New Rory & Mal: "Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 8/25"
Date: August 31, 2025
Podcast: New Rory & Mal (iHeartPodcasts & The Volume)
Episode Overview
This "Best Of" episode showcases highlights from recent conversations on the New Rory & Mal podcast, offering fresh stories, humor, and signature hot takes. The main focus centers on authenticity in hip hop media, celebrity interviews (especially Drake), the nature of pop culture moments, generational divides in music, and lighter conversation around celebrity couples—plus some classic New York nostalgia and random comic relief.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Drake, Interview Culture, and Hip Hop Media (02:04–18:44)
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Why Drake Avoids Hip Hop Media: The discussion opens with Peach acknowledging why Drake might not want to sit with hip hop media outlets in the current climate, understanding his desire to control perception while avoiding tough conversations until his album drops (02:04).
"I can be objective and understand why Drake would want to avoid hip hop media or avoid any real conversation until the time is right of when that album comes out." — Peach (02:04)
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Ideal Interviewers for Drake: Rory and Peach ponder with whom they'd like to see Drake engage in a real interview—listing names like Angie Martinez, Rob Markman, Charlemagne, and reflecting quality over access.
"If Drake went to Drink Champs tomorrow, I'd be ecstatic." — Peach (02:36)
"Angie creates a very warm environment, does not avoid questions...That's why she's a legend." — Peach (03:59) -
No Interview Will Satisfy Everyone: Rory notes the futility in public expectations—no matter who interviews Drake or which questions are asked, people will be unsatisfied.
"People already have in their mind that don't like Drake...it doesn't matter what he says." — Rory (10:23)
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Real Friendship vs. Interviewing: The co-hosts discuss the difference between genuine relationships with artists and the transactional nature of interviews, expressing their disinterest in leveraging friendships for content.
"I've never thought about sitting and talking to Drake on camera. It's never once crossed my mind." — Rory (07:10)
"Truthfully, the things that we talk about, I wouldn't even talk about on camera." — Rory (08:14) -
Drake vs. Kendrick: Public Expectations: They compare Drake’s forward-facing, interactive style with Kendrick Lamar’s reclusiveness, justifying fans’ desire for more Drake interviews while respecting artist’s autonomy.
"You can't name another artist at Drake's level that we've ever had access to the way we have access to him." — Peach (17:40)
2. The Shifting Landscape of Music Promotion & Legacy Acts (18:16–27:47)
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Artists Like DJ Khaled & Jay-Z: The conversation explores how the promotional landscape has changed—even for perennial hitmakers like Khaled, whose formula of nabbing iconic features is running thin.
"I think with an artist like Jay, who's obviously a legacy artist at this point. Like, I just don't know what he does after a record or verse like God Did." — Rory (21:07)
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Rihanna, AI, and Music Industry Fatigue: They speculate on why stars like Rihanna aren't motivated to release new music, highlighting industry evolution, the rise of streaming, catalog sales, and the need for personal inspiration over financial necessity.
"I think artists just realize this thing that we came in on...the music industry, it's changing." — Rory (22:41)
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Moments vs. Music: The ‘moment’ in music is now often outside the music itself, and legacy collaborations don’t hold the cultural weight they once did as audiences move on quickly.
"Everything outside of the music is the moment." — Peach (25:52)
"Once you hear the record, it's like we just move on." — Rory (26:49) -
Gen Z Influence: The hosts address the balance between satisfying long-term fans and staying relevant to younger audiences.
"If you're gonna put your art into this space into the consumer space. You have to look at who's consuming it and a large part of the consumer base is the younger audience." — Rory (27:00)
3. Pop Culture, Celebrity Couples, and Podcasting’s Cultural Impact (33:00–41:01)
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Taylor Swift vs. Mariah the Scientist: Peach claims Taylor Swift writes better melodies, sparking playful banter about what music is acceptable to listen to in the car, and what it means about your vibe.
"Taylor Swift writes better melodies than Mariah the scientist." — Peach (33:00)
"If I get in Rory's car and he got Taylor Swift playing, we're going to have to have a conversation." — Rory (33:13) -
Celebrity Couple Engagements (Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce): The hosts satirically debate whether they, or anyone, truly care about celebrity relationships, admitting most of us only feel genuine happiness in relationships of those we know personally.
"I truly don't think I've ever been happy for a couple that I didn't know." — Peach (35:26)
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Podcasting and Relationship Rumors: The start of the Swift-Kelce romance validates the “power” of podcasting, according to the hosts, since the rumor started on Travis’ podcast.
"It did validate podcasting." — Peach (37:24)
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Wedding Gossip & Last Names: The hosts riff on the logistics of planning a high-profile wedding and the possibility of Taylor changing—or not changing—her last name.
"One thing I can promise you is Taylor Swift is not losing that last name." — Rory (46:24)
"Imagine that jersey [Swift-Kelce] in every seat of the stadium." — Peach (48:09)
4. Nostalgia, NYC Graffiti Stories & Iconic Moments (54:45–59:46)
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The Smokey Robinson ‘Happy Chinooka’ Cameo: A hilarious recount of the now-viral cameo in which Smokey mispronounces “Hanukkah” brings laughter and a riff on spelling, pronunciation, and Cameo-gig fatigue.
"Happy Chinooka. I have no idea what Chinooka is." — Smokey Robinson via Peach (49:56)
"This is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Like, he can spell, he can pronounce, like, he can read. Like, Smokey isn't wrong here." — Rory (51:19) -
NYC Graffiti & Changing Neighborhoods: The episode rounds out with Smokey sharing stories from the old days—narrowly escaping beefs between graffiti crews, the culture of respect (or disrespect) across boroughs, and lamenting the loss of old NYC spaces to gentrification.
"Back then, down there was really a melting pot....there was, like, real...going on. Like, it was like a real energy going on at that time down there. And I feel like now it's just like, all right, bro." — Smokey Robinson (58:13) "We're losing recipes." — Smokey Robinson (58:58)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On unmet fan expectations:
"No matter what he says, no matter what he does, no matter what album he puts out, people already have in their mind that don't like Drake and that don't like...it doesn't matter." — Rory (10:23)
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On genuine friendships in the industry:
"If Drake never gives me [an interview], sits down on the camera, I wouldn't give a fuck." — Rory (07:49)
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On the fleeting value of 'music moments':
"Everything outside of the music is the moment." — Peach (25:52)
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On pop stardom invisibility:
"Taylor Swift is not a regular person." — Peach (39:05) "I think that as big of a star as Taylor Swift is, if she goes to other countries, she just has this very, like, prototypical aesthetic where it's just like, she could be working in a library, a bookshop." — Rory (40:08)
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On podcast culture's real-world influence:
"I think anything podcast related we are attached to as a genre and a culture and as a family." — Peach (37:54)
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On old NYC and gentrification:
"We're losing recipes." — Smokey Robinson (58:58)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:04 — Drake's media avoidance & interview debate
- 03:59 — Angie Martinez as ideal interviewer
- 07:10–08:14 — Real friendship vs. interviews
- 17:40 — Drake’s public access and unprecedented exposure
- 25:52 — What constitutes a 'moment' in music now
- 33:00–34:55 — Taylor Swift, car playlists, and pop melodies
- 35:26–37:24 — Celebrity couples and podcasting’s hand in the Swift-Kelce romance
- 46:24–48:28 — Discussion of the Swift-Kelce last names and jersey potential
- 49:54–52:24 — The Smokey Robinson "Chinooka" story
- 54:45–59:46 — Graffiti rivalries and NYC nostalgia
- 58:58 — “We’re losing recipes.”
Summary Flow & Tone
The episode mixes irreverent humor with thoughtful commentary on hip hop culture, artist authenticity, the changing music industry, and communal nostalgia. The hosts use sharp banter, a relaxed storytelling mode, and jump fluidly between heartfelt sincerity and sarcasm—never missing a moment to lampoon both themselves and the larger cultural circus they inhabit.
Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Rory & Mal, this “Best of” episode delivers lively debates, inside industry reflections, and plenty of laugh-out-loud pop culture moments—without ever losing their distinct voice.