New Rory & MAL – Episode 406 | “Guardian Angels”

Release Date: September 16, 2025
Hosts: Rory & Mal (with Baby D / Damaris)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Rory, Mal, and Baby D (Damaris) catch up after a bustling weekend, riffing on everything from New York nightlife and social etiquette to mafia podcast beefs, viral boxing moments, rap beefs, and the peculiar legacy of the Guardian Angels. The conversation zig-zags through hilarious personal stories, cultural commentary, debates on music comebacks, and the quirks of modern technology—delivering the signature blend of humor, insight, and “random hot takes no one asked for."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weekend Recap: Strip Clubs, Festivals, & New York Antics

• Rory shares his escape from a strip-club night—with Damaris running interference so he could head back to the studio instead of participating in “throwing money we didn’t have at strippers to have an awful time.”
  • ([04:00]) "No, I didn't accidentally send Damaris a nude, okay? She was a good friend. I needed a break, and she went on a dummy mission..." – Rory
• Damaris and Mall trade jabs about being excluded from the night out and discuss New York’s quintessential “multi-stop” evenings (festival, dinner, hookah, and strip club).
• San Gennaro Festival shenanigans—including chicken parm at noon, Italian culture jokes, and whether steak for breakfast is ever acceptable.
  • ([08:50]) “I did some real old man sh*t before we recorded today. I went over to the festival and, at noon on a Monday, I got chicken parm, pasta, and meatballs. I'm exhausted.” – Rory

2. The Mafia Podcast Beef: “Kendrick vs. Drake” for Mob PR

• Rory breaks down a wild moment in Mafia-genre podcasts: Joey Merlino (alleged Philly mob boss) and Gene Borrello (known informant) escalate their podcast beef into a real confrontation at the San Gennaro Festival.
  • ([13:00]) “This was like our 911 in the mafia YouTube genre.” – Rory
• Notable moment: Live YouTube streaming ends with an actual fight as Hootie (Gene’s friend) gets jumped on Mulberry Street, with Gene reacting on live from Tampa.
• Discussion: Is it dumb or brave to show up somewhere you know people want to jump you? Mall and Rory both agree: “Sometimes having balls means you’re just stupid.”
• Damaris humorously contrasts Mafia podcast beefs with more peaceful festival stories.

3. Boxing Talk: Canelo vs. Crawford & Fight Culture

• Review of Canelo vs. Terence Crawford:
  • Mall admits surprise at how dominant Crawford was, calling him possibly greater than Floyd Mayweather as a “fighter,” though not as a “boxer.”
    • ([17:54]) “I think Terence Crawford is a much better fighter than Floyd Mayweather.” – Mall
  • Rory: “Boxing-wise, I don’t think there’s a single fighter better than Floyd at boxing. But yeah, Crawford would probably be a better fighter.” ([18:04])
• Undercard insanity—Mall describes Embilly vs. Martínez as “like they just met each other behind 711 and got it on. No defense. No head movement. Just haymakers.”
• Broadcast Critique: Rory feels Netflix missed shots due to bad camera work, wonders if the ringside producer knows boxing.
  • ([24:12]) “A lot of shots were missed because they didn’t get the camera angle…”
• Speculation on future fights: Jake Paul vs. Tank Davis, fantasy about Tyson vs. Floyd.

4. Battle Rap: Mook vs. Hitman Holla

• Quick turnaround for the Takeover Battle League praised: New battles dropping within a day, unlike “Smack, where the footage takes six months.”
• Rory’s battle rap critique:
  • Hitman Holla is seen as a “basic rhymer” among top A-listers, and it showed in his battle against Mook:
    • ([29:42]) “He’s the most basic A-lister to me…”
• They debate how battle rap has shifted from gritty, street-level battles to more performative events.
• On Hitman’s angle about Mook’s past: Not as effective as intended—“I don’t think this is the arena where that’s going to hit the way you think it’s going to hit.” – Rory
• Conclusion: Mook is solidified as a GOAT in battle rap; to beat him requires “a different level.”

5. Young Thug’s 7-Minute Apology Record & Music “Comebacks”

The Debate:

• Everyone clowns Thug’s 7-minute apology record:
  • “Apology is changed behavior and you should change the song. This was bad.” – Rory ([43:24])
  • “I don’t know if we needed this record.” – Mall
• Can Thug ever “come back” to his old level?
  • Damaris: “There’s a possibility Thug will never be as big as he was.”
  • Mall: Argues music quality is the only thing that will fix a tainted rep, citing Gunna’s post-scandal comeback (“If it’s good, people will follow.”).
  • Damaris: Counters that, due to shifts in public favor, sound, and industry politics, music alone isn’t enough anymore.
• What makes a real comeback in hip-hop?
  • Gunna’s return worked because the music hit—plus marketing, style, memes all lined up.
  • “If the music is good, everything is fine after that.” – Rory ([48:15])
  • Damaris cautions: “Sometimes, it doesn’t matter if the music is good.”

6. Rap & Relationship Beefs: Glorilla, Mariah, & AI Dist Tracks

• Glorilla’s diss, AI songs, and the web of petty rap beefs—whether records are genuine, AI, or just inside jokes in the studio.
  • Damaris: “Have you ever heard a Juana Man reference in a diss record?” ([58:15])
• Social dynamics:
  • Damaris and Mall dissect how public relationships blow up on stage, group chats, social media, and (now) court evidence.
• Real talk: Damaris explains sometimes “good music isn’t enough,” especially if public perception is soured.

7. Crime, Technology, & Urban Legends

• Debates about cameras, crime-solving tech, and getting away with murder in NYC and London. Key joke: “There’s more brims than Guardian Angels on Kingsbridge.”
• Mall and Rory on technology’s creep:
  • Apple Watches warning of heart attacks, Oura Rings monitoring illness, and the privacy creep—all fodder for skepticism and jokes about “data tracking.”
• Crime advice (satirical): “If you’re going to commit a crime, leave your phone. Don’t put the address in your GPS!”
• Netlfix and scammer shows: The hosts discuss their love for real-life scammer “fail” videos and the absurdity of putting fake check-tellers and call centre scammers on blast.

8. The Guardian Angels: Outdated or Iconic?

• Exploring the Guardian Angels legacy—serious and comedic:
  • What’s the vetting process? “Do you just show up and get the beret?”
  • Damaris explains for non-NYers: “They’re a nonprofit, unarmed crime prevention group. It’s like the Peter Pan gang.” ([81:38])
  • Hosts imagine what it would be like to join, the possibility of live-streaming a shift, and joke about Guardian Angel x Kith merch collabs.
• Why aren’t they more visible? “I never saw a Guardian Angel on the train when I needed one.” – Mall
• Sign-up forms, summer fits, and whether Damaris would let her (hypothetical) kid join.
  • Mall: “I’d rather Amara be a Crip than a Guardian Angel at 16.”

9. Listener Voicemail Segment:

• Highlight: Listener Lucretia (a therapist) describes linking with Manny (from Zoom Zoom Room/Patreon calls), asking if she should continue with him given his messy public heartbreak.
  • The hosts dissect if the call is genuine or “manipulation,” tease how attention-seeking and transparency play into relationships, and debate the ethics of therapist/patient boundaries—hilariously.
  • Damaris: “You might be the worst therapist I’ve ever heard.” ([97:26])

10. Relationship & Cheating Q&A

• Why do men cheat? A listener asks if men cheat for love, attention, sex, excitement, or just because they can.
  • Consensus: Usually it’s about sex or novelty; "men cheat down."
  • Mall & Damaris riff on whether rampant cheating signals sex addiction, an internal void, or even suppressed sexuality:
  • ([112:39]) “If a man is just sleeping around with a bunch of women...he's probably gay.” – Mall
  • Damaris: “Something ain't being satiated, baby.”
  • Rory: Pushes back, arguing it’s usually just impulsivity or sex addiction, not latent homosexuality.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Rory (on Mafia Podcast Fights):

  • [13:14] “This was like our 911 in the mafia YouTube genre.”

• Mall (on Canelo vs. Crawford):

  • [17:54] “I think Terence Crawford is a much better fighter than Floyd Mayweather.”

• Rory (on good music being the cure):

  • [48:15] “If the music is good, everything is fine after that.”

• Damaris (on female friendships and drama):

  • [60:12] “You giggle on the phone with your nigga and he calling me ugly. Yeah, bitch, don’t speak to me.”

• Mall (on joining Guardian Angels):

  • [81:04] “Y’all ain’t gonna lie. I think I want to be a guardian angel. Why not?”

• Mall (on people getting caught for fake checks):

  • [69:46] “He said he had to give his man half. So now we had $1,000 for four felonies. Dumb as one of the greatest YouTube channels ever.”

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |----|-----------------------| | 03:42 | Rory's misadventures with Damaris as "guardian angel" | | 08:50 | San Gennaro Fest & Old Man Italian Food talk | | 13:00 | Mafia podcast YouTube beef spills over into "real life" | | 17:54 | Boxing: Canelo vs Crawford—analysis and apology to Terence Crawford | | 29:42 | Battle Rap: Mook vs. Hitman Holla critique | | 43:24 | Young Thug's 7-minute apology song—a roast | | 49:01 | Rewriting Gunna’s comeback—after everyone called him a “rat” | | 58:15 | Glorilla's diss, AI tracks, and rap beef weirdness | | 65:12 | Tech anxieties: Oura Rings, Apple Watch, LifeAlert for Gen Z | | 81:38 | What are the Guardian Angels? (Explanation for non-NYers) | | 97:26 | Listener Voicemail: Therapist hooks up with a Patreon regular | | 112:39 | Cheating, sex addiction, and the “if you love women so much, maybe you’re gay” debate |

Tone & Style

The show keeps its classic blend of irreverence, rapid banter, random laughter, and occasional moments of earnest cultural analysis. The humor is self-aware, delivered with an insider’s wink that expects listeners to keep up—whether it’s dissecting rap beefs, discussing jail calls, or theorizing on NYC’s urban myths. The chemistry between Rory, Mall, and Damaris is on full display, with plenty of roasting, “inside” jokes, and layered references.

Summary Takeaway

If you missed this episode, you missed a funny, sprawling journey through the highs and lows of New York nightlife, the absurdities of modern urban life, modern rap drama, and the eternal question: Is making “good music” still enough for redemption? Plus, if you’re hoping to join the Guardian Angels (or just want to understand their legend), Rory & Mal will walk you through the process and the merch possibilities—with plenty of asides about scammer fails, resisting TikTok beef, and why your phone will always betray your criminal ambitions.

For ongoing inside jokes, wild stories, and the most New York takes on pop culture, keep riding (and laughing) with Rory, Mal, and the team.

(Summary excludes ads, intros/outros, and retains the tone and language of the hosts.)