New Rory & MAL Episode 443 | Don’t Be Dumb

Release Date: January 16, 2026
Podcast: New Rory & MAL — iHeartPodcasts / The Volume

Episode Overview

This episode finds Rory and Mal in peak form, mixing irreverent takes on pop culture, hip hop, sports, and everyday absurdities. They break down the upcoming release of A$AP Rocky’s highly anticipated “Don’t Be Dumb,” discuss Uber’s new acceptance of cash, speculate about Rihanna features, touch on double albums in hip hop, weigh in on streaming retirements, reality TV drama, and share laughs about rap fandom, online moments, and more.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Health, Aging, and Job Embarrassment (01:40–04:04)

• Health Kicks & Gym New Year Observations:
  • Rory notices fewer new year gym goers; Mal jokes that everyone’s just getting old and finally feeling the aches.
  • “I should probably start checking these types of things.” (A, 02:28)
• Explaining Podcasting as a Job:
  • Rory describes awkwardness explaining being a podcaster to school staff, likening it to admitting you’re a drug dealer or have a mixtape/T-shirt startup.
  • “Saying you have a podcast is almost like saying you’re a drug dealer. It’s almost embarrassing.” (B, 03:12)

2. Uber Accepts Cash — Is This Progress? (04:04–07:00)

• Safety Concerns:
  • Mal expresses nostalgia/concern for cabs of the ‘90s and stories of robbery.
  • “Uber accepting cash…I don’t know if we want to go back to that.” (B, 04:38)
  • Cash rides aimed at ‘unbanked’ users, but Mal questions the safety for drivers.
• Side-deals with Uber Drivers:
  • Both hosts admit to cutting off-app deals with drivers for better rates.
  • Mal: “Turn your app off, man…I got you for the night.” (06:16)

3. Tech Talk: Verizon Outage Paranoia (08:17–09:35)

• A widespread Verizon outage sparks jokes and light conspiracies:
  • “It’s like that Obama-produced movie where all the power goes out and Teslas start doing backflips.” (A, 08:50)
  • “Something’s going on, man. You got to watch these guys.” (B, 09:31)
  • Rory feigns geo-political ignorance about Greenland’s cities.

4. MAIN SEGMENT: Anticipation for A$AP Rocky’s “Don’t Be Dumb” (10:45–15:19)

• Tracklist & Features Analysis:
  • Features include Brent Faiyaz, Doechii, Tyler, the Creator, Westside Gunn, Thundercat, and perhaps a secret Rihanna feature.
  • Mal: “Tyler and Rocky—okay. I want to hear what they’re doing.” (B, 11:35)
• Rihanna Speculation:
  • Rory thinks she’ll appear uncredited; Mal doubts it:
    “Rihanna’s fans…will be pissed…Don’t give us harmonies on Rocky’s track. Don’t do that. Give us a record at least.” (B, 15:20)
• Record-breaking Presaves:
  • The hosts parse the stat—1 million presaves—but remain skeptical about its ultimate significance for first-week sales.
  • “Pre-save is just so it pops up on your Spotify or Apple…not the same as a sale.” (A, 12:29)
• Excitement Levels:
  • Both seem more genuinely excited for this Rocky album than his recent outputs.
  • “I think this might be the first Rocky album in a while that I’m actually excited for.” (A, 14:35)

5. J. Cole’s Double Disc Album & The Double Album Debate (19:55–29:48)

• Cole Dropping on Rocky’s Release:
  • No real animosity: “He’s got a million presaves. I don’t think people…will skip Rocky for Cole.” (A, 20:20)
• The Double Album Dilemma:
  • They recall the highs (Biggie’s ‘Life After Death’, 2Pac’s ‘All Eyez On Me’, OutKast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’) and bloat of hip hop multi-disc projects.
  • “That double disc thing can come back to bite you…too much music is not good.” (B, 22:51)
  • “Blueprint 2, Diplomatic Immunity—didn’t need to be double discs.” (A, 26:17, B, 27:04)
• Risks for Cole:
  • “If this is in fact a double disc, there is a very high risk in that, though.” (B, 24:22)

6. Reality TV Absurdities: Recap of Baddies (31:09–36:57)

• Rory reviews “Baddies: New York” after Mal put him on.
  • He’s shocked at the blend of fistfights and a full-on rap show.
  • “I thought the concept was just: beat up for your bed!” (A, 31:47)
• White Woman Using the N-word on Stage:
  • Gretchen (white cast member) causes chaos; Suki rightfully confronts her.
  • “She said, don’t say that in front of me. Then Gretchen said: don’t call me a [bitch].” (A + B, 34:38–34:56)
• Mal comments: “She didn’t even see the irony.” (B, 35:02)

7. Viral Civic Moments: The New York Mayor & Trump’s Middle Finger (36:45–41:37)

• Mal and Rory joke through news of former NYC Mayor Eric Adams telling a fellow passenger to 'go fuck herself.'
• On Trump’s Middle Finger:
  • The guy who received it started a GoFundMe and made $800,000.
  • “Wait till I see Trump—I’m yelling!” (B, 40:00)
  • Reflects on the viral economy: “White woman says something racist—next day, millionaire.” (A, 40:25)

8. TV Updates: Euphoria and P-Valley (42:22–45:34)

• Euphoria Back, Wacky Plot:
  • Rory: “This is a GTA trailer…Rue’s turned into a cartel boss?!? Wasn’t it just heroin and high school?” (A, 43:13–43:23)
• P-Valley Return?
  • J. Alphonse reportedly says Season 3 is filmed, so they speculate on release.
  • “That show was such a great show. I don’t know what happened.” (B, 44:58)

9. Content Creators and Quitting: Kai Cenat’s Streaming Retirement? (45:50–48:35)

• They discuss Kai Cenat’s claim he’s quitting streaming to focus on fashion.
  • Both skeptical: “I don’t know if quitting is the word…maybe just focusing on other things.” (B, 47:06)

10. Going Viral for the Dream: Security Guards Who Rap (48:35–54:00)

• Recount viral moments where security guards quit to rap for stars or crash ciphers.
  • Mal: “That’s the only reason I came here.” (B, 49:08)
• Classic Story:
  • Security joining Jay-Z and DMX in a cipher (51:00)

11. Debating the Best ‘Melody’ Rapper: Don Toliver vs. Rod Wave (54:29–57:21)

• Mal admires Don Toliver’s festival set and catalog, asking if he’s better than Rod Wave.
  • Rory: “My preference falls on Don Toliver…Rod Wave is more teenage sadness to me.” (A&B, 56:22)
  • Both agree Don is underrated.

12. Spread Them: The Weekly NFL Bets Segment (62:17–68:05)

• They compare NFL picks for Bills/Broncos, 49ers/Seahawks, Texans/Patriots, Rams/Bears.
• Stakes:
  • Loser must attempt to live stream naming 1,000 rappers.
  • “I’ll be on this stream longer than Kai Cenat—naming a thousand rappers is not easy!” (B, 64:55)

13. Music Versus Hypotheticals: Trey Songz vs. Ne-Yo (72:21–80:03)

• Caller Asks: Who wins in a ‘Verzuz’ battle: Trey Songz or Ne-Yo?
  • Both pick Ne-Yo, citing his classic albums, but acknowledge Trey’s deep catalog and mixtape era.
  • “Year of the Gentleman—is that a classic album? Definitely.” (A&B, 76:00)
  • Mini-debate about Nicki Minaj’s feature run in 2010 follows.

14. Voicemails & Community (72:15–81:24)

• Shoutout to producer Demaris for a speedy recovery, via a heartfelt voicemail.
• Closing with appreciation for the show’s community vibe.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Explaining Your Job:
  • “Saying you have a podcast is almost like saying you’re a drug dealer.” (B, 03:12)
• On Uber Cash Payments:
  • “If someone says, you got change for 100, drive to the nearest precinct.” (A, 06:43)
• On ‘Double Albums’ in Hip Hop:
  • “Sometimes too much music is not good…It can fall into the ‘we didn’t need this’ category.” (B, 22:51)
• On Double Album Risks:
  • “Very high risk. You run the risk of being like, we didn’t need that much or that double disc.” (A, 24:25)
• On Rocky & Rihanna Collaboration:
  • “If Rihanna was on it, he’s going to put her name. He knows what that does for business.” (B, 12:10)
• On Kai Cenat’s Retirement:
  • “Streamers are like rappers: you can’t quit rapping.” (B, 48:01)
• On Fandom Economics:
  • “White woman says something racist—they’re millionaires by the next day.” (A, 40:25)
• On Rap Fandom:
  • “Namin’ a thousand rappers? I’ll be on this stream longer than Kai Cenat. That’s not easy.” (B, 64:55)
• On Verzuz Battles:
  • “I think more people would react to Ne-Yo songs in the Ne-Yo set…Just a different level of songwriting and music.” (B, 75:30)

Episode Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Topic | |------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 01:40 | Health, gym, aging, and explaining podcast jobs | | 04:04 | Uber accepts cash: risks and nostalgia | | 08:17 | Verizon outage jokes/conspiracies | | 10:45 | A$AP Rocky’s “Don’t Be Dumb” anticipation | | 15:19 | Speculating on Rihanna feature, pre-saves | | 19:55 | J. Cole’s double disc & double albums in hip hop | | 31:09 | Reality TV review: “Baddies” (Gretchen/N-word) | | 36:45 | NYC Mayor/Trump flipping the bird moments | | 42:22 | Euphoria’s new cartel plot; P-Valley status | | 45:50 | Kai Cenat’s “retirement” from streaming | | 48:35 | Security guard/rapper viral moments | | 54:29 | Don Toliver vs. Rod Wave | | 62:17 | Spread Them: NFL picks & punishment stakes | | 72:21 | Voicemails: Trey Songz vs. Ne-Yo Verzuz | | 81:24 | Closing, shout outs |

Tone & Overall Vibe

Irreverent, playful, and a bit chaotic — Rory and Mal riff on everything from mundane to major news in the culture. The episode is rich with inside jokes, self-effacing banter, and pop culture savvy, making it enjoyable even for listeners new to the show.

For anyone who hasn’t listened, this summary covers all the major discussion points, musical debates, hilarious tangents, and signature banter between Rory and Mal.