they discuss Blonde's classic status, Apex Mountains, and personal ratings for the album (1:19:43).

Also, if you want to submit a clip for our album and or songs of the year podcasts, let me know!

This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

New format! Alex discusses his childhood love of Coldplay, growing up as a naive music fan, and how his favorite band sold out and betrayed him (0:00) before going through an "Album Tour" of the highs and lows of of Coldplay's breakout debut - Parachutes (14:30). Then, Mario rejoins the podcast to discuss Netflix's viral first season of "Squid Game," their interpretations of the metaphors, and how far they would make it in the games (SPOILERS) (26:47). Finally, Alex gives his thoughts on the upcoming NBA season and the state of his favorite team, the San Antonio Spurs (52:33).

Mario and Alex love their Motorolas and also love revisiting Lil Yachty’s 2016 breakout project - Lil Boat. Mario recaps the mixtape’s influence and how it signaled what would become known as “The Soundcloud era” of rap and hip-hop’s shift from geographical regions to internet platforms (0:00). Alex recaps Lil Yachty’s Incredible 7 month rise to fame (7:45) before the two break down the mixtape’s split-personality concept (14:40). The duo then analyze their favorite moments on the record (21:00), what’s aged the best/worst (25:20), their favorite features and the album parents and children (30:50) before making several unnecessary basketball comparisons (40:33). Mario and Alex explain the varying apexes achieved on the album as well as their favorite songs (46:20) before determining Lil Boat’s classic status and giving their own personal ratings.

Mario, Alex, and special guest Sarah Rosenthal study for their driver’s license test while breaking down Olivia Rodrigo’s teenage heartbreak pop album, Sour. As they seek justice for Olivia’s broken heart, they explore their favorite moments (10:09) and explore Olivia’s surprisingly deep emotional portrait. The crew broadly explains the things they like (17:58) and don’t like (26:22) and delve into the Disney love triangle that started it all. They then run through the best feature (32:45) and best quote (34:58) categories before Sarah explains the history of the Disney-to-Pop pipeline (39:12). Mario then compares Sour to other breakup albums before Alex gives his most necessary unnecessary basketball comparison to date (52:57) - it ended his career.

Other categories:

(54:55) - Would this work as an NPR tiny desk concert?

(58:41) - Apex Mountain

(1:04:06) - Album Skips/Favorite Songs

(1:08:35) - Classic/Cult Classic/Too Early To Tell + Personal Rating out of 10

Mario and Alex have the juice and some hot takes as they revisit Chance The Rapper's breakthrough 2013 mixtape, Acid Rap. After giving some context to the record (0:00), Mario breaks down Chance's backstory (4:20) andChance's battle with Chief Keef for the sound of Chicago rap. Alex tries not to hurt Mario's feelings. Later, the crew declares their favorite moments (12:57), discuss Acid Rap's musical-like structure (17:42), Chance's polarizing nasally delivery (19:28), along with their favorite moments (23:29). The duo explores Acid Rap's legacy as the last great "DatPiff" mixtape (28:21), what's aged the worst (36:15), the best features (42:22), the best quotes (47:31), the album parents and children (51:42), make unnecessary basketball comparisons (56:09), ask "would this work as a tiny desk concert?" (1:01:26), Apex Mountain (1:02:28), and try to determine if Acid Rap is a classic (1:09:42) and giving their own personal ratings..

My apologies for the obscure and dated Demar DeRozan, 3 year $85 million basketball contract joke reference at the beginning, that's my bad.

Alex, Mario, and special guest Sarah Rosenthal hope their hot takes are warm enough for you as they revisit SZA's critically acclaimed 2017 R&B breakout album Ctrl. The crew discusses SZA's coming of age both as an artist and throughout Ctrl's narrative and how the album is a real "grower" that blossoms after multiple listens (0:55). They then jump into their favorite moments (14:30), how Ctrl has aged well and feels shockingly relevant during the pandemic (19:10), best feature (28:40), best quote (32:25) and album genealogy (37:25) and debut the first ever Rice University "unnecessary basketball comparison" (46:50) before Sarah wins the Apex Mountain category (51:40). Finally, the crew evaluates whether Ctrl is a classic before giving their own personal ratings (1:01:20).

Some minor audio issues on my end early in the pod, so my apologies - but this is for sure one of our best episodes so check it out!

Nine lightyears away, Mario and Alex formally start the podcast off with a bang revisiting the genre-defining hip-hop trap balladry of Travis Scott's Rodeo. They share why this album has a special place in their Houston-based hearts (1:16) and discuss Travis Scott's incredible rise from supposed industry plant to supplanting the industry (16:30). They then explore their favorite moments (24:20) what's aged the best (29:45), their favorite features (38:14) what the album's spiritual "parent" and "child" are (42:55), before jumping into their favorite category - "Unnecessary Basketball Comparison" (47:20). Finally, they give their own personal ratings and discuss whether or not Rodeo is a "Classic" (57:57).

Alex and Mario put their podcast on the grid to discuss the latest Kanye West gospel-inspired album and the drama surrounding it. After giving some broad context, the duo discusses their main takeaways of the record (9:00), Kanye's decision to bleep out all swear words (14:48), and list the things that they like about the album (17:50). They then jump into the their criticisms (25:03) and roast the painful, never-ending album rollout (30:42) before crowning their favorite of the dozens of features on the album (42:08). The podcast switches gears as the hosts debate what the best Kanye album is and Donda's place in the Kanye catalog (48:40). During this discussion Mario explains his soft spot for the hedonistic album Yeezus and how it relates to its wholesome counterpart Donda (52:44). Finally, the guys list their favorite songs and give it a personal rating out of 10 (1:02:17).

Alex and Mario explain the gist of The ReClásico Podcast and their mission to re-contextualize some of the biggest albums of years past (0:00). They go on to explain the various questions - silly and serious - that they will answer about each past album (1:57) before answering some frequently asked questions (6:55).