New Rory & MAL: "Best of Rory & Mal - Week of 9/22"

Date: September 28, 2025
Podcast: New Rory & Mal
Episode: Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 9/22
Hosts: Rory, Mal (Party), Grok

Overview

This episode is a vibrant, discussion-heavy roundup of the week’s best, centered largely around Cardi B’s new album release and chart dominance. The crew dives deep with candid takes on the album’s highs and lows, debates about songwriting credits, and explores the competitive dynamics between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. In classic New Rory & Mal fashion, there are tangents aplenty—touching on recent hip-hop beefs, the Gunna/Offset collab rumors, Kanye West’s new documentary, and even whether 21 Savage is truly a “British rapper.” Hilarity, hot takes, and authentic hip-hop analysis abound.

Cardi B’s New Album: Rollout, Reception & The Bia Diss

Key Segment: [02:25–19:55]

Flawless Rollout & Initial Skepticism

• The hosts reflect on their initial doubts about Cardi’s album promo, only to admit they were proven wrong.
  • Grok (on rollout): “I was worried that the rollout felt a little rushed…But I do—what a flawless, fudgeing rollout that they did. I thought the rollout was incredible for the time that they had.” [03:02]
  • Party: “They smoked it…Atlantic, Cardi. This was an incredible rollout. You guys did a great, great job.” [03:20]

Tracks That Fit (Or Don’t)

• The crew debates whether monster singles “Up” and “WAP” belonged on the album.
  • Party: “Let’s just be real…The album is dope without those records.” [03:37]
  • Rory: “She’s already addressed that. Those are two of her biggest songs and they need somewhere to live.” [03:44]

Songwriting, Party’s Pen, & Disses

• Extended conversation about Party (Partisan Fontaine)’s songwriting fingerprints on the project—especially “Pretty and Petty” (widely read as a Bia diss).
  • Party: “I can hear the flow, I can hear it, like, I can almost hear him, his sample track…then her going in, laying.” [05:50]
  • Rory: “That chorus does give Party. I can’t even lie.” [07:13]
  • Grok: “He’s credited on every single song and I’m halfway through.” [07:18]

The Bia & JT Disses: Memorable Bars

• The hosts dissect wild, funny disses aimed at Bia and JT:
  • Rory: “I love a diss that’s like a roasting session…you dirty ass bitch, go and change your pillowcase. That’s Party. Didn’t write that. That’s girl shit. Cardi said that. Change your pillowcase…” [08:08]
  • Party: “She said her breath stink. Party said diarrhea, Bia. That’s Partisan Fontaine.” [08:32]
  • Rory (on JT diss): “My nigga might cheat, but I don’t fuck him in the ass with dildos.” [09:12]

Standout Tracks & Artistic Growth

• The group notes album highlights and Cardi’s maturity.
  • Rory: “What I like about ‘Man of Your Word’ is that Cardi took accountability…maybe I wasn’t the person you needed me to be…That was very mature of her. You can see her growth…” [10:58–11:24]
  • “If you want the essence of the album, I would listen to ‘Safe,’ ‘Man of Your Word,’ ‘Principal’ (Janet sample), ‘On My Back’…‘Pretty and Petty,’ which is the Bia diss, and ‘Er Time’…” [19:10]

Is It In Heavy Rotation?

• Would the crew “live with” Cardi’s album?
  • Party: “Yeah, I like that album. I’m not gonna live with it, though…But she definitely did a good job with the album.” [16:09]
  • Grok: “If I’m in a car with women, of course I would [play it]. Me just, like, chilling, on my way to the office in the Holland Tunnel, no, I’m probably not going to throw this on.” [17:05]

Cardi vs. Nicki: Is It Petty, or Is It Strategy?

Key Segment: [21:05–27:31]

• Discussion of Nicki Minaj’s strategic announcement for her upcoming album, with a release date dropped in the middle of Cardi’s rollout.

  • Grok: “She couldn’t let Cardi have any type of time and announced a date in March…Now you’re making her your peer rather than someone that you have claimed is below you.” [21:07–21:55]
  • Party (defending Nicki): “It’s just a date with a CD emoji…we get the pettiness…but it’s just a date. She didn’t say anything.” [22:46]

• On Competition and Impact:

  • Grok: “I just think it certifies Cardi even more. You got Nicki reacting about an album she’s going to put out at the end of March in 2026. It’s September of 2025…just ‘cause.” [23:20]
  • The group riffs on fan rivalries and the power of small gestures (“She just posted a date and that was it.” [25:51])

Tangents, Pull-Ups & Hip-Hop Hot Takes

Kanye Documentary Review

Key Segment: [30:19–42:34]

• The crew reviews the new Kanye West documentary, noting its chaotic, raw depiction of Kanye post-meltdown.
  • Grok: “It did show Kanye in his own element more than we’ve ever seen…It’s Kanye West in a very—pause—raw form. I really enjoyed the document.” [32:01]
  • Party: “There’s a difference between enjoying the doc and then enjoying the person that’s the lead of the doc, right?” [32:45]
  • The documentary’s ethical questions are debated—should you support it if Kanye isn’t a willing participant?
    • “If it’s entertaining to me, I’ll go see it…He doesn’t—I've seen him hop on the backs of other people’s tragedy…so I don’t care, honestly.” —Rory [41:51]

Gunna & Offset Collab Rumors

Key Segment: [42:39–48:17]

• Rumors about Gunna & Offset teaming up for a project spark speculation on Atlanta rap alliances.

  • Grok: “This felt like sides have been picked in Atlanta, and when they ended up on this side, they was like, alright, we might as well do an album together then.” [43:00]
  • Is the classic Migos lineup gone for good? “Are they never making music together again? Like, is it completely over for them?” —Party [44:15]
  • “I don’t exactly blame them…no matter what they make, all people are going to talk about is something’s going to be missing—Takeoff is missing…” —Rory [45:58]

• “Is Gunna the best artist out of Atlanta right now?”

  • Personal picks: “I would put JID in my personal opinion, but objective? Yes, Gunna would definitely [be at the top].” —Grok [48:22]
  • Rory: “21 Savage smoke all them.” [48:43]

Hilarious Debate: Is 21 Savage a British Rapper?

Key Segment: [49:16–52:54]

• The hosts spiral into a heated and comedic debate about whether 21 Savage is a “British rapper.”
  • Party: “He is not a British rapper, man. What are we talk—” [50:16]
  • Rory: “He’s British and he’s a rapper. He is. He’s not an American rapper. He’s British.” [50:20]
  • Grok: “His passport does say the UK, nigga.” [50:27]
  • They even compare it to J. Cole’s German birth: “He was born at a US army base…He’s American.” —Rory [51:15]
  • Party: “Y’all are fucking crazy…He moved to Atlanta at the age of seven. He’s not a British rapper. What are we talking about?” [52:10]

Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• On Cardi’s rollouts: "What a flawless, fudgeing rollout that they did. I thought the rollout was incredible for the time that they had.” —Grok [03:02]
• On writing credits: “I can hear the flow…like, I know that's not Cardi, that’s Party.” —Party [06:40]
• On diss bars: “You dirty ass bitch, change your pillowcase…when she said diarrhea...that’s girl shit. Cardi said that.” —Rory [08:08]
• On Nicki’s date drop: “You got Nicki reacting about an album she’s going to put out at the end of March in 2026…just putting a date, just ’cause.” —Grok [23:26]
• On Kanye in the doc: “That's Kanye West in a very—pause—raw form. I really enjoyed the document.” —Grok [32:01]
• On Atlanta alliances: “This felt like sides have been picked in Atlanta…we might as well do an album together then.” —Grok [43:00]
• On the ‘British rapper’ debate: “He’s not a British rapper, man, what are we talking about?” —Party [50:16]

Summary Takeaways

• The pod’s main event is Cardi B’s high-stakes return to album mode—her personal growth, Partisan Fontaine’s writing influence, and the bruising, hilarious disses riding viral momentum.
• The hosts authentically question what makes for great album construction, the nature of industry “petty,” and why threats (veiled or otherwise) matter in hip-hop rollouts.
• There’s a wry, knowing energy throughout discussions of Atlanta rap alliances, Kanye’s career, and even the bureaucratic absurdity of “British rapper” as an identity.
• The crew manages to simultaneously entertain, educate, and keep it real—with big laughs and sharp cultural commentary.

For new listeners:
Expect unscripted, insightful, and often hysterical debate on music and culture—with no allegiance but to what genuinely moves the needle. If you want a fast catch-up on hip-hop’s present, this episode delivers.