Episode 376 | California Love

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL Episode 376 | California Love | Released June 3, 2025

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1. Personal Updates and Weekend Recap (00:53 – 04:09)

The episode kicks off with Rory, Maal, and Damaris sharing personal anecdotes and updates. Rory humorously reflects on how time seems to fly when celebrating his birthday, stating, "Time's flying when you're celebrating my birthday" ([00:53]). The hosts discuss family dynamics and past birthday traditions, with Rory reminiscing about growing up in a crowded grandparent's house.

The conversation shifts to weekend activities, where Rory recounts a trip to Florida. He shares his experience at a thrift store near Fort Myers, highlighting the unique encounters with locals who were surprised to see him there: "Like an hour outside of Fort Myers, like the middle of nowhere. So, you know, did that. Baked." ([03:44]). The trio also touches on family time, including a visit to the beach with toddlers, emphasizing the challenges and joys of parenting.

2. Sports Segment: Knicks vs. Pacers Analysis (07:42 – 16:49)

The hosts dive deep into the recent NBA playoffs, focusing on the New York Knicks' performance against the Indiana Pacers. Maal shares his optimistic view of the Knicks' season, praising their ability to exceed expectations: "I think overall it was a great year for the Knicks. I think they definitely achieved more than most." ([07:55]).

Rory echoes this sentiment, expressing pride in the team's efforts despite their loss: "But I am happy. But they teased us because, again, I'm with you on game one. I think that was really the dagger from the beginning that took the air." ([08:07]). The discussion covers key players like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, analyzing their performances and the team's need for additional firepower and perimeter scoring.

Damaris becomes emotional recounting the collective experience of Knicks fans during the series finale, sharing personal feelings about witnessing the city come together: "We all cried together." ([06:33]).

3. Music Segment: Critique of Complex's LA Rappers List (16:50 – 43:00)

Shifting gears, Rory and Maal critique Complex’s recently released list of the top 50 LA rappers. They express frustration over perceived inaccuracies and regional biases in the selection. Maal questions the inclusion criteria: "A lot of these rappers are not from LA. They're from California, but they're not from Los Angeles." ([20:07]).

Rory challenges the ranking, particularly the placement of renowned artists like Game and Nipsey Hussle: "Game not in the top 10 is crazy." ([26:13]). The hosts debate the merits of various artists on the list, discussing their skill, commercial impact, and lasting influence. Damaris adds depth by outlining Complex’s stated criteria: "They stuck to three core principles when sorting our ranking. This is coming from complex skill as a hip hop artist, strength of a catalog, commercial impact, and lasting influence." ([24:54]).

The conversation includes a spirited exchange about iconic figures like Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and Ice-T, highlighting disagreements with their placement and the overall methodology of the list.

4. Album and Artist Discussions: The Clips and Upcoming Projects (43:00 – 85:00)

The hosts turn their attention to upcoming music releases, notably discussing "The Clips" album. They anticipate features from prominent artists like Stove God Cooks and Kendrick Lamar, analyzing the potential impact of these collaborations. Rory shares insights into the production challenges and label dynamics: "Push said fuck that. They got into some legality shit. Which led to the clips getting off Def Jam as well as Pusha T getting off Def Jam." ([69:08]).

Maal and Damaris discuss the artistry and lyrical prowess of established rappers versus newer artists, emphasizing the importance of skill and authentic storytelling in hip hop. They commend Pusha T, Malice, and Push for their lyrical abilities and dedication to the craft.

5. Relationship Talk: Cardi B and Offset (85:00 – 112:10)

In the latter part of the episode, Rory, Maal, and Damaris delve into the tumultuous relationship between Cardi B and Offset. They discuss recent public incidents, including Cardi's explosive outburst on Twitter Spaces following Offset's statements about alimony and child support: "She says she's been working Corey. I think she's..." ([98:48]).

The hosts speculate on the future of Cardi and Offset's relationship, balancing their support for Cardi with observations about Offset's behavior: "I think he's gonna do what Stephon does. He's gonna find somebody that he really likes, and he's gonna keep it away from Cardi." ([108:12]).

Damaris shares her personal experience of hearing Cardi's rant and the emotional impact it had, while Maal expresses concern over the public portrayal and its implications on their personal lives.

Notable Quotes:

• Rory on Time Flying: "Time's flying when you're celebrating my birthday." ([00:53])
• Maal on Knicks' Achievement: "I think overall it was a great year for the Knicks." ([07:55])
• Rory on Game's Ranking: "Game not in the top 10 is crazy." ([26:13])
• Damaris on Complex’s Criteria: "They stuck to three core principles... skill as a hip hop artist, strength of a catalog, commercial impact, and lasting influence." ([24:54])
• Rory on Album Delays: "Push said fuck that. They got into some legality shit." ([69:08])
• Damaris on Cardi and Offset: "She was screaming in my ear. I sat and listened to the whole thing." ([98:48])

Conclusion:

Episode 376 of New Rory & MAL offers a blend of personal stories, in-depth sports analysis, passionate music critiques, and candid discussions on pop culture relationships. The hosts engage in lively debates, providing listeners with insightful perspectives and memorable quotes throughout the episode.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections, focusing solely on the substantive discussions and interactions between the hosts.

Transcript

[Damaris]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Maal]

Blending Vice's signature dynamic storytelling with the high octane world of sports, Vice Sports brings an exciting and diverse range of programming that goes beyond the game. From action packed live events to gripping behind the scenes documentaries, to hard hitting investigative pieces and in depth profiles of athletes, coaches, teams, Vice Sports captures the raw energy, drama and passion that makes sports sports truly unforgettable. Catch live events and other exclusive sports programs only on Vice TV. Go to vice tv.com to find your cable channel.

[Rory]

The volume. No worrying. We are back. Top of the. Top of the. Top of the week. Top of the month, top of the.

[Maal]

Month, top of June.

[Rory]

May flew by. I think it was just because everyone was celebrating my birthday that it just, you know.

[Damaris]

Oh, for sure.

[Rory]

Time's flying when you're celebrating my birthday.

[Maal]

Six months until Christmas.

[Damaris]

You ready, baby D, you buying me something?

[Maal]

Maybe.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Maal]

Depends on how you act.

[Rory]

He still owes you sneakers.

[Damaris]

Yes, he does. He owes me a lot.

[Rory]

I mean, when parents try to count like a present as your birthday and your Christmas present, that's what he's going to do with the sneakers.

[Damaris]

Like it's like three months apart though.

[Maal]

Rollover.

[Rory]

My parents did that and I made it December. That's your birthday and your Christmas present.

[Maal]

Yeah, that's.

[Damaris]

Wow. Yeah, I needed some, like some money.

[Rory]

No, it wasn't money. No, we weren't like poor. No, they're just assholes.

[Maal]

Oh.

[Rory]

Which I was poor, white, you know. You know the old fogging Irish parents of how bad they had to struggle. Like. Come on, man. Been a grandpa's house. Yeah, it's not that bad.

[Maal]

A lot of rooms. A lot of rooms at grandpa's house.

[Rory]

Yeah. But of course there was 10 cousins and three. Yeah, everyone lived there.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

All right. That was fine. It was running water. But how was everyone's weekend? Clearly you guys can see that I'm tan again.

[Maal]

I'm sorry, that's not clear.

[Rory]

Maybe another. Okay. Maybe another hue of red.

[Maal]

No, you look the same.

[Rory]

What if I do this? Does it look like.

[Maal]

No.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Maal]

You look the same, bro.

[Damaris]

I thought you were just dirty.

[Maal]

Like, I mean your beard grew a little bit. You got a little more like fuller beard today.

[Rory]

Between three days.

[Maal]

Yeah, maybe I'm a little full of beard.

[Rory]

I think it's the lighting, but. Yeah, you know, I thought it was a nice like bronze olivey. No.

[Maal]

Nah, not yet.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Rory]

I was in the sun.

[Maal]

How long did you sit out in the sun?

[Rory]

Not very long.

[Maal]

Exactly.

[Rory]

See?

[Maal]

Exactly.

[Rory]

So long for me. But I could like feel the melanin coming in. No, I can do like 10 to 15 if there's like, Sorry, shade nearby.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

Like if I know I can run to shade. Yeah. I'll bake a little bit.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

I start to feel it in my shoulders first. That's when I.

[Maal]

That's what. It gets a little warm.

[Rory]

That's when I know, like, okay, I'm burning alive right now. I should. Before my nose and forehead get hit. I'm gonna go right to the cabana.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

But you know, I was, I was out in another country. Florida.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Had to bring my passport. Florida's still Florida. Same.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And not like Miami, like the outskirts, like Florida.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

Like where Florida man resides. Yes. But it was interesting. I love running into our, our listeners in the oddest places ever. I like the thrift stores in Florida because everyone goes down there to die. So there's like a lot of options for thrift stores. Cuz family's just like, that's not really a joke. But it, it is dead serious. Everyone goes to Florida to die and then when they die, their family has to fly to Florida, pack up all their. And they're like, I'm not. What am I doing with this? So they just give it to a thrift store. So they have amazing thrifting. Middle of nowhere Florida. I'm just sitting there on the rack and someone's like, rory, what the fuck are you doing here? Like of any fucking place. There's no way that's you.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like an hour outside of Fort Myers, like the middle of nowhere. So, you know, did that. Baked. Had some family time and it was, you know, it's cool weekend.

[Maal]

You need that sometimes.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Maal]

You ain't go fishing?

[Rory]

No, we didn't have time.

[Maal]

Gotta go fishing, man. Tango to Florida to go. Try to go fishing.

[Rory]

Yeah. And you know, with the toddlers, like you can't do.

[Maal]

Yeah. I mean, Mars.

[Rory]

She's.

[Maal]

Yes. I guess still a toddler though.

[Rory]

Yeah. And we're on her schedule.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

We wanted to go to the beach in the morning and it was like she just kept saying playground, playground. I was like, all right, well I guess we're gonna leave the beach and go to the playground.

[Maal]

Or the beach can be the place.

[Damaris]

I was gonna say they usually have playgrounds on the beach. Like you didn't have like little toys for.

[Rory]

No. Well, yeah, yeah, no, we had all like the pails and like we were digging for seashells. She even went in like the ocean and liked it for the first time. That was cool. Oh but she wanted slides and swings.

[Maal]

Is she as bad in the sun as you are?

[Rory]

No.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

She. We have the same complexion, but because she has, like, some melanin in her genetics, she can handle this.

[Maal]

That black gold. She got that black gold.

[Rory]

Like, when she gets older, like, she'll be able to actually tan, I feel. Yeah, but in the winter, she'll look like me, right? But no, it's cool. Regular weekend airports are still a mess, you know, no notes.

[Maal]

What is the New Jersey transit situation? Did they fix that?

[Damaris]

I think. Yeah, I think. I think the strike is over. Beyonce happened. And before Beyonce happened, they had to fix that, because that's one of the ways to get to the Beyonce concert.

[Maal]

So New Jersey transfer.

[Damaris]

Yeah, they fixed it before Beyonce.

[Maal]

Beyonce. Thank you, Beyonce, for fixing New Jersey transit situation.

[Rory]

She have to fly out of Newark because maybe that's fix now. Maybe they actually hired air traffic controllers.

[Damaris]

So Beyonce get out of saf. You know where she.

[Maal]

You think Beyonce flies out of Newark? You think. You think Liberty?

[Rory]

Hear me out.

[Maal]

All right, Go ahead. I'm listening.

[Rory]

There's Titoboro. I know this getting local, but Titoboro doesn't have, like, you can't do, like, jumbo jets and, like, seven whatever sevens.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So I think she probably flies on, like, one of those by herself. And you need, like, even, like, the President flies in to Newark or jfk because they can't handle the private airport. So I assume, like, of course they'd shut everything down.

[Maal]

Right.

[Rory]

No one would fly that day. Yeah. I could see Beyonce, like, walking right on the tarmac, straight to her 757.

[Maal]

Yeah, it makes sense.

[Rory]

Like, when Drake flies in, he wouldn't fly into Titoboro. That plane is too fucking big. Right?

[Maal]

I'm not sure, actually.

[Rory]

Okay, well, I mean, either way, hopefully Newark's better because we. We have to travel soon.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I forgot how much it sucks going to LaGuardia from my house.

[Maal]

I love LaGuardia now. Such a beautiful airport. Put so much money into it, but.

[Rory]

They did the same in Newark. Newark was a hole just like LaGuardia. But now they're both better than JFK.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So, you know, we'll see. But what you guys do?

[Maal]

Cry.

[Damaris]

We cried. We all cried together. No.

[Maal]

Oh. Oh, the Knicks. Ah, yes, yes, The. The. The burial. The Knicks funeral was this weekend.

[Rory]

I don't even like the tone of your voice. You actually sound kind of, like, upbeat about it.

[Maal]

No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I knew they were gonna lose, but, I mean, I was.

[Rory]

I was hoping they got it I didn't know that.

[Maal]

I was hoping they got it to seven, but I. I knew the series was over after Game one. Like, I just. I think. I think we all collectively knew that the Pacers were the better team after Game one. Um, but I am happy, you know, the Knicks made it exciting this year. They made it fun. It was. It was. It was dope for the city to come together, watch everybody kind of root for the Knicks. It's funny, cause I was in my living room watching the game and you can see like the other buildings, like in the area. So every TV was like, knicks game. And it was just dope to see that. Like, I just felt like the entire New York was on the same page for the last two weeks of just trying to root the Knicks on. So they did a great job. I think they overachieved this season. I wasn't expecting them to get to the conference finals. They obviously have some changes they need to make, some adjustments they need to address and things like that. But I think overall it was a great year for the Knicks. I think they definitely achieved more than most. I mean, I know every Knick fan thinks they're going to win it every year, but I think realistically they achieved more than a lot of people thought they would.

[Rory]

I mean, we were in here off Mike when the Celtics series started, and I was like, if they beat the Celtics, like, I'm cool, man.

[Maal]

That's what I'm saying. Like, things like that. It was like, got past the Celtics, got to the conference finals, made it. I mean, Game one kind of took the air out of the whole thing, but, you know, they made it interesting. They got it to six games. Um, and that's all you could ask for, man, is that they played hard. But paces is. Paces is too much, man. It's too much going on over there.

[Rory]

Yeah, I mean, I'm with you. I'm very proud of the team.

[Maal]

Happy to be in the Nemhard. Oh, he's about to get paid. Oh, he shut Jalen Brunson down. I. I mean, Jay, if Jalen Brunson went to the bathroom, Nimhard held it for him. Yeah, no, it was like, that's.

[Rory]

It was rough.

[Maal]

That's just what it was. I mean, he absolutely got paid off of that one game alone. He's going to get. He's going to get a contract.

[Rory]

I mean, I hate the woulda, shoulda, coulda's, because obviously it didn't happen. But I think there's a world where we could have beat the Pacers. That's why it kind of sucks. Like, I know we weren't even supposed to really be there and we should be proud, and I am happy. But they teased us because, again, I'm with you on game one. I think that was really the dagger from the beginning that took the air. The energy would have been way different after that. Yeah, but Brunson, I mean, I feel weird even saying a bad word about him for what he's done for our organization. I think he's the greatest Nick I've personally watched and my favorite Nick, but he was quiet. Even if the numbers don't reflect it. You could feel the different energy with Brunson throughout the series. Cat stepped up on offense, didn't play any fucking defense. Is Tibbs the problem?

[Maal]

I don't think. Well, Tibbs coaching style can. People can point to it a little bit here and there, but I think the biggest problem is the Knicks need a six man. They need somebody to come off the bench that they can rely on every game to kind of pick up the offensive low when Brunson or Cat comes out the game. And they need. They need. They need another. They just need better perimeter scoring like Jalen. Brunson is the only one out there that can create his own shot. Josh Hart plays hard, but you're not expecting much offensive, offensively from him.

[Rory]

And it's a problem when our small forward is who we're relying on for all offensive rebounds. Yeah, it's just like, that's not a good. Yeah, it's been great for the last three years. Josh Hart has stepped up like you would not fucking believe. But that doesn't make sense.

[Maal]

Yeah, that's gonna. That. You don't. You don't. You don't depend on a guy like Josh Hart to carry you offensively. Like, you know what I mean? You just take whatever you can. OG played great, but again, they got. They just got. They need a little more. They need a little more firepower to kind of keep up with teams like Indiana, who I think they'll. They'll probably run into again next season.

[Rory]

Oh, for sure.

[Maal]

But I think the Knicks, I think they, they. I think they are at the level now where they can flirt with the conference finals for the next coup is.

[Rory]

And I, I hope they don't do too many adjustments like the core four. I'd like us to keep Brunson, Hart, Cat, OG I those four. I'd rather not trade. I know Cat was questionable at certain times, but let's give him a year like this. Squad was together for one year.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I'd like to see them at least see this through.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Eastern Conference finals. First time in God knows how long, and they play together for the first time this year.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, let's, let's. Let's not nick this whole thing where we trade the entire franchise away just for the Greek freak. And, like, now we're just sitting here with Brunson and him, and it's like, all right, we have two players.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

There's another three that need to.

[Maal]

Nah, they need. They need to address that. They need to get a little more firepower. But OKC and Indiana are in the finals.

[Rory]

Oh, I didn't even. I thought it was over. There's more basketball.

[Maal]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Just because the Knicks are out doesn't mean it's not.

[Rory]

Oh, I thought they didn't even do a champ like this. Yeah, it's just over.

[Maal]

No, it's more basketball.

[Damaris]

I'm becoming an OKC fan overnight.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah.

[Damaris]

I have never. I have never wanted a team to lose so bad in my entire life. Like, I. Like within my every fiber of my being. I can't.

[Maal]

I just think it's so fun that the Paces and, like, the Knicks are, like, still, like, you know, I mean, like, I don't.

[Rory]

25, 30 years later, this is not a.

[Maal]

Well, the Knicks and Paces are rivalry. I don't know if these Knicks and Paces are rivals yet, but the Knicks and Paces organizations are rivals, though.

[Damaris]

Josh, roll that beautiful bean footage. Do you see what the fuck Ty Halliburton posted? Yeah, it's. It's war. It's smoke. It's up for another 50 years.

[Maal]

Yeah, but the thing is, the Knicks have to continue to get to. To get there, though, every year in order for the. They have to meet. If they meet again next year, it's like, okay, now it's lit. Now it's on. It's. That's when it's a. But meeting one year in the playoffs with these rosters. It's not a rivalry yet.

[Rory]

I, I hear you. I. I hear you on that. I mean, they did clip us last year, but that wasn't really a rivalry, beating us twice.

[Maal]

If they beat again in the Eastern Conference, it's not. I'm talking about their full clip, everybody healthy. Let them go out there like they did this, this. This series and, and get after it. If we can get this again next season, then I think the rivalry is back on with the Knicks and Paces. But I think OKC Indiana series should be interesting. I Don't know who I have winning yet. I know everybody's favorite is obviously sga, league MVP and okc, but I don't know, man, this Indiana team, the way they. They play together, man, nobody you know, it's either some on any night, somebody else can kill you.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Maal]

And I think Nimhard's defense, obviously, in game six on Brunson is what killed the Knicks. But I think it'll be an interesting series. I know a lot of people don't think it'll be as. As watched as if the. Obviously, if the Knicks were in the finals, but I think it'll be a fun series to watch these two young teams go at it.

[Rory]

Yeah, for sure. And I mean, obviously third place doesn't matter in the NBA, but I kind of wish they did that like they did in, like, rec ball. I'd love to see the Timberwolves and Knicks just face off for a series like, battle for third and fourth place. Because I just want to see those two teams together. It's just one Knicks team that was separate.

[Maal]

You're a participation trophy kind of guy.

[Rory]

I'm a. I want to see the Knicks team that was dissembled.

[Maal]

Some type of banner.

[Rory]

Like it was an inner. It would be like an inner squad scrimmage.

[Maal]

You like. You would love to see the Knicks raise a third place banner to the top of msg. You would love that.

[Rory]

As opposed to no banner.

[Maal]

Absolutely. Fuck that third place banner. Get that shit out of here. Nobody want to see that shit.

[Rory]

I'm with you.

[Maal]

You. Did we tell the beautiful people who we're sponsored by?

[Rory]

I don't think so.

[Maal]

Come on. Rory's slipping already. Come on. Jesus Christ. Know what we sponsored by?

[Rory]

I had a bunch of bug bites. Boost Mobile losing blood.

[Maal]

Thank you, boost mobile. $25 a month. Forever, Baby D. Forever.

[Damaris]

Forever.

[Maal]

Come on.

[Rory]

Make inflation. It don't matter.

[Damaris]

Good. I don't know.

[Maal]

Make the switch.

[Damaris]

I'm paying 125 right now. I need 25.

[Maal]

Make the switch. They keep calling me, trying to get me back to that. To them old, to the ops. I'm over.

[Rory]

I block those in them.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So I don't even go through to my boost.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Never.

[Maal]

Switch. Definitely made the switch.

[Rory]

Well, did you do anything over the weekend besides quietly cheer that the Knicks were being dismantled? Yeah.

[Damaris]

Lakers haters. Lakers fans be haters. On a level. We'll talk about it.

[Rory]

And Celtics fans, too. Like, I hate. I hate, like, sore winners even though they didn't win this year. Like, y' all have Dominated for a couple years now. And you have more rings than pretty much every franchise besides what, the Lakers. Why are y' all on Twitter when we lose in the Eastern Conference? Like, I thought y' all were above us.

[Maal]

Well, that's.

[Rory]

Y' all are fucking losers.

[Maal]

That's because the Knicks beat the Celtics. So obviously Celtics are rooting for the Knicks to lose.

[Damaris]

And Knicks fans are a little insufferable. We are a little. We're bad. We're a little.

[Maal]

They tore the city up because they made it to the conference finals.

[Rory]

That's beautiful.

[Maal]

They tore the city apart. It was trash. Every. Well, that's any day in New York City.

[Rory]

They were looting.

[Maal]

They were looting. I think that's what they were.

[Damaris]

I told y' all my dumb ass.

[Rory]

Went down was antifa.

[Damaris]

Try to go to Penn Station, which is to Madison Square Garden or connected or whatever, to get on the train after game five. And I was just sitting up there like, what the? Like, I literally felt like I was such a.

[Maal]

That's such a girl.

[Damaris]

I was. I wasn't thinking.

[Maal]

You have no clue. Like, why, why would you go anywhere?

[Damaris]

I wasn't thinking because the Ubers, they were double charging on the Ubers. I'm like, I'm not paying 150 to get home. So I was like, oh, I'll just get on the train. And got off the train and was like, oh, yeah. Like, and got swarmed. The cops were pushing me. They're like, you gotta go this way. I'm like, I'm literally a girl. I don't know what the is going on.

[Maal]

So after we recorded, I watched game five here. Cause I was like, oh, shit. The game. I had ordered something to eat and it was like 7:50. The games watched. So I'm like, I'm not missing the start of the game. So I watched the game here. They won game five. Like we thought they would. So leaving here.

[Rory]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Maal]

Yo, you know the pedal bike cabbies, like little. Every last one of them was playing Jay Z, Alicia. Yep. I was like, Jesus Christ, it's game five. Like, cut this shit off. Like, turn it off. Put these fucking bikes on the side of the fucking road. Like, get out of the. They were in the middle of the street, like 6th Avenue, just doing whatever they wanted. New York, concrete jungle. I was like, yo, it's game five. Like, they are still down.

[Rory]

Okay, but is it where dreams are made of?

[Maal]

That part was true. Okay, but dreams also die in New York. And the dreams of the Knicks, probably.

[Rory]

More dreams Die here than absolutely.

[Maal]

Jay and Alicia Keys need to put that. That song out. But it was a good season for the Knicks. So shout out to the Knicks and hopefully they could pick up on the momentum next year and get right back.

[Rory]

I don't think Knicks fans are that insufferable. If we're going off fan base.

[Maal]

The most insufferable fans.

[Rory]

How we lose all the time.

[Maal]

Yeah, but y' all don't even still. But even when y' all lose, it's always like, next year. Like, we're gonna win, but we keep.

[Rory]

We keep to ourselves. Like, we're not like Eagles. Eagles fans are the worst. I would say New York jet fans are 10 times worse than Knicks fans. Even if they're. They blend together.

[Maal]

Jets and Knicks fans are the same fan base.

[Rory]

It's. Have you been to a Jets gang?

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Have you been on the train?

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

It is 10 times worse than outside the Garden. It's not even close. It's obnoxious people from Long Island. It's drunk people from New Jersey. Like, the worst of the worst from New Jersey. Well, that's because the Knicks fans is a blend of the whole city to me.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, you get Giants fans that are calm and cool that are also Knicks fans. The degenerates are.

[Maal]

The jets fans are calm and cool because the Giants actually won in like.

[Rory]

Even when the Giants weren't winning, they were Giants fans of school. Jets fans. No matter. They could be 0 and 8 and they're still as obnoxious as if they were 8.

[Damaris]

No, Giants fans are not cool. Have you ever been to a Giants game? Like, when they lose every life.

[Maal]

That's the. That's the best time to be there.

[Damaris]

They are not cool.

[Rory]

Yeah. No.

[Damaris]

They should be starting fights in the yard like they're. No, New York sports fans in general are not cool. It's New York sports fans. Eagles fans and Cowboy fans are absolutely terrible people.

[Rory]

I'm with you on Cowboy fans for sure. Cowboy fans are awful. Yeah, they're just like weird people. Especially Cowboy fans. Not from Dallas.

[Maal]

Cowboys fans are kind of similar to Knicks fans, too. Both delusional fan bases. They think that every year they're going to win it all.

[Rory]

Well, the Cowboys have a little bit more to stand on, but I am with you. No matter whether they're good or not, they're going to sell out and everyone's going to care.

[Maal]

Absolutely. Same. Yeah, same exact.

[Rory]

There's a comparison there.

[Maal]

Fan base.

[Rory]

Well, over the weekend, on the music side, I did see the timeline.

[Maal]

Oh, not yet. I'm sorry.

[Rory]

I mean, if you want to start with the hate.

[Maal]

No, no. I thought that's what we was going into.

[Damaris]

Oh, I was about to.

[Rory]

I was gonna go into what had the. The timeline and disappear. We go right into. Into the trumpets if you like.

[Maal]

No, let's go into the list. Let's go into the list first.

[Rory]

I didn't have much service and the WI fi was down where I was at, so there was only a few times I could see what was pissing everyone off per hour. But I did. But I did see Complex. Anytime Complex puts any list out, you know the timeline is going to melt. Everyone's going to stop what they're doing on a Saturday, say their kids, the plans they had. We need to argue about what Complex has to say.

[Maal]

Right?

[Rory]

Even if it is a third party writer. 1099, that doesn't even work. Does anyone even work at Complex anymore?

[Maal]

I think it's bots that just make.

[Rory]

They just do an AI generated lit. Like what would piss the time, what would piss the timeline off? Shout out, like just leave Tupac off.

[Maal]

Exactly.

[Rory]

That's what chat GBT spit out.

[Maal]

Well, to be fair, PAC is not from la.

[Rory]

Which we'll get there. Yeah, Complex, best LA rappers of all time list. I don't know if this is going to start the city by city thing that we're going to get for the rest of the year, but I'm not mad at them. Starting with la. We'll just go through the top five real quick.

[Maal]

Well, the funny thing.

[Rory]

Go ahead.

[Maal]

Because this is the top 50 LA rappers, right?

[Rory]

Yes.

[Maal]

A lot of these rappers are not from la. They're from California, but they're not from Los Angeles. So how are we, you know, I mean, like that's when I saw the list I like, I looked at, I was like, okay, but they're saying from la. A lot of these guys are not from la. Like Snoop is from Long Beach, Kendrick is from Compton. You know what I mean? It's kind of like where we.

[Rory]

Okay, I see what you're saying. But if they did the greatest New York City rappers of all time and Jadakiss was on the list, I wouldn't be like, no, he's from Yonkers. I wouldn't say that. He's still New York City rapper. Long beach is still Compton. I understand that those are not in the LA county. Or maybe it is LA county, but it's not a Los Angeles address. Compton is its own city. Long beach is its own city. It's still the LA greater area, I feel like.

[Maal]

I mean, I just know people from. From these places that they've had these same. They like, yo, that's. We're not la. This is. That's not la. He's not from la.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Maal]

They're saying this like, he's not from la. He's not from la. They. Where he's from, they don't even fuck with la. Like, it's a lot of that going on.

[Rory]

Of course. And I get that politics, especially with LA of any other city, but not even to get on the Amaretta shit. But, like, if they were to do the best rappers from Atlanta, Andre 3000 can't be on it now because he's technically not from Atlanta.

[Maal]

Well, that's why you go best rappers from California.

[Rory]

No, but then that's insane because you're getting into the Bay. Like, that's a big. California is like the third biggest state. That's crazy.

[Maal]

Okay. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not here to nitpick, but I'm just, you know, was reading the timeline and seeing what people were saying, that's all.

[Rory]

Like, if we can't have Rakim on the greatest New York City rappers, why wouldn't you. He's from Long Island. Exactly.

[Maal]

That's New York, though.

[Rory]

It would be New York City.

[Maal]

It wouldn't be New York City, it would be New York.

[Rory]

Oh, then if we get into New York State, then we have to put in Griselda there.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Okay. All right, cool. So we're just state by state. You would do.

[Maal]

I would just do the whole New York.

[Rory]

Okay, State of New York. Fair enough.

[Damaris]

Some from Binghamton who get it in.

[Maal]

For sure from Binghamton. Like rapping who?

[Rory]

No, she said get it in. She's not talking about rap.

[Maal]

Okay. Oh, yeah, I know a few. That's moving a few.

[Rory]

I know there's people who flooded Kansas.

[Maal]

Yeah. Who's rapping from Binghamton. Like, I missed that whole. That movement.

[Damaris]

I'm just saying, you know, I get Rory's point, though.

[Rory]

Um, I was more so on the side of the rappers that are straight up, not from the LA area, period.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

So we'll get at least to the top five. And then from there, I think it brings up immediately somebody that's really not. So at number one is Kendrick Lamar. Number two, Snoop Dogg. 3. Ice Cube 4. Dr. Dre 5. Tyler Creator 6. DJ Quick 7. Ice T 8. B Real 9. Easy E 10, Nipsey Hussle out the gate. To your point, Maul. I know Ice Te very much made his career on the west coast and is a representation of the west coast. He's from Newark, New Jersey.

[Damaris]

He would be. Ice tea would be from Newark, New Jersey.

[Rory]

Why do you say that?

[Damaris]

Because he acts like he's from Newark, New Jersey. That makes so much sense.

[Rory]

Cuz he likes white girls?

[Damaris]

No, not just that.

[Rory]

Cuz he pimps out white girls.

[Damaris]

Cuz the disciple, you know, we love Coco.

[Rory]

Of course. How do you feel about the top 10 outside of the regional debate between Ice T and Newark, New Jersey?

[Maal]

I don't know. I just think having game not in the top 10 is blasphemy.

[Rory]

I completely agree with you.

[Maal]

You know, then as the more I.

[Damaris]

Look through the list, who would you replace them with?

[Maal]

Game.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I think game can be in the top five.

[Damaris]

Who would you replace them with in the top five?

[Rory]

I'm fine with Tyler going down to six if I'm. If I'm keeping their order and just bumping where game should be. I am not mad at the top five if it's no matter the order. Kendrick, snoop, ice cube, Dr. Dre, game. I think that is a very fair, fair top five.

[Maal]

Okay, before we do that, what is the criteria here? Are we just talking?

[Rory]

It's complex, so you never get one.

[Maal]

Okay, so. So we don't know what the criteria.

[Rory]

Is because as much as I hate B Dot's list, at least he puts a criteria at the bottom and says it's because of these things. Complex is just throw shit out.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

And makes us all argue without any context. No context in complex is what happens.

[Maal]

Every time they know that we're going to do what we're doing. Sit me on our platform and dissect this list and keep saying complex over and over and over.

[Rory]

Exactly.

[Damaris]

We stuck to three core principles when sorting our ranking. This is coming from complex skill as a hip hop artist, strength of a catalog, commercial impact, and lasting influence. They say by skill they mean the entire rap package. Delivery, presence, pin game, overall artistry. They're focusing strictly on rappers. So while artists like Nate Dog and Ty$Sign are iconic L. A artists, they're fundamentally singers, not rappers. So hip hop skill, strength of a catalog, commercial impact, and lasting influence.

[Rory]

If you're focusing just on rappers and skill, then is Dr. Dre and Easy E allowed on the list as they do not write their own raps and have both admitted that. And it's like, I'm fine with it. I'm. I don't really care. They made incredible music and are the two probably biggest Icons in the LA rap scene ever. But if you're going off skill of rapping off their criteria, not mine, Dr. Dre and Eazy E, are they allowed to be on the list?

[Damaris]

Yes, because they explain that by skill, they mean the entire rap package delivery, presence, pin game and overall artistry. It takes more to be a rapper than rap.

[Rory]

I agree. But if you're. You're taking out one complete pillar where.

[Maal]

Every other person on this list, Game is the biggest. That's.

[Rory]

Every single artist on here would cover every single pillar, period. Those two. An entire pillar is gone. Like, gone gone.

[Maal]

And. And the pillar, if you. If we. The pen is the pillar. Like, as a rapper, that's what you have. You have. Your pen is your sword.

[Rory]

Like, if you want to talk about the two most important people in LA rap history, Dre and Easy, and I'm fine with that. But if you're going off that criteria, I don't know if Dr. Dre and Ez are allowed on this list.

[Damaris]

I think they're allowed on the list. I just don't think they should be as far up.

[Maal]

Game not in the top 10 is crazy. I. I mean, that's. That's. To me, we could just talk about that.

[Rory]

Take out the Pillar, and it should be Kendrick, Snoop, Ice Cube, Dre and Game for sure.

[Damaris]

I don't know LA politics. I'm not from over there. Is there just like, do they hate Game? Because I feel like he's so disrespected by la, but so uplifted by New York in other places. That's. Why is it a thing or.

[Rory]

I mean, Game, I wouldn't ever discredit what he was doing in the Bay and in LA before he broke with G Unit, but I mean, why I think Jimmy even put him with G Unit outside of G Unit, being on fire at the time, is that he sounded and rapped like he was from New York. Of course he sounds like he's from la. Don't get me wrong.

[Damaris]

I get what you're saying.

[Rory]

The way his delivery and lyrical content when he was on Clue tapes, if he didn't constantly say where he was from, I wouldn't immediately believe that he wasn't from New York. I think he's even talked about that he rapped like he was from New York. And I think that's probably why we all gravitated to him so much. And I think the record that made him pop, per se, was what, the Jim Jones certified GS or whatever, which, I mean, has Game. Yeah. Which Has LA aspects, but he was with Jim Jones when the world was really introduced to him, not just la. So I think New York has always had a better appreciation for Game than maybe the rest of the country.

[Damaris]

But I. I hear you. But if that's the case, then Tyler, the creator doesn't always sound like he's an LA artist. He does sound like he's an LA artist, but he doesn't always sound like he's.

[Rory]

He definitely led the newer generation of la. They call it weird. I wouldn't call it weird, but that separate. Like this isn't the stereotypical LA scene. He led that for sure. Which is where you get some of the new scene now. But Game at the time, LA had been non existent for quite some time. Game single handedly brought the west coast back and put a bunch of people on this list, including the number one artist on their first mixtape, on their first tour, Nipsey. Everyone like Game not only did that shit by himself, he brought a bunch of people with him. He wasn't on some selfish. It's just me. Like I remember Game mixtape shit. When K Dot was on it. He was meeting with Top. With the J Rock. Shit like Game. If he's not top five, the only other way he could be was higher.

[Maal]

Yeah, Vince State was at number 23. Is pissing me off. Let me just go ahead and say it. He needs to be a lot higher.

[Rory]

Say the pillars again.

[Damaris]

The pillars are skill. Like total skill, strength of a catalog, commercial impact and lasting influence. And I think number three might be the commercial impact. Yeah, might be what's keeping him.

[Maal]

Who has. All right, look at, look at the people ahead of Vince and who has more commercial impact than him? Who has a better catalog than him?

[Rory]

Catalog. You're gonna be tough.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Schoolboy does have a great catalog. YG does.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Maal]

But I love Dom Kennedy. He's not above Vince Staples.

[Rory]

Some could argue with commercial appeal and Vince Staples. Dom has a great catalog.

[Maal]

Vince Staples has a great catalog. And he has a Netflix show Fair. That's not commercial.

[Rory]

But they're focusing on the rapping.

[Maal]

Come on, man. Vince need to be hiding that.

[Rory]

I appreciate Nipsey being at 10 outside of him just being above the game, which was kind of nice. If Nipsey does not pass, is he at number 10? Lasting influence. I fully understand. Let's deal with what's tangible. I mean, over Game is insanity, but even Over YG Game, Nipsey, respectfully, y'.

[Damaris]

All gotta go to LA in a couple days.

[Rory]

I'm not suggesting that Nipsey does not belong on this list whatsoever. He has hit every criteria there. But I don't know if against YG with everything if that. If we're going off what they said, not off what the allure of everything is to the public.

[Damaris]

So we've had this conversation before when people say that Jay Z wouldn't be Jay Z if Biggie had never died. But we'll never know because Biggie died, right? So we'll never know if people would have. If the mass majority of America would have noticed how talented Nipsey was because he was severely underrated before he passed, they wouldn't have. We don't know if they would have eventually figured that out. They could have eventually figured that out. He could have had a hit that went off. Everybody went back to his catalog and said, oh my God, Nipy has been one of the greatest for so long that could have happened or he could have continued to be underrated. We. We will never know because he did die, of course.

[Rory]

And let me be clear. I think the Victory Lap album was the one that was going to start his. His rise. I think that's when he finally got the recognition, commercial recognition that he deserved. He was about to be the intro of a Khaled album. Like yeah, he. Nipsey was on his way for sure. I'm not saying because he passed. That's when everyone started to give a fuck. So I'm not saying that whatsoever. But over somebody like Game and YG by those criterias is a little crazy to me. Even Schoolboy, if we're going to get into it. As far as the older acts, I. I saw Punch tweet something. I wish they do it in eras. I agree with them because it is very tough to compare corrupt to Vince Staples. Yeah, it's just completely different times. And like it's. It's odd. I don't even know how you would go about this. I also don't even know how you put a list like this together to begin with. But you know, chat gbt.

[Maal]

Chat gbt. You know how to put it together, man.

[Rory]

If we're going off skill alone, the fact that blue is at 49 is insane. The fact that crooked eye is at 46 is nuts. Will, I am. I think most of his impact did not come from anything rap related whatsoever. I thought Rascast was from the Bay.

[Maal]

I don't know.

[Rory]

I could be wrong.

[Maal]

I don't know what they doing with this list.

[Rory]

Drago the Ruler I for Impact. Everyone in LA raps like him. You could make a case that he could be a little higher when it comes to impact.

[Damaris]

LA gonna kick our ass. Because they probably gonna be like, no, you're wrong, you're wrong.

[Rory]

All of LA was saying they were wrong. I mean, Game, Game included.

[Maal]

Then Game put his own list together.

[Rory]

Game did put his own list together. I love Game, which is such a game thing to do. And I appreciate when Game does stuff like that.

[Maal]

They got Game outside the top 10, which is crazy.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I don't. That's why I'm saying, like, it feels disrespectful. And that's why I'm wondering if there's like an underlying issue before we get to games.

[Rory]

Is it weird that Tupac is left off when people like Ice Tea, Ice Tea, Corrupt, who's from Philly, but of course moved to la and that's where he, you know, made his career exhibit is from like Detroit and New Mexico. Like literally not from LA whatsoever.

[Maal]

She's from Albuquerque. Right.

[Rory]

Like when you have people like that on there but then say Tupac isn't there, I can see why that would upset people. Even though Tupac maybe lived in LA for like four. I think I've lived in LA longer than Tupac did. Like, I've stayed at the Mondrian longer. And I always felt like Tupac, if he was claiming the west coast was more the Bay than he was Los Angeles.

[Damaris]

So they, they, they talked about that as well. In, in the article. They said that this putting together, putting this list together wasn't easy. LA is a transplant town, so what qualifies someone as an LA rapper? They said for this list, it's an artist who creatively came to life in the city and reflects its ethos. That's why some big names didn't make the cut. Tupac may seem like an LA rapper, but he only lived in the city for a couple of months. Although he had some big hits under the Death Row banner, he was a fully formed platinum selling artist by the time California Love came out. So I think why they left some transplants on there and not Tupac. Is it because. Is because Tupac was already a fully formed artist before he moved to la, whereas the rest of them came up in la. So I feel like that's fair, not.

[Rory]

Terribly mad at that. And again, if it was California, I'd be fine with Pac there because he spent so much time in the Bay and that's where he started his rap career for real was in Oakland.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Marin County. So. All right, I'm not Mad at confidence.

[Maal]

That's not why they left Pac off the list.

[Rory]

Why?

[Maal]

His first rap name was MC New York.

[Rory]

That's true.

[Maal]

You can't have a rapper on your top LA list of all time. And his first rap name was MC New York.

[Rory]

Yeah, okay, but. All right, it can't do that just cause you had a nickname. Like what? Find me the vinyl press of the MC New York record. Like, yeah, that was a thing he said. Somebody, he said that in his head when he got to Baltimore. Like, that doesn't mean that was your rap name. I mean, you can't find an emcee New York song.

[Maal]

So now you saying. Now you telling Tupac what his rap name was? See, that's what you white people do. They try to strip history no matter what.

[Rory]

Even when we telling you I fully. I fully disagreed with what his mother was doing and everything.

[Maal]

Like, I'm just saying his. He said his rap name was MC New York.

[Rory]

Yeah, but you can have a name.

[Maal]

Go find a vinyl with two.

[Rory]

Because he didn't record any music under that.

[Maal]

Exactly. But I'm just saying that maybe that might be why Complex was like, nah, we can't do that.

[Rory]

Okay, but based off what they're saying about Exhibit Corrupt. Yes. Those guys moved to LA and that is what started their rap career. I'm sure Corrupt was rapping when he was in Philly when he was a kid, but you can't find those. So I'm fine with that criteria. Tupac got to the Bay, got with Digital Underground and was Tupac. He wasn't MC New York with Digital Underground, he was Tupac. So I don't think it's because that was his name. I think it was because he really honestly spent like six months in la. He wasn't like really there. He was with a gang from there.

[Maal]

So where is he from?

[Rory]

I think Pac is one of those hybrids that just moved around. That's one of those people, you can't really say where they were from. I think that's why he like not. Not like click hopped, but he did. Yeah. I don't. I don't think he ever really had a place that he could call home. That's why he rode for Death Row so much, because he finally found a group of people that he could like, also had his back. He went from New York to Baltimore, to Marin, to Oakland, then to jail, then to fucking LA and then Vegas. I think that was just his mentality. He was with different gangs. Like, yeah, he never had a place that he could call Home.

[Maal]

I mean, these lists are always interesting, though, because just hearing the conversations going on around the people that's on it, the people that maybe should have been on there. But this is very, very tricky. Only because, again, you say LA rappers, and a lot of these rappers are not from la. California. Yes, but I like these types of things, too. Cause it also, you know, you get to hear what people think, and, you know, they start throwing names out there that should have been on the list. Sugar free at 18. I was just laughing at that. Only because I didn't expect them to have Sugar Free so high. But I'm a Sugar Free fan. I mean, that's just me, though. But I respect them having them at 18.

[Rory]

What would be your top five before we get to games?

[Maal]

Before we get to game?

[Rory]

Yeah, to his list.

[Maal]

Oh, top five. La. Cube. Game. Kendrick, Nip.

[Rory]

We're at four.

[Maal]

That's four.

[Rory]

And this is your personal.

[Maal]

I said Snoop, right?

[Rory]

No, you didn't.

[Maal]

Snoop.

[Damaris]

Oh, you didn't say Snoop. Okay, so Snoop. Game, Kendrick. Dre. Nip. Okay.

[Rory]

No, he didn't say Dre.

[Maal]

No, not Dre.

[Rory]

Cube. Kendrick. Game.

[Maal]

Nip.

[Rory]

Nip.

[Maal]

Snoop.

[Damaris]

Oh, okay. Cube. I'm sorry. Not. Yeah, okay.

[Maal]

Yeah, Ice Cube is. Ice Cube might be my favorite rapper.

[Damaris]

I was gonna say Ice Cube is one of your favorite rappers.

[Maal]

I know that. Like, I mean, just growing up, Cube was. You know, a lot of people don't. Don't really, you know, remember Ice Cube before television and film, Ice Cube was, you know, you go back to his early stuff. He was a super problem. But, you know, obviously they got it right. They got him top three. So I'm not mad at that.

[Rory]

Yeah. I mean, I kind of have an issue with Snoop Dogg not being number one. No matter. Like what if you're going off all those pillars, like, Snoop is the most famous rapper that's ever existed. Like, you could argue nobody's had more impact, period, than Snoop Dogg. So to me, even though I've even given Snoop's discography some flack, because there's just a lot of albums and a lot of them don't really hit the mark, could you not say Snoop is the number one LA rapper?

[Maal]

I think he would have been before, obviously, last year.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Maal]

They might have had Snoop number one, But, I mean, obviously last year happened. So now anything coming out of la, West Coast, California, we talking about rappers. Obviously, Kendrick is going to be the number one on the list.

[Rory]

I have Snoop, and we're counting Dre. Not with the pen thing here. I would Go, Snoop. It'd flip flop between Cube and Kendrick. For me, that's a two, three, then Dre and then Game. That would be my five.

[Maal]

Dre in your top five?

[Rory]

If we're not counting that. He doesn't write shit. If we're just going off.

[Maal]

I mean, yeah, if you count that, then of course. But that's a big part of it, though. Rappers, like, you can't have a rapper's list and then somebody be your top five. And they don't write like, that's. What are we talking about?

[Rory]

Listen, I've said that from the beginning, but I hear you.

[Maal]

Yeah. Like, you. No, if you're not writing your rhymes, like, you can't be top five. I just.

[Rory]

Okay, then. Snoop, Cube, Kendrick, Game, Tyler.

[Maal]

Tyler's in your top five.

[Rory]

If we're going off all the pillars, Impact and lasting catalog, everything. Yeah, that's a. That's a. I would. Yeah, Tyler's there. Like, even if it does. If. Even if it sounds weird, if you look at everything on paper, how would he not be there? Impact down to the festivals in the city. Like, he clothing.

[Maal]

All of that. Yes, he. Tyler is. Is amazing. What he's doing is amazing. I'm just. When you say top five rappers from California or la.

[Rory]

No, all the pillars. All the pillars that. No, if we were going off of Skills, I got Crook in. In blue, like, in my top five.

[Maal]

Yeah, I gotta. I just got. I love Tyler. He's dope. But, you know, top five is like, whoa. Like, okay.

[Rory]

I just. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for these types of conversations. No input, no nothing. Just to see how they put it together. Like, how did you guys debate Doja Cat and Daz at 20, both incredible. But, like, how do you even get to that? How does that debate happen? Like, all right, cool. Let's go through their catalogs and see who's 27, who's 26.

[Damaris]

We got. We got. Do we have Tyga over Doja camp?

[Maal]

Not me.

[Damaris]

If we going off the pillars.

[Maal]

No, I know how I feel about Doja.

[Damaris]

If we going off the pillars, man, you know, I love saying Tyga. Don't miss.

[Rory]

If we're going off the. If we're going off the pillars, Doja and Tyga should be a little higher on this.

[Maal]

Doja should definitely be higher.

[Rory]

Her pen is crazy. She has the records, she has the impact.

[Maal]

Commercial success.

[Rory]

Can we not say the same about Tiger, though? I know it's fun to make fun of him. That's what I'm saying never not had a hit.

[Maal]

Yeah, but I'm Tiger not.

[Damaris]

Never had a. Not hit.

[Rory]

I'm not saying catalog per se, as far as albums.

[Maal]

So that's what I'm saying. Like, you talking about catalogs. I'm like, albums. Like, nobody's. I'm not listening to a Tiger album. I might play a tiger record a song, but I'm not playing a tiger album.

[Damaris]

But you got a tiger have an album. And this should have five good singles on it. Like singles, and they're a hit.

[Rory]

And I loved his first album. No introduction when he was rapping like Jim. Class heroes. Still love that album. When he's putting the lime in the.

[Maal]

Coconut, I'm gonna keep it a honey. I don't think I've ever listened to.

[Damaris]

A Tiger album because he just has so many hits. You never needed to. Yeah, you never needed to.

[Rory]

It was 5 on the charts at the time. Fucking. He had. He had an EP on the charts every year.

[Maal]

How many albums this Tiger put up?

[Damaris]

I have no clue.

[Maal]

We got to start asking them type of questions.

[Rory]

He has eight albums.

[Maal]

Eight albums.

[Rory]

Yes. Eight albums. Not to count what I think. Could be a era classic. Fan of a fan with Chris Brown. Could be a mid 2000 classic.

[Damaris]

Fan of a fan is a classic for us young millennials.

[Rory]

That's. That's a great mixtape.

[Maal]

You see, I was just listening to other. That's what it was.

[Damaris]

What you was listening to. And what.

[Rory]

What was.

[Maal]

What year that came out?

[Damaris]

What was the original one?

[Rory]

It had to been before then.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

I was gonna say this is fan of the fan.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's. I'm looking on Wikipedia. I'm like.

[Damaris]

I was in high school when the real fan.

[Rory]

Oh, Phantom of a Fan mixtape came out in 2010.

[Damaris]

Okay. That's what I thought.

[Rory]

Then there was fan of a fan album, which I'm not even sure what's on this.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I don't know that either.

[Rory]

But fan of a fan of fan mixtape. Was that 2020?

[Maal]

Yeah, I wasn't listening.

[Rory]

You wasn't listening to deuces in 2010?

[Maal]

Deuces, yeah.

[Rory]

Yeah. That mixtape, like, doesn't have a skip. It's not just Deuces.

[Damaris]

He was probably listening to Watch the Throne on Repeat like the rest of us as well.

[Maal]

2010. It was just a lot. It was a lot of Ross.

[Damaris]

Oh, it was a lot of Ross.

[Maal]

You know what I'm saying? It was. I was.

[Rory]

Yeah, Ross. Ross was.

[Maal]

It was other shit going on. I couldn't listen. I couldn't. I Didn't make it. The fan of a fan did no.

[Damaris]

Ceilings come out 2010.

[Rory]

That was 09. But 2010 had thank me later was then Meek was on fire. What was that first Dream Chasers mixtape with the Big Sean Burn record?

[Maal]

It was. It was just a different energy.

[Rory]

It was definitely an MMG year for sure.

[Maal]

Yeah, I was listening to some different shit I didn't get to.

[Rory]

Fan of a fan like a Virgin again. No, that Fan of a fan mixtape was it. All right, well, let's quickly get to games. I appreciate that he was pissed about this and he's been quiet lately when we thought he was going to say something. So I know Game has just been pacing around the house and couldn't just let this go. He has tupac at number one, snoop number two, ice cube three, Kendrick four, game five, corrupt six, DJ Quick at seven, Dr. Dre at eight, Eazy E at nine, Xzibit at 10, and so on and so forth. We don't have to go through the entire thing. I liked that he added Mr. Capone onto his list, which I think Complex should have a lot of the Latino community boycotting outside of their offices. Mr. Capone, I know you guys don't give a fuck about, but that's like the fucking Nas of Chicano rap. Like, if you're going to talk about la, he was a huge part of that city. The fact that he even make. The fact that you guys put blueface on there and not him when talking about impact of LA, Mr. Capone could be in the top 15. Like, he solidified a genre out there.

[Maal]

Top 15.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Rory]

So I appreciate that Game added them there. Hey, put reason there.

[Maal]

He has reason on the top 100.

[Rory]

He has reason at 81. I feel like 100. Like, why even. Why even do that? Like, once you get to Blueface for fit, like, why do we. Do we need that?

[Damaris]

I. I understand. I think he was trying to, like, you know, not be nice, but he was trying to pay respects to his city and the artists that he might feel are getting left out that he loves. I respect that he did that because 100 takes a lot of time. So for him to even take the.

[Maal]

Time to do this, well, I think it's like. Like Punch had. Punch had tweeted. I think that Game was trying to cover, like, errors. He was trying to include, like, a lot of the new newer guys, which is dope.

[Damaris]

What newer low key guys other than, like, reason does he have on there?

[Maal]

I'm. I'm gonna be honest. I can't even read that.

[Damaris]

I get. I can't. I don't know why he put that in that red, right?

[Rory]

Well, no, he went on and broke it down into the 25. So you can read it better. As far as new rappers, I think that might. Oh, no, he has AZ on there. He has AZ on there. So to me, like, that's where a hundred's not needed because we don't even know what their careers are going to be yet. So, like, I just think it's kind of unnecessary. I respect it, though. But, like, you know, west side boogie at 62, great. But he still has a full career ahead of him. Kidding, Kidding. Got some love. I love that 54. Let's not act like Kid Ink didn't have a run.

[Damaris]

He has Ray Vaughan over Westside Boogie.

[Rory]

No. Oh, God, I hope not.

[Damaris]

What did you just say?

[Rory]

West side was 62.

[Damaris]

Rayvon is 60.

[Rory]

All right, game. That must have been personal. There's no. Like, come on. There's no way. He has. He has Blue Face over West side Boogie.

[Damaris]

That's. Which is. They must really with Blue. They must really with Blue.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

This is kind of. That's nuts to have that there.

[Damaris]

Maybe I don't know Blueface's catalog. Like I said, I don't. You know, maybe I'm not aware. I love Bust down with Atiana. That's my. But I don't.

[Maal]

That's one song.

[Damaris]

No, that's what I'm saying. I'm not familiar with his catalog.

[Rory]

Four remixes to it. You forgot about that.

[Maal]

All right, all that. What time is the New York list dropping?

[Damaris]

Y' all making it.

[Maal]

Hell.

[Damaris]

We can't trust Complex to make it Complex gonna happen.

[Rory]

Hey, I'm sure it's done. It's about to go out today. I'm sure B Dot.

[Maal]

You know, B Dot was home. He had his durag tied extra tight.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah.

[Maal]

You know, he was sick when that LA list came out. You know, he wanted to make that list. Anytime a list come out, B Dot gotta be mad. He gotta be heated.

[Rory]

But why, though? Because Complex is. See, I think that's unfair if he feels that way, because Complex was doing the list before Beat out was. That was. That's how Complex really popped. Was them doing, like, the 23 Jordans of 2023. Like, they would just find anything at some listed.

[Maal]

Just list.

[Rory]

Everything was a list. So this is Complex as. But I.

[Maal]

You know, that New York list gonna be interesting, though. That's gonna be interesting.

[Rory]

I'm curious how they break it up.

[Maal]

That's gonna be interesting.

[Damaris]

Yo, can you stop laughing?

[Maal]

Nah, man. Because, see, you know la, when you talk about the LA list, like, respectfully, because I'm not from la, I look at it, but it's good to see people like games. Somebody's from the west coast and you know an artist, it's good to see them make a list because they grew up in the culture, they're from there. So the music means something different, the artist means something different. Same way being from New York, a New York list come out. Depending on who puts it out, me being from here, it's going to be some names on that list. Where we gonna be like, all right, hold on, man.

[Damaris]

Who.

[Maal]

I'm just saying. I'm not saying no names yet. I just. I know the list is coming. New York is going to happen. Atlanta list is going to happen. Fucking Texas list might happen. A Florida list might happen. Like, the lists are going to pop. They're going to start popping up all over the place. But New York, we know is next.

[Damaris]

No worries.

[Rory]

The only thing not boosted with Boost Mobile is the Prices Mall. I freestyled that. They didn't even tell me to say that.

[Maal]

Nice.

[Rory]

Nah, that was bars. With Boost mobile, you pay $25 a month forever. That is unlimited talk, text and data starting at just $25 a month with no price hikes.

[Maal]

5G speed is not available in all areas. After 30GB, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost unlimited plan. I'm just saying it's gonna be some names on that list where we gonna have to sit here and do what we're doing right now. Be like, all right, enough is enough.

[Damaris]

Well, since we know it's coming, put yours together now. Because I know it's gonna take you a while. Put yours together now so that when they drop theirs, we'll drop ours.

[Rory]

We can do our top five, but before we get there, why is childish Gambino at 32? He's from Atlanta and has always been from Atlanta. I don't even know if he's ever lived in Los Angeles.

[Damaris]

Is he.

[Rory]

He's from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has a show called Atlanta.

[Damaris]

Is he on game?

[Rory]

Multiple mixtapes called Stone mountain. He's number 32. Childish gambito on games or Complexes Games. And I want to say baby keem at 38 over west side boogie is.

[Maal]

See what I'm saying?

[Rory]

Baby Keem at 38 is crazy.

[Damaris]

Say it.

[Maal]

Yeah, it's just again, man, I'm not from the west coast. So I, you know, I'm not gonna go as hard on that list. But Baby King, do you have an album out?

[Rory]

He has one project out. That was years ago, which was cool. I wasn't mad at it. But it wasn't like one album don't.

[Maal]

Get you top 30. Top no. 32. One album don't get you number 32. Not all four.

[Rory]

38.

[Maal]

38.

[Rory]

But again, west side boogie is at 62.

[Maal]

Yeah, west boogie is rapping better than. And again, why they be playing with my boy Bug.

[Damaris]

I don't like that either.

[Rory]

I don't like that whatsoever. I like that Mers Got Love on both these lists. He should be a little higher. If you go through Murders catalog, it's top top 10 catalog in the west. In my personal opinion.

[Maal]

Not mad at that, but I don't know.

[Rory]

Let's, let's, let's do our top five. Should we do what we think Complex is going to do? Top five New York.

[Damaris]

Complex is going to do top five New York 1. Jay Z 2. Nas 3. Nicki Minaj 4.

[Rory]

Oh, let's, let's write. Josh, write these down for Damaris's prediction for Complex.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I don't know who they will put at at 4. I'm trying to think of who they would put in that spot.

[Maal]

You know exactly who they gonna put that for?

[Damaris]

Who they gonna put that for?

[Maal]

Party.

[Damaris]

No, no, they might do. They might do. It's complex. Oh, complex. Them play ASAP Rocky.

[Rory]

They might put him at one. They may do top one Rappers of New York City ASAP Rocky.

[Damaris]

Damn.

[Rory]

Would they do featuring Clams Casino.

[Damaris]

Would they do Jadakiss for four?

[Maal]

If you think Jadakiss is making top four on a complex list?

[Damaris]

I don't know. I think the podcast now the podcast.

[Rory]

That's what Complex perspective. That's what put it over the edge.

[Maal]

It's like, that's so.

[Rory]

Nah, you see, he has four episodes like so disrespectful.

[Damaris]

And then LL Cool J. Ll is.

[Maal]

Not making a top five complex.

[Damaris]

They gotta do one like old school one. To them who they think is old school? They gotta.

[Maal]

Nas is old school. Jay is old school.

[Rory]

True, like 80s type.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Okay. Since they had exhibit on the LA one, they have to have people from Long Island.

[Maal]

Right.

[Rory]

I'm gonna go similar to Damaris's. I think Jay Z, Nas, Nikki is going to be the. The three. I think that's going to be the.

[Damaris]

They might put Jay Z, Nicky, Nas. I ain't gonna lie.

[Rory]

All Right.

[Maal]

There's no.

[Rory]

Let's put ourselves. Let's put ourselves in the writers room.

[Maal]

Telling you you're trying to give me an ulcer.

[Rory]

Let's put ourselves in the writers room. I can see them putting Nikki at three to stir up some controversy, or I can see them putting nikki at, like, 18 to really piss the barbs off and get. I'm not saying Nikki deserves to be at 18.

[Maal]

No. But they're not going to do that. That's too much of a stretch. They're not going to do that. She's going to be top.

[Damaris]

That's too much of a stretch.

[Maal]

She's going to be top 10 for sure.

[Rory]

Okay, this is my prediction. Jay Z at 1, Nas at 2, Nikki at 3, Biggie at 4.

[Damaris]

Oh, fuck, yeah.

[Rory]

Rakim at 5.

[Damaris]

So Jay Z at 1, Biggie.

[Maal]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. You forgot Big Biggie.

[Damaris]

Jay Z at 1, Biggie at 2, Nikki at 3, Nas at 4.

[Rory]

I didn't know we were allowed to change. I'm gonna. Once the list comes out, I'm gonna change mine.

[Maal]

Yeah, you ain't even have big shots.

[Damaris]

Ja rule at 5.

[Rory]

I could see them putting Biggie lower again to cause controversy and write like, yo, he only had two albums type. I could see that happening. That's a very complex thing to do, is to put biggie at like 9.

[Damaris]

They gonna put PAC on there. New York, they gonna put back on there.

[Rory]

Has. Hasn't Complex done something like this, though, already?

[Maal]

I'm sure they have.

[Rory]

Oh, this was all right. This was August of 2023, but I feel like they'll redo it just because the LA one, I feel like.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I feel like we talked about 1 in 23.

[Maal]

We did.

[Rory]

Because I feel like every year.

[Maal]

Every year they shuffled.

[Rory]

This is August of 23. Jay Z at 1, Biggie at 2, Nas at 3, Rakim at 4, LL at 5. Then goes 657, Nicki Minaj, 8. DMX.

[Damaris]

I remember us being pissed. Ice Spice made the list.

[Rory]

9. Busta Rhymes, 10 carries one. Yeah, I do remember talking about this list, but I can see them redoing 1.

[Maal]

I'm glad LL was on the top 5.

[Damaris]

What number was Nikki again?

[Rory]

7.

[Damaris]

7.

[Maal]

As I said, she's top 10 for sure.

[Rory]

All right, if they redo it, what's your prediction for the 5? Has to be different than the one.

[Maal]

Prediction or just my 5.

[Rory]

Not prediction for complex.

[Maal]

J, Nas, Big. I think they keep it the same. Ll, Rakim.

[Rory]

Okay. And they've also done an LA one before, so I definitely think they're going to do another New York one. What do you think their Atlanta one would be?

[Maal]

What would the Atlanta be? Future Thug, Jeezy. Gucci.

[Damaris]

They're have Gucci at one. They don't play about Gucci.

[Maal]

And maybe 3,000.

[Rory]

Okay, I'm gonna go future at one for complex, Andre at two, Ti at three, Thug at four, GZ at five. But also, Jeezy, like, isn't really from Atlanta. I don't know how it works, but Complex doesn't care.

[Damaris]

Yeah, Complex doesn't care.

[Maal]

Neither do we.

[Rory]

Demaris your Atlanta one, and then we can move on.

[Damaris]

My Atlanta one is for what? Complex. What I think Complex will say. I think complex is going to go Future at 1, TI at 2, Lotto at 3.

[Maal]

Wait, what?

[Damaris]

This is what I play.

[Maal]

Remember what we're talking about, man.

[Damaris]

All right, Lotto at three, thug at four, Gucci at five.

[Rory]

Lotto at three is hilarious. All right, well, thank you, Complex, for always stirring up nonsense when we don't even need it. But with that said, the diamonds look like pee. Pee your hate off, man.

[Maal]

Me? Why?

[Rory]

Yeah, you. ISO.

[Maal]

What am I hating on?

[Rory]

Clips.

[Maal]

Nah, record is hard.

[Damaris]

You can't hate on the clips.

[Maal]

Yeah, whoever hated on the clips. Who did that?

[Rory]

I mean, I'm sure all the OVO communities have been doing that, hating on the clips. I'm sure they have.

[Maal]

Yeah. You can't. The ace trumpets. The song is hard. I like that.

[Rory]

Produced by Pharrell.

[Maal]

The production is crazy. That's one of those. I want to hear, like. I want to hear a few rappers take that and do something to that.

[Rory]

Yeah, that would be. If this was still the freestyle era, there'd be 20 radio freestyles right now.

[Maal]

Yeah. Over that.

[Damaris]

They've been asking us to get on it.

[Maal]

Who's us?

[Damaris]

Me and Rory.

[Maal]

Who's asking for that?

[Damaris]

They have.

[Maal]

Who's they? Damaris. You got to stop saying it. Who?

[Damaris]

The new Rory Amalfi.

[Maal]

Man, Ain't nobody asking for that.

[Damaris]

Yes. To play off of our background that we did when we impersonated. When we impersonated Push Up.

[Maal]

Oh, my God.

[Damaris]

They've been asking for us to join, to jump on. So, Rory, we gotta.

[Rory]

We gotta do that this week.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Maal]

No.

[Damaris]

Yeah, because ballerinas doing pirouettes inside my snow globe is something I would have said.

[Maal]

That's not nothing you would have said. It's absolutely nothing. You've never said that. You've never said nothing close to that.

[Rory]

When I heard. When I heard Nas Rewind, I Was like, oh, I would have done that, too. Like, no.

[Maal]

You'Ve never said anything.

[Rory]

I would have. I would have approached the PSA beat the same way. J.

[Maal]

Like, what are y' all talking about?

[Damaris]

I'm just saying that's something I would have said.

[Rory]

That bar is crazy.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Malice went off on this record is my son said.

[Damaris]

That's on repeat. Definitely something I would have said. But, yeah, Malice went crazy. And he didn't curse the whole entire time. He's bringing real hip hop back.

[Maal]

Real hip hop. Okay.

[Rory]

The hip hop. I feel like they even cursed them rappers to, like, only. Only Will Smith didn't curse in his raps.

[Maal]

Broken vows everywhere.

[Rory]

That's explicit content, for sure.

[Maal]

Yeah. No, that was crazy. Back in the day.

[Rory]

Talking about snow globe shit, too, for sure. I really love the record. I was a little nervous with the whole Chad and Pharrell thing. Of course, we know Pharrell has produced plenty of shit by himself, but that was a thing coming up to this. Like, all right, we're getting a Pharrell produced clips album again, but there is no Chad involved in this. I'm not mad. So far there, he's one for one. Pharrell is probably the best. Him and Swizz are the best at making the most simplistic beats sound incredible.

[Maal]

Yeah, this. No, the production on this. On this record is. Is incredible. Like, I like this record a lot.

[Rory]

I like the approach and pockets that they both picked. I'm really, really excited for this album.

[Damaris]

What's your favorite lyric or your favorite bar?

[Rory]

It's the snow globe shift, for sure, but the Alibaba to Lady Gaga was insane to me, too.

[Maal]

I mean, it's. People online say Malice, he got pushed.

[Rory]

On this one, but that's not. I mean, Push got way better post the clips with his solo career.

[Damaris]

Malice was always nice, but let's not.

[Rory]

Act like back in the day, no one was ever discrediting Push as a rapper, but Malice was always, like, the one. Push would get him a few times. But I feel like Push has even admitted that his brother was the better rapper. Push just got much better with his solo career, so I'm really excited to see this one, but I feel like Malice got pushed on his last solo project. That Malice verse was one of my favorite verses of that year, 2022 or whatever. Malice is Malice, dog.

[Maal]

Like, no, no, no, Listen. I'm very aware of the clips. One of my favorite groups. And this, you know, production with Pharrell is definitely, you know, it's good to see Them still working together. And then the thing I'm most impressed of is how long they've been at it and how good they still sound. Like that's it to me. That's like. You know when they say this rap is a young man's sport to a degree, yes. But when you have, you know, the clips and Pharrell still able to deliver and give us joints that sound like this, it ain't no, to me, it's no real. It's no young, no y. N's can't give us this sound. They can't give us this talk. They can't. They not even this clever. This. This witty in their. In their bars and the entendres and things like that. Like, this is the type of rap that, you know, a certain sector I think, appreciates in. In the community.

[Damaris]

You gotta learn how to read. You gotta learn how to read. You gotta learn how to travel, and you gotta learn how to travel.

[Rory]

Drug dealing takes mad.

[Damaris]

No, but this isn't. I'm talking about rapping. It's not just about. They're not just rapping about drugs. They had to have read books, seen things, experience things for your vocabulary to open up this wide for you to be able to make references about things from other countries. And yeah, you got to travel, you got to make money. You got to read. And even if you don't have the money, you got to read about the places that you can't travel. Reading is fundamental. And these new rappers don't read.

[Maal]

They can't read, read. They can't even talk. Have you heard some of these new artists, like, in the interview? Like, yo, you feel me? Feel me? Feel me, Feel me. Film me. Feel me, feel me.

[Rory]

No, I can't feel a thing.

[Maal]

Yeah, I can't.

[Rory]

Neither can you because you're on film.

[Maal]

Feel me, Feel me, Feel me, Feel me, Feel me, bro. Yo, bro, bro, this is a female you're sitting across from. This is a woman. You feel me? Bro, bro, bro, bro. You know what I'm saying, bro?

[Damaris]

Not me.

[Maal]

What time I get your dumb ass up, man? Shut up.

[Damaris]

But that's because they're on. They're on the drugs.

[Maal]

Drugs.

[Damaris]

They're not selling the drugs.

[Maal]

They're on drugs. They're selling drugs. Drugs. And they're selling more drugs.

[Damaris]

They're selling the drugs to their friends. They friends selling them back. They just doing, like, drug switches.

[Rory]

Drug musical chairs.

[Damaris]

Drug musical chairs.

[Maal]

Like, let me hold that pill I just sold you.

[Rory]

Same way. Yo, can I hold that chain for this Video.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Let me. Let me get just two of the perks, though.

[Maal]

Give me those two perks I just sold you.

[Rory]

And I mean, labels don't even have the staff to do media training. That's been done. Remember when they used to give Fab a lot of bullshit? Like, Fab wasn't media trained. He's not good at interviews. The Fab smokes. Looks like Einstein compared to.

[Maal]

It's bad. It's bad. Like, they. I'm talking about.

[Rory]

He's Neil DeGrasse Tyson compared to these.

[Maal]

Yeah, like these, These. These new artists, these young. A lot of these young cats, they. I mean, it's just like, my God, like you can't even hold a conversation. It's sad, but, you know, it's good to hear the clips still in shape. I'm looking forward to hearing what else they got on this project. If it sounds anything like this Ace Trumpish joint, then, you know this is gonna be a good listen for me. Like, I appreciate this type of nostalgia and this type of attention to detail when you talk about rapping. I appreciate this.

[Rory]

And I feel like Push, Malice and Ross, even though there's a million entendres in this Ace of Trumpets record, those three rappers, to me are the best at saying very simple things and delivering it in a way that sounds so amazing. Soho shopping Spree. You should have seen it. It's not even that crazy. But I was. I'm like, though I was just on Broadway, How I missed that shit.

[Damaris]

Yeah, them and Drake does that really well.

[Rory]

You should have seen it. How do you deliver it that good? Like, Ross be saying some really basic shit, but it sounds better than all of your favorite rappers when they do complex shit. Pusha, Malice and Ross are masters at this type of shit. The delivery, very simple delivery. You catch every word. You may not catch the entendre, but you catch every single syllable word. It all sounds amazing.

[Maal]

The delivery and rap is very important.

[Rory]

Like Push as an elite mc still. Where were you when Big Meech brought the Tagus? Like, he has more memorable stuff like that on top of his entendres. That separates him to me from everyone else. Like they not doing rappity rap. Rap rap. They found a very specific, fun, fun pocket. A fun pocket that a lot of people could fuck up.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, that could get tiresome for 32 bars. They are masters at that type of shit.

[Damaris]

But see, that's why going back.

[Rory]

Ross is too, at that.

[Damaris]

Going back to when we were talking about our complex list and they said skill and the Majority of the pillars of skill, only one of them was actual pin. The rest of it was delivery. The way that you break it down like that's a very, very important thing.

[Rory]

Eazy has one of the best deliveries ever. Even Dre's delivery is incredible. That fucking horrible line. If I slip, then I slip then I'm slipping I'm still slipping Awful Bar delivered incredibly.

[Maal]

That hit back in the day, though.

[Rory]

I ain't gonna lie it still hits now still hits now and if I.

[Maal]

Got my nina and then you know I'm true and I'm gonna continue to put the rap down Put the Mac.

[Rory]

Down Snoop's fan was crazy. I did. See we spoke last episode that there was rumblings about a Kendrick verse from before. And then we thought because of the Roc Nation situation, that they may have a Jay Z verse. I saw that Stove God tweeted that he is on the album. We know there's only two features, so I do not think we're getting a Jay Z feature on this. I believe it is Stove God which is confirmed. And I think that Kendrick feature from Chains and Whips when they did the Louis Vuitton fashion show that like Jim Jones diss, that was the one that Kendrick was rumored to be on. And then we never heard anything from it. Pusha T went and did an interview and said that they wanted to put this out last year, but when they brought it to Def Jam, this was right after the Drake and Kendrick beef. And they wanted Kendrick to more or less censor his verse because of everything that was going on. Push said fuck that. They got into some legality shit. Which led to the clips getting off Def Jam as well as Pusha T getting off Def Jam.

[Maal]

Oh, wow.

[Rory]

Because of this entire thing. And they were able to shop it around and that's why there was a delay. Now, I'm sure there's always a bunch of different things behind the scenes that added to this, but that is kind of fucking insane.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And according to Push or this article, I believe the bar isn't even that crazy from Kendrick. Therapy taught me how to open up. It also showed me. I don't give a fuck. I don't think it was the bars per se, that they wanted to censor. I think it was Def Jam saying Drake's two biggest opps are coming together at this exact time to put a record out. Which kind of, I don't know. Do you think it contradicts or helps the lawsuit that Drake is going through?

[Maal]

Why would it contradict it or help.

[Rory]

It That I guess this would be proof that they were aware of his brand and also wanted to protect it in the midst of this entire thing, which could go against it. But couldn't a lawyer also prove that they were very much aware when they said that they support both of their artists and they would never stop an artist from doing anything? This does contradict what Universal said already, for sure. It does prove what Drake's lawyers were saying. And UMG was like, what? We would never. That's crazy. We would never get behind in ours. We don't treat any artist with any type of special privileges or anything. But that even though this is on Drake's side, it still is proving that that does happen.

[Maal]

Yeah, but we know that even if this didn't, if this never came out, if Pusha never made any mention of this happening, we know that that does happen.

[Rory]

I just. I don't know. Pusha, to me, is not a liar. I just think there has to be more to this than just this sentence. Because why, after a record that calls somebody on your label that word would you be upset about or try to block Eclipse in Kendrick's song that doesn't talk about Drake whatsoever, like, the damage was done. This wasn't going to do anything.

[Maal]

What was. What was the bar?

[Rory]

The only bar that they mentioned?

[Maal]

All right.

[Rory]

Def James Spare company. UMG said the optics of two of Drake's biggest enemies linking on wax Push calls their apprehension stupid, primarily because none of the bars in Kendrick's otherwise excellent verse could be perceived as a shot or even a sub. It does, however, contain the stellar line, therapy taught me how to open up. It also showed me. I don't give a.

[Maal]

What. That's stupid.

[Rory]

I actually love the writing of this. Pusher can barely contain his disgust. Recounting the stalemate with Def Jam. They wanted me to ask Kendrick to censor his verse, which, of course, I was never doing. And then they wanted me to take the record off. And so after a month of not doing so, their lawyer said, well, we'll drop the clips, but they can't do that because I'm still there as a solo artist. If you let us all go, this is that order. Sure enough, Def Jam eventually agreed to release the clips and drop Push as a solo artist, freeing the duo up to shop for a new home with a finished Clips album and plenty more music in their pockets.

[Maal]

Yeah, I think that was just. I mean, could it be a thing where they just felt like the song wasn't good?

[Rory]

That Chains and Whip song was fire. It was Premiered at the Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris. That was the one that Jay Z and Beyonce. You could see they was writing lyrics in their head to it. Like, that record is fire. It's like leaked now. That not, you know, the highest version of it, but you can listen to it on YouTube now. And it was rumors at that time Kendrick was already on it. They just didn't play his verse in Paris. Nah, that record is. That record is too far.

[Maal]

I just think that that's. I don't. I don't understand any of that. I understand why. Why Def Jam would even. I mean, if he's not even mentioning Drake in the. In the verse, why would you even ask Pusha to have it to. To have Kendrick censored?

[Damaris]

Like, I don't want to assume no matter what, because of the time it was coming out, people would assume everything in it was okay, that's fine.

[Maal]

People can assume whatever. But for the label to go to push and say, yo, like, tell Kendrick not what like that. Just to me, that's just okay.

[Rory]

Conspiracy. Did they already have some type of worry that Drake was going to sue them or heard rumblings after the beef that that would happen? And now they're trying to cover their ass? Because this would be another point not to say it proves anything, but something you can put in the paperwork of. These are two people that have said very disparaging things about me. You're now releasing a record they have together and putting money behind it. I could see Drake's lawyers right after the beef.

[Damaris]

It could have been added as a little byline.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

In the lawsuit.

[Rory]

Not to say that that, like, really does anything, I think in Drake's lawsuit, because it's like they didn't say anything about him. But yeah, I think. I don't know. Does it add more fuel? Like, I feel like major corporations, when there's a possibility they could even be sued down to like the smallest sample, that could be debatable. They're gonna say no just to cover their ass like legal teams do. They don't even want to hear the music. They don't give a fuck about anything art related. They're just there to say no. So I could maybe see that being a thing because they were already heard possible litigation, rumors of what was going on. It's like, all right, we really can't do this. Even though I don't think that's really illegal. Matter.

[Maal]

Yeah, I just. I don't know that, you know, Def Jam doing that is just. That's just that Seems a little weird. That's. That's. No, that's very weird, actually. Not a little. That's very weird. For them to approach pushing. This doesn't make no sense. Like, especially if the line. He's not talking about him, not going at him in any type. It just doesn't make any sense.

[Rory]

I mean, but if that's the case, man, like, amazing to. To get off the label that way.

[Maal]

Oh, no. I mean, I'm sure, you know, they're happy about it, you know, like, oh, like we basically got a. A free walk, like we out of here. But it's just. I don't know. It just doesn't make. I feel like there's more to that story that just. That that's what I'm saying.

[Rory]

I'm not saying Push is saying it's false. I just. There has to be more.

[Maal]

There has to be more to that. There has to be. That makes no sense to me, but.

[Rory]

Because. What are you censoring in the verse?

[Maal]

Exactly. That's what I'm saying. It just, like. I don't know, maybe he's just trying. Not trying to really get into it and, you know, whatever. But that part of the story, to me, it has to be more that. That makes no sense.

[Rory]

Well, I mean, between chains and whips, I assume now that they're off Def Jam, that song is definitely coming out with that Kendrick verse. And then we also have the Stove God feature. So there's our two features.

[Maal]

I think there was a. I think there's another feature, though. I think the feature you were alluding to where they were saying when Pusher was saying he's waiting for the feature. You saying that you think it's a whole feature. I think Nas.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Maal]

I think a Nas. I think a Nas verse may be on this album.

[Rory]

Well, they kind of alluded to it in this article as well. The label loved what they heard. Except for the Kendrick Lamar guest verse on Chains and Whips, the final version of the song that Pharrell teased at his first LV Run Runway show. The song Pusha says was the first to come out of their sessions. Don't be fooled by Push's interviews appealing for one last guest verse and the Twitter jokes that he went to a GNX tour date to physically walk Kendrick into the nearest studio. KDOT's homework has been turned in for a while now, so I think that's still coming out, as is the chains and whips thing.

[Maal]

Oh, yeah.

[Rory]

And they said there was two features, so a Nas one would be Fire. But if they're sticking to that, I think we're only getting stove and Kendrick.

[Maal]

This stove guard that feature gonna be cuz. Listen, man, it's not too many that could talk that. You know that winter talk that. That snow white talk like, stove, like.

[Damaris]

I am about to make 100,000 next month.

[Maal]

N. Now you wanna. Now you wanna be stove. Now you see I'm about to go crazy. Now. We were call Mrs. Stovito. She got mad.

[Rory]

So that was her ex, like, everything okay.

[Damaris]

Well, because. Yeah, because y' all are making fun of, like, it's funny when y' all do it from, like, people who aren't from my hometown. Like, that's. It's not funny. But yeah, I always support stove. We about to flip some boy. I'm about to make a hundred thousand. I swear to God, I'm about to go crazy. It's about to be the most motivated song of all time.

[Maal]

About to make 100,000 doing what? Lashes. No, about do a hundred thousand lashes.

[Rory]

She going to date a drug dealer that buys her the lash spot?

[Damaris]

No.

[Maal]

You know, they can't wait to get that. Buy me my studio, pay my boof rent.

[Rory]

Push said he might date our and yank a rib out. Push is going to do everything for our girl.

[Maal]

Date your and pull her rib out.

[Rory]

Yank a rib out. Like, buy her new body, you know.

[Maal]

Like, is that what that meant?

[Rory]

That's how I interpreted it.

[Damaris]

Okay. Yes.

[Rory]

Unless you thought more romantic. And he was suggesting, like, Adam and Eve, like, they're.

[Damaris]

He's her rib now or she do so much coke that she just get real skinny. But I think he meant surgery.

[Maal]

Yeah. I don't want that girl that does too much coke. That she's skinny now, but we about.

[Damaris]

To flip a brick. Why the head is crazy. Her back, her throat always numb and dry.

[Maal]

Cotton mouth. I'm cool. This Stove got my.

[Rory]

Buy a some new hips and Yankee rib out.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Imagine pushed by. By a chick, some hips, then you come home and there's a rib on the counter.

[Maal]

Get a body done. I get it. Yeah. I'm looking forward to that Stove feature, though. I'm looking forward to that. I gotta hear. I gotta hear. The greasy talk on that stove is one of the few that I feel like probably when it comes to that type of talk may be just a little slicker than push and malice.

[Damaris]

Oh, shit. That's you. Okay.

[Maal]

Yeah. Like, if you go and listen to reasonable drought, like, there's not many people that could. I was very impressed by Stove. God on that entire project, like, his cleverness, his wittiness. When it comes to that type of. Again, that certain talk is. I'm not saying he did it, but he was in the house when it happened. I'm not putting nothing on him. I'm not doing that. Cause niggas is listening. I'm not saying he did anything, but he may have been around. Because you can't just talk like that and not have been in close proximity.

[Rory]

Yeah. And the amount of, like, coke entendres we've heard over the last 20 years, to be able to, like, really revive that genre takes a clever type of person. I feel like I've heard every coke bar on earth. And then Reasonable Drought came out, and I was like, oh, wow.

[Maal]

Like, when he said, it's what you do after the Brick, bitch, I'm Draymond N. Don't even talk. Like, you can't even listen, listen, listen. No, I'm being serious right now. I'm not even trying to cause no jokes, no laughs. It's what you do after the Brick. I'm Draymond. Don't rap. They don't talk like that. You can't. These rappers, not even. They. They wi fi they bandwidth. Don't even let them go that. To that. Like, you don't even talk like that. Like, that's. To me, that type of slick, you know, those lines is what separates ST from everybody else. But to have him with guys like, you know, Malice and Push, who do that very well. So it's just gonna be interesting to hear. And. And. And I need to know rapper's etiquette. I need to know if Pusha and Malice's verse was done first. And after Stove sent his verse, did they change it?

[Damaris]

They did.

[Rory]

They changed it from a different era.

[Maal]

There's no way you saying that. And I hope so. I hope so. I hope we keeping it.

[Rory]

I think there's a world where Stove gets them for sure. I'm saying out of, like, pushing Malice, not change. They probably just gonna sit there like.

[Maal]

Damn, I hope not. I hope they kept it rap. Keep it rap. You don't want you handed.

[Damaris]

Okay, so as a rapper, that's rapper's etiquette. All right? That's rapper's etiquette. You can't change your verse.

[Maal]

You can't change your verse after I send mine in. Cause if I send my verse in and now the song come out and your bars is different than when I got it. We gonna have a real problem now. It's like, nah, don't do that. Don't do that. Like, y' all sent me the record. Y' all bars was done. Y' all say, yo, listen, we done. We just need your joint. I listened to where y' all was going with it. Okay, cool. And I went where I went with it. And now that the album is out and done, it's like, now y' all bars is different. Like, even if it's one or two bars, that's still a problem. You can't change. It has to be whatever I heard, it has to be that.

[Damaris]

Hmm.

[Maal]

So I. But I need to know who. Cause they could have sent. They could have sent Stove the beat with no verses.

[Damaris]

Okay? So I never did a feature verse. So this is new to me. But what if I say.

[Maal]

Wait, hold on, hold on. Talking about. Talking about what, baby, did we know you never did a feature verse.

[Damaris]

Okay, I was just. I'm just saying, like, I usually. I. I'm J. Cole, 2014. Like, no features.

[Maal]

All right.

[Rory]

So that's who you are.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

That's who you see yourself in.

[Damaris]

Yeah, yeah. What I'm saying is, what if I was. I mentioned a bitch that I ain't fucking with no more, so I switched the name of the bitch. Is that okay?

[Rory]

Not following.

[Damaris]

You saying. He said you can't change even one or two lines. Like, you can't change nothing.

[Rory]

That's the old rules.

[Maal]

Oh, no. A name. If you don't want a name in it, that's fine. That's just a name you don't want. That's a name drop. No, I'm talking about, like, a bar. Like, okay, not a name, a bar. Like, it's like, either that bar wasn't there, or you added something. That rapper's etiquette. You can't do that.

[Rory]

Okay? There are plenty of rappers do do it.

[Maal]

Of course they do. But I highly doubt Push and Malice do that. But I'm just saying, because, again, Stove got talks different when it comes to that type of talk. So they may have heard something and even been like, ooh, that was clever. Like, I like the way he. And they had to put one of those in they verse. You understand what I'm saying? It happens. Like, so you just get inspired by somebody on a record with, like, yo, that was hard.

[Rory]

But that's the funniest thing is when rappers have their verse done, but just send the feature, just the beat, then get their shit back and see if they have to redo it. Cause then the feature's never gonna know. They'll never be the wiser whether you had a verse there or not.

[Maal]

Right.

[Rory]

But I'm with changing if it does fit the song. Like, if we're gonna both reference things, I think that's fine. But usually that comes from the artist sending over their verse as well. And the feature going off what they already have laid down there, you doing it the other way around. That's. I think that's against rapper etiquette, but.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but I'm not mad. Okay?

[Maal]

They gonna be talking. We know they gonna be talking.

[Rory]

Slick.

[Damaris]

Listen, I'm really. I got so excited about that. I'm really, really excited.

[Rory]

Like, here's the thing, though. Like, both Push and Malice have admitted in their lyrics that they don't know about this new era of drugs. Stove be going crazy with the Fentanyl. Like, his is happening right now in, like, the country. Like, he's talking about relative. Like, pushing Mouse to talk about the crack era and Reagan and all that. Nah, he's talking about Biden right now.

[Maal]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Rory]

He's talking about what's coming over the border currently.

[Maal]

Yeah. Current drugs.

[Rory]

That lavar Ball scheme he has on my album is absolutely insane.

[Maal]

I like that. I like.

[Damaris]

You had to throw that out.

[Maal]

That's why you. That's why they pay you the way they pay you, because you know how to.

[Rory]

I'm not gonna give the Lavar Ball scheme is one of the craziest shits I've ever heard. Listen, I won't give that one away. I will say he does stop the beat and say I'm the Fentanyl Farakhan powder on my fear of Gods. And I went like this when I heard the.

[Damaris]

See, why you giving all this Might take his for it even drop.

[Rory]

Like, it's copywritten already. Paperwork.

[Damaris]

Yeah, paperwork. Okay. Paperwork.

[Rory]

And listen, you know, I viewed this when I saw Stove clips. Stove. God. July 11, when the clips album comes out. You know, I personally got excited because my shit's coming after that. Let's just get the Stove shit higher and higher for when my shit dropped with them.

[Maal]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to this. I ain't gonna lie. I was very. I was very happy when I heard Stove was gonna be on this. This clip show.

[Damaris]

I'm ready. I'm ready for them to give the.

[Maal]

The.

[Damaris]

The second best rapper out of Syracuse his motherfucking props. Like, I'm. I'm. I'm ready for the mainstream to know how good he is. Like, I'm. I'm ready for that, but it's been a long time coming.

[Rory]

Speaking of Stove with some sy. Yeah. How did that shit's all over.

[Damaris]

Where do you miss all the jokes?

[Maal]

I thought it was. I don't know why I thought he was from Rochester.

[Damaris]

No, he's. That's why. When I say from my hometown, he's from my hometown.

[Maal]

I thought he's from Rochester.

[Damaris]

No.

[Maal]

Who's from Rochester? Somebody I listen to.

[Damaris]

We don't fuck with Rochester.

[Maal]

38 Specials from Rochester.

[Rory]

Yes.

[Maal]

My man Etho. Etho's from Rochester. Kind of get it mixed up. The guys I listened to, I knew somebody I'm like. I kind of threw. I knew that stove was from up. You know he was up there on the interstate going north. I knew that from the realest.

[Damaris]

The realest around, baby. He was from north central central New York.

[Maal]

Real niggas shout out to stove.

[Rory]

Scariest cities in the whole state up there. Syracuse, just upstate. Cities in general are terrifying to me. Rochester might be the scariest.

[Damaris]

Rochester is. We don't go over there.

[Rory]

We don't go over there in Rochester is. I'm cool, bro.

[Damaris]

Everything the light touches is ours. That other. We don't go over there. Simba like we cool.

[Rory]

Cus is scary in certain parts, but at least like there'll be some. You know, you go to campus, there's like some hope.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Rochester and Niagara are the scariest places on earth.

[Maal]

Every city got a scary place though not.

[Damaris]

But the whole city ses. Yeah.

[Rory]

Like New Haven has Yale at least.

[Damaris]

Pistol waving New Haven.

[Rory]

Which is true. Don't fuck Connecticut. No worry about you know. This episode is sponsored by ro.

[Maal]

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[Rory]

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[Maal]

Most times you don't.

[Rory]

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[Maal]

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[Rory]

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[Maal]

Man. All of that shit was bullshit, man.

[Rory]

I'm fine saying that.

[Maal]

All of it, man. Cut it out.

[Rory]

But it was what, $7 million? He kind of blew the opportunity with the looks that they gave him when he was doing the lion shit. Rolling loud. The Glorilla thing. You can't say Def Jam fucked this up. Oh, no.

[Maal]

They gave him all.

[Rory]

They gave him every look.

[Maal]

Yeah, they gave him all the passcodes. They gave him all of the, you.

[Rory]

Know, NBA All Star weekend. He had every single look.

[Maal]

They gave him every look that every rapper that deserves a look should have.

[Rory]

A scorching hot Glorilla and a great Glorilla verse, just not on a good song. Yeah, that snippet to what Booted up is the name of it. Come on, man. It's over.

[Maal]

It was over when it started. See, this is why I get mad with y' all. Cause I say before it happens. Y' all look at me like, well, you don't know, Ma. You can't say that. It's the new. This was from the start. I told y' all that song was trash. You don't listen to that. You don't hear it nowhere. They're not playing that record. Nowhere. It's over. That lasted, you know, two weeks on the timeline. Nobody's talking about that record.

[Rory]

It lasted through the timeline. That all star lines like, that was a long time.

[Damaris]

Where do you.

[Maal]

That was three weeks. All Star game and the Lions game.

[Damaris]

Ma, where do you be at? This is. And you say this about a lot of music and respectfully, because I know you, and I know you don't be nowhere but in your goddamn house. Yeah, where do you be? Where you be like, you don't hear that? Nowhere. You don't take your ass out.

[Maal]

You know when I said drama and.

[Rory]

Then was trying to tell you that. And they go out, get booked constantly, like, dog, we play that record every single time. So.

[Maal]

Dj, you think DJ Drama plays that record?

[Rory]

He said in our group chat multiple times.

[Maal]

When you're saying nobody cared about you, lying. You don't play that record. And if you do play it, you play. You just play the hook and get Right into something else. That's that time as opposed to now. Even the DJs are DJing based on timeline.

[Rory]

Yeah, they're adapting.

[Maal]

Get the out of here with that. I don't care if you got your phones out making videos for the timeline.

[Rory]

What record do they play in full? Period. Period?

[Damaris]

Yeah, they don't play nothing.

[Rory]

Even when we liked the era of music, they weren't doing it.

[Maal]

I'm not saying. I'm not saying you have to play the record.

[Rory]

You didn't get to Prodigy's third verse on Shook One.

[Maal]

I'm not saying that. I'm saying that that record, all of that shit was gimmick shit. That whole Jello shit was gimmick shit.

[Rory]

Oh, wait, hold on. We never argued that it wasn't a gimmick.

[Maal]

No, but y' all was like, nah, this shit is hard because it was. Tweaker was hard. It was not.

[Damaris]

There's a lot of hard.

[Maal]

It was not. Y' all niggas was. Y' all was clout chasing. You Jello.

[Rory]

Me and Jello conspiring together.

[Maal]

Yes, exactly. Y' all was clout chasing.

[Rory]

I was clout chasing.

[Maal]

That shit was trash.

[Rory]

I got Got zero clout from that record.

[Maal]

You made a video. You posted a video of your story to that.

[Damaris]

He did not.

[Rory]

Have you ever seen me post a video, Period? I don't even do that to my own music.

[Maal]

I saw you post the video.

[Rory]

I was.

[Maal]

I ain't gonna lie. Yo, Def Jam might have caught one. Get the out of here with that.

[Rory]

January 3rd, it came out. It lasted to at least the end of March, early April.

[Damaris]

And that's a long time for a song from Hell yeah Artists. I'm not gonna lie.

[Maal]

That ain't last. And nobody played that.

[Damaris]

He can bounce back from this because we saw Glorilla, who is having quite arguably last year, was one of the greatest years ever in music for her. We saw her drop that hot, hot bowl of piss that was that Cha Cha Cha. And she bounced back and had an amazing.

[Rory]

But let's not act like Glorilla didn't already have a better resume.

[Maal]

Glorilla is a way better artist. She's a. She's a way better rapper.

[Damaris]

She had the two songs. She had the two hit songs. So she had one more than Jello, but, yeah, she only had the features.

[Rory]

Nah, there was more going on.

[Damaris]

She had Tomorrow too. And she had the original. Her original song. And then Cha Cha Cha came out. That's what happened. Everybody was saying her career was over and she Bounced back.

[Maal]

Yeah, but this is different. This Jello shit is out of here. We could wrap this up. We could pack all this, boot it up, pack it up, suit it up. All of that can go. This is just not. Come on, let's just be real. It's not. We know what this is. They chasing something. They chasing the moment. That's all it is. And that's where the music gets fucked up at. When you start signing artists and giving them these advances and giving them all these looks and it's that third, bro. Nobody wants to hear that shit. That shit gonna last for two months. And then it's like, all right, man. Like, we not posting that on our timeline no more. It just is what it is.

[Rory]

Well, I mean, they just went. The Glorilla record and this booted up shit. It's just shittier versions of the original song. Yeah, where like Glorilla. Yes. That cha cha cha was awful. But then you get a yeah glow. Like, I don't know if Jello is capable of that. We've only seen him be capable of making a shittier version of his hit record.

[Maal]

He's chasing that same type of. Yeah, it's not. Yeah, man. It's not. That's not it.

[Damaris]

And. And what he doesn't understand is that record went off because it was different than what's out right now. It sounded different, which is why it went off so much. To keep trying to repeat it would not. It's not gonna hit the same unless you're a phenomenal rapper. And he's not a phenomenal rapper, so. But I kind of want him to win. I don't know. I'm kind of like rooting for him. I want him to come back with something better.

[Maal]

I'm rooting for anybody black to win. But I'm just saying, I'm also. Be honest and be real with you. That ain't it. That's all. I'm just a consumer. I love the culture. I love the art. I'm just being honest. That's not it, bro. Go back in the lab. Work on your skill set a little bit. Find your true identity. Don't try to find it through the bars. Cause niggas try to find themselves through their bars. Who I want to be today? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.

[Damaris]

I'm spitting.

[Maal]

Go home. Figure out who you are first. Are you a ball player? Is this rap just a hustle? Because it's a hustle for a lot of niggas. Is it just a hustle for you? Then hustle. I Ain't mad at it. But you can't hustle me. I know a hustle when I see a hustle.

[Damaris]

Who else in history would you say that you've seen try to find themselves through the bars?

[Maal]

Who else tried to find themselves through the.

[Damaris]

In history?

[Rory]

Every rapper.

[Maal]

Some would argue. Tupac.

[Damaris]

Some would argue.

[Maal]

I get why you say that. Because Tupac, when he first came out, it was more fun loving more, you know, Digital Underground was a more fun type of energy vibe. But I mean, I don't know. I mean, things happen in Pac's real life that I think caused his energy and demeanor to change through his music. So, I mean, that's not. I can't say no. I don't. I don't agree with Tupac on that. We. We understand why Pac's energy and demeanor changed in his music.

[Rory]

But what do you mean by that question? Like, what? Hasn't every rapper that's good found themselves through their lyrics?

[Maal]

No, for some rappers come in the game knowing exactly who they are before they start rapping.

[Rory]

Oh, you're saying someone that. That makes a complete new identity?

[Maal]

Yes.

[Rory]

Who they are. Oh, I mean, shit, almost all rappers have been been accused of it, but I don't know if there's been a flat out rapper that's. We know for a fact this is just a complete different version of you. Have you guys like, like a CB4 situation? You're saying like that?

[Maal]

That's what this jello felt like to me.

[Damaris]

Have you heard?

[Rory]

I'm not. We were Never Mad.

[Maal]

Like CB4.

[Damaris]

It's MC Gusto, MGK's new song. Have you guys heard that?

[Rory]

Yeah, you said. Yeah, of course. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I heard the. The song's only 15 seconds long, right?

[Maal]

Oh, you only seen it on time. I like me.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Maal]

Who's that? Like a car wash. Yeah, yeah. Somebody throws him a mop and he starts like, what is that, man?

[Damaris]

Yeah, it's. You know, it's. I mean, it's different. It's called cliche. Oh, maybe he's doing like method acting because it's called cliche.

[Maal]

That's what he's doing. Damaris, he's acting like every boy band. Every. This is UFO. This is. Was Nicholas Shay from 98 degrees. 98 degrees.

[Rory]

This is that one.

[Maal]

Yeah. This is in sync.

[Damaris]

This is bad jeopardy.

[Maal]

It's.

[Rory]

It's not. I think it's more like 2000s alternative.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Maal]

Oh, yeah.

[Rory]

Than it is. It's like when, like Bling182 went pop when you know, I like it, but it's just. I know what it is. This is going to control TikTok and the younger generation. Like, I don't know, I guess when you see shit like that. Can you be mad at an artist if their goal is money and relevance? I'm not saying that's MGK's. I actually never thought it was. And I'm not even saying he doesn't. Not like this record. But this is a clear, clear. Not even attempt a success at. You are going to own Tick Tock for young kids.

[Maal]

Well, yeah. I mean, obviously he knows what he's doing. It's called cliche for a reason. I mean, I think he's speaking exactly to what you just said. You know, chasing Tick Tock, social media.

[Rory]

It's like a parody of a TRL record in 2002.

[Damaris]

You gonna play it for Amara?

[Rory]

No.

[Maal]

Good job. Such a smart.

[Rory]

I'm not. But I mean, I don't know mgk like, I'm again, I'm sure he would come out be like, no, I actually like this song. Like, I grew up on this and MGK and I are probably the same age or around a year difference. I grew up on that type of rock music too. So he can hide behind that part of like, no, this. I really like this stuff. And you've seen me do rock music before. I've talked about it forever. But we know what this is.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Down to the video and. But how could I be mad at him? If you want to make money and be relevant, you have to do this.

[Maal]

You don't have to do this. And that's what we got to get away. No, you do not. You don't have. There's a lot of artists that are not doing that. What you just said.

[Rory]

Are they also dating an A list actress and like really part of the elite Hollywood crowd now?

[Maal]

Yeah, but I mean, even if. Even with that, you don't have to chase mg. First of all, MGK is solidified. He's been in the game how many years?

[Rory]

2011.

[Maal]

Almost 15 years. Yeah, it's a lot of shit. MGK does not.

[Damaris]

2011 was 14 years ago.

[Maal]

Yeah, 14. So, yeah, artists like MGK, he don't have to do that. I think that MGK did that. Making fun of artists that do that. I think that's. He's not taking himself serious right here. This is a clear attempt at just, you know, mocking.

[Rory]

But I also think he likes the song.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I think he's having fun.

[Rory]

And maybe there's a world where he was just having fun and the lady label or his management heard it and was like, I know this was a joke, but this is going to be a smash for kids on Tick Tock. So just either lean into it or just delete it from your hard drive.

[Maal]

Yeah, I could see that happen. I can see that conversation happening because.

[Rory]

There'S been plenty of records that we've heard from artists. Like, I made that as like a joke. Like, Nikki said Super Bass wasn't even supposed to make the album. She was like, I just, like made it. It sounded cool to me. I was never gonna put it out. Yeah, that was supposed to be like maybe a deluxe B side. And it's like one of the biggest songs of her career. That happens often. So, I mean, we've known MGK to have integrity with his. His music and very hands on with what goes out. So maybe there's a case where, yeah, he really did like it. But we know what it looks like after that car wash clip. Yeah, but I don't know. I'm not mad at the song.

[Maal]

No, I'm not mad at it. It's not for me, but I'm not mad at it.

[Rory]

It.

[Maal]

I get it.

[Rory]

I don't know if I'm gonna listen to it, per se, but I don't know. So you're not gonna listen to League of My Own by Jello when it drops?

[Maal]

I'll listen to it. I'll check it out and see what. See what he did. But I'm not expecting it to be like a phenomenal project or anything like that.

[Rory]

The only mistake, I'll say that Def Jam did, which maybe they didn't do, was putting weight on that remix to keep that song going. A good remix feature would have kept that record that was on to this day.

[Maal]

That was Wayne's DNA all in the original.

[Rory]

I know that's why you didn't need Wayne on it. It.

[Damaris]

Yeah, waste.

[Maal]

You need. No, they. They need to wait on it to kind of stamp. But they was going after the hot boy, that whole sound.

[Rory]

Put young boy. Yo, put young boy on that and call it a day.

[Maal]

Yeah. Nah. Well, I told y' all that wasn't gonna last do.

[Rory]

Since I owed you an apology. Do you owe Cardi an apology?

[Maal]

For what? What did I. What? Yo, why y' all keep putting me. What did I say about.

[Damaris]

I know y' all.

[Maal]

What did I say about Cardi now? What did I say?

[Rory]

Okay, well, not an apology. Are you tripling down? Because now after everything that we've been Discussing over the past few weeks between her and Stephon Diggs over the weekend, they did make it official. And everyone knows what making official means. It means posting on Instagram together. They did a whole carousel, which at that point, according to social media rules, y' all are not, like, just talking, having fun. You guys are basically married now because. Because you posted a photo on Instagram. Those are the rules. I don't make them. I'm just saying with the IG rules.

[Damaris]

You're skipping ahead, though.

[Rory]

What am I skipping ahead of?

[Damaris]

You're skipping. What might have prompted that post.

[Rory]

You are suggesting when Cardi went on Twitter spaces and replied to Offset asking for alimony, more or less spousal support, where she then said, I hope you die. Not only die, but die slow.

[Damaris]

And I want you to think of me when you die. First of all, everybody was sending me the screenshots of me being in that live like, yo, Damaris. Because, you know, it says, like, listening. It was like 10am I hadn't brushed my teeth, washed my ass. I was getting up in the kitchen to go get something to eat, and I clicked that immediately, and Cardi was screaming in my ear. I sat and listened to the whole thing. Dedication. Dedication to the mess.

[Rory]

I only saw the. The. The clip that everyone's talking about, which is wild. And I feel like there's a lot of men that wish they could scream that when that happens to them, but, you know, we'd be put on a list. But either way, you think that was a direct response to everything that Offset had put in paperwork?

[Damaris]

I think. I think that. That it. I think when Stefan posted Cardi, I think it was a show of allegiance and just a show of love and support. I do.

[Rory]

Wait, he had an allegiance? Thought like, he was neutral at the time, is what you're saying.

[Damaris]

I think it. I think he posted her and show of support after. It was the day after all of that happened. Yes, I do.

[Rory]

Oh, so he posted her first.

[Damaris]

He posted her first.

[Rory]

I. I don't follow him.

[Damaris]

So, yes, he posted her first.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Maal]

What? Do I owe Cardi an apology for Rory?

[Rory]

No, you don't. Oh. I'm wondering if you're tripling down based off your theory that. Because I actually never thought it would get to this.

[Maal]

You didn't think it would.

[Rory]

I thought she was having fun and dating. I didn't think it would get to the almost kissing IG photo because to me, that's a relationship by social media rules. Y' all.

[Maal]

Don't. Y' all. Why? Y' all don't listen to me. They showed up at a Nick playoff game courtside. I told y' all that was a statement. You niggas argue me? No, they're just having fun, and they're just doing this.

[Rory]

I said it was definitely a statement, obviously.

[Damaris]

Well, I mean, obviously.

[Rory]

Yeah, we. Yeah.

[Maal]

So why you can't post a picture?

[Rory]

All right, so anytime you. Anytime you somebody, you post. Can. Can we pull up the photo of them laying on the boat almost kissing? This is the photo you post every time you're kind of someone.

[Maal]

No, this is the po. This is the photo you post when you know that I know married men.

[Rory]

That don't post it.

[Maal]

When the whole timeline is talking about you handing a girl a bag of. And you got to tell your famous girlfriend, listen, we got a. Try to scrub that from the top of the timeline. We need a. We need a new carousel out there in the streets.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Maal]

Show some of the ass, the thigh, and look like we about to kiss. Let's get. Let's get off of the ass shaking. Party boat. Let's get the party boat out of here. You ain't seen the party boat since this dropped.

[Damaris]

Well, this is the party boat that they were.

[Maal]

Yeah, but this is a different side of the party boat. This is the love boat.

[Rory]

That's the bow.

[Maal]

This is the love boat. This is the love boat right here.

[Rory]

This is.

[Maal]

Yo, we. We love each other. Show stephan sending her 80,000 roses. Love got away from the party. Get the party scene out of here. Show the people that I love you. That's what this is. And I mean.

[Rory]

Cool.

[Maal]

Have. Listen, Cardi. Have fucking fun. Have fun. That's what she's supposed to do. Have a great time.

[Rory]

Was that Offset tweet real or fake? Of. He said, I liked the rollout and then spelled it wrong and then had to do the edit version.

[Damaris]

I have no. I wasn't able to find any supporting tweets for that. I think it was real. It just might have been old.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Damaris]

I don't know. Or. Or he scrubbed it. I couldn't get confirmation.

[Rory]

Well, he gets hacked all the time. We know that.

[Damaris]

To.

[Rory]

To give Offset's password his password. Officer gets hacked bi weekly. Anytime something's actually happening, he just gets.

[Damaris]

Hacked to give the people some backstory of what exactly was going on with the screaming of the spaces. If you did not see it, Offset had gave a statement to the Breakfast Club saying that he. The reason he was trying to take Cardi for support post divorce support or whatever alimony was because she never sees the kids, but she's trying to take him for everything and all types of shit, even though she never has the kids. And that prompted Cardi to lose her absolute mind and say, nigga, you haven't seen your kids in weeks. I'm always with your kids. And if I'm not with your kids, I'm working. I pay over $50,000 in school security, daycare, all of this for the kids monthly. And you're not helping me. You don't help me pay for the Atlanta house. Like, you don't help me with anything. But you're trying to put this out as if, like, I don't take care of my fucking kids, and I'm trying to take everything from you. And I think that really prompted her to lose her absolute fucking mind. And that. That is what. What prompted that. So she says she's been working Corey. I think she's. I think the album might actually be coming this year, but. Yeah, well, she.

[Rory]

She put a snippet out as well.

[Damaris]

She did put that out.

[Rory]

Oh, who put it out?

[Damaris]

So she put out. Originally, she put out herself, kind of singing the lyrics to that song. Something leaked on Tick Tock where it had a beat to it, and it sounded like a leaked older version of the song. And then they combined her kind of singing those lyrics. Combined with it. Yeah, like, they put.

[Rory]

I saw the final version and thought it was the record.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

No, I thought she was on live just playing music.

[Damaris]

No, no.

[Rory]

Yo, the Internet is crazy.

[Damaris]

She just said. She just kind of said the lyrics and they put. Somebody got the leaked track and put it together.

[Rory]

I. I like the lyrics. I'm glad that's not the beat beat. Because I've heard that beat from Cardi before. It was very similar to. I forgot.

[Damaris]

What, like, up a little bit.

[Rory]

Oh, that makes me happy. Because I did. I thought the lyrics were great for a Cardi record, but the beat, I was like, I've heard this a bunch of times from her. I'm glad that's not the beat. Then.

[Damaris]

What? I'm fine. I'm trying to find. I've been cuffed up too long. Let me remind. Yeah, me too. Cardi. That's fine.

[Rory]

I thought you weren't this. So you admit you've been in a relationship.

[Damaris]

Let me remind. Niggas, you bugging a. Sorry. I'm sorry. I got a little out of character. I'm so sorry. Yes. Cardi. I'm really looking forward to the new project, so.

[Rory]

You bet. In a relationship.

[Damaris]

Yeah. Stephan, Diggs let's go.

[Rory]

Are you gonna find your step on this weekend?

[Maal]

Hmm?

[Rory]

Are you gonna find.

[Damaris]

I found him.

[Rory]

You hosting? I saw the flyer and everything.

[Damaris]

Who said I ain't jk? Yeah. Yeah. Who knows? You know, I don't know. Everything's up in the air.

[Rory]

What do you think her hosting swag is gonna be like?

[Maal]

The marriage?

[Rory]

Yeah. You think she'll grab the mic?

[Maal]

Oh, she definitely gonna get on the mic. For sure.

[Rory]

If you have above a 3.0 GPA, make some noise.

[Maal]

No, she gonna be looking. The marriage gonna be focused on the girl. She gonna want. She gonna know what a pretty girl.

[Damaris]

Oh, you already know. I'm doing up, adapting up the tens. But it's not gonna be a dap. It's gonna be a hug of all women. All the tens in the party.

[Maal]

But women or men?

[Damaris]

Women.

[Maal]

Okay.

[Damaris]

You think I'm walking up to men asking for.

[Maal]

Well, I'm not.

[Damaris]

Fire me if I ever do that.

[Maal]

I'm not saying asking, but, you know, you might walk up to a guy and just say hello and they would hug you if you walked up and said hello.

[Damaris]

I'm sure they would.

[Maal]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

I'm okay.

[Rory]

I'm sure any drunk guy at a day party would do that. But any liability.

[Damaris]

Any sober one. But no, I'm trying to. I'm trying to find my stuff on. I'm trying to be on the boat with the.

[Maal]

Listen, man, I'm gonna just say this right. Let me just get my off. Happy for Cardi. She's happy, I'm happy Big Bronx. I support Cardi, love Cardi. I know that. All I'm saying is when this Stefan Diggs start acting like the Stefan Diggs that we know, we gotta have another conversation. Because you think Cardi's aired offset out when she gets air this Stefan out, man.

[Rory]

Okay, here's the thing. Because that's been your statement the entire time and Damaris and I counter to that was. Well, she's having fun too. Proof was on the boat. She was dancing with the girls too. We talked about the couple or people that are talking that like the host.

[Maal]

The honeymoon phase is lit. We know this.

[Rory]

No, no, I'm not speaking about them. I want to get into my experience too. I have liked the fun girl until like that fun phase ending. Like, why you acting that fun still? Like, I like that you like the hoes, but you liking them way too. That was three months ago. We was liking the hoes three months ago. I could see that scenario happening. She already knows who he is. And, like, in the past, I've known who that girl is, but then the behavior never switched.

[Maal]

That's not how. See, that's not how it's gonna happen. Here's how I think it's gonna happen, and I'm not putting this on. I would love to see Cardi and Stephon, you know, whatever they have for themselves, whatever plans they have, I hope all of that happens for them. How I see it playing out is Stephon is gonna do what Stephon does. He's gonna find somebody that he really likes, and he's gonna keep it away from Cardi. He's gonna try to be sneaky with it, and she's gonna be like, why are you being sneaky? You know, you could. We could be honest. We could do all that. You could let me know. And that's how that's gonna. It's. I don't think it's gonna be ugly. I just think that they're gonna be like, yo, listen, we had fun. It was cool. You know, whatever, Whatever. We still friends. I think it's gonna be like that. I think that's how they. I don't think it's gonna be like a bad split. I just think that Stephan gonna find something that was another flavor of the month that he ain't telling Cardi about, and she gonna be like, all right, nigga, well, if you gonna be doing that, just go ahead and do what you're doing. Like, I'm bringing the hoes to you, saying you could do it here in front of me. And then you sneaking off, going to motherfucking to the Maldives with a bitch like, I'm Cardi B. At the end of the day, we can't do that.

[Rory]

And then that's. As a man, when you try to make logical sense in the argument. You knew I was. You was cool with that. Yeah, I didn't know. When did it happen that that wasn't okay.

[Maal]

Yeah. When you start liking somebody away from the fun, you can't have fun with somebody. Like, you can't take the girl from the party and then, like, have a private. Like, nah, you can't do that.

[Rory]

Where do we think Cardi ends up in the Robert Kraft Michael Rubin circle?

[Maal]

Well, she was already at the super bowl on stage at a. It wasn't the. You know, obviously the game, but she was. A few years ago, she was at the super bowl festivities on St. Stage with Robert Kraft. So she has a somewhat. I guess a little relationship there already. Before Stefon, she was. She was a part of the Patriots family before Stephon Diggs.

[Rory]

That's going to be tough. Damn. Cardi's going to be knocking off the checklist already pissing Offset off. She's going to be.

[Maal]

Well, he going to be pissed off.

[Rory]

Of course.

[Maal]

That's bitter baby father shit, you know that.

[Rory]

But the season is starting soon. It's. It's already June, August, September is coming. She will be in that box with Robert Kraft and Meek Mill.

[Maal]

Who gets more attention at a game, Cardi B or Taylor Swift?

[Rory]

Taylor Swift. Taylor. Cardi B. Wouldn't mean to say Taylor Swift.

[Maal]

I don't know, man. Cardi start twerking in that booth, that skybox, I think.

[Damaris]

Cause it'll be different. Taylor's been at all the NFL games. So now Cardi would be a new. It's a new face. It's a new face we don't see. Taylor Swift had five year old girls watching like football with their dads just to see a glimpse of her in the corner.

[Maal]

No, I know Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift, but I'm just saying, Cardi gonna look good in the skybox, man. Pray for Offset is all I can say.

[Rory]

He's gonna do the Bob with the pants suit. Like she's gonna show up real professional.

[Maal]

She gonna look real good in that game.

[Rory]

And I'm telling you, she gonna piss Nikki off when Meek is at every Patriot game too.

[Damaris]

Well, come see me this weekend cause I'm looking for my Stephan Diggs. I'm just letting y' all know you.

[Maal]

Don'T need a Stephanie.

[Damaris]

I need me a Stephanie. No, I need to have fun. I have been in. I am a serial fucking monogamist and I'm over it. I learned, guys. By the way, you know what? We'll talk about this on our next episode.

[Maal]

Sound like you about to become a hoe. That's what you. That's what you mean. She said I'm a ser. Once. They say I am a serial monogamist and I am sick of it. That means the wrong nigga about to hit you. Seen Insecure with Issa Rae? She start fucking the weed dealer. Say, Dan, you gave him some pussy. Yeah, baby D. Be careful is all I'm saying.

[Damaris]

We're going to talk about it on the next episode because it is a more serious conversation that I do want to have. I came to self realization.

[Maal]

All right, but just don't. Don't let the wrong hit is all I'm saying. Don't let the. You know what I mean?

[Rory]

Like, don't do that part of the.

[Damaris]

With anybody that I've already slept with. So obviously, the wrong. Have already hit.

[Maal]

No, no, no. See, don't do that. Don't do that. You know what I mean? I'm talking about when don't. You don't want to look back on this time and be like, yo, why y' all didn't. Cuz that's. You love to do that. Why y' all didn't tell me I was bugging out.

[Damaris]

Out.

[Maal]

I'm telling you, but don't bug out. I'm telling you before you bug out. Do not bug out.

[Rory]

Yeah, there's a way to hoe correctly.

[Maal]

That's all.

[Damaris]

I'm not. We'll talk about that in the next episode. I'm not hoeing, though.

[Rory]

Well, this was fun. We have a long week of recording because we have a lot of to do this weekend.

[Maal]

Yes.

[Damaris]

If you want to see me this weekend, buy tickets to Burgers and Bottles. They're in my bio. Because I am hosting. And I'll be looking good. Is. And I'll be wearing my baby D merch. That might or might not be coming out soon.

[Rory]

Are they giving you a microphone?

[Damaris]

Yeah. Wow.

[Rory]

I'm really tight that. We won't be there. All right, let me. Can I stream it?

[Damaris]

You're gonna be working.

[Maal]

Can I stream.

[Rory]

I know, but, like, while we're working, I'll just have my phone like this you.

[Damaris]

During an interview. So some peach told me. It's so funny. Peach was like, you should have. You should have got a streaming backpack, and you should be streaming everywhere you go. And I'm like, I would have done that if I would have thought about it in advance, because streaming backpacks are what Peach. We were looking at them, like, $2,000.

[Rory]

Yeah. They're expensive.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Yeah, those. Those are a lot. But, I mean, I don't know. Tell the burgers and Bottles guys to.

[Maal]

Buy it, split it, maybe put it on your router.

[Damaris]

You guys excited for?

[Rory]

It's a crazy rider, but, like, every event, you do, too. So now you got, like, 20 of them. Well, this was fun. Let's get out of here because we have some shit to do.

[Maal]

Yes, we do. Busy week ahead. We'll talk to y' all soon. Be safe, be blessed. I'm that nigga. He's just Ginger. Peace.

[Rory]

No worry.

[Damaris]

And now this is an I Heart podcast.