Episodes
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Ep. 052 - Favorite Albums of 2021
We are back! Arash and Spex explain why they took a lengthy break and share their favorite albums from an overall underwhelming year in hip-hop. Follow, subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify (Spotify has ratings now!). Follow us on Instagram and Twitter! IG:...
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Ep. 051 - DONDA Deep Dive (Ft. Bobby Sullivan)
Today, the boys bring on a very special recurring guest, Kanye-stan Bobby Sullivan. Arash, Spex and Bobby go into all things Donda, such as themes for the album, production, features, Drake jabs and plenty more. Please listen and share with a fellow Kanye fan! Songs of the Week playlist:...
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Ep. 050 - CERTIFIED LOVER BOY FIRST THOUGHTS
It's finally here. Both our 50th episode and our long awaited 6th studio album from Drake "Certified Lover Boy". Before the boys go dig into every detail, Arash shares his stories from Chance the Rapper at Summerfest. What did you think of the album? Songs of the Week playlist:...
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Ep. 049 - THE DONDA EXPERIENCE
One of our most anticipated episodes to date. Spex and Arash first briefly mention a couple notable records, including a long awaited verse from Kendrick Lamar. Then, the boys took a field trip to Soldier Field and witnessed the DONDA Experience. They lay out the whole timeline from purchasing…
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Ep. 048 - Will we ever get DONDA?
Arash and Spex are back this week and way too excited for an album that may never see the light of day: Kanye West - DONDA. They begin talking about the Jack Harlow concert they attended together, followed by some Songs of the Week they've been enjoying from artists such as Tyga, Jack Harlow,...
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Ep. 047 - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
It's been over a month. Arash and Spex have been very busy enjoying a beautiful Chicago summer. And with summer comes plenty of music. They dive into their notable tracks from the last 5 weeks including songs from Big Sean, Jack Harlow, IDK, Lil Uzi Vert, Pop Smoke and more. The big news is the...
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Ep. 046 - Voice of the Heroes, Culture III, & Hall of Fame
After a bit of a hiatus, Arash & Spex are back! They share stories from their respective trips out of town, then go right into music. Tons of Songs of the Week from the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, 42 Dugg, Birdman, Roddy Ricch and more. They wrap up this week's episode by breaking down 3…
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Ep. 045 - The Off-Season Review
After another weekend of traveling and partying in different cities, Arash and Spex regroup, share stories, and breakdown some new music. Arash is about to move to a new apartment, while Spex has some big news as well. The Queen is back and she brought her two friends (Tunechi & Drizzy). They...
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Ep. 044 - Best Breakout Singles
Welcome back. Happy J. Cole Drop Week! Arash & Spex are fired up for this album, and they talk about the interlude and documentary he released as teasers. We finally got this long- awaited TDE release from Isaiah Rashad as well. They cap off this episode talking about breakthrough songs from…
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Ep. 043 - TDE Announcement & Just Until...
It's a great day to be from Chicago. The Bears have a QB! Arash & Spex are both still buzzing off a big weekend, and they have plenty of music to discuss. Songs of the Week from DJ Khaled, Lil Baby, Baby Keem, Travis Scott and many more. They conclude the pod with their TDE predictions, and some...
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Ep. 042 - Two Distant Strangers, Slime Language II, & La Maquina
Big News: Arash is the proud owner of a new condo! The boys are back his week and Spex has just returned from a fun trip to Austin. Lots of new music to discuss! They begin with the new Young Thug and Gunna album: Slim Language II. Then, they change directions and discuss the new project from...
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Ep. 041 - I TAPE & JUSTICE
After some time off, Spex is engaged! The boys are fresh off a hell of a weekend. Arash unfortunately drove to Indianapolis to see his Illini lose. The two main projects they discuss today are Vic Mensa's newest "I TAPE" and Justin Bieber's long awaited album "JUSTICE." Other Songs of the Week...
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Ep. 040 - SCARY HOURS 2 & BIGGIE: I GOT A STORY TO TELL
Arash is back from vacation. He reminisces on his trips to Austin and Seattle, while Spex is finally DJing again! Plenty of new music in the last two weeks, starting with Drake's Scary Hours 2. Others include Chance the Rapper, Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars and more. The main topic of today's episode...
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Ep. 039 - Perfect The Weeknd Album
Arash & Spex are fresh off Valentine's Day and they each share some unfortunate stories. Both of them are fed up with the weather and the only thing keeping their spirits high is music. Songs of the Week include joints from Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z, Lil Tjay & 6LACK, Young Thug, Meek Mill and more....
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Ep. 038 - The Super Bowl Halftime Debate
On Super Bowl Monday, the boys regroup after two weeks without recording. Arash lost bets, the Bears might get Carson Wentz, and Lil Uzi Vert has a diamond in his forehead. Songs of the Week include tracks from Brent Faiyaz, G-Eazy, Vic Mensa, Chance, and many more. Arash even shares his story...
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Ep. 037 - 4:44
The boys are back. Arash & Spex enjoyed a week off that included too much alcohol and lost bets. Some news included Lil Wayne's pardon from Trump and Drake delaying CLB. While there has not been much notable hip-hop music yet in 2021, they discuss Songs of the Week from 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Erick...
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Ep. 036 - Favorite Producers (Part 2)
Welcome back! Arash & Spex are beyond excited to bring you possibly their favorite episode yet. Arash presents his top 3 producers: No I.D., Noah "40" Shebib, and the Alchemist. Spex's gives his top 3 as well: Kanye West, Dr. Dre, the Neptunes. Let us know what you think! Songs of the Week...
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Ep. 035 - Favorite Producers (Part 1)
Happy New Year! The boys are excited to be back and start off 2021 hot with a fun topic. The Bears are in the playoffs. But, some sad news came about with MF DOOM and Dr. Dre. Arash and Spex discuss albums from Playboi Carti & Lil Durk. They give a couple songs of the week and go right into the...
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Ep. 034 - New Years Resolutions
Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you all for taking time to listen to us this year. Whether you listened to one episode or all of them, we appreciate you. Arash & Spex are coming off celebrating a Bears W and planning for the holidays. Eminem dropped the Deluxe to Music to be Murdered By and Wayne...
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Ep. 033 - MAN ON THE MOON 3 & THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY
Arash & Spex are ecstatic to talk about two surprising major releases very late in the year. Kid Cudi dropped his third installment to Man on the Moon and Jack Harlow released his debut album "That's What They All Say." Arash and Spex had a listening party for MOTM3 and Spex shares some stories...
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Ep. 032 - 2021 Preview & Spex's Drake Mix
Fun episode today. Arash shares some stories from his weekend in Mexico while Spex spent the weekend in freezing Chicago. Spex shares some big news, as he put the finishing touches on a mix very near and dear to his heart, the Drake Fan Club Mix. They preview some new music coming out from Jack...
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Ep. 031 - GOOD NEWS, WHILE THE WORLD WAS BURNING & 2020 Awards
After taking a week off, the boys have plenty to talk about this week. They start with some Thanksgiving banter, followed by a recap of the Jeezy & Gucci Mane VERZUZ. They briefly pout about the Bears and go right into Songs of the Week. Arash and Spex dive into two albums they really loved (Good...
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Ep. 030 - Top 10 Albums of 2020 & SO HELP ME GOD
Before a Bears Monday night game, Arash and Spex dwell on the unfortunate news about tighter Illinois lockdowns. Surprisingly, they had plenty of new music to talk about from artists such as 2 Chainz, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black and more. They conclude the episode by listing off all the…
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Ep. 029 - Favorite Songs of 2020
Arash & Spex are ecstatic for one of their most highly anticipated discussions since they started the podcast. Arash spent the previous weekend in Nashville and watched the Bears get trounced by the Titans, all while Joe Biden was announced the winner of the Presidential Election. They briefly...
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Ep. 028 - Election Night, FEATURING TY DOLLA $IGN, Kanye & Wayne
The boys have a ton to unpack this week. The Election is this week. Chicago is boarded up. Arash's birthday was over Halloween. The Bears are so frustrating. They drop a ton of Songs of the Week featuring the likes of Ty Dolla $ign, Freddie Gibbs & Big Sean, Busta Rhymes & Kendrick, Dej Loaf and...
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Ep. 027 - Kendrick Lamar (feat. Sam Mannheimer)
Arash and Spex are excited to welcome on guest Sam Mannheimer, friend of Arash's and big Kendrick Lamar fan. Sam put together tons of material on all things Kendrick. Section.80, GKMC, TPAB, DAMN, his features and many themes Kendrick raps about throughout his discography. Share this with any...
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Ep. 026 - Artists that are Bigger Than We Thought They'd Be
After a little longer of a break than usual, Spex and Arash have plenty of music to share. They open with some Bears talk and go right into Songs of the Week. New music from Benny the Butcher, T.I., Trey Songz, Yung Bleu ft. Drake and more. Main topic for today's episode is the opposite of Ep.…
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Ep. 025 - SAVAGE MODE II & ANNIVERSARY
While Arash & Spex have a couple beers preparing for a Bears Thursday night game, they have plenty to discuss. Spex shares his stories about manual labor while Arash laughs. They give some Songs of the Week by YG, Ella Mai and Internet Money feat. Roddy Ricch. Arash shares some insight on Jay...
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Ep. 024 - Drake Stimulus Package (feat. Ryan Lavelle)
Today, Spex and Arash are excited to change things up a bit. They break down the Spillage Village album and share some Songs of the Week by Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Tory Lanez and more. In the second half, the boys invite another guest onto the show. Ryan Lavelle lived with Spex at Marquette and…
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Ep. 023 - Favorite Samples & Kanye Chronicles
Football season is back and the boys are excited. Kanye West is making moves trying to give artists more power with the labels. Songs of the Week feature new music from Justin Bieber & Chance, Bryson Tiller, A$AP Twelvyy and more. They also preview upcoming releases. Their discussion on hip-hop...
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Ep. 022 - Favorite Album Intros
Spex & Arash are hyped for today's episode. Spex talks about his DJ gig the previous weekend and they go right into Songs of the Week. They touch on songs from Wiz Khalifa, Ludacris & Chance, T.I. & Young Thug, Spillage Village and more. They have plenty of ideas for the main topic: Favorite…
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Ep. 021 - DETROIT 2 & What is Kendrick Planning?
Arash and Spex finally get the opportunity to discuss one of their most highly anticipated albums, Big Sean's DETROIT 2. It did not disappoint either. They start off with their LDW festivities and some Songs of the Week from SZA, 6ix9ine & Akon, and Wiz Khalifa. They give their takes on every…
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Ep. 020 - Bryson Tiller, Cordae, Kanye & Nick Cannon
Arash & Spex are geeking on a bunch of new releases this week. They give you a preview of their Labor Day Weekends as well as their expectations for Big Sean's Detroit 2. Songs of the Week feature tracks from Bryson, Cordae & Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, and more. They conclude with their takes on...
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Ep. 019 - V TAPE, King's Disease & VMA Preview
Arash and Spex are feeling a bit weary about the state of America following the shooting of Jacob Blake. But they are excited to dig deep into a couple big releases this week. Vic Mensa - V TAPE and Nas - King's Disease. Other Songs of the Week consist of new music from Big Sean, Pharrell…
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Ep. 018 - Artists We Thought Would Be Bigger
The boys are buzzin today as Drake dropped one of the hottest music videos of 2020. Other Songs of the Week feature Anderson .Paak, EARTHGANG, Lil Keed & more. Arash and Spex briefly share some interesting news around Akon. The main topic is "who are some artists that you thought would be bigger...
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Ep. 017 - LIMBO & Top 10 Artists to Feature
Spex & Arash come with a lot of energy today. The boys start off discussing the awesome Verzuz battle between 2 Chainz & Rick Ross. They dig into one of the best albums of 2020 so far, Aminé's LIMBO. Songs of the week include new music by Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion, 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne, Rick...
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Ep. 016 - Mac Miller: Faces (feat. Bobby Sullivan)
On the two year anniversary of Swimming, Arash & Spex decided to do something different. They bring on Bobby Sullivan, fellow hip-hop connoisseur who dives deep into Mac's 2014 mixtape Faces. Bobby discusses the themes on the tape, Mac's production, as well as the many references to religion,...
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Ep. 015 - Kanye Chronicles & Top 5 Rappers of 2025
Arash and Spex are excited that baseball is back. Songs of the Week consist of new music from J. Cole, Gunna, Logic & more. Kanye went on a rampage again and the boys dive in. A listener requested them to guess who will be the top 5 rappers 5 years from now. A lot of fun banter with this one.…
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Ep. 014 - Listening Habits & Too Much Music at Once
Arash & Spex had a lot of fun with this one. While recording early on a Friday morning, they give their knee-jerk reactions to new music from DJ Khaled & Drake, Joey Bada$$, Juice WRLD and more. Spex had just gotten back from Vegas so he shares a couple stories. The boys have plenty of ideas and...
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Ep. 013 - Kanye Drama & Drake/Pusha-T Beef
There's a lot to unpack this week. Spex & Arash decide to officially start the "Songs of the Week" segment. They include tracks by Ye, Ty Dolla $ign, Juice WRLD, Pop Smoke, and more. They do a brief album review for Pop Smoke - Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon. Kanye West had a wild week in…
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Ep. 012 - Overrated & Underrated Rappers
The boys had a lot to discuss this week. New music from Jack Harlow, Megan Thee Stallion, 6lack, Wale and more. They dig into who they think is too overrated in the game today and Arash has a couple hot takes. Kanye came alive on the internet this week. They finish it up with plenty of rappers…
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Ep. 011 - Perfect Future Project
Spex & Arash have plenty to discuss this week. Some preliminary topics include J. Cole & Noname, Lil Baby - The Bigger Picture, and Dave Chappelle - 8:46. The main subject is "What would you include in a perfect Future album?" Being one of the kings of trap rap, there is so much to choose from....
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Ep. 010 - One Song to Hear at your Wedding, Funeral, Deathbed etc.
It was a beautiful day out, so Arash & Spex record today's episode from Spex's rooftop. They discuss all the conscious music that has come about the BLM movement. They do a short EP review on Flatbush Zombies - now, more than ever followed by a fun conversation on songs they would want to hear at...
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Ep. 008 - Remixes Better than the Original
Arash and Spex open today's episode with a bit more somber tone than usual. This was recorded during the height of the riots resulting from the murder of George Floyd. As they discuss how important this situation is for America, they relate it directly to the hip-hop music of today. The main…
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Ep. 009 - Music that Defines a Decade - the 2010s
The boys continue reflecting on the Black Lives Matter movement as peaceful protests continue throughout Chicago. No album review today as they get right into the main topic: what songs/artists/styles define the decade of the 2010s? Plenty of artists influenced the last ten years such as Kanye,...
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Ep. 007 - Perfect Carter III and Perfect Drake Album
This is our favorite episode yet. Arash takes a deep dive into Tha Carter III and the hundreds of songs that were left off it. He gives us a playlist of Lil Wayne gems from this era. Spex and Arash then tackle a subject very near and dear to their hearts: the perfect Drake album. No album review...
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Ep. 006 - Who is the Most Influential Rapper of the 2010s?
Spex and Arash discuss this very important topic in not only the genre of hip-hop, but all of music. Spoiler: it's between two guys. Album reviews for Future - High Off Life and NAV - Good Intentions.
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Ep. 005 - The Perfect Eternal Atake
Spex & Arash start off with something new and celebrate the Bears schedule release. Plenty of new music released around Cinco de Mayo including tracks from Doja Cat, Migos, Chris Brown, Young Thug and others. The main topic for the day is to condense Lil Uzi Vert's 32 song album into the ideal...
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Ep. 004 - Music that Defines a Decade - the 2000s
In this episode, Arash and Spex discuss hip-hop of the 2000s. What artists, songs and styles define the generation? Spex gives a couple ideas about starting to reopen nightlife. This was recorded the day Drake dropped Dark Lane Demo Tapes, so the boys were very excited to share their thoughts.…
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Ep. 003 - You Can Only Choose 3
This episode, we "can only choose 3" for today's rappers, Kanye's albums, and Drake's albums. We do album reviews for Westside Gunn - Pray for Paris and DaBaby - Blame it on Baby. Spex has just released an all hip-hop mix for another podcast The Platform, a podcast showcasing DJs from all around...
About this show
Two Chicago guys talking all things hip-hop.
Hosted by
Arash Khalili, Spex
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