New Rory & MAL – Episode 437: "2025 Rap Up" (December 30, 2025)
Hosted by Rory, Maul, and Damaris
Overview
Theme:
The crew closes out 2025 with their annual year-end wrap-up, delivering a deep dive into the past year’s best (and most overlooked) rap and R&B albums, songs, verses, and standout pop culture moments. There's plenty of laughter, list debates, and personal reflection—as well as classic back-and-forth between the hosts—plus a touch of gratitude and intentions set for the new year.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. End of Year Reflections & Traditions
- Gratitude for Listeners: The hosts kick off by thanking their audience for ongoing support.
- Rory: "Thank you to everybody that has listened this entire year." (03:17)
- Tradition: The year-end wrap-up is a tradition, even as it evolves without certain recurring guests (such as Elliot Wilson) and with less tequila, more relaxed energy.
- Changing & Growing: Reflections on personal growth, particularly from Damaris:
- Damaris: "I grow every year. I recognize my growth every year." (05:43)
2. Year in Review: Music & Album Lists
Top 10/20 Rap Albums of the Year
-
Mall’s Top 10-12 (no particular order) (12:16):
- Conway – You Can't Kill God With Bullets
- Mobb Deep – Infinite
- Freddie Gibbs – Alfredo 2
- JID – God Does Like Ugly
- Chance the Rapper – Starline
- Wale – Everything is a Lot
- Clipse – Let God Sort Them Out
- Ghostface – Supreme Clientele 2
- Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony, Leaflets
- Dave – The Boy Who Played Harp
- Kodak Black – Just Getting Started
- Nick Grant – I Took It Personal
-
Rory’s Ranked Top 20 (15:07):
- Clipse – Let God Sort Them Out
- Chance the Rapper – Starline
- Wale – Everything is a Lot
- Larry June, 2 Chainz & Alchemist – Life is Beautiful
- Mobb Deep – Infinite
- Freddie Gibbs – Alfredo 2
- Mac Miller – Lunarism
- Little Simz – Lotus
- JID – God Does Like Ugly
- Mike – Showbiz
- De La Soul – Cabin in the Sky
- Nick Grant – I Took It Personal
- Lloyd Banks – AON 3: Despite My Mistakes
- Dave – The Boy Who Played Harp
- Conway – You Can't Kill God With Bullets
- Ghostface – Supreme Clientele 2
- Saba & No I.D. – From the Private Collection...
- Reason – I Love You Again
- Nas & DJ Premier – Light Years
- billy woods – Gollywog
- Favorite EP: Ransom & DJ Premier – The Reinvention
-
Commentary:
- Rory: "There was too much music. I would feel weird just doing a top 10 and not mentioning all the other albums that I thought were incredible." (14:59)
- The hosts reiterate their lists are personal favorites, not definitive rankings for the whole genre.
- Damaris shares that she was less engaged in hip hop this year but gives props to Clipse’s project.
Top R&B Albums of the Year
-
Damaris’ Top 10 (18:15):
- Mariah the Scientist – Heart Soul Separately
- Drake & PartyNextDoor – Some Sexy Songs For You
- Coco Jones – Why Not More
- SZA – SOS Deluxe
- Summer Walker – Finally Over It
- Giveon – Beloved
- Mutt – Deluxe
- Destin Conrad – Love on Digital
- Durand Bernarr – Bloom
- Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon – Come As You Are
-
Rory’s Ranked Top 20 (19:10):
- Dijon – Baby
- Mareeba – The Breeze Grew a Fire
- Durand Bernarr – Bloom
- Durand Jones & The Indications – Flowers
- Justin Bieber – Swag
- Drake & PartyNextDoor – Some Sexy Songs for You (Full list continues through 20, including entries for SZA, Givēon, Coco Jones, Alex Isley, etc.)
-
Mall’s R&B Picks (No Particular Order) (21:50):
- Drake & PND – Some Sexy Songs For You
- Sasha Key – Act Right
- Bryson Tiller – Solace on the Vices
- Naomi Sharon – The Only Love We Know (EP)
- Elhae – Heat the Streets
- Destin Conrad – Love on Digital
- Summer Walker – Finally Over It
- Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon – Come As You Are
- Coco Jones – Why Not More
- Sailor – Florida’s Finest
3. Songs & Verses of the Year
Rap Song of the Year
- Damaris: Clipse – “Mike Tyson, Blow to the Face”
"That's my favorite. It's also my verse of the year, too..." (25:30) - Mall: Jay Electronica (feat. Quinn) – “Who Killed Michael Jackson” [unreleased version]
"That might be one of my favorite..." (26:03) - Rory: Chance the Rapper & Vic Mensa – “Back to the Go”
"That hook is the melody on that is incredible. ...might be one of my favorite records of the last 10 years." (27:54)
R&B Song of the Year
- Unanimous: “Folded” (multiple votes, centerpiece record)
- Rory: "It's one of those records that's gonna go over there with 'Cranes in the Sky' ... It's gonna live forever." (29:03)
- Damaris: Also considers Leon Thomas's “Not Fair” and Coco Jones’s “Thang for You” as close contenders.
Verse of the Year
- Damaris: Pusha T’s verse on "Mike Tyson, Blow to the Face"
- "How you come in? No confessions. Come on now!" (31:26)
- Mall: Malice (Clipse) on “Fico”
- "That Malice verse on Fico is crazy ... He was talking crazy on that whole verse." (32:27)
- Rory: Nas on Big L’s “You Ain’t Got a Chance” and Chance (on the Starline intro).
- Discussion of how tough it is to narrow to one, several verses from Clipse, Nas, and Chance in contention.
Lyricist of the Year
- Consensus: Nas for rap.
- Rory: "I think it's between Nas and Malice." (40:56)
- Mall: "To me, the lyricist of the year would have to be Nas." (41:02)
- Damaris: Shouts out Mariah the Scientist for R&B; SZA and Leon Thomas also get discussed as top pens.
- Later, Drake & PND and Jesse Reyes are also praised for R&B lyricism.
Producer of the Year
- Rap: Alchemist (multiple top albums produced).
- Mall: "For me, Alchemist is probably producer of the year." (49:38)
- Rory: "If you just go off my rap album list... it's mostly Alchemist." (49:20)
- Havoc of Mobb Deep also given credit.
- R&B: No clear consensus, but James Fauntleroy is mentioned as inescapably influential.
- Damaris: "James Fauntleroy is on 'Not Fair.' So you can't escape him for nothing." (50:55)
4. Notable Pop Culture Moments & Interviews
Favorite Interviews of the Year
- Damaris: Young Thug interview ("So you go to jail for the rest of your life ... whoop de doo.") (52:27)
- Mall & Rory: Dame Dash on Breakfast Club ("I'm not gay." / "You are.") (52:45)
- Other favorites: 85 South, Ms. Pat, Day26, Godfrey, Bryson Tiller, D-Nice, Chance the Rapper, De La Soul, Ms. Pat, Godfrey, Donovan McNabb, and Joey Badass.
- Most viewed: DJ Head episode, followed by 85 South, Bryson Tiller, and Poor Minds.
- Rory: "A lot of the interviews that probably got our lower views were some of my favorite, which sounds nuts." (55:45)
Funniest/Most Memorable Podcast Moments
- Joey Badass vs. The World moment (“me and Rory were running rounds around my own living ... we felt like a child again...”) (83:32)
- Falling in the pool: Damaris’s accident cited as a top personal moment. (57:46)
- “Hoes for the year” conversation—debating which hosts were/weren’t acting wild.
- Numerous inside jokes and real-life oversharing, e.g., the “abortion clinic” story from Maul (97:07).
Moment of the Year (Music and Cultural)
- Joey Badass & Jadakiss (“Lux”) record – biggest "music moment."
- Commentary on New York being "back" due to that song.
- Rory and Damaris recalling running around the living room when the track dropped.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On Personal Year & Growth
- Damaris [05:43]: "I grow every year. I recognize my growth every year. ... But I definitely grow. I don't become perfect from one year to the next."
On Not Arguing About Tastes
- Rory [11:21]: "These are our personal favorites. If you want to argue about my personal favorites, have a blast. Bark at the moon."
On the State of Rap
- Rory [10:00]: "I don't care what the streams say. ... If you’re saying hip hop is in a bad place, you’re just not listening."
On Standout R&B Song
- Rory [29:03]: "'Folded' is one of those records that's gonna go over there with 'Cranes in the Sky' ... It's gonna live forever."
On Standout Interview
- Mall [52:53]: "A man telling you he's not gay and you just like, 'You are.' Like, shut up. ... You don't even know you gay."
On Producer of the Year
- Mall [49:38]: "For me, Alchemist is probably producer of the year."
On Lyricist of the Year R&B
- Mall [41:57]: "If we do R&B lyrics, it’s Drake and Party, bro. Them niggas was talking crazy that whole [EP]."
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Year-in-Review Opening / Reflections: 03:17–06:00
- Top Rap Albums: 12:16–16:17
- Top R&B Albums: 18:15–22:23
- Songs of the Year (Rap & R&B): 23:58–29:47
- Verses of the Year: 31:26–33:06
- Lyricist of the Year Discussion: 40:56–42:34
- Producer of the Year: 49:20–51:08
- Top Interviews and Guests: 52:27–56:29
- Most Viewed Episodes Recap: 73:09–74:11
- Biggest/Funniest Moments of 2025: 83:12–85:54
- Reflections and Thank You Messages: 91:46–94:48
- Health & Age Jokes: 94:10–95:52
- Ending Reflections / New Year Wishes: 102:01–103:28
Tone & Vibe
- Laid-back, warm, irreverent, and fully in their element, the hosts blend real music criticism with real friendship and plenty of playful banter.
- The energy is celebratory but reflective, poking fun at themselves and each other while also dropping real insights on culture and music.
Final Thoughts & Sign-Offs
- Each host expresses gratitude for the team and fans.
- Looking ahead: They each share plans to focus on health, abundance, positivity, and personal peace for 2026.
- Mall: "Make 2026 a great year... a year of just trying something different, doing things different... At the end of the day, this is all just life. It's all meant to be lived. Let's not take ourselves too seriously."
- They end with a toast to the coming year, encouraging listeners (and themselves) to be safe, live abundantly, and stay blessed.
Episode Summary in a Nutshell
If you missed this, you missed some top-tier camaraderie, unfiltered music nerdery, and the kind of reflective comedy/realness that's known New Rory & MAL for years—complete with hot takes, hot lists, and the promise of more to come in 2026.