Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL – "Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 11/10"
Date: November 16, 2025
Hosts: Rory & Mal (with Damaris and Becky Milligan)
Podcast: New Rory & MAL (iHeartPodcasts & The Volume)
Episode Theme:
A highlight reel combining fresh stories, candid hip-hop debates, irreverent hot takes, music industry chatter, and real-life laughs. This week's "Best Of" centers on reactions to the 2026 Grammy Nominations, humorous speculation about Kim Kardashian’s legal ambitions, and plenty of playful, NSFW relationship talk.
Main Topics
1. 2026 Grammy Nominations: Music Debates & Predictions (03:50–16:58)
Key Points
- Lack of Public Grammy Interest: Rory notes [03:50] that he feels nobody was discussing the Grammy nominations over the weekend.
- Rory: "I saw no one talking about the Grammy nominations over the weekend because nobody cares about the Grammy." [03:50]
- Best R&B Album
- Becky laments Mariah the Scientist’s snub, sparking a heated but friendly debate about quality and vocal skills.
- The group lists nominees (Giveon, Coco Jones, Leticy, Teyana Taylor, Leon Thomas), with consensus building around Leon Thomas’s innovation.
- Quote – Rory: "Leon Thomas... moving the genre forward with sound... I think he just—yeah, he deserves. I think it's a cleanup for Leon if you're checking all the boxes." [05:14]
- Best R&B Song
- Nominees include Kehlani "Folded," Summer Walker "Heart of a Woman," Chris Brown & Bryson Tiller "It Depends," Duran Bernard "Overqualified," and Leon Thomas "Yes, It Is."
- There's a consensus that "Folded" is a strong favorite, but all involved see the category as stacked:
- Mall: "That's a tough category. That's tough. That might be tougher than album." [06:23]
- Rory and Mall shout out Bryson Tiller’s post-appearance success on their show:
- Rory: "Congrats to Bryson because we had him on the show… We did that." [07:56][08:10]
- Best Rap Album
- Nominees: Clips "Let God Sort Them Out," Glorilla "Glorious," Jid "God Does Like Ugly," Kendrick Lamar "GNX," Tyler the Creator "Chromo Copia."
- Becky and Rory vent that Kendrick will sweep, though they feel Clips is more deserving.
- Mall: "Kendrick just opened his mouth. Someone go hand him a Grammy right now." [09:01]
- They discuss the balance between representation (giving Glorilla a nod) and pure musical quality (arguing Alfredo 2 deserved a spot more).
- Rory: "The only reason why I think they got it right is… if you’re trying to put together a proper category that reflects the entire genre, I could see why you put Glorilla in there." [09:31]
- Everyone's predictions: Despite personal favorites, most pick Kendrick's "GNX" for the win, with a strong hope that Clips will take it.
- Best Rap Song & Performance
- They break down singles like Clips "The Birds Don’t Sing" (w/ John Legend), Tyler "Sticky", Glorilla "TJI Fridays", Kendrick "TV Off."
- There's a running joke about Grammy songs and John Legend's omnipresence.
- Mall: “Let’s get John Legend on that Grammy stage. If he’s busy saving the Democratic Party, just hire me instead!” [13:20–13:33]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Mall: "Kendrick just opened his mouth. Someone go hand him a Grammy right now." [09:01]
- Rory: "Leon Thomas... I think it's a cleanup for Leon if you're checking all the boxes." [05:14]
- Rory (about the R&B category): "This might be the toughest category in my opinion. I think Folded should get it. But if any other record won here, I'd be like, yeah, I understand." [06:43]
- Becky: "Glorilla is your favorite female rapper currently?" [10:49]
- Mall joking about John Legend: “I'd have like, John, get the out the booth with that. John, get your ass…” [13:01]
2. Kim Kardashian, The Bar Exam & Legal Trivia (17:01–27:05)
Key Points
- Big laughs at the idea of Kim Kardashian as a lawyer, with musings on her actual legal impact and the bar exam's difficulty.
- Mall: "I think Kim Kardashian becoming a lawyer is crazy." [18:09]
- They tease scenarios for Kim on TV legal dramas and riff on the “Pass the Bar” challenge as a TikTok trend.
- They discuss California’s policy of allowing bar exam attempts without law degrees, comparing it to Frank Abagnale in Catch Me If You Can.
- Bar Exam Pop Quiz
- Josh brings bar exam-style questions; the crew fails hilariously.
- Becky: “I have no clue what standing even means.” [24:54]
- Mall brags: “That’s why Kim should have just called me. She would have passed the bar.” [24:48]
- More jokes about consent, standing, and probable cause—demonstrating just how tough (and ambiguous) law is when not in the field.
Notable Quotes
- Rory: "I always thought that was a serious thing, that that wasn't, like, a troll that her and Kanye were doing." [17:29]
- Mall: "Let Kim K. pass the bar, become a lawyer, and let her inspire and influence the next generation of young women to pass the bar, not be at the bar." [19:30]
- Becky (on failing the pop quiz): “That was funny. That was interesting. We would fail terribly.” [26:43]
3. Celebrity Relationships & Breakup Music (32:31–39:14)
Key Points
- Big Sean & Jhené Aiko’s Rumored Breakup
- Damaris explains the social media drama, the couple's responses, and how narratives get created and blown up online. [32:33–34:09]
- Reflect on how public figures clear up rumors and how the internet always blames women—“per usual, per misogyny.”
- Will There Be a ‘2088’ Sequel?
- The hosts revive the classic music debate: should Jhené and Sean drop a breakup album à la Outkast’s "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" (each side tells their own story)?
- Speculate on who would have the upper hand in emotional songwriting; the consensus is Jhené would “fleece” Sean in a head-to-head breakup song battle.
- Becky: “Janae might be top three of all time when it comes to that type of pen.” [35:24]
- Rory points out Sean also has a history of successful breakup tracks.
- Explicit, NSFW Talk on Sex, Love & “High Scores”
- Extended, tongue-in-cheek riffing on how many times men and women can climax, love vs. lust, and the physical limits of marathon sex.
- Mall: “Like, after the last one, I felt so depleted… I had to put on, like, compression socks.” [38:31]
- Rory: “Man, I miss those old days when you in love. And just all goddamn day it's raining. Oh, man.” [39:48]
- Jokes about how using a limited number of condoms vs. going raw “lowers your chances” of chlamydia, leading to a hilarious exchange on probability and common sense. [41:34–42:39]
Notable & Humorous Quotes
- Mall: "If you having sex and you busting five nuts in one day, you [expletive]. You not making love five times." [41:00]
- Becky (the math of STIs): “If you go outside five times without your gun, you might get robbed five times…” [41:55]
Cue: Rory: “That math was crazy.” [42:12] - Rory: “Your dick is dry heaving, like when you vomit.” [39:33]
4. “Demons Need Love Too” Party & Life Updates (43:41–48:02)
Key Points
- Damaris’s Night at an R&B Party Called ‘Demons Need Love Too’
- They joke about the party’s title, whether “real demons” attended, and the vibe of true R&B tracks.
- Becky: “Demons is the most sensitive people you can ever meet. You ever had a demon in love with you…?”
- The crew makes fun of post-party recovery (Pedialyte, fuzzy memories).
- Rory and Mall poke fun at “Stiami”—Damaris’s playful nickname for wild nights in Astoria, Queens.
Notable Quotes
- Mall: “Demons need love, too. Shout out to demons. Lead love, too.” [44:46]
- Becky: “Feeling shit I ain't felt in years.” [45:01]
- Laughs over “Stiami”—Astoria as "Steinway: the Miami of Queens." [46:23–46:42]
5. Rapid-Fire Wrap-Up & Jokes (48:02–end)
- Becky jokes about Demaris's “brother” (with suspicion).
- They touch on sports (Clay Thompson rumors and Dallas/L.A. trade speculation).
- Episode slides into a series of sponsor message wrap-ups and off-topic banter.
Notable Quotes: Quick Reference
| Time | Speaker | Quote | |---------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:50 | Rory | “I saw no one talking about the Grammy nominations over the weekend because nobody cares...” | | 05:14 | Rory | "Leon Thomas... I think it's a cleanup for Leon if you're checking all the boxes." | | 06:23 | Mall | "That's a tough category. That's tough. That might be tougher than album." | | 09:01 | Mall | "Kendrick just opened his mouth. Someone go hand him a Grammy right now." | | 18:09 | Mall | "I think Kim Kardashian becoming a lawyer is crazy." | | 19:30 | Mall | "Let Kim K. pass the bar... pass the bar, not be at the bar." | | 24:54 | Becky | "I have no clue what standing even means." | | 35:24 | Becky | "Janae might be top three of all time when it comes to that type of pen." | | 38:31 | Mall | "After the last one... I had to put on, like, compression socks. It was all kind of shit going on."| | 39:48 | Rory | "Man, I miss those old days when you in love. And just all goddamn day..." | | 44:46 | Mall | “Demons need love, too. Shout out to demons. Lead love, too.” | | 45:01 | Becky | "Feeling shit I ain't felt in years." |
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Grammy Nomination Discussion: 03:50–16:58
- Kim K./Bar Exam & Legal Jokes: 17:01–27:05
- Big Sean & Jhené / Breakup Music: 32:31–39:14
- R&B Party / Demons Bit: 43:41–48:02
Tone & Style
The episode blends irreverence, cultural critique, and inside-hip-hop humor. The hosts veer between silly, insightful, and vulnerable, keeping it honest (“I would fail the bar too”), always ready to roast one another, and often escalate into comedic tangents about relationships, clout, and city nightlife.
Summary
This "Best Of" episode is a perfect sampler of the New Rory & MAL show: astute music industry discussion with a bias toward R&B and hip-hop, wild hypotheticals, wild party recaps, and explicit but relatable relationship talk. It’s equal parts barbershop debate, morning show energy, and late-night oversharing—always delivered with sharp wit, a dose of self-awareness, and the chemistry of friends who know each other’s best (and worst) moves.