Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 9/1

Summary

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New Rory & MAL – Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 9/1

Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Aired: September 7, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features a lively roundup of new stories, debates, and signature unfiltered banter among hosts Rory, Mal, and their rotating crew. Conversational highlights include an in-depth breakdown of a recent rap battle frenzy—centered around Joey (presumably Joey Bada$$), Daylyt, Loaded Lux, and others—and spirited discussions on the culture of musical interviews, leaks, and authenticity in the social media era. The crew also dives into the Young Thug case and the complexities of "street rules," all while examining what it means to commentate honestly in today’s media landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rap Battles, Beef, and Joey’s Perspective

(02:40–21:38)

• Fallout from "Rulers Back":

  • Joey discusses not anticipating the drama sparked by his Jay-Z-referencing track "Rulers Back." He insists the reference wasn’t a calculated diss but acknowledges his friend Sam warned it could spark controversy (03:04).
  • Quote:
    “I don’t think it’s gonna be that big of a deal. It’s the whole line. It ain’t like I said, yo, he fucked the West Coast.” — Joey (G), (04:12)
  • He recounts speaking with Ab-Soul (AB) after the track dropped, confirming no personal offense was taken.
  • The Internet’s role in escalating the situation is debated, with Joey noting:
    “The Internet nowadays fuels shit…stand culture and all of that shit.” — Joey (05:17)

• The "Sorry Not Sorry" Response & Jabs at Cole:

  • Joey admits that the song, particularly the line with “bunch of n****s with attitudes,” directly addressed West Coast critics and the digital fallout (06:07).
  • Deliberate intention is discussed:
    “I did think about that one though. Cause I’m like, all right, now it’s a little bit more intention, you know what I’m saying?” — Joey (07:10)

• Rap as Sport:

  • The group reminisces about an era when lyrical competitiveness was expected, not taken personally.
  • Quote:
    “It was the epitome of what this whole thing is, what hip hop is.” — F (07:27)
  • The consensus: the real offense was taken by the Internet, not other rappers or battle peers like Daylyt.
    • “Internet was fueling it for the- no, no, Daylyt wasn’t offended.” — Joey (08:05)

• Daylyt’s Approach and Battle Rap Formats:

  • Discussion on whether Daylyt’s response on tracks matched his usual ferocity in live battles. Joey points out a beat-based competition was a new arena for Daylyt (11:38).
  • Quote:
    “He was in a different arena. This was a different stage for Daylyt Battle…We’re not on the stage.” — Joey (11:22)
  • The Red Bull Cypher logistics are dissected—Joey knew his bars would likely reach opponents early, impacting battle strategies and public perception (09:29–10:30).

• Loaded Lux Collaboration and the "My Town" Record:

  • Joey details the organic formation of his team-up with Loaded Lux:
    “Me and Lux go way back…we always just had that rapport.” (14:05)
  • On where “My Town” stands in rap diss history, Elliot suggests it’s top-tier material (16:13).

• Joey’s Willingness to Engage:

  • Initially, Joey didn’t see the value in engaging, but recognized a new generation of hip-hop fans eager to (re)discover his lyrical skills, especially facing multiple opponents (17:19–19:44).
  • “Every five years is a bunch of new hip hop fans…A bunch of opinions, think pieces.” — Joey (17:51)

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2. Young Thug, Street Rules & Government Tactics

(21:41–31:56)

• On Leaks of Young Thug’s Conversations:

  • The crew analyzes recent “leaks” of jail calls and interrogation footage involving Young Thug, suggesting these aren’t true leaks, but intentional moves by authorities to damage Thug’s public persona.
  • Quote:
    “We may not have you in prison…But we’re gonna get you. And I think this is exactly what’s happening here.” — F (22:43)
  • Elliot notes phone call leaks may come via lower-level prison staff, while interrogations are purely government-held (25:13, 26:10).

• Evolving Street Rules & Snitching:

  • The group debates the reality and history of “street rules.”
  • Quote:
    “The rules are cold. That shit is only upheld by a very select few…You go through every era from the biggest gangsters…I could point out somebody that ratted.” — F (28:22)
  • Mal’s candid take: standing solid is rare—most fold when pressured.
  • “Come home, concert sold out, merch sold out. I’m saying, views going crazy on YouTube. The support is still there. And they just put some good dudes behind bars.” — F (31:39)

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3. Hip-Hop Journalism, Interviews, and Industry Critique

(36:23–56:10)

• Controversy Over Who Gets the Big Interview:

  • The team discusses the backlash around Drake’s interviews with newer personalities (e.g., Bobby Althoff) instead of traditional hip-hop journalists.
  • Memorable Moment:
    “If all three of them…want to sit with me in my white face, I’d be happy to.” — Elliot jokes about interview dynamics. (37:11)
  • They debate whether Drake owes fans or journalists any explanations or interviews—Mal and Host argue artists don’t owe media or fans everything (44:24–45:07).

• On Journalism, Integrity, and Coverage:

  • Mal pushes back on being forced to critique music not meant for him, specifically Cardi B:
    “I don’t feel comfortable talking about Cardi B’s music because she don’t…I’m not her audience, her target audience.” — F (39:07)
  • Elliot argues full-spectrum coverage is part of journalism, but Mal counters that honesty is more important (40:10–40:21).
  • Host and F reiterate the line between media figure, journalist, podcaster, and cultural commentator is blurry in 2025 (38:46).

• Changing Nature of Artist Interviews:

  • The group analyzes how artists—especially A-listers like Drake, Kendrick, and Cole—now steer clear of traditional journalism, choosing lighter or less “cultural” interviewers.
  • Notable Discussion:
    “There’s also so many different types of creators who have a different interview type platforms…who would also ask him certain questions that I just don’t think that he’s prepared to answer.” — Host (46:28)
  • They admit artists are under no obligation to address beefs or deep issues, as fans will criticize no matter what (47:21–47:36).

• Historical Comparisons & Expectations:

  • Mal recalls fans in earlier hip-hop eras never clamored for interviews post-beef—just the music. Elliot challenges this, citing the famous Jay-Z with Angie Martinez interview after “Ether” as proof fans did care (52:16–53:09).
  • Host points out times have changed, and so have fan/industry/media expectations (54:11).

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “I probably made Rulers Back…two days before I put it out…we just put it out…my man Sam…was the only person that was like, yo, I don't know that line.”
  — Joey (G), 03:04

• “One thing I’m not gonna do is get on Twitter and be walking it back…Like yo, I ain’t mean it like that. I felt secure in what I meant.”
  — Joey, 06:23

• “The Internet nowadays fuels shit…the stand culture and all of that shit.”
  — Joey, 05:17

• “This is what they supposed to be doing is rapping.”
  — F, 07:47

• “I don’t think Gunner’s lawyers did. Thug’s lawyers I think can get those, you know…but that lets you know when you make a call, this call is being recorded.”
  — F, 27:27

• “The rules are cold…that shit is only upheld by a very select few.”
  — F, 28:22

• “A journalist should be honest. If integrity…journalists should have integrity. And don’t none of you got more integrity than me.”
  — F, 40:21

• “I don’t feel comfortable sitting here talking about Cardi B’s music. Cause I know she doesn’t make music for me. What’s wrong with that?”
  — F, 39:11

• “The reason why I never understood why people get upset about shit like this is because, number one, he sat down with people. Plenty of people before.”
  — F, 43:01

• “Times have changed, and we consume more media and we expect more out of our celebrities.”
  — Host, 53:48

• “He doesn’t want to be a culture vulture anymore. So he’s sitting down with a white girl.”
  — F, 55:54

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Memorable Moments

• Joey detailing the behind-the-scenes logistics of beef tracks, especially how opponents likely heard tracks in advance thanks to label or social connections (10:30).
• Mal’s frank account of why he left street life, seeing “snitching” as inevitable and refusing to participate in that cycle (31:39).
• The tongue-in-cheek debate about whether being a podcaster, journalist, or “media man” matters anymore—or if, as Elliot says, “We’re all the same gang, motherfucker.” (38:28).
• The nuanced debate about artists’ right to control their narrative, and the perpetual dissatisfaction of fans and media with the accessibility of A-listers (44:24–47:36).

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Conclusion

This episode showcases Rory & Mal’s blend of humor, candor, and insight on rap beefs old and new. The crew lays bare the shifting power dynamics in media coverage, the evolving “rules” of hip-hop beef and authenticity, and unpacks what it means to engage with cultural moments as both fans and commentators. Whether parsing Joey’s rap chess moves, dissecting the blurred lines between journalist and podcaster, or pondering if Drake owes anything to anyone, it’s a fast-paced, witty, and thought-provoking mixtape of contemporary hip-hop media life.

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Transcript

[Host]

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[Elliot]

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[Host]

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[F]

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[Elliot]

Busy taxes and fees extra C mint mobile.com.

[G]

The volume.

[Elliot]

Did you think what happened after the rulers, back when you dropped it? Because I was with January 1, January 1. Did you think things were going to go the way they were going to go after you? Yeah.

[G]

Absolutely not.

[Elliot]

You didn't think one Jay Z reference was going to make the whole west coast sensitive?

[G]

I. You know what I mean?

[F]

And out. Now, I'm not letting Joey get that over. You knew exactly what the fuck you was doing.

[G]

Nah, bro, I promise you I didn't. You know what I'm saying? Like, so I made rulers back, right? I probably made rulers back. I want to say, like, two days before I put it out, Okay? I made it. We shot the video and then we just. We just put it out and, you know, shout out to my man Sam. Cause he was the only person that was like, yo, I don't know that line.

[F]

And I was like, so he felt it, he felt it, he felt it.

[G]

He was like, yo, I'm telling you, like, like, like that line is gonna probably cause some reaction.

[Elliot]

Listen, I was even wrong. We came in the day that that came out. Well, not the day, but a few days after we recorded. I said, man, it's just the whole reference. Like, I don't honest, this is not gonna turn out to be anything. And boy, was I fucking wrong. I really did not think that was gonna make everybody as sensitive as it did.

[G]

Same, same, bro. Same. Like, you know what I mean? I can't say that my man ain't like, put the bug in my ear that he felt that it could. Yeah, but my. My, like, sentiment on it was like, nah, like, I don't think it's gonna really, like, you know what I'm saying? I don't think it's gonna be that big of a deal. It's the whole line.

[F]

It ain't like I said, yo, he fucked the West Coast.

[Elliot]

You know what I'm saying?

[G]

I'm like, yo, I'm clearly recycling a whole line with remarkable timing. That part I understood, but I'm so.

[F]

You knew that you understood the timing.

[Elliot]

But that was why the reference was so good. Cause of what was happening at the time.

[G]

Like, what?

[Elliot]

I thought it was an ode to a time where that was happening as well.

[G]

Especially with me understanding my relationships with the West Coast.

[F]

West coast tour with them.

[Elliot]

Like, everybody knows, you know, when this.

[G]

Happened, one of the first people who caught me was ab.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? We spoke about it. You know what I'm saying? We spoke about it for like 10, 15 minutes.

[F]

And, like, we laughing about it.

[Elliot]

He's super cool.

[F]

Super, like, he gets it.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? So. But to me, like, that's how I'm thinking about it. I'm like, yeah. Like, I'm like, yo, you thought I like. I'm like, yo, for real. Like, you took that by. You took any disrespect from that. He's like, nah. Like, niggas is rapping n his favorite thing to say. You in the gym. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? So I was like, oh, I bet. But then, you know, shit started jumping online. And, you know, the Internet nowadays fuels shit.

[F]

Oh, absolutely.

[G]

Like, the stand culture and all of that shit. So, you know, this narrative start developing. And when the narrative started developing, I was like, okay, somebody's gonna take this bait. Of course somebody's gonna take this bait. And then it just, you know, 1, 3.

[F]

You seem to be very prepared. I will say that I wasn't.

[G]

I honestly wasn't prepared. I wasn't, you know, I rolled with the punch.

[Elliot]

Let me ask this quick before we get to the rest of the battle with. If the Internet did not have the narrative that started after Ruler's back, would sorry, not sorry have came out the way it did? Even down to what I would say isn't a shot, but it's a little jab at Cole. Like, there were shots where I felt like, you saw the energy of, hey, people took this as a diss. So if you did, all right, sorry, not so who wanna rap?

[G]

Sorry, not sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I say there's a line in there, too. I'm like, you know, bunch of niggas with attitudes like, you know what I'm saying? That was clearly addressing the people on the west coast who was feeling a.

[Elliot]

Way no sensitive about a regular.

[G]

I'm just, you know, my response to it was like, yo, I'm my city. You know what I'm saying? Like, at that point, I'm like, you know what? I ain't cause for me, what was important to me in the beginning. And it's like, I don't know. I don't know if it was a good thing in hindsight or a bad thing. But I'm like, one thing I'm not gonna do is get on Twitter and be walking it back or some shit like that. Like, yo, I ain't mean it like that. I felt secure in what I meant. And then I'm already speaking to my people on that side, and they telling Me how they feel. And they not taking no offense. So I'm like, yo, fuck the Internet, you know what I'm saying?

[F]

What they say, Complete opposite of what J. Cole did. Yeah, yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

I mean, he takes a shot and sorry. Not sorry, but.

[G]

But even that. Even that, though, it's like, you know.

[Elliot]

They won't delete that later. Joey won't.

[F]

I won't.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? Like, it was commentary, you know what I'm saying? Like, it's not like I didn't even. That I'm like, okay. You know, I. I did think about that one, though. Cause I'm like, all right, now it's a little bit more intention, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, okay. You know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

Like, not disrespectful, though.

[F]

It was the epitome of what this whole thing is, what hip hop is right to me, what you were doing. So that's why, you know, it was good to see the guys get out and, you know, get the pins moving. Everybody rapping lanes. I love that. You know what I'm saying? I'm a little older, so I know what that part of the culture is. It's like, this is rap. Never thought it was going to get serious or it was gonna go left.

[G]

Right.

[F]

But I didn't understand how some people were really, like, offended, though, and really felt the way, like, nah. That I'm like, but this is what they supposed to be doing is rapping. Yeah.

[Elliot]

And I mean, I don't know. I feel like the Internet was offended. I don't think, like. I don't think like, daylight was.

[G]

Internet was fueling it for the. No, no, Daylight wasn't offended. I think anyone like that having conversations since the beginning, since the rulers.

[Elliot]

You did. You did mention in the last record.

[F]

Yeah, but I don't know if that.

[Elliot]

Light had heard your bars before, so. Before the red bullshit, because what's the daylight. He had the skate park apologies light. I forgot the record. It was one of my favorite joints. It. It came out before, like.

[G]

Like backpack or some shit like that.

[Elliot]

Yeah. And he kind of predicted what Joey's first dis. And then Joey had mentioned on the last record, like. Like, you heard all my bars in the red bullshit months ago. Like, don't act like you. Some. Some prophecy shit like you knew was going to happen. So that did happen. AB Played that for him or how did that even go about.

[G]

So, you know, when we did the Rebel joint We did that shit in like March and he coming to like, what, like May or some shit like that. So, you know, I don't know if AB specifically played it, but what I do believe happened is we recorded the Cypher at Big Sean's house. Like a track, okay. Because the guys was, you know, everybody just kind of wanted to make sure that we had a backup plan in case lyrics couldn't be remembered, memorized in time.

[Elliot]

Facts. Yeah.

[G]

So it was like the idea of having this backing track, okay. But I knew in that very moment that motherfuckers was gonna hear my shit.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? Because everybody's connected, you know what I'm saying? So like, it don't gotta be AB Direct. It could have been his manager.

[F]

Yeah, Boom, boom, boom. Yeah, but he gonna hear.

[G]

But then, but then, you know, AB is also a TDE artist, so top. And you know, the label is very involved on the rolling out of the Red Bull Cypher, you know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

Everybody understand light are supposed to be.

[G]

What it is, you know what I'm saying? So at some point they heard it, you know what I'm saying? So I knew that that was going to happen. I didn't know that it was going to take Red Bull so long to put it out. But by the time that happened, I'm like, okay, if I'm my enemies, I have a plan of action to respond to this. When this shit dropped and it dropped, it went crazy. And just like I predicted, motherfuckers had a move the day after which made it look like to the public, like, oh, like he. Yeah, like he went in the studio last night like, nah, nah. N was prepared.

[F]

N was prepared.

[Elliot]

And again, I'm not here to have you start trouble with past. It was an amazing moment, I think for hip hop because everyone just rapped and everyone became cool and friends and everything's fine now. I will go back to some of the stuff we talked about. Cause we was on your side the entire time. But before Daylight got involved, we sat here nervous for you just cause of who Light is and what his past. That's what he do.

[F]

He's a battle rapper, that's what he does.

[Elliot]

And Light, I think actually is one of the few battle rappers that does make music that's good as well, which is tough. So we was a little nervous and boy, was we proving fucking wrong.

[F]

Yeah, I don't think. I don't even know.

[Elliot]

Were you a little surprised that Daylight didn't come the way we thought Paul is the way we usually see in a battle with.

[G]

Well, I wouldn't say some of those.

[Elliot]

By his standard, because I think Daylight is an alien.

[G]

I wouldn't say that he didn't, you know, pause come the way that, like, you know, he usually comes. But I think one thing that I understood about it is that he was in a different arena. This was a different stage for Daylight Battle. Yeah, but we're not on the stage.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[F]

Okay. So it's not the performative aspect.

[Elliot]

He's delivered on beats.

[G]

The beat is on, you know, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's the first of his kind of a battle that Daylight has had. You know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

Yeah. As far as. For sure.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

Public eye, trading tracks, you know what I'm saying? Usually he's on the stage, and I think, you know, this whole thing would have went down different if it was, like, on the stage and shit like that. So I'm like, you know, that was one thing that I knew. Like, okay, cool. That's definitely one thing to my advantage. Right. And I even say it, I'm like, yo, no matter what stage they put you on, you still assed out.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

That was my thinking entendre when he.

[G]

Took his ass down with that whole thing. But then, two, I feel like one thing that gave me confident edge over the whole situation was when he did the backpack thing. Cause I'm like, you shouldn't have to do that.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? So that made me feel like, okay, this is like, I could do this shit. You know what I'm saying? This is beatable, you know what I'm saying? Cause now you leaning into optics and shit like that, which I'm like, you the great. You know what I'm saying?

[Elliot]

You don't need to do this. You don't need to do that if you're leaning on. Oh, I knew this before shit.

[G]

Right. You know what I'm saying? So that kind of gave me a little bit of, I feel like, power and energy in the situation where it's just, like, I was able to approach it, like, a little bit differently. But yeah. Now shout out to day, though, man. I really do love day. That's my man. And, like, you know what I'm saying? It was. It was.

[Elliot]

Daylight is one of the greatest.

[F]

I just want to know what he's like. I haven't heard anything from him. Does he post on social media? Like, we haven't seen daylight at all.

[G]

I heard he dropping. He dropping a joint soon album. Yeah.

[Elliot]

Listen, again, I. Is Surf and Light that I think are the two battle rappers that, like, make good. They know how to make good music. So that's. That's where I was a little nervous. But what was that call to Lux like, oh, like, how did that whole. That whole thing come together with Loaded Lux?

[G]

Let me take a little sip.

[F]

And I know Lux was laughing. Like. I know when he got the call, he started laughing like, man, what you doing?

[Elliot]

If I remember correctly, on YouTube, it didn't say featuring Loaded Lux.

[G]

No, it did.

[Elliot]

No, because I remember being in my. I'm posted the most Statue of Liberty emojis I've ever posted in my fucking life. Once I heard Lux come on that second verse.

[G]

Yeah. Yeah, man. You know, so me and Lux go way back, you know what I'm saying? Like, I connected with lux, like, probably 10 years ago, eight years ago. Like, I did a feature film, like, back in the day, you know, so we always just had that rapport or whatever, and, you know, actually had a conversation with him early on in the year. Like, you know, when the shit first started kicking off and shit like that, you know, we was, you know, laughing, joking, and, you know, talking about the idea of possibly, like, if I was going to engage, like, you know, but it was really just kind of, like, poking fun out of the whole situation. Like, it wasn't nothing serious. I ain't, like, really be like, yo, boom, boom. But then when the Red Bull shit happened, I'm like, okay, cool. So I'm my opponents, right? I heard this shit for two months. I got my move ready.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

And, you know, right the next day, you know, Rayvon dropped. And then I'm like, okay, cool. I went to the studio that night, and I made the finals. You know what I'm saying?

[F]

Boom.

[G]

But then after that, I'm like, okay, what is this nigga, like, gonna do? You know what I'm saying? I'm like, I have no idea what this motherfucker going through. So I'm waiting, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I'm keeping the pen hot.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

Just in case. Cause I don't know when this gonna drop. Then he start tweeting shit and all that. I'm like, all right. They said now it's Monday.

[F]

You know what I'm saying?

[G]

So you dropped the joint. And I'm like, oh, I bet. You know what I'm saying? You know what it felt like? I felt like okay, cool. It was almost like when you get in the ring with your opponent and you feel that first punch, you like, oh, that's it.

[F]

Yeah.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? Like, oh, okay. So then, yeah, I went to the studio, I called Luxx, I said, yo, yeah, it's time, it's time.

[F]

Let's go ahead and finish him.

[G]

It's time. It's time. It's like, yo, I'm about to send you this joint. He sent it back lightning quick, I ain't gonna lie. Yeah, shout out to Luxx.

[F]

No, Luxx is. He's. He's. He's. He's a he. I watched some of those freestyle. Still to this day.

[Elliot]

Like, of course, it's tough to be objective, but where do you. Where do you rank my town in? If Complex were to put out every list that they used to put out of the top 50 diss records of all time? Where my town lands, I don't know where to me, I think it's a little higher. Of course the dust has to settle, and it just happened. But I think when time passes, I. I think that my town record might be up there in. In one of the. The greatest battle records, in my opinion. Yeah, if you look at everything that was happening with that entire week, how crazy that shit was, that was kind of the stamp that. And of course, I have a New York bias. But after that, I was like, this is over, man. I don't. Like, I don't really. I don't care too much after this. This is done now.

[F]

We spoke about it here. This is done. I'm obviously familiar with your pen and your work, but you definitely outperformed my expectations.

[G]

Word up.

[F]

Like, I knew what you were capable of, but I was just thinking like, this, N. Joey getting TV money. You know, once you start going that route, it's like, do he really even love that shit?

[G]

You know what? I'll tell y' all something, right? Like, initially, that was my approach. Like when Day and Ray first started, like, jabbing and shit like that, you know, when I was doing side, not side, the part of me and shit like that, I'm like. In my head, I'm like, I mean, I'm not about to engage for real. You know what I'm saying? Cause I'm like, I didn't see the win for me, but then I started getting hip to the fact that people like, you know what I learned over time is like, every five years is a bunch of new hip hop fans.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[G]

That come into the picture get on that Twitter, get on the Internet, have a bunch of opinions, think pieces, podcasts, all of that shit. So in that moment, you said what.

[Host]

I said, well, Dan, why we catching astray?

[G]

No, no, no, not y', all, Not y'.

[F]

All.

[G]

Y' all ain't catching it straight as a compliment.

[Elliot]

Finally, people were actually talking about rap music for a fucking change.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? But so pretty much what I realized, I'm like, oh, you know what? There's a lot of people who are in discovery mode about me.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[F]

Oh, absolutely.

[G]

You know what I'm saying? Even though I have my accomplishments and my success. Absolutely. There's still a lot of people who are not familiar with 1999 Joey before the money. All American. So at that point when we clicked up for the Red Bull joint and you know. Cause I. Cause you know, A.B. like, gave me, like, a sample of his verse. And then when I peeped that he was doing the. He mentioned the daylight and ratio, I was like, you know what? This is a good opportunity now. I saw it as, like. I saw a win in it for me. I'm like, this is a good moment for me to engage because I can remind people. Not even remind. I could fucking hit people to what this pen do. You know what I'm saying? So that's when I jumped in. But also the one for me, too. I'm definitely was cognizant of it. Was it being like Joey versus the field, you know what I'm saying? That was a better battle for me, you know what I'm saying? Rather than me versus this person alone or me versus that person alone, it was more worth it for me to be, like, going up against a bunch of people, you know what I'm saying? So at that point, I'm like, yeah, you know what?

[Elliot]

It was helpful.

[G]

Yeah, it's game time. Like, let's get it. I see the win, I see the opportunity, and I'm taking it.

[Elliot]

In the midst of that, you don't have to answer. Just blink twice. If Top Dog paid you to do all that.

[G]

Top Dog did not pay me.

[Elliot]

I'm just saying.

[F]

That was the talk.

[G]

However, we did have. We did have, like, fairly. We did have, like, TD East. Yeah, we did have some. Some dialogue, like, you know what I'm saying? Just like, you know, joking and, you know, a lot of joking and laughing and shit. Shit, I ain't gonna lie. Top. He had.

[F]

He.

[G]

He bought me some. Some seats, some tickets one night to the Knick game. While that shit was going on. He was like, yo, you gotta be out there, man. Like, you know what I'm saying? You know, so that was love. But we definitely did have a few conversations, you know, talk about the whole TD east thing. And, like, you know how he thought that shit was clever. He like, yo, nigga, I've been laughing about that shit since last night and shit like that. I'm like, yo, she kind of got a ring to it.

[Elliot]

Yeah, we should talk.

[G]

We should have a conversation. You know what I mean? So we definitely spoke about that and the possibility of sitting down to talk about.

[F]

But he didn't have this whole elaborate scheme set up to get his artist back.

[G]

Absolutely not. Nah. You know what I mean? This whole thing, like, nobody knew I was gonna come with the rulers back. What'd you say?

[Elliot]

She ain't say nothing. Nobody ain't saying work.

[G]

Anyways, listen, nobody knew that I was going to come with the rulers back. And after the rulers back, I didn't know what was going to transpire. Like, when I tell you this shit was rolling with the punches, it was rolling with the fucking punches. The only moments of, like, preparation I had was once I did that Rebel freestyle and knew that it was sitting with that side for two months. At that point, I'm like, okay, cool. I smell something. Now. I could see what's coming, but before that, I couldn't see nothing. You know what I'm saying? Like, it was just surprise every day, you know what I'm saying? So, yeah, no worry about.

[F]

I need to start, like, really talking about, like, my inner thoughts more.

[Elliot]

Okay, okay.

[F]

You know how you have inner thoughts about things and you be like. And then when shit happens, you be like, I should have said this two years ago. You ever had those moments where shit happens and you be like, I knew this was going to happen two years ago. Well, in particular with the whole thug situation, when he essentially came home and won his trial, because that was a win. I think he was facing life, if I'm correct.

[Elliot]

He was.

[F]

It was like, oh, shit, shout out to Brian Steele. You know what I mean? Was able to go in there, time served, make some things happen. Tom Serve, he obviously has restrictions. Can't go here, can't go there. But something about that never sat right with me. I was like, this doesn't. I don't think this is the end of this. And lo and behold, now we have these recorded conversations being. I don't. We don't want to say leaked. It's not an album. It's not an album. These Conversations are being put out.

[Host]

Yes.

[F]

And I always felt like the government was gonna find a way.

[Host]

Oh, shit.

[F]

To say, okay, he won the. The battle, but we're gonna win the war. We're gonna do whatever we can to completely annihilate his public facing character, his public facing status. And I believe that this is exactly what this is. This is an attack on dismantling Thug's character. Dismantling what? Everything that Thug stands for. This is not by accident. This is not a leak. This is a planned thing that I feel like the government knew. They know exactly what they're doing, and they had this plan all along. When they want you, they're gonna get you. We may not have you in prison, we may not have you behind bars, but we're gonna get you. And I think that this is exactly what is happening here. I think that they are purposely putting these audio recordings out because if anybody. Has anybody incarcerated, the first thing you hear when you answer that phone is this call is being recorded. Mm. So you know that this is being recorded. It's not. Who keeps the recording? You don't know? We can guess. Oh, the government has it. The jail system, the correctional facility has it. So now these recordings that they have, if you've ever called from a jail and talked to somebody, anything you spoke about is recorded and saved somewhere. So now what the government is essentially doing is saying, okay, he's not in prison. Let's do whatever we can do to completely disrupt his image, completely dismantle his image. And that's exactly what they're trying to do with these recordings.

[Elliot]

Okay. But also, cool the phone calls, but there's also interrogation stuff there. So, like, you know when people on reality TV complain, like, I was edited this way, this. And then the reply is always like, well, you can't edit what you don't do.

[F]

Yeah, cool.

[Elliot]

Government could be behind anything. But what Thug stands for. I don't care that they leaked it. It happened. Like, no.

[F]

Yeah. I'm not saying. I'm not saying nothing.

[Elliot]

Like, it's not like, if it was AI, I'd be like, all right, that's some. Some real. Real.

[F]

Clear. I'm not saying that none of this didn't happen. It clearly happened. These conversations clearly happened. What I'm saying is when people say, oh, these things are. It's a. They're leaking the conversation. Stop saying these conversations are leaking. These convers put out by the government, by the.

[Elliot]

So with Mariah the scientist and Doug, as far as that leaked conversation, and we could probably safely Assume that wasn't the government. That was probably somebody that worked at the jail that had it and sold it. Like that happens a lot too. How we saw Solange trying to whoop Jay Z's ass was because the security people sold the like, I do think there's an element there. And we also know because he. Where was he locked up? Was that a federal case? No, that was with this.

[F]

No, that was. No, it was stated.

[Elliot]

Yeah. So it was state. So he was locked up in the greater Atlanta area. We know cos come from the same exact hoods that the people that are locked up in. I could see a world where all this CEO took the. And sold it to somebody or, or knew someone that knew gun and was like, yo, he's saying all this shit about you. I got all this like. I can see that. The interrogation one though to me is government. It's not that jail phone calls any.

[F]

No, it's not.

[Elliot]

CEOs sell them shits all the time.

[F]

No, they do not. It's not that easy to get those recordings.

[Elliot]

Okay.

[F]

Those recordings are not just on a recorder right here in the office where we having lunch at. No, I know that's not where those recordings are located. Those recordings are somewhere where somebody higher up on the chain that works for the correctional facility, that works for the state, they have, they have those recordings. That's not just somebody also lower level.

[Elliot]

That monitor those calls that then have to flag something if criminal activity is being discussed for the higher ups to take care of. If you don't think somebody could sit in that office with their iPhone and play that recording and just like this and get that exact quality of what they have on those.

[F]

I, I do think, I don't think it's that easy. Okay. No, your lawyers can absolutely obtain your recordings.

[Host]

Yeah, he says GUN is lawyers.

[F]

Oh, gun is. You think gunna. I don't think that. I don't think that.

[Elliot]

But again, I don't want to act like a Twitter lawyer because I, I don't know can it once you plea out. Why would the lawyer have access to. They weren't even really co defendants after the police, so how would they have access to those calls?

[F]

Yeah, I don't think Gunner's lawyers did. Thug's lawyers I think can get those, you know, but that's again, it lets you know when you make a call, this call is being recorded. Yeah, of course. So it's just certain things that you just don't need to be speaking about on, you know, on those calls on those phones. Because again, you do know that it's being recorded.

[Elliot]

But I mean, to me, the, the calls, whether it be with, you know, 21, with other people, like, respectfully, that was more like gossipy I'm bored in jail calls. To me, the, the main leak was the interrogation. The two interrogation ones, like, that's different. That's not a jail phone call. That's an interrogation. Like, yeah, to me, that's where this is nuts. And I. I don't know at this point. Someone just tell me the street rules, because I don't know anymore.

[F]

There are no street rules.

[Elliot]

I'm just. I'm not calling. I'm a civilian. I'm not calling anyone a rat. I just want to know at this point, what are the updated rules? Listen, because I'm very confused.

[F]

People need to understand this. And, you know, it just is what it is. The streets and all of that. The rules are cold. That shit is only upheld by a very select few. Everybody's not a rat. Everybody's not a snitch. But there are rats, and they are snitches. You go through every era from the biggest gangsters. You show me who the biggest gangster was, somewhere in their store, I could point out somebody that read it. That's just. It's all. That's a part of the snitching is a part of the streets. And people just need to understand that that's a part of it. You know, when you play Mario, it's the little goombas that run around. That's part of the game. You can't play Mario World and not get mushrooms. Like, that's part. That's in the game. You cannot be in the streets and not think that people are not cooperating and not snitching. That is a part of the street rules. There are snitches, which is why when somebody doesn't snitch and doesn't cooperate, they should be saluted to the highest degree, because we know exactly how many of these people are cooperating. So when you see somebody take their time and take their punishment and stand up to it and don't fold and do that, those are the people you salute. Because again, for one person, that's going to hold it down, there's 100,000 that's going to cooperate. Like people that hold it down and take their sentences. That is very rare. So when people get so surprised when they find out that people cooperated or gave a statement, that's that I look at it like, what are we surprised about? That's A part of the game from. Look at every era. Your favorite documentaries, from your favorite gangsters and street figures. Go through all of the documentaries. And I guarantee you, in every documentary, there is somebody that cooperated and took the whole thing down.

[Elliot]

Some of your favorites did it.

[F]

And they throw parties for these niggas and all kinds of shit. When they come home, I'm like, you know that nigga rat it, right? The one thing that they love to say, he ain't rat on me. He ain't rat on me.

[Elliot]

He will, then.

[F]

Yeah. But y' all don't understand why I don't like being around this type of shit and these guys. Because I look at it and I'm like, yo, first of all, I know y' all don't even like each other, number one. Cause I've heard what y' all both said about each other to me. So then when I see y' all doing parties and events and hostings and vacations, I'll be sitting back looking like, maybe I'm the oddball. Maybe. You know what I'm saying? And I'm cool with that, maybe. But I'm just like, something ain't right with what's going on out here. And it hasn't been right forever. But it takes years of being around certain things and seeing certain things to understand like, oh, this is not for me. And that's one reason why it was easy for me to leave that street shit alone. Because I know how I'm going. I know that whatever I do, I'm taking that on the chin. If I get caught up out here and I gotta go to prison, I'm taking that. Everybody not doing that. So why even put myself in a situation where I'm the only one that's gonna hold it down? I'm not doing it. I'm asking to lose at that point. I'm asking to be the person with the short end of the stick. Because I know if they come and say, yo, you facing 15. Give me my 15. I'll see y' all in a minute. That's how I'm designed. Everybody ain't designed like that. Niggas here, 15 years, they put a beat on, nigga, I tell you, they gonna start telling them niggas that ain't even a part of the situation. And it's cool. Come home, concert sold out, merch sold out. I'm saying, views going crazy on YouTube. The support is still there. And they just put some good dudes behind bars. So when you look at that, you like, all right. So what am I doing? Because I'm never gonna do that. And if that's what you gotta do to be accepted out here, then I'd rather just not be a part of it.

[Colin Coward]

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[Elliot]

This episode is brought to you by Better Help. Who do you go to in order to solve your life problems? I do not go to my group chat. I do not go to this podcast because clearly you guys are listeners and know my co hosts just make fun of my problems. And you guys, as listeners, all you guys do is make fun of my problems. I can't go anywhere because nobody cares about me. So I have to go to a therapist. And Better Help gives you quality therapists that work according to a strict code of conduct. Unlike y' all and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps you identify your needs and preferences, like having very mean, you know, podcast fans and co hosts fully online. And you can pause your subscription whenever you need to and switch therapists at any time, no extra cost. That's 30,000 therapists that you can talk to. Like you have run through 30,000 different people with Better Help. As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of Expertise. Find the one with BetterHelp. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com Rorymal that's better. H E L P.com Rorymal I hate to admit that I enjoyed. I'm just gonna say quietly, I enjoyed the Bobby and Drake interview.

[F]

You enjoyed what? Say that again.

[Elliot]

Huh? I didn't say anything.

[F]

Say that again.

[Elliot]

I didn't say anything.

[Host]

What was enjoyable about it?

[F]

I don't think Punch gonna like that. No, what he said was if you couldn't hear him, he said he enjoyed the Bobby, Altoff and Drake.

[Elliot]

I was talking about Bobby Brown. It was a separate time.

[F]

Oh, different Bobby.

[Elliot]

Yeah.

[F]

Shout out to Bobby. He just got his masters back for don't be Cruel and.

[Elliot]

Oh, did he?

[F]

Yeah.

[Elliot]

Oh, congrats. That's crazy.

[F]

Yes. Hell yeah, Bobby Brown.

[Elliot]

Did you watch the Bobby Altoff? I'm sure I'm mispronouncing. That and Drake interview. I see. I don't believe you. I feel like you edited.

[F]

No, I didn't. I watched. I watched the clip.

[Host]

It's funny.

[F]

I didn't watch the full. Like, I watched the whole day. I've seen a bunch of clips, though.

[Elliot]

It was. It was entertaining. I still stand on.

[F]

I'm gonna watch it. I didn't watch it yet, though.

[Elliot]

I still stand on wanting to hear from Drake as well as Kendrick as well as Cole. I want to hear from them with black faces. No, not necessarily black people. If all three of them pause, want to sit with me in my white face, I'd be happy to. I'm gonna hit him with the culture.

[F]

I'll be all toughest in the culture.

[Elliot]

Don't do that because. Because Elliot dissed us over the weekend, and everyone called me and said we was beefing.

[F]

Elliot, this who.

[Host]

I saw that.

[F]

Elliot did sue me.

[Elliot]

Nah, he. I saw whoever tweeted it.

[F]

Elliot. Just me.

[Elliot]

Was very misleading and in the.

[F]

I didn't see it. What do you say?

[H]

All you podcasters and media men, you rappers that turn media men.

[G]

I'm a radio.

[H]

Wanna act like y'.

[G]

All.

[H]

Y' all are media man. Well, all this you have, you had your dream come true. We're all the same. We're the same. Elliot's journalism thing means nothing. Rob Markus means nothing. Jeremy Hexman, he's nothing. Your podcaster, your former rapper, you're all media man. I'm a media personality. I'm not a journalist. And I don't want to talk about Cardi's album no more because, nigga, you're. You signed up for the gig. The gig is the gig. You barely could talk to artists. They want to know what you think about everything. We're doing the same goddamn thing. You want to call yourself a former. I'm still an artist. I'm a media man. I'm a podcaster, a radio personality. I'm a journalist. Like, we're in the same gang, motherfucker. We're in the same game. My nightmares come true. We're in the same game.

[G]

Hey, you know what?

[H]

We're on the same thing.

[F]

Whenever you crash out, you sound like you. It's the same thing. You sound like you just got off the subway.

[H]

I don't care if you're mall. I don't care if you're Fat Joe. I'll name names. Your opinion does matter because that's the platform. Your audience wants your opinion on things.

[G]

You don't.

[H]

You don't conveniently get to drive. Like, I'm not qualified. I'm not a journalist. We have the mics. We're all talking. We're doing the same thing with all the same media men.

[F]

Oh, Because I said I'm not gonna. I don't. I don't feel comfortable talking about Cardi B music because she don't. I don't feel like she makes it for me. But that's real, though. I don't feel comfortable talking about anybody that I know didn't make anything. That I'm not. Their audience, their target audience. That's kind of like.

[Elliot]

But his point, that's not me being honest.

[F]

I thought that was me being honest.

[Elliot]

A journalist has to speak about everything.

[F]

No, they fuck. They don't. That's the problem. No, you don't. No, the fuck you don't. No, you don't. Nobody in the world needs to speak on everything. Journalists or not. You do not need to be speaking on everything. And yes, I stand on that. I don't feel comfortable sitting here talking about Cardi B's music. Cause I know she doesn't make music for me. What's wrong with that? I feel like that's being honest and real. Unlike some of these other niggas that got mics in their face and just talking. Yeah, I don't feel comfortable talking about Cardi B music whether I like it or not. Y' all know how I'm coming about Cardi. I fuck with Cardi. Big Bronx shit. I wanna see her do anything that she put her mind to. I want her to be successful. But I don't feel comfortable sitting here talking about her music and saying I don't like it. Because I know Cardi ain't going in the booth laying down bars with N like me and mine.

[Elliot]

So.

[F]

You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, duh. And her voice.

[Elliot]

Duh.

[F]

You not supposed to like it. I wasn't. I wasn't spitting these balls for you. So, yeah, I don't feel. I don't feel right sitting here saying, I don't like a Cardi record. I don't. Because I know she ain't making it for me.

[Elliot]

And so.

[F]

Yeah, shut up, Elliot.

[Elliot]

And to me, that is what does disprove Elliot's point that he was making. Because I think that is a form of journalism of what Mall just did.

[F]

Yes, that is a form of journal. A journalist should be honest if. If integrity. Journalists should have integrity. And don't none of you got more integrity than me.

[Elliot]

Cardi is obviously A a lister in hip hop. So she's gonna get brought up. And I think you didn't avoid it. It's not like we just stayed quiet about Cardi.

[F]

Yeah.

[Elliot]

I just feel like that's a whole statement itself. I'm not talking about this. Cause it ain't for me.

[F]

It's not for me. But I love Cardi. Shout out to Cardi. But it's. I don't feel right saying I don't like a Cardi record. Like I ain't supposed to. Like, that's like me saying I ain't like Cardi's outfit. It. She ain't put that on. Hoping I would like it. Like, to me, I look at it the same vein. Like, that doesn't. That's not for me.

[Elliot]

It's funny too, because Drake did bring up, I guess something in that vein with the Bobby interview in regards to him sitting with her rather than certain journalists. The goal is not to be an unattainable for your whole life and only speak to Zane Lowe while he asks you the most curated questions. And I mean, complex. Not to say they took. Drake misquoted him. But there was more context to what. What he was suggesting. He more or less was saying that artists can also go. Like Nikki going to Kai. Somebody that is usually does not speak to people is still allowed to go to something that's not this formal fucking thing. And he said no disrespect to Zane Lowe as well. He didn't diss Zayn, but I. I understood what he was saying. But it kind of goes back to our conversation that we've had a million times when it comes to this topic. I think there can be a balance of both.

[F]

Yeah.

[Elliot]

Nikki and Kai being a example that Drake brought up. Or even Drake and Bobby, because he's saying that they ushered in the idea of it. I. I just want to balance. As a fan. I'm speaking strictly as a fan. I want to balance.

[F]

You don't think there's a balance? Has Drake not sat down with other people before?

[Elliot]

No, no, of course. I'm not making this. He was talking about artists. Overall, I think there's been a lack of that with a list artists and a. A good amount of artists, period. That they can just go do the fun thing and avoid everything that people may want to know on the side. But they're also humans. They don't owe us. They don't owe us that. I'm just speaking as.

[F]

That's what I was waiting for.

[Elliot]

Oh, yeah, of course. They don't does Drake owe me any explanation for anything?

[F]

Not you, but I'm saying some people.

[Elliot]

Speak as if he does and he does not. But as a fan of music, I can also say I would love to hear from him with somebody that's going to ask questions and receive answers that I want to know.

[F]

That's all.

[Elliot]

I think that's fine.

[F]

The reason why I never understood why people get upset about shit like this is because, number one, he sat down with people. People, plenty of people before.

[Elliot]

Yeah, but it's different now.

[F]

He sat down in a whole barbershop with LeBron and God and the guys. He sat down with Elliot a couple times, had Elliot in his living room.

[Elliot]

Which I thought was.

[F]

He sat down with a bunch of people. He said that, sat down with a bunch of time.

[Elliot]

But that was at a time we wanted to. That's why that Rap Radar interview was so great. Outside of BDOT and Elliott doing a great job.

[F]

So nobody.

[Elliot]

It was. He addressed. He addressed the pink shit, he addressed the pushy shit, he addressed.

[F]

So he addressed the kitchen and all of that. You don't see why now things will be different for Drake and who he decides to sit next to and talk to for sure.

[Elliot]

But I'm not trying to make this a Drake thing. I'm going off what Drake was saying about ushering in this idea of all artists kind of going this route to some degree now.

[F]

Yeah. They don't want to sit down with the same old, same old. They don't want to sit down and have the same curated conversations. They'd rather sit down with somebody that knows them in a different light, has more of a personal connection to them, and they could have a fun, cool conversation.

[Elliot]

What, Kai and Nikki didn't know each other at all?

[F]

Well, no, it was fun. Not that they knew each other, but it was just polar opposite worlds. It was two different.

[Elliot]

For sure. Yeah.

[F]

So it's like, okay, but he's saying that I made it cool for it not to be the same old formal sit down type of thing where you go and sit down with these people that have, again, these curated questions and these conversations. It's like people don't want to do that all the time.

[Elliot]

Yeah, I understand it.

[F]

But these, these same people that they're saying, oh, we want them, they've sat down with these people before and had conversations with them.

[Elliot]

But everyone's speaking specifically based off what has happened.

[F]

Yes, because everybody wants to hear from Drake now. Everybody wants to ask him about the beef and what happened.

[Elliot]

Of course we get it.

[F]

But do people not understand how he would not ever want to sit down with any of you again? For sure. Nobody sees that in this equation, of course. Oh, okay. That's all I'm asking. Like, how do. How people so surprised again and being.

[Elliot]

Completely objective in this. I liked the Kendrick with scissor, but I still want to hear from Kendrick. I want Kendrick somebody like, I have questions. It's not just him.

[F]

You have questions now I have questions. Yeah.

[Elliot]

Yeah. Why would. That's not a weird thing for a fan to want.

[F]

No, all I'm saying, I'm not saying it's weird. I'm just saying it's weird for fans to not understand why Drake doesn't want to sit next to none of these people. That to me, that's weird.

[Host]

But I don't think fans don't not understand. And also.

[F]

No, they don't care.

[Host]

Yeah, no, they don't care. It's not. It's not that they don't understand. And honestly, I'm not. I don't think that the fans are crazy for thinking that. There's a little bit of a dodge of not wanting to talk about certain things. Yes, we want to do more fun interviews and curated interviews can be boring. This, this and that. But there's also so many different types of creators who have a different interview type platforms that before Bobby Altoff became the thing, or honestly before Drake made her the thing. Like there's other people who aren't the traditional people or people that Drake might have felt stabbed him in his back during this beef. Newer, younger people who are, you know what I'm saying, who are doing things that he can also sit with, but who would also ask him questions. They might not be super curated, but who would also ask him certain questions that I just don't think that he's prepared to answer. So I just don't want it to all. I just. One second. I don't want it to just be. I just. One second. I don't want the conversation to just be. Drake is just wants to do fun stuff and he also doesn't want to sit with fake niggas. There is also the point of. There's certain shit when it comes to that battle because of the outcome of it and things like that that Drake just doesn't want to talk about. That's okay, but that doesn't mean that.

[F]

He doesn't want to talk about it. Why you say he doesn't want to talk about it?

[Host]

What I'm saying is that people are assuming that he doesn't want to talk about it.

[F]

Now, that's different.

[Host]

Let me say this.

[F]

People's assumptions and what is.

[Elliot]

Are two different things. But you can have a. A safe assumption that when you just throw small little comments on streams, anytime you do the steak, when you talk with Aiden, when you talk with. Because he made little shots in the Bobby, too. It's like. It's like the first time you saw Marlo in the wire and dude had the gun to the head. He said, do it or don't. But I got to do, like, either either talk about it or shut up about it. Is I think how a lot of fans feel.

[F]

Yeah, but the fans don't. Of course.

[Elliot]

Entitlement thing. But fans are entitled. I'm an entitled fan sometimes, too.

[F]

But again, that's. Again, that's a problem, though, because on one hand you're entitled. But on the other hand, we know no matter who he sits down with, no matter what questions he asks, no matter what answers he gives, people are still going to have a problem. Sure. So what the fuck is the rush to. Like, what are we talking.

[Elliot]

I'm not saying it's a rush.

[F]

No. But what does the fans rush to want him to sit down with whoever they want?

[Elliot]

I said he wanted. I think he eventually is going to do a real interview with somebody to get to the.

[F]

But when he wants to.

[Elliot]

Yeah, no, I think when the album comes, they'll do that when he wants to.

[F]

So I understand.

[Elliot]

I actually, like, enjoyed the interview.

[Host]

I also don't think. I don't. I don't think that. I do think when the album comes that he'll sit and talk about that. I actually don't think.

[F]

I think. You don't think he'll ever talk about that?

[Elliot]

I don't.

[Host]

I didn't say ever. But I don't think that when the album comes, I don't think he'll talk about it. I could be wrong. I'm not. I do not know Drake Spine, but I don't think he will.

[F]

I mean, he doesn't need to, like, he doesn't need to use that as a rollout quote, unquote, like that. That clearly he doesn't need that. But if you don't think that he's gonna sit down one day and address. I mean, I think he said it at the end of the thing. Didn't he say, like. Like, are we gonna get to that? I'm gonna. We're gonna. I'm gonna see you guys. Like. So he basically is letting it be known that no, we're gonna get to that.

[Host]

I thought that was for the album.

[Elliot]

Yeah, I assumed he was.

[F]

No, he said, I'm gonna see you guys.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[F]

Through the music.

[Host]

Whatever.

[Elliot]

Okay.

[Host]

But what. Okay, well, what everybody is assuming is that that was a teaser for a.

[F]

He doesn't need it to the album. We know the album's coming. No, that was. I'm on tour right now. Because I think. Didn't Bobby ask him something about why is he doing a US Tour? And he was like, well, I just finished the US Tour when the whole thing started. I was still on tour actually, when that thing started, and now I'm on a European tour. But we're gonna do that. He's gonna get back to touring the US like, my thing is, people are just so. He needs to sit down with this person. Why does it matter? He can sit down with whoever y' all want him to sit down with. No matter what he says, I can promise you there's gonna be a million videos uploaded after the interview saying, oh, why didn't he address. Oh, I think he's lying about that. He didn't feel that way about that.

[Host]

I understand that. But he's not special in that regard, because that's what every celebrity. Every single time a celebrity opens their mouth and they have a certain amount of popularity, anything that they say is going to be either clickbaited or turned around or used for a headline. Like, that's just part of being a celebrity. But I think the conversation that people are having is you're sitting up there talking about certain things with someone that is not of the culture because they don't even know what questions to ask you. And I think that that is the backlash that may be coming from that. Doing an interview with Bobby Altoff is fine. Like, I don't think anybody has a problem with him doing that. It's just you doing. You're. Your attention is going to Bobby Altoff and Aiden Ross and all of these people who are not of the culture of music that kind of really birthed your career. So I think that that may be what people have an issue with. I don't think it's that he's doing interviews with them. I think that he's. It's because he's only doing interviews with them when there are plenty of young black creators or. You know what I'm saying? And things like that. Or streamers or things like that.

[F]

All right. You strike me as an intelligent woman. Do you think that that's purposeful? That's. That's on purpose that he's doing it.

[Host]

I, I, I don't give my opinion on Drake anymore, but I, I don't give my opinion on Drake anymore, but I do think that because I don't.

[Elliot]

The same answer you gave with the cardi shit, I'm stealing that.

[Host]

Yeah. Anything I say about Drake will be used against me in a court of law.

[F]

But what I will say, what I.

[Host]

Will say is this. I think that Drake is very, very, very, very, very, very smart. And I think that he likes a certain level of control when it comes to things. And I think if he's not ready to talk about something, it will not be talked about and he will not be asked about it. And I think that that is what is going on, but that's it. I don't think that there's anything wrong with it, but. Yes, you. Yes. Yeah, to answer your question, yes, that's on purpose. Yes, that's on purpose.

[F]

Yeah. So, I mean, I just, you know, again, people being upset because he's not sitting down with whoever. I just, I don't remember a time. Again, I'm a little older now. Not once during the whole Pac Biggie beef did I ever say, yo, this N A Pac need to sit with this person to talk about this. I don't give a. To hear about none of these. Talk about a rap beef.

[Elliot]

Well, okay, don't do that, because the Jay and Nas J sat with Angie. You can find that on YouTube.

[F]

But who said he, who, who was sitting around saying, yo, Jay got to sit down with Angie and talk about this? Who's saying that? Nobody even cared about, like, that.

[Elliot]

Well, this is all new when it comes to, like, new media outlets at the time, nobody had, everyone had a.

[F]

Wasn't nobody waiting.

[Elliot]

You don't think anyone wanted, after the ether, nobody wanted to hear from H.O.V. of course.

[F]

No, we wanted to hear records, we wanted to hear bars. Nobody was asking for an interview. This, this interview wasn't like, is, this is a whole new world with this interview.

[Elliot]

This is no interviews. 13 years old. I.

[F]

Nobody cared about what we were doing.

[Elliot]

When Jay sat with Angie.

[F]

Of course you did. What happened? You wasn't at home. McQueen saying, Jay Z needs to sit down and talk to somebody about this beef. You wasn't saying that when the interview came out because you didn't have, because.

[Host]

You didn't have to beg for the interviews. You didn't have to beg. You didn't have to say, this needs to happen. This needs to happen because you knew that it would Happen.

[F]

No, you didn't. It wasn't even a thought. Trust me. I was really out there. Nobody was thinking about an interview, wanted.

[Elliot]

To hear raps, okay? Even though you're right, I was not sitting there going, jay needs to talk to Angela. But you don't think that hov thought in his mind with all of the fans that heard ether and the chatter that was going around the entire country, I need to go sit with Angie.

[F]

Because that's what he was thinking.

[Elliot]

If it wasn't a thing that people wanted, he wouldn't have done it. He needs to address a bunch of. He was sitting there like, listen, listen.

[F]

First of all, he was dissonance through.

[Elliot]

The whole thing too. It was perfect.

[F]

First of all, the way the thing ended, Jay gave a reason of why he was backing out of the thing. His mom had stepped to him, didn't like the energy. So it was a whole thing. But nobody, nowhere on no block was saying, yo, I can't wait for the Jay Z interview when he talks about this. I can't wait for the Beanie Siegel or the Jadakiss interview when they talk about their. Okay, this is a whole new thing with rap now. You want to hear interviews about him. You're talking about what was going on.

[Elliot]

You're talking about Jay Z wasn't on stake doing a stream every goddamn night.

[F]

Of course he wasn't, because he wasn't in. He wasn't in business with a state.

[Host]

So number one, first of, times have changed. There's multiple things. Number one, like Rory just said, that's what I'm saying. The times have changed and we consume more media and we expect more of out of our celebrities. Right? Whether that's good or bad, whatever. That's one thing. Number two is just because the on the block weren't waiting for the interview does not mean that music wasn't waiting for the interview. But who. So have we figured out what culture is yet?

[F]

Me. Yeah, I know exactly what culture is.

[Host]

It's a. That's convenient because we've asked before. Nobody knew. But people who care about music journalism, because that has also always been a thing. Just because it was not your thing. That has also always been a thing. There were people who waited for the interviews that came out in the source who weren't just there for the pretty pictures and the fat and the ads. There were people who waited for shit like that. There were people who really cared about shit like that. That's how the blog era was beefed. I mean, was. Was born from people who Were in love with shit like that. So yes, people did care about those things. No Niggas on the Block. No, they might.

[F]

Interviews always. Yes, interviews are always a thing.

[Elliot]

Media made the pop wig shit. What the vibe cover is what popped the whole off. It was media. Was Pac doing an interview?

[F]

I'm not saying that interviews scrapped one.

[Elliot]

Because everyone to hear from Pac, he said.

[F]

I'm not saying that interviews weren't always a part of culture and music and things like that. Yes, artists have always given interviews. Yes, I understand that. What I'm saying is coming out of a beef with another artist, another rapper. Nobody was asking or saying, yo, this person needs this. This artist needs to sit down and talk about this. That wasn't a thing until now. And I understand times have changed. What I'm saying is you can't expect an artist to do the things that. Or sit down with who you want them to sit down with when you want them to sit down with. Especially coming out of the situation that this particular artist is coming out of and not try to understand. Well, damn, I could see why he ain't he doing his own thing and moving how he want to. He don't give a fuck about the culture anymore. Cause he sees what the culture tried to do to him. Can people. Are people not missing that part?

[Host]

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Drake is gonna do whatever the fuck he wants to do, and he has the freedom to do that. He doesn't owe us anything. He's given us so much. He doesn't owe us shit.

[F]

He doesn't want to be a culture vulture anymore. So he's sitting down with a white girl.

[Host]

Okay. He doesn't have. He doesn't have to. He doesn't have to see how that works.

[F]

He doesn't have to be a culture vulture. Actually.

[Elliot]

Funny.

[F]

He's tired of being a culture vulture. So he sits down with the white girl.

[Elliot]

That's actually pretty funny.

[F]

I'm just saying.

[Elliot]

No, it's funny.

[F]

Oh, okay. All right.

[Host]

Okay.

[Colin Coward]

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[Elliot]

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[Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.