Grits and Eggs Podcast

Year End Wrap Up Ft. Wayno & Adri

Host: Deante’ Kyle
Guests: Wayno & Adri
Date: December 30, 2025

Overview:

This episode of Grits and Eggs Podcast is an unfiltered year-in-review for hip hop and pop culture. Host Deante’ Kyle, returning guest Adri (from Cooking for the Culture), and Wayno dig deep into the triumphs of southern lyricism, debate the best albums and artists of 2025, discuss creative evolutions, address hip hop discourse, and candidly examine who gets to shape narratives within the culture. The tone is sharp, genuine, humorous, and passionate—true to the show’s vibe of celebrating and critiquing Black music on its own terms.

Key Topics & Discussion Breakdown

1. Southern Lyricism & Misconceptions in Hip Hop

• Atlanta’s Reputation for Lyrics:
  • Wayno debunks the myth: "I hate the misconception that Atlanta don't like lyrics. That's a lie." (00:53)
  • The crew sets up 2025 as a year of championing "Southern lyricism" and building their own “music club” for in-depth album conversations (see the Les Music Club Journal gift exchange, 04:06).

2. 2025 Hip Hop Highlights: Favorite Albums, Rollouts & Live Experiences

Key Albums:

• Freddie Gibbs – "Alfredo 2"

  • Adri: "I've been waiting on Alfredo 2 since 2020... The thematic cohesion... the Japanese influence... honoring history while embracing the future." (05:36)
  • Deontay: "Alfredo 2 was my personal favorite album of the year." (12:49)
  • Wayno: “He has one of the best discographies in hip hop of all time.” (11:24)

• Eclipse (Clipse) – Reunion Album

  • Wayno: "One of my favorites…to see it come together the way it did, it just felt perfect... I was just more happy that we got Malice rapping." (06:11)
  • Adri on live show: "The energy in the room... most intensity leading up to them walking out that I've seen in a long time." (07:17)
  • The group highlights Malice’s powerful on-stage presence and the long-awaited resonance of the album—for fans, it’s become a generational moment.

• Show Experiences:

  • Deontay: "Being on stage at the Freddy Gibbs show was... overwhelming. This is my favorite rapper, Low Key." (10:57)
  • Adri: Emphasizes the balance of "history and future" and the importance of legacy acts returning without losing relevance.

• Other Favorites:

  • The Great Escape (Alchemist & 2 Chainz & Larry June): mixed opinions—strong preference for 2 Chainz, with June’s delivery critiqued for being “lazy” though atmospheric (14:02–15:43).
  • Boldy James: Acknowledged for work ethic, but discussion ensues about the cost of dropping too many albums and "fast fashion era" of music (17:09–18:56).

3. Debate: Album Quality vs. Quantity in Streaming Era

• Adri: “A lot of these albums that are just getting thrown out, they're just a collection of songs. There's not much intention behind it.” (18:32)
• Wayno: “You gotta be seen 15 times to be seen once... but I’m not mad when people go into themes.” (17:12)
• Critique of “fast fashion” in streaming—preference for carefully curated albums over constant drops.

4. Production, Imperfection, and Standout Moments

• Pharrell’s Role on Clipse Album

  • Deontay & Adri debate positives and negatives of Pharrell’s singing/production.
  • Wayno: “Do y'all think... there has to be some sort of level of imperfection?” (22:14)
  • Opinion: Imperfection can add character, but there are moments ("the Dream shit") that initially divide them but grow on listeners.

• Hook of the Year?

  • Deontay: "Could we call Fico hook of the year?" (23:15)
  • Adri: “His hook made that song”—praises Stove God for singing rather than rapping here.

5. Lyricism & Artistic Exaggeration

• Comparing “Kitchen Lights” type lyricism (Stove God, Griselda) to Young Dro, Ghostface:
  • Adri: “What makes rap so innovative is not how big your vocabulary is… it’s how many ways you can say the same thing...” (26:32)
  • Playful discussion of how exaggeration, surreal visuals in lyrics is artistry—not just posturing (25:20–26:22).

6. Discussions on Lists & Recognitions

• B. Dot’s Annual Best Rappers List (29:36)
  • General skepticism over omissions (Freddie Gibbs?), placement (Nas at #2 off features?), and the criteria for such lists.
  • Adri: "To act like he [Nas] is... dominating the year. No, not particularly... It's just disingenuous." (30:25)
  • Wayno: Defends Nas for “one of the best feature runs this year” (31:09).

7. Genre Blending & Tyler, the Creator

• ‘Don’t Tap That Glass’—Is it rap?
  • Deontay: “Felt like an Atlanta, Miami bass album...but of course they're gonna put Tyler in the hip hop category." (39:00)
  • Wayno: “While hip hop today is not Predicated on dance—it was a point in time where it was only about dancing.” (41:00)
  • Adri: “The highlights of the album were a lot of his singing...I get protective over hip hop a little bit.” (43:18)
  • Robust agreement on Tyler’s artistic growth and role as Apple Music Artist of the Year.

8. Artists' Growth & Separating Art from Artist

• Comparison of Tyler and Earl Sweatshirt’s divergent but authentic growth.
  • Adri: “You can see very clearly how he [Earl] got from one place to another...still doesn't stray too far from what we know and love from him.” (50:23)
  • Candid talk about past controversial lyrics—acknowledging artistic shock value versus real-world consequences and societal perceptions.
  • Deontay: "I can separate the art from the artist. Until you get charged..." (56:08)

9. Women in Hip Hop: Success & Double Standards

• Discussion on Glorilla’s impact, commercial and creative female MCs.
  • Adri: “I feel like we're kind of in a weird space with female rap...I give them a lot of grace. I'm also not willing to pretend I like some shit that I don't.” (57:34)
  • Wayno: “If your shit garbage, I'm going to tell you shit garbage. But you cannot then say, why is men in our business? Because we in your business.” (59:04)
  • Shout outs to overlooked albums/artists: Che Noir, Baby Mother, Shay Noir, Bangs (65:49+).

10. Cultural Critique: Who Gets to Comment on Hip Hop?

• Extended back-and-forth on white and non-Black critics, viral rap pages, and who gets to shape the conversation.
  • Adri: “Why do you feel comfortable tearing down something... that is not really yours?”. (75:53)
  • Wayno: “If it's something...talking about our plight or pain...don’t tell me you know nothing about that.” (77:11)
  • The trio urge more respect and boundary-keeping in the culture, and to uplift Black women’s voices in hip hop.

11. Music Numbers, Art vs. Commodity, AI, & Fast Fashion Mindsets

• Deconstruction of “hip hop is dead” and obsession with chart numbers.
  • Adri: “A lot of hip hop discourse is so miserable.” (71:31)
  • Deontay: "Best albums don't get the best numbers." (72:47)
  • Worries about AI’s impact on creative authenticity.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Honoring history while embracing the future. I feel like it was a good balance of that." – Adri (05:36)
• "When Malice walks out, it feel like we there for him. Because we got to see Pusha T for 15 years. But when he walks out, it's really them, bruh. They're back." – Wayno (08:37–08:57)
• “He has one of the best discographies in hip hop of all time.” – Deontay Kyle on Freddie Gibbs (11:24)
• "You gotta be seen 15 times to be seen once." – Wayno (17:12)
• "I love that...It's the Cameron, Young Dro thing—you just exaggerate to the level of, not even being comical, this shit is just artistic." – Deontay (25:44)
• "It's not about how big your vocabulary is... it's how many ways you can say the same thing and it sounds like you've never heard it before." – Adri (26:32)
• "Rap gets moved around so much, it's sub-genres and sub-sub-genres... Back in the days, rap was just rap." – Wayno (41:56)
• "Women are held to a higher standard...especially in hip hop spaces. But to have a thriving female rap space, we have to be able to criticize them and give feedback." – Adri (60:03)
• "Constructive, because let Anthony Fantano’s opinion matter facts." – Deontay (75:18)
• "Let’s put an end to white opinions on hip hop and allow y’all to be bystanders. And let’s expand our knowledge of females and hip hop beyond just what people serve you.” – Deontay (85:47)

Standout Segments & Timestamps

• Les Music Club Gift Exchange: Deontay introduces journaling albums—future plans to break down A Seat at the Table. (04:06–04:33)
• Live Show Recollections – Clipse & Freddie Gibbs: Immersive talk on the emotional weight and generational meaning of these concerts. (06:51–08:56, 10:54–11:24)
• Debate: Is Alfredo 2 album of the year? (12:49–12:54, 85:20)
• Production Imperfection + Pharrell’s Singing: Candid appraisal of what works and what doesn’t in Clipse’s comeback. (21:41–22:31)
• Genre Lines & Tyler’s Evolution: Is dance or bass music a hip hop album? How do album categories get policed? (39:00–43:18)
• Women and Recognition: Discussion around double standards, critique, and support for overlooked female MCs. (57:34–64:31, 65:10–68:18)
• Dialogue on White Opinions and Internet Gatekeeping: (75:18–80:59)
• Closing Year-end picks: Favorite album (Alfredo 2), artist of the year (Tyler), rapper of the year (Malice), and a direct call for deeper curation in hip hop discourse. (85:20–85:41)

Final Takeaways

• 2025 was a landmark year for hip hop’s diversity and sonic boundaries: the intersection of nostalgia and innovation, Southern lyricism, powerful comebacks, and bold genre crossovers.
• Intent and album curation matter: The group favors impactful projects over “fast fashion” releases, celebrating artists who balance both history and vision for the future.
• Expanding the conversation: Advocates for the amplification of women, regional voices, and deep-cut discoveries in hip hop.
• Defending the culture: Strong consensus that the narrative should come from within, cautioning against performative or appropriative outside commentary.
• Top Honors:
  • Alfredo 2—Album of the Year
  • Tyler, the Creator—Artist of the Year
  • Malice—Rapper of the Year

For more: Tune into future Music Club episodes, follow Wayno (Wayno119) & Adri (Cooking for the Culture), and support underground talent. Hip hop, as always, is thriving.