New Rory & MAL — Episode 468 | Musiq Snowchild (March 17, 2026)

Episode Overview

This lively episode drops on St. Patrick’s Day and sees co-hosts Rory and Mall, along with Damaris, diving into new stories, personal laughs, and a fresh batch of hot takes. Centered around recent pop culture, music releases (with a focus on Jack Harlow’s ambitious “Monica” project), viral internet moments, and social debates, the crew balances tongue-in-cheek humor with candid commentary. The episode touches on everything from St. Patty’s traditions, Twitter memes, music genre crossovers, artists calling out outrage culture, and navigating skepticism in love and business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter & St. Patrick’s Day (03:18 – 06:50)

• Mall wishes Rory a happy St. Patrick’s Day, joking about Irish traditions and not succumbing to commercialized celebrations.
• Childhood stories arise as the gang compares old school picture day memories and shared banter about their baby photos.
• Memorable Moment: Damaris and Rory sharing stories of biting kids and getting kicked out of daycare.
• Quote: Rory: “Biters unite.” (08:01)

Social Media & Parents Online (09:45 – 12:34)

• Conversation about how their parents share memes, get caught up in viral/A.I. hoaxes, and struggle to distinguish what’s real.
• Rory tells a story about explaining to elders that “You have to be gay to win an Oscar” is internet fake news.
• Notable for the generational gap in digital literacy and navigating family group chats.

Oscars Discussion: MBJ, ‘Sinners,’ and Conan’s Rough Night (12:34 – 14:45)

• Celebrates Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor Oscar win for “Sinners,” and Ryan Coogler’s Best Original Screenplay.
• Brief discussion of Conan O’Brien’s cautious monologue at the Oscars—hosts feel the crowd was stiff or overly sensitive.
• Quote: Damaris on Conan: “They didn’t laugh at him during fucking St. Patty’s weekend. That’s crazy as shit, bro.” (14:22)

The Curious Tale of “Big Dick Buster” (14:48 – 18:29)

• Rory receives a late-night text about meeting Hank Strong, aka “Big Dick Buster” from ‘Godfather of Harlem.’ Mall clarifies the story behind the nickname and its role in the show.
• Led to a hilarious, if dark, sidebar about over-the-top criminal organization characters.

Music Round-Up

Jack Harlow’s “Monica” — The White Elephant in the Room (18:32 – 45:49)

• Detailed, comedic yet thoughtful breakdown of Jack Harlow’s sudden pivot from rap to neo-soul with his new album “Monica.”
• The hosts highlight both the internet’s relentless meme onslaught (e.g., “IRS1,” “January 6th & Park,” “Jew Hill”) and their own nuanced takes.
• Rory questions Harlow’s authenticity vs. Mac Miller’s organic genre evolution, critiques the “costume” approach, and laments the box-checking, e.g., Electric Lady Studios and neo-soul aesthetics.
• Quote: Rory: “Sometimes checking too many boxes is the wrong thing. Sometimes going, you know what? I want to make a neo soul album and record it in Electric Lady is like, all right, man, let's pull it back a bit. How about you be your version of this?” (25:12)
• Hosts debate whether Harlow’s audience will support the transformation, and if he’s established enough to genre-hop.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “IRS1 was definitely one of my favorites.” — Rory (20:59)
  • “‘Bland Nubian’ — proud boys to men. They’ve been tearing his ass up.” — Mall (21:47)
  • “Don’t Glenn Lewis the entire project. The entire project is safe. Like, that’s what’s weird about it.” — Rory (43:49)
• Damaris and Mall speculate if this career move is premature and whether Harlow now “can’t go back” to pure rap without further confusing his audience.

Other New Releases & Quick Hits (45:49 – 54:10)

• James Blake’s “Trying Times” album gets praise for returning to R&B/electronic roots, with Rory noting relief after the Yachty project.
• Alex Isley’s new single “West Side” is discussed as a blend of beauty and vocal talent.
• Saha drops another single as part of his rollout, earning appreciation for consistency.

Viral Moments & Social Commentary

LaRussell’s “Heaven Sent” Controversy (54:56 – 66:18)

• The crew discusses LaRussell’s track referencing infamous figures (Epstein, Adolf) as “heaven sent,” provoking discomfort and jokes.
• Rory and Damaris question the meaning and value of the message; Mall defends the need to hear the full record before judging.
• Quote: Rory: “What was groundbreaking about telling me that Epstein was created by God?” (59:29)

Doja Cat’s Public Accountability Admission (77:03 – 85:19)

• The hosts dissect Doja Cat’s viral admission of ‘virtue signaling’ when she jumped on a Timothy Chalamet criticism she didn’t really care about, praising her rare candor.
• Quote: Rory: “To hear an A list artist, like, admit this shit. Because this is everybody on the Internet. Y’all do not care about the things you’re outraged about.” (79:03)
• Damaris pushes back, questioning if public self-awareness should be celebrated, or just expected.

Timothy Chalamet, Ballet, and Dying Art Forms (92:22 – 102:45)

• Debate over Timothy’s comment on ballet & opera being “dying” arts; Damaris defends the importance of supporting performing arts, especially regarding access and privilege.
• Analogies made to karate classes and the small percentage who ‘stick with it;’ tension rises over respecting niche art and whether outrage is justified.

Relationships, Pessimism, & Optimism (68:12 – 76:55)

• Conversation pivots to personal outlooks: Rory’s “positive pessimism,” Mall’s skepticism regarding romance, and Damaris pushing for the beauty of falling in and out of love.
• Quote: Mall: “We all have examples of people that we were like, damn, like they love each other. And then one day you be like, what happened? Oh, you know, just irreconcilable differences… I believe in love. I believe that you should be in love… But come on, we know.” (73:11)
• Exploration of how their upbringings and career paths color their expectations toward business, relationships, and success.

Sports Segment (103:22 – 112:36)

• Quick takes on the Knicks’ playoff prospects and Clay Thompson’s not-so-stellar season (with jokes about his relationship with Megan).
• Discussion of Bam Adebayo’s controversial 83-point game, how big records invite strategic play, and where sportsmanship lines blur.
• Quote: Mall: “You can’t go out and score 83 in a fucking high school game… but keep the same energy.” (108:54)
• Announcement of Mike WiLL Made-It’s new album “RESET” coming March 20, with anticipated tracks from J.Cole, NBA Youngboy x Chief Keef, Travis Porter, T.I., and more.

Miscellaneous Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Jack Harlow’s “Monica”:
  • “QAnon Tip.” (22:49)
  • “D’Angelo was funny, but they spelled it the Italian way.” (22:29)
• On Virtue Signaling: “I did that because I needed some attention that day, so I did it.” — Rory interpreting Doja’s perspective.
• On Love: “People fall in love and they also fall out of love.” — Mall (75:20)
• On Co-Parenting: “The beautiful thing about co-parenting is you get days off…” — Damaris (76:16)
• On Applauding Accountability: “I think in this day and age it’s cool to hear somebody admit this.” — Rory (86:27)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 03:18 – 06:50: St. Patrick’s Day, childhood photo banter
• 09:45 – 12:34: Parents on social media and AI fake news
• 12:34 – 14:45: Oscars, Michael B. Jordan’s win, Conan’s monologue
• 14:48 – 18:29: “Big Dick Buster” story
• 18:32 – 45:49: Jack Harlow “Monica” breakdown and memes
• 45:49 – 54:10: James Blake, Alex Isley, Saha music reactions
• 54:56 – 66:18: LaRussell’s “Heaven Sent” controversy
• 68:12 – 76:55: Love, relationships, and skepticism
• 77:03 – 85:19: Doja Cat, virtue signaling, and internet outrage
• 92:22 – 102:45: Timothy Chalamet, ballet & opera discourse
• 103:22 – 112:36: NBA talk (Knicks, Mavericks, Bam’s 83-point game), Mike WiLL “RESET” announcement

Tone & Style

The episode flows with humorous, irreverent banter, sharp pop culture references, and authentic vulnerability. While much is played for laughs (memes, self-deprecation, off-the-cuff jokes), there’s also a real attempt to probe the meaning of artistic intent, cultural appropriation, and modern-day virtue signaling.

Final Thoughts

Episode 468 is a classic New Rory & MAL mix: music nerd-outs, internet culture roasting, tough-love advice, and nuanced social takes. Whether debating Jack Harlow’s authenticity, celebrating Doja Cat’s rare public self-awareness, or exposing their own biases about love and art, the hosts riff with insight and plenty of laughs—making the episode both compelling and relatable for anyone invested in the current rap, R&B, and pop culture landscape.