The Casual Genius Podcast

See where artists like JID, The Weeknd, Clipse, and more rank!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Few artists connected with a generation as much as Khalid did in the mid 2010s. With his vulnerable, real, and modern lyrical content and signature vocal delivery on iconic tracks like “American Teen” and “Young, Dumb, & Broke”, millions of listeners have joined the ranks of fandom. With somewhat of a stylistic shift, Khalid has released his newest project: after the sun goes down. J. Mac & Ryder...

Few artists have experienced such a rapid falloff in musical quality as Chance the Rapper did on his 2019 album, The Big Day. 6 years later, he’s released his studio album follow up, STAR LINE. J. Mac & Ryder break down the project and discuss how it has impacted Chance’s legacy.

The Fantastic 4 have long been one of Marvel’s most beloved super-groups. With a plethora of poor films about the group Marvel has once again rebooted the team following its merger with Disney. Despite mixed reviews, it has been one of this summer’s hottest films at the box office. Tune in as J. Mac & Ryder break down the movie and where it ranks among Marvel’s post-Endgame films.

The 2025 summer box office has been largely dominated by the newest film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris: F1. J. Mac and Ryder break down the highly popular film and compare it to director Joseph Kosinski’s other most recent box office smash: Top Gun: Maverick.

The newest full length album from sibling duo Clipse (Pusha T & Malice) has been making noise as one of the best lyrical hip hop projects this year. This week, J. Mac & Ryder break down the album and discuss the best bars and tracks on the album.

Lil Wayne is widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known for his classic punchlines and infectious delivery, he has garnered industry-wide respect and changed the sound of modern rap. With his newest album receiving mixed reviews, J. Mac and Ryder break down the latest installment of his classic album series.

Jonah Park is one of the most impressive up and coming artists. With a talent for diverse production paired with stunning vocal performances, the music speaks for itself. J. Mac and Ryder sit down this week to discuss Jonah’s new album “Son”. Tune in to hear about the song-making process and Jonah’s unique approach to creating Christian-based music.

Chances are, he wrote your favorite song. Now, pop juggernaut Jon Bellion is back with his first album in 7 years. Tune in as J. Mac & Ryder break down his new project: FATHER FIGURE.

Few artists have had as much of an impact on the music world as rap group Wu-Tang Clan has. Back with their first album together in 10 years, can they live up to the classics of the past? In this week’s episode, J. Mac & Ryder break down the newest music from the iconic crew.

Few artists have had as much commercial success in the 2020’s as Morgan Wallen. With the number of highly successful (and extraordinarily long) albums being equaled only by the number of public controversies surrounding Wallen, he has returned with his fourth studio album: I’m The Problem.

J. Mac & Ryder voyage into uncharted album review territory to discuss the latest album from heavy metal band Ghost. They also tap in rock/metal expert guest reviewer: Blake Grimes.

This week, J. Mac & Ryder are joined by the great mind of gamer, streamer, and Geeked Out podcast cohost: Ty Palomino as they break down The Minecraft Movie . With TikTok trends sweeping the world, box office successes, and Jack Black at the helm of the acting crew, what could go wrong?

Duckworth is a multi-talented singer, often blending hip-hop, pop, and alternative music to create a distinct sound in the modern music landscape. J. Mac and Ryder sit down to break down his newest album and discuss where it ranks among the best projects of 2025.

Few artists have shaped the modern generation of up-and-coming rappers the way Playboi Carti has. With his long anticipated album, MUSIC , dropping just a few weeks ago, J. Mac and Ryder sit down to discuss the project and where it ranks so far among this year’s releases.

With production quality and fan interest seeming to perpetually decline since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame film, Marvel looks to bounce back with the 4th installment in the Captain America franchise: Brave New World. This week, J. Mac & Ryder break down the new film and discuss where Marvel needs to improve.

While it’s been a rough year for Drake, his stardom and popularity remain at the forefront of the music industry. With over a year passing since his last album release, he’s teamed up with PARTYNEXTDOOR for a 21 track Valentine’s Day collab project. In this episode, J. Mac & Ryder break down each aspect of the album and how it measures up to Drake’s recent projects.

It’s been a big week for the music industry with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show coming off the heels of the 2025 Grammy awards. In this week’s episode, J. Mac & Ryder react to K. Dot’s performance as well as several of the Grammy category winners. (00:00:00) - Reviewing Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show (00:30:30) - Reacting to the 2025 Grammys

Arguably one of the most prominent music stars in the modern era, The Weeknd has been breaking records and changing the game throughout his career. After 3 years he’s returned to round out the conclusion of his new trilogy (and possibly his career) with the release of his new album: Hurry Up Tomorrow. Tune in as J. Mac, Ryder, and special guest Asher Swiss break down the new project and discuss wh...

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Kane Brown established himself as one of the most promising and versatile pop-country artists in the modern music landscape. After just over 2 years since his last release, he dropped his new album The High Road highlighted by collaborations with Brad Paisley, Marshmello, Jelly Roll, and more. J. Mac and Ryder sit down in this episode to discuss the album and whe...

J. Mac and Ryder are back with another music review to discuss the 2nd posthumous album from Mac Miller: Balloonerism.

Following the 2023 “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, 2024 brought us….. “Wickediator”?…. “Gladiwicked”? In any case, J. Mac and Ryder break down two of the biggest big screen moments of 2024: Wicked and Gladiator II with help from special guest Jonah Park! Tune in to hear which movie was our favorite! ​(00:00:00) - Wicked Review ​(01:05:00) - Gladiator II Review

As 2024 comes to a close, we revisit some of our favorite music to shout out songs, albums, and artists that stood out along the way. With special help from some of our favorite guests on the show (Tommy Acker, Asher Swiss, and Jonah Park) we present the 2nd Annual Casual Genius Awards! Categories: ​Most Underrated Artist (00:01:30) Best Rapper (00:07:45) ​Best Female Vocalist (00:13:25) ​Best Exp...

Our 2024 countdown continues with the Best Albums of the Year. Check out where projects from Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Post Malone and more fall!