Episode 477 | First Day Out

Summary

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New Rory & MAL – Episode 477 | “First Day Out”

Release date: April 7, 2026
Hosts: Rory, Mal, Damaris

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Episode Overview

This week, Rory, Mal, and Damaris return with lighthearted banter and sharp takes, bouncing between Easter and Resurrection Sunday jokes, reflections on rap freestyles and music industry quirks, fandom versus morality regarding Kanye West’s recent controversies, streaming economics, and the real meaning of “classics” in hip-hop today. The crew also touch on NCAA March Madness, viral moments in music, and the complicated business of festivals and sponsorship.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Resurrection Sunday & Playful Banter

[03:19 – 08:00]

• Fresh off Easter, joking about Jesus’s "first day out" after the resurrection.
• Playful speculation on what happened during Jesus’s post-resurrection days.
  • “Did he go right to heaven on Monday?” (Rory, 04:50)
  • “This is Jesus’ first day. Yo, FDO.” (Mall, 05:33)
• Damaris shouts out a listener who sent her a marriage shirt.
• The gang riffs on viral memes, “Jesus FDO” (first day out) culture, and jokes about relics ("Jesus's robe") and historical authenticity.

2. Music & Movie Talk: Nicknames, Easter, and Accidental Screenings

[08:12 – 13:38]

• Joking about rap nicknames: Pooh Shiesty, Murder Mook.
  • "Sometimes people live up to their name.” (Mall, 09:01)
• Weekend recaps:
  • Mall’s accidental viewing of a “terrible movie” starring Zazie Beetz.
  • Rory at Jozzy’s album release party, seeing friends and “being outside.”
  • Damaris’s chilled, uneventful weekend and gym struggle.

3. Rory’s Upcoming LA Video Shoot & On-Air Invitations

[13:21 – 16:09]

• Rory announces traveling to LA to shoot a music video featuring Black Odyssey and Lucky Day; Aristotle directs.
  • “There’s still flights available. Expensive.” (Rory, 13:33)
  • Invites listeners to email for extra roles: “[e-mail]”
• Playful banter about who hangs out in LA and favorite hangout spots.

4. The Nature of Modern Rap Freestyles: Hot 97, Earl Sweatshirt, and The Algorithm

[16:42 – 27:38]

• Analysis and critique of Earl Sweatshirt & Mike’s “bad” Hot 97 freestyle.
  • “If you going to go to Hot 97 and rap, you gotta go up there and really, like, put on.” (Mall, 18:54)
• Changing attitudes toward hip-hop, performance, and expectations.
  • “People don’t take rap as serious as we used to.” (Damaris, 19:45)
• Discussing the modern press cycle: is there such a thing as “bad press” in 2026?
  • “Press is no longer as effective as it used to be because the algorithms switch so quickly. You could have a huge moment …it’s not going to translate to streams.” (Rory, 25:53)
  • “There’s such thing as bad press. Like people will see this, but then next time they see their name… I’m not listening to that.” (Mall, 26:32)
• The pressure on artists to be personalities and the vanishing “mystique artist” archetype.
• Tangent on podcast licensing deals, downloads, and how streaming has challenged outdated media economics.

5. Streaming Math & The Disconnect Between Touring, Streams, and “Sales”

[40:36 – 49:08]

• Playing Simba’s viral clip about Kanye’s tour/streaming numbers:
  • “I seen Kanye West in a…stadium last night with about 70,000 people and they talking about he on pace to do 100,000 copies first week. … Something’s not right about how these streams is getting calculated.” (Simba, 40:43)
• The group breaks down stream-to-sale math: 1500 streams = 1 “sale.”
  • “If you listen to a 10-song album all the way through 150 times, that’s one sale.” (Rory, 47:37)
• Discussion about streaming’s weird math, the lack of formal transparency, and why the system isn't artist-friendly.
  • “Who is coming up with this math? …How did they land on 1500 streams?” (Mall, 46:45)
• Parallels in podcasting: advertising's focus on downloads over streams/views (“ancient history”).
• Rant on the need for the industry to adapt metrics to fit actual consumption.

6. Kanye West, Festivals, Morality, and Corporate Activism

[51:53 – 71:29]

• Chloe Bailey attends a Kanye concert despite his past comments about Beyonce & Jay-Z’s kids; debate on loyalty, “cancelation,” and lines in fandom.
  • “People care more about… being at the top of the algorithm…than actually doing some fly shit.” (Mall, 27:13)
  • “I can’t support somebody that said that about J and B’s kids. I can’t. No. Hell no.” (Mall, 55:54)
  • “I’m just trying to get, like, everyone has their own personal line… Sometimes we go against the shit we just said; that’s just how it works with music, in my opinion.” (Rory, 57:48)
• Sponsors yank support from UK’s Wireless Festival over Kanye’s headlining:
  • “One sponsor can bury a festival.” (Rory, 62:43)
  • Discussion on brands’ selective morality, hypocrisy, and the reality of business (e.g., artists saying “wild shit” but still getting corporate deals).
  • “Well, the people he is talking about killing are Black people, and no one cares about Black people… But when you have an issue with other people’s people, there tends to be a problem.” (Damaris, 64:52)
• Deep dive on festival business, optics, and potential successors to Kanye at Wireless (suggestions: Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick, even Jay Z/Beyonce tag-team).

7. The Death of the “Universal Classic”

[77:03 – 92:06]

• J. Cole’s take: We may never see a "universal classic" in hip-hop again—too many voices and biases now.
  • “There may never be another universal classic in hip hop again.” (Rory paraphrasing Cole, 77:03)
  • “Classic… is a testament of time… how it ages and how it influenced people. Just because the song is good…doesn’t mean you have to run to say classic.” (Mall, 82:08)
• The crew discuss what the last universally agreed-upon classics might be:
  • Rory: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
  • Damaris: Take Care, Anti (Rihanna), Control (SZA), 2014 Forest Hills Drive (J. Cole) — but acknowledges they're not precisely "universal".
  • Mall: The Black Album, Take Care.
• Commentary on how the proliferation of subgenres and the internet fragment consensus, making it “impossible” for a new act to attain universal classic status.
  • “Now it’s universal, and then nothing can be universal then.” (Rory, 82:08)

8. Fan Boundaries and the Dababy Painting Incident

[95:02 – 102:19]

• Viral episode: DaBaby refuses a fan’s painting of his daughters, says it’s “weird.”
  • “But now the painting that I already told y’all I wasn’t comfortable with, go and post it on your page. Now you trying to go viral.” (Mall, 99:22)
  • Discussion on intent versus parental boundaries and how to handle such situations.

9. NCAA March Madness, Office Brackets, and Final Thoughts

[102:19 – 107:11]

• In-progress NCAA championship predictions: UConn vs. Michigan.
  • Mall picks Huskies by 8; Rory leans Michigan but thinks it's close.
• Group jokes about who won the bracket pool, with friendly ribbing over bracket placements.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Did he go right to heaven on Monday?” (Rory, 04:50)
• “You can’t have that style on a freestyle. So I just wouldn’t do it.” (Rory on rap styles, 21:47)
• “There’s such thing as bad press. Like people will see this… I’m not listening to that.” (Mall, 26:32)
• “Who is coming up with this math? …How did they land on 1500 streams?” (Mall, 46:45)
• “Pepsi would never align themselves with someone like Kanye West.” (Rory, 62:02)
• “When you start talking about somebody’s children …nah, bro.” (Mall on Kanye, 57:48)
• “There may never be another universal classic in hip hop again.” (Cole via Rory, 77:03)
• “Classic… is a testament of time and how it ages and how it influenced people.” (Mall, 82:08)
• “I just feel like… some shit really just do be musically trash, and that’s okay…” (Damaris, 90:58)
• “Advertisers dirty Mac too. Like yo, you know what Kanye just said? You sure you want that PayPal logo up there?” (Mall, 94:25)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 03:19 – Resurrection Sunday jokes, “first day out” memes
• 09:18 – Notorious rap nicknames and living up to them
• 10:38 – Accidental viewing of worst movie ever
• 13:21 – LA video shoot announcement & casting call
• 17:01 – Freestyle culture: Earl, Mike, and Hot 97
• 25:53 – On whether viral press equals success
• 40:36 – Simba’s rant on Kanye’s touring & streaming numbers
• 46:34 – The “1500 streams = 1 sale” debate
• 51:53 – Chloe Bailey, Kanye, morality & sponsorship fallout
• 62:43 – Impact on Wireless Festival of sponsor pull-outs
• 77:03 – The (im)possibility of universal rap classics
• 82:08 – What “classic” means today
• 95:03 – Dababy’s viral fan painting incident
• 102:33 – NCAA finals predictions and bracket pool fun

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Tone & Style

The show carries its usual blend of irreverent, comedic banter and sharp, culturally aware critique. The hosts are unfiltered and playful but offer thoughtful commentary on hip-hop, the music business, and how fandom, culture, and commerce intersect.

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This summary captures the episode’s full range of important topics, notable exchanges, and recurring jokes while following the podcast’s authentic, candid energy.

Transcript

[Damaris]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

No conductor.

[Mall]

Look.

[Rory]

Welcome back. Top of the week. Who is excited?

[Mall]

You are. You seem very excited.

[Rory]

Fresh off the resurrection. You saying you Jesus temple was empty when they went back.

[Mall]

I mean, that's what they say.

[Rory]

Trying to rob his grave. But he robbed his own grave, right?

[Mall]

Let me take my stuff and get out of here. I know they was coming back.

[Rory]

Imagine if you paid for Jesus's headstone and then he was alive.

[Mall]

Yeah, man, I want my money back. Yeah, I definitely want mine back. Baby D, what's up? What's up? I see you, you see me. I see you got the marriage shirt on.

[Damaris]

Yeah. You know, shout out to our listener that got this for me. Shout out to our Twitter community.

[Mall]

I remember that night. Right there. That picture on the. The bottom left.

[Damaris]

We was together.

[Mall]

Yeah, we was together.

[Damaris]

Oh, we was together.

[Mall]

Yeah, I remember that. That's when it winked. I know, Ma. I said that's when it winked. People don't know what I'm talking about. They don't know.

[Damaris]

What else would you be talking about other than my asshole?

[Mall]

No, it could be plenty of things. It's not always. I don't go straight to the butt, Baby D. I don't do that. That's not me. Don't put that on me. That's not who I am.

[Damaris]

I did think. I think I winked at you with my eyes too.

[Mall]

Did you? Yeah. See, that's what I was talking about. But yeah, Lovely.

[Rory]

Two eyes. You said like when it winked. There's only one of the. Like.

[Mall]

Okay, the eye. One eye. Only one eye with only one eye.

[Damaris]

Wink. You wink with both eyes. I knew you was slow.

[Mall]

That's called Tourette's,

[Damaris]

Ma. You came in here happy today.

[Mall]

What you so happy about? Cuz it's Resurrection Sunday, right?

[Damaris]

Well, that was yesterday.

[Mall]

He has risen.

[Rory]

He has? Yeah.

[Mall]

Come on now. Okay, I'm happy. I'm saying. Okay.

[Rory]

Did he go right to heaven on Monday?

[Mall]

I don't know. Where did he go? We never got into that part of the story. Like, the second time, like resurrection, like. But what happened the second time? How did he. How did we lose him the second time?

[Rory]

I can't. I gotta go back to the book.

[Mall]

Come on, man. You went to school for this. You was in the church. You was in the Catholic.

[Rory]

My mother was in my Sunday school. Yeah.

[Mall]

Come on, man.

[Rory]

I don't. Yeah, remember that? I think we were just so happy

[Mall]

that he rose and that was it,

[Rory]

and we went back to work Monday.

[Mall]

Oh, yeah.

[Damaris]

He ascended into heaven. He will not die again as death no longer rules over him.

[Rory]

No, but, like, how long on Easter Sunday Was he chilling?

[Damaris]

40 days after he ascended into heaven. At 40 days after the resurrection.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah. All right. Some could be happy. Jesus is, you know, he's still walking the earth. His first day out.

[Mall]

Yeah. Jesus is king. This is Jesus's first day.

[Damaris]

Yo, fdo.

[Rory]

Fdo, fdo.

[Mall]

Yo, this is Jesus. Fdo.

[Damaris]

Y' all gonna stop playing with the Lord?

[Mall]

Yo, I ain't know this was Jesus. Fdo you a see you a put that? No Jesus books. That's the problem now, man.

[Rory]

Yo, he won best dress with no support.

[Mall]

Yo, y' all been seeing that. It's like a viral, I guess, like, real going around where they're showing, like, Jesus's robe and his. His. Like, it was like proof Jesus, like, walked the Earth. Like, they have his robe. They have his. His Bible. Have y' all seen that? They had, like, a real picture of him.

[Rory]

Was he white?

[Mall]

No, he didn't look white.

[Rory]

Okay. No, I'm just. I just want to start there because I'm. I'm not buying the robe is accurate if.

[Mall]

Yeah, he got his robe, his Bible. I was like, oh, okay, that's. That's cool. But nobody asked how they got that, huh?

[Rory]

Yeah, he can't. He couldn't.

[Damaris]

He couldn't have a Bible.

[Rory]

Have the Bible. No, that would be like him wearing a crucifix around his.

[Mall]

No, they said that was. They said that his first Bible. I'm telling you. Look, that's. There's the rope.

[Damaris]

They have a Bible, though.

[Rory]

The Bible is. Is the stories of the disciples telling the story of Jesus.

[Mall]

I'm trying to tell you this.

[Rory]

No, maybe it was just like, his notes, like his notebook.

[Mall]

It was his to do list.

[Rory]

They found a to do list while walk on water. He turned water to wine.

[Damaris]

Yeah, the Bible was written.

[Rory]

Tell everyone that. That's not a prostitute.

[Public Investing Announcer]

That's.

[Rory]

That's a saved woman.

[Mall]

Decades after they found Jesus's to do list, called it the Bible. He was just taking notes, that's all.

[Damaris]

Oh, they had. They said Jesus had the Old Testament, which was the Hebrew, the Hebrew scriptures.

[Rory]

Yeah. Jesus was Jewish. Oh, see, there's no blasphemy, I swear. We're just. We're just trying to get the facts, that's all.

[Mall]

I just thought it was dope that they have his robe. I never knew that Jesus's robe was, like, in a museum somewhere. Never knew that. I don't believe that's his. Rose said, this is robe. Do you see it? Just. Ryan just put a picture.

[Damaris]

People say a lot of.

[Mall]

Well, I mean, that's. If you look at it, it does look like it's pretty old, but, like, pretty old.

[Rory]

Who was in charge of keep it? Like. Like, I have some of my grandfather's clothing because I'm his grandson.

[Mall]

Huh.

[Rory]

Like, do the Christ family have it?

[Damaris]

Who the Christ family?

[Mall]

Yo, that's what we need to get into. Like, who. Like, who owns that building that his. His clothes is in? Like, who owns that? We need to get into that story.

[Rory]

I can assure you they're probably not Christian.

[Mall]

Yeah, I think that's. I think that's a fact.

[Rory]

Chill. Before. Before. We're not allowed at wireless.

[Damaris]

Y' all so stupid.

[Mall]

Anyways, we are back sponsored by Boost Mobile Unlimited for the time being. Text data.

[Damaris]

Yeah. Y' all playing with God.

[Mall]

No, I'm saying this is fdo. Fdo.

[Rory]

Yeah. Oh, we happy. I celebrated Easter.

[Mall]

Jesus's first day out. This is our first pot out. I'm saying, who shy?

[Damaris]

Said, girl, can put that on me. I'm fresh out the feds. Y' all think Jesus said that?

[Rory]

No, he said, Gucci signed this contract.

[Mall]

It just kills me how people are so, like. Like, thrown back. That Shiesty Pooh. Shiesty did that. Like, I'm like, his name is Pooh.

[Rory]

I saw a tweet.

[Damaris]

I was like, well, his name isn't Pooh. Trustworthy. That had me crying.

[Mall]

Yeah, he. He stood. Oh, he kept his name real. He said, y' all think it's just raps? It ain't just raps. It's my real name. My. My mama named me Clay. Call me Clay.

[Rory]

We don't pay attention enough to people's nicknames because they do have meaning.

[Mall]

Yeah, some. Sometimes people live up to their name. Like, there's nothing wrong with that. Oh, he really? Okay. Yeah. 100.

[Damaris]

Y' all know anybody else with a

[Mall]

nickname like that that lives up to it?

[Rory]

Not that I would speak about on the microphone.

[Mall]

Yeah. Nah. Ain't trying to get nobody indicted.

[Rory]

Remember when Dame was on Breakfast Club and he said Smoke Dizzle was trying to introduce him to To Murder Mook and Dane was like, I didn't particularly want to meet someone named Murder

[Damaris]

first name, Murder last name.

[Mall]

I don't want to meet that guy, man.

[Rory]

Yeah, you know. Anyways, we are back. How was everyone's Easter, though?

[Mall]

It was cool. I mean, I was home all today. I went to the movies and saw the worst. Probably the worst movie I've ever seen in my life.

[Damaris]

What? It better. It better not be the drama.

[Mall]

They will kill you.

[Damaris]

Oh, really?

[Rory]

Who's they, bro?

[Mall]

This might be the worst movie I've ever seen in my life. Like, I'm not even joking.

[Rory]

I've never even heard of it.

[Mall]

Bro, do you don't even want it. First of all, I saw it by accident because the movie I wanted to see, for whatever reason, I think it was a glitch on the website. And she was like, oh, no, that movie's not playing right now. And I was like, what? So she thought it was too. She said, yeah, in the system. It says it, but the ticket came up for this movie. So I'm thinking, like, first of all, I never even heard of this movie, but I'm like, all right, cool. Like, you know what? Maybe this is gonna be a cool movie that sometimes. Maybe a happy accident, right?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Not here to see this. Yeah, not here to see this. Then I did what every other moviegoer Rory does. I went right to Rotten Tomatoes and see what they gave it. 63. I'm okay. Not terrible, right?

[Rory]

Oh, it's got the actress that was in Atlanta.

[Mall]

I love her.

[Rory]

She's great. Yeah, she's really good.

[Mall]

Love her.

[Rory]

Fan from Atlanta. I'm sorry, I don't have her full name.

[Mall]

Love her. Zazy Beats is her name.

[Rory]

She's a great actress.

[Mall]

Zazi. That's the name. Zazi Beats. Zazi. Excuse me. Zazi Beats.

[Rory]

Sounds like a producer.

[Mall]

Yeah. This was the. This was the worst movie I probably ever saw in my life.

[Rory]

Because of her acting or the plot? Well, I like her.

[Mall]

I think the plot and then, like, the storyline caused her acting to be, like, bad.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mall]

Like, she. It's not her fault. She was doing what the script called for her to do. This movie was terrible.

[Rory]

Well, like, what's it about? An exclusive high rise building at nyc. She poses as a new maid.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Is greeted by the Irish building manager.

[Mall]

Uh. Oh, yeah. There you go.

[Rory]

Where does that go?

[Mall]

This movie is terrible.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mall]

Sucks.

[Rory]

All right, well, everyone check it out. And you're.

[Mall]

No, this might be. This might be in a theater for maybe four more days. And it's out of here.

[Rory]

Is they the Irish?

[Mall]

No. I don't know. If not. Not they is Irish. Not everybody. You know, it was just like, supposed to be some. It kind of felt like it was supposed to be like a little kill Bill ish at first. So I was like, okay. The first 10 minutes, I was like, okay, this might be.

[Rory]

Bro.

[Mall]

This movie was terrible. Terrible. So, yeah, that's how I spent my Easter.

[Rory]

I spent it with family. And then once everyone left and went home, I went out to Jozzy, had a release party in the city.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

And I mean, of course, love Jazzy projects is incredible. You know, we're working on music together. Of course I went because of that. Yeah. But I also went because Jozzy brings them up.

[Mall]

They were there.

[Rory]

It's Jozzy. You think Usher brings out. No, no, Jozzy brings him up.

[Mall]

It's not Usher. You think Chris Brown brings them up and they're.

[Rory]

They're all there. Like, you don't have a shot with any of the girls. They're only there for Josie.

[Mall]

Yeah. So it's an album? Yeah.

[Rory]

I saw our golfing buddy Frank as well.

[Mall]

Oh, how's he doing? He's all right.

[Rory]

Yeah, Frank's doing good. He manages jazzy.

[Mall]

Oh, okay.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mall]

Dope.

[Rory]

But no, it was a fun, fun party and we went bowling afterwards. Yeah, I was. I was. I was sort of outside.

[Mall]

No, you was outside. Album party. Album release party, bowling. That's outside.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's true.

[Mall]

That's definitely outside. Baby D, what you did this weekend?

[Damaris]

I did nothing. I was in the house all weekend. I don't do on weekends unless I'm going out of town, I'll be in the house. I went to the gym. My body hurt right now. I went to the gym yesterday. On Easter, I was supposed to cook, but I didn't really have an appetite. Did a whole bunch of cleaning, washed my hair. I'll be chilling on the weekends. You want me outside, you gotta get me outside. Like, while I'm here right now. Makeup on, clothes on. You gotta get me out right now.

[Rory]

Otherwise I ain't gotcha.

[Mall]

Does that makeup come off? That's it.

[Damaris]

Yeah. So it's clip.

[Mall]

Okay. I think.

[Damaris]

Makeup, wig, Meek Mill, braids.

[Rory]

This week I will be in Los Angeles shooting a music video for the next record that I'm putting out.

[Mall]

Say word. You go to la. Say word.

[Damaris]

Rob him.

[Mall]

Yo, you going to la?

[Damaris]

Come on, weird ass.

[Mall]

Are you going to LA without me, B? That's crazy.

[Rory]

There's still flights available. Expensive.

[Damaris]

Now you Ain't really want us to come.

[Mall]

It's all good. I don't like going to la. When Rory got to work, man, he's a different guy. Yeah, but I'm not. But, like, I'm. I would want to go and hang out. I'm be like, you don't want to hang out?

[Damaris]

Stop calling Cap on your rap. You don't want to hang out. Lamar don't want to hang out with none of us.

[Mall]

That's not true. All the bad.

[Damaris]

And we hung out in la.

[Rory]

There's only been two occasions. One was, it was Damaris birthday and you happened to be going to a restaurant, so we all went. That's the only. We followed you for my birthday dinner, pretty much.

[Mall]

That's not what happened.

[Rory]

And then the only other time we've hung out is because I told you I was meeting Vince Staples at the studio. I've been in the studio a thousand times. You never came.

[Mall]

That's not true.

[Rory]

But then Vince. Then Vince shows up.

[Mall]

I've been to the studio with you, like, three times in la. Don't do that. See, y' all be lying on.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah. Was Nick Grant with us?

[Mall]

No. One time it was. You was working on your album and I was there with you.

[Rory]

See?

[Mall]

All right, I don't get no credit, man.

[Rory]

Well, either way, you. If you want to be an extra in my video in LA, rorycasting LAgmail.com. just send your full name and a photo of yourself and we'll see if we can pick you.

[Mall]

I bet. Was it rory? LA what?

[Rory]

Rorycasting LA.

[Mall]

Okay. gmail dot com. All right, so I gotta send some headshots and stuff like this.

[Rory]

You'll be talking directly to Ryan. Yo, if you give people enough time, their serial killer tendencies will start to come out. I've been waiting to find Ryan's. Ryan's super cool. I'm like, there's got. There's gotta be something. I don't know what it is. I walk in today. Anyone that orders McDonald's on a Monday is a serial killer.

[Damaris]

Leave him alone. He's a baby.

[Rory]

Monday at noon, and you're chomping a Big Mac. You have bodies hidden in your basement,

[Mall]

Ryan.

[Rory]

You're not drunk on a Friday, Ryan.

[Mall]

You was. You was eating a Big Mac this morning. Oh, my God, man. You're gonna have a. You gonna sneak at Brown. A whole new balance gonna come out your ass. A Big Mac at noon is crazy.

[Rory]

What a way to start your week off.

[Mall]

Oh, man.

[Rory]

But yes, listeners, we would love to have you at the video shoot. To be an extra. To be a fun day. Fun two days. A lot of. A lot of surprise cameos. Never know who's gonna show up.

[Mall]

Dope man. All right, well, what song is this for?

[Rory]

I guess I could. Well, it comes out probably like the first week of May, depending on how quick it is.

[Mall]

Edit.

[Rory]

But it's a record that's not out. But it does have Black Odyssey and Lucky Day on it.

[Mall]

Fire.

[Rory]

So.

[Damaris]

All right.

[Rory]

Yeah, I think. I think it'll be. Be a good time.

[Mall]

Ray, we shooting this one?

[Rory]

No, Aristotle is.

[Mall]

Oh, okay. You're going back to. Oh, you going.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mall]

Going back to that. Okay. Restore the feeling.

[Rory]

All right.

[Mall]

That's what's up.

[Rory]

Raven was busy.

[Damaris]

Raven must have been busy.

[Rory]

Well, don't.

[Damaris]

First of all, no, I'm not Aristotle at all.

[Rory]

No, yeah, no, I know my plan was for Raven to shoot everything. But, yes, she's busy and I. Deadline. But the only reason I never used Eris before is because he's shooting feature films now. Yeah, like asking him. He's only doing this music video because it's me. Like, bro, he's on Hulu.

[Damaris]

I gotta do it.

[Rory]

Don't care about your little music video that you got going.

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah. Nobody cares about that. We're shooting. We're shooting sitcoms over here.

[Rory]

Yeah. So, yeah, I'm excited for that. But other than that, that's. That's my week. I don't know, maybe I'll spend some time dissecting the Earl sweatshirt and Mike Freestyle. But that's. That's really all I have planned.

[Mall]

First of all, we love Earl. That's family friend of the show. That's. That's family right there. We love Earl. Like, Mike put me on to his music. Met him.

[Rory]

We met Mike through Earl in London.

[Mall]

Love, Meryl. That's our guy.

[Rory]

Was Earl our first guest ever?

[Damaris]

No, Belly was.

[Rory]

No, that was. Yeah, yeah, we did. We did the response video one episode, and then Mall and I went to la. Was. It was Earl Injustice. That was the most random first episode ever.

[Mall]

West. What's Boogie?

[Rory]

Yeah, that was such. That was a.

[Damaris]

That was such a la Link up.

[Rory]

No, it was in Alchemist Studio. Then we had to did an episode with Alchemist.

[Mall]

It was literally like Alchemist and Hop.

[Damaris]

Oh, yeah, it was.

[Rory]

The whole studio was do youo Know Hop? He was like the catalyst of everyone there.

[Damaris]

Earl West. Cybogan Justice.

[Mall]

Yeah, that was. That was the first guest episode.

[Damaris]

First guest episode.

[Rory]

Yeah, we did Belly that week, but we Put that one out first. Yeah, okay.

[Damaris]

That's what I. I remember Belly being. I'm like, bell. I feel like Belly was earlier, but that came out later. Yeah, cooking with Belly. Damn.

[Mall]

Shout out to Earl, man.

[Rory]

Worst week of my life.

[Mall]

But yeah, this Hot 97 freestyle,

[Rory]

where does it rank? And as Mero set the tone, like funk Flex who? These Mero freestyles that just set a precedent. Can Flex keep up with his legacy?

[Mall]

Freestyle. Hey, Mero, we love LA leakers. Who? Hey, Mero, we room for you. We love you over here. You know that. But this, this was. This was bad, man.

[Rory]

He knew it was bad. He kept sarcastically growling.

[Mall]

Yeah, like the growls. Yo, this was like, this was bad.

[Rory]

Earl was like, Yo, I put 26s on a spaceship. He was like, yeah.

[Mall]

And then you heard the marriage. Like, nah. He really freestyling though.

[Rory]

Like, like, nah.

[Damaris]

Cause that is really off the dom.

[Rory]

Well, no, it did seem like Earl was actually freestyling. Mike came with something written and shout out to them Surf gang. The album came out on Friday and it's great. And I fuck with Mike. He's one of my favorite newer rappers. But there's. I don't know, maybe just save it for the studio.

[Mall]

Yeah, everybody don't gotta. Everybody don't gotta go to a radio station and kick no balls. You ain't gotta do that. Like, you could just put the project out and let it be some joints on there and let people catch it. Like, oh, no, this project is dope. If you gonna go to Hot 97 and rap, you gotta go up there and rap, man. You gotta go up there and really, like, put on. You can't go up there and fumble and be sounding like you half ass and know what you about to say. Like, not riding the beat. Like, are you in the pocket out of the. You're not supposed to do that. This is Hot 97. Like, this is. This is the radio station. This is number one for hip hop in New York right here. Like, what we knowing? What are we doing? That's all I'm saying. Like, I get it, but come on, man. Like that, that was bad. And I understand it wasn't. You know, it was having fun. Laughs but you still got a project out and you rapping, you supposed to be up there putting on. For real.

[Damaris]

I feel like people don't. In this climate, people don't take rap as serious as we used to.

[Mall]

You that's a problem back in the

[Damaris]

day would have never did that. That would have been like the worst thing in the world. For their life, they would have, like, my career is over. But now it's like, oh, this rap is just like, we just make it, have it fun making money. Hi. No, stop.

[Rory]

I think people expected, like, shout out to Trinidad James. Fuck with Trinidad James. When he did his. Was it the Tim Westwood freestyle? When he actually freestyled, it was like, going through the regs. Like, oh, here, damn. Here's a Biggie record. Like, it was absolutely awful. No one was really expecting Trinidad James to have crazy bars, so it was just more funny than anything. Earl and Mike are rappers. Like, they both rap really well.

[Mall]

And this was Mike's first time at Hot 97, right?

[Rory]

Probably. I'm not sure.

[Mall]

Yeah, he's supposed to. He's supposed to be up there going crazy to put on for real.

[Rory]

But I don't know, maybe it just doesn't mean much to their age group, which is kind of odd because I think both of them are, you know, within two or three years of my age. Freestyling was always important to us, but I don't know, maybe it's just not to them. I mean, I've seen Earl do, like, parody freestyles at Hot 97 with Odd Future, and that were better than that. Maybe these kids just don't want to rap on the radio.

[Mall]

So why are you at the radio?

[Rory]

To promote?

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

I would have just been like, yo, I'm okay. I don't. I just put out a double disc. I don't feel like rap.

[Mall]

That's what I'm thinking.

[Rory]

Vince went up to Hot Night, he said with Tyler, and Rosenberg was like, vince, you want to rap? He's like, Bra just gave you 32 songs. I don't want to rap anymore.

[Mall]

Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. Like, just don't rap. You can go up there and talk about the project and things like that and whatever else, you know, they want to talk about. But when they say, put a beat on. Unless they'll be like, nah, I'm cool if you gonna do something like that. Like, come on. That hurts more than anything. That's like, people gonna look at that like, yo, what is this shit?

[Rory]

But I knowing them, too. I'm sure they're not watching this. But if they were, they'd probably be looking at the screen like, we don't care. Wasn't it clear that we didn't care?

[Mall]

No, I think Mike cares, though. I think, like, he wants to be looked at as a. That could really rap. Like, he. He not up.

[Rory]

I think people view Mike as one of the more talented rappers. Rapper type.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

So even though he's. He does the style of the kind of. I'm. I don't use the word lazy, but it's probably the best way to approach the style. Lazy, a little bit out of the pocket rap. I understand when people don't like that type of stuff and they're going to try to convince people to I like it, but it doesn't translate to a freestyle. You can't have that style on a freestyle. So I just wouldn't do it.

[Mall]

Did you hear the album?

[Rory]

Yeah, it's great.

[Mall]

Is it any better than that?

[Rory]

Every song is better than that.

[Mall]

Okay, all right. Well, that's what I'm saying. See that? If you see that and don't. Didn't hit an album, you'd be like, if they doing this.

[Rory]

Oh, I would never.

[Mall]

You wouldn't even click on the album.

[Rory]

Never.

[Mall]

See, this is what I'm. That's why I'm saying that shit hurts more than anything. So. Yeah, I don't know, man. That was that. Hearing that shit was a little like, I don't know, man.

[Rory]

So where do we rank this against? Trinidad James o'. Melly.

[Mall]

Yo, See, always find a way to bring up the old man freestyle. You always find a way.

[Damaris]

Can you name a barely freestyle that was.

[Rory]

That's a bar in it.

[Mall]

But he not. He was trying to. He ain't really. He had just seen what I'm saying, like, came up with that, though, so you don't understand. That was freestyling y' all were looking at.

[Rory]

I was looking at Sway the whole time.

[Mall]

So it's a real hip hop, man. Yeah, Sway was like, okay, okay.

[Damaris]

You ever see somebody trying to catch the pocket? Like, they trying. They rocking, but they can't, like, catch it?

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah, all the time.

[Damaris]

No, I mean, like, the people listening, like when the people listening is trying to, like, catch your flow and it's like you all over.

[Rory]

They doing a Jay Z meme.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Like, I want to like it and I'm trying to help you. I'm the metronome. I'm trying to keep you, like, look at me. I'm keeping you on beat. But it's not happening. It's not working out well.

[Rory]

I don't know. Maybe it brought more attention to their album.

[Mall]

I was about to say that this probably this will go viral before, like, really spitting bars would.

[Rory]

Yeah, I'm sure them just talking with Merrill would not go viral the way this thing. No, but both of them are also, like, quiet Guys that it's got to be tough when you're. You're an artist like that in this day and age where you. It's so important to promote and be a personality and be so forward facing. Earl don't even like talking to people in the studio, like, period.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

So why.

[Rory]

Because they probably feel like everyone around them, whether it be their independent label, their managers, their business partners, producers, yo, you got to go out and promote this.

[Mall]

I think art. Yeah.

[Rory]

The days of being this mystique artist, of just here's the album, and then I disappear is gone. Like, even like Gibbs, it would fall under the category of great rappers. Like, like these guys. His online personality, like, sometimes supersedes his. His streams. He's. He's a character. He's funny. Like, he has an online presence. So when he goes out to promote, people watch just because they know Gibbs is super entertaining too. If I watch a Gibbs interview, I know I'm gonna laugh. Okay, now these. I'm not expecting people to. To try to be someone they're not. But it's got to be tough in. In 2026 when your actual personality is not one of, like, Freddie Gibbs, where you're outgoing, you're social. Like, nah, I just want to make my raps and go home. But you can't do that anymore.

[Mall]

I think people need to find a level too. Artists need to find a new way to promote. I think, like, some artists don't. Don't ever need to go to the radio stations. No, seriously, like, I. I think that does. That does more bad for them than good for some.

[Rory]

Yeah. I mean, we've even seen with. With certain rappers getting with streamers, because streamers are younger, have a different type of personality, and then you put them next to a rapper that's not also a streamer. It's awkward.

[Mall]

It's weird.

[Rory]

It's very weird.

[Damaris]

But unless you're like a soup. Like, unless you're big. I don't want to say megastar big, but, like, a little under that. I don't understand how it could be bad for you because, like, okay, yes, they just tanked that freestyle. But we're talking about it now. And because we're talking about it, plenty of people might not even know that those two people had a project out or one of them had a project out, and now they're gonna go check it out or not check it out. Like, it's. There's no such thing as bad press technically anymore.

[Rory]

Yes. And no. The thing. All right, now with press, there is no such thing as bad press. But press is no longer as effective as it used to be because the algorithm switched so quickly. You could have a huge moment. It's not going to translate to streams. They're just going to move on to the next moment. So, like, effective press is really what's missing. Because I hear demerits. They would have not gone viral if this wasn't a freestyle. I don't know if this means people are now going to go search for their album, but their name is in the algorithm. Is that important to some people?

[Mall]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. When y' all say there's no such thing as bad press. There's a such thing as bad press.

[Rory]

Okay, Unaffective press.

[Mall]

Unaffective press, however you want to slice it now, like, to what you're saying, does that mean that somebody's gonna go and search the album because they see this and they're like, this was terrible. Let me go see what their album sounds like. I don't think that that's how that works. No, I think people will see that and be like, the next time I see their name, I'm never clicking that again.

[Rory]

Yeah, that could be.

[Mall]

You know what I'm saying? So there's such thing as bad press. Like people will see this, but then next time they see their name at high netting, like, no, I'm not listening to that.

[Rory]

But some people view just your name being in the algorithm that day as a win when it comes to press.

[Mall]

No, I get it.

[Rory]

Which I disagree, I disagree with.

[Mall]

I disagree with that wholeheartedly. Because that's so short lived.

[Rory]

It's like mean anything. Yeah, like your name.

[Mall]

An algorithm for what? Like, because people hate what you just did. Like, you think that's a win for some people? Yes. That's fucking crazy. I think that's crazy and I think that's part of the problem. Like, people care more about that than actually doing some fly shit or, you know, killing a freestyle and this, that and having a dope project. They just want people to be talking about them. Like, I'm at the top of the algorithm. Like, okay, what is that, what is that doing for you though?

[Rory]

I mean, there are some people that legitimately are in the algorithm consistently because people hate them. Their stick is just for the Internet to kill them constantly. Some people know how to utilize that to dollar value and some just keep chasing being in a headline that does nothing for you. You want the press or do you want the sounds game? Which, which one? Yeah, you can have you can have both. It's just rare these days because everyone's doing that's not going to stick. They're just trying to get in the algorithm. They're just trying their best to get there, but you don't know what they're pulling from it. Like, even press runs that I've seen with our. When I did mine, I picked. I picked outlets that I thought were going to be effective rather than just going to do a bunch of them, because then you're just wasting your. Your time. What is going. Why is this interview going to matter to anyone? That one is a fan first or new eyes.

[Mall]

Yeah. It's hard as a consumer these days. It's hard as a consumer because. Meaning, like, there's so much out there to consume. You almost have to, like, sift through so much shit to find, like, good, good shit to consume.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Like, even with music coming out every week, like, every weekend there's music coming out. It's like, how can you listen to all of this? How do you. How can you listen to everybody that drops? Like, sometimes artists that we love drop and we don't even know we. Like, what the fuck? I didn't even know they put something out because we're so stuck on catching up to what already came out or listening to an album that we absolutely love. And, like, we're still playing that. And then every week comes by and there's more and more shit being put out. It's like, people got interviews every week on multiple platforms, dropping. It's like, how much shit can we as consumers consume?

[Rory]

Yeah. And just doing interviews, which I feel for artists back to our original point, just doing interviews to do them is fucking pointless. I'm not saying you gotta chase a moment or try to make a viral clip, but just doing an interview in the ether that is the Internet right now is pointless. Like, if you don't have personality and you go to every single stop and there's just nothing there.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, yeah. Got that feature. Yeah. Nice. She's cool. I got to work with this producer. Oh, my top five rappers. I'll give you my top five of all time. Like, what, you just wasted a whole trip to New York City.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

That's why we turned on so many people's interviews. Like, what the.

[Rory]

I'm doing both of us a service by saying no.

[Mall]

Yeah. That's why.

[Rory]

What are we gonna talk. What are we gonna talk about?

[Mall]

To the thing that Ebro was saying about how booking, you know, guests was tough. I understood what he was saying. But at the same time, it's like, I'm pretty sure they get people's names that comes across their emails, and I'm sure they turn people down. I'm sure they do. Because you had to be like, yo, all right, what are we gonna talk about that you haven't already talked about? Like, that's why taking people in there on the press run is tough. The artist is worn out. They're tired of talking. They've been asked the same questions. Like, it's like, as a consumer, how much of this shit can you really sit back and continue to consume?

[Rory]

But also, like, bookers and producers. Sometimes I think a lot of their mentality is just to book and not book the right people or understand the show that they're booking for. Yeah, like, I promise, this isn't like, out of resentment. It's just an observation. When I did Hot 97 for my album, they cut my interview short. So some, like, some tick tock vine person that was having a moment was in the studio, they cut mine short. I went back the next week to look at the views. I had 70, 000 views, and they had like 400 views on that interview. Hot 97. I was like, y' all just don't understand the Hot 97 audience or even Ebro show. It wasn't Ebro, Laura, or Peter that cut it short. It was whatever program director was like, no, no, we have this. This guy's borrowing. I was like, do you not understand the show that you're producing? Do you not understand YouTube? Like, this conversation is way more valuable than the person. I don't even remember his fucking name.

[Mall]

But did you go back and look at how many views he got? He might have took off, like, the next week.

[Damaris]

Shit it on.

[Mall]

You might have. She might have took off.

[Rory]

You don't think I haven't still been checking it to this day?

[Damaris]

I forgot she like that.

[Rory]

I check it to this day.

[Mall]

You just checked it last night.

[Damaris]

Did you storm out of there when they did? I know how you get.

[Rory]

No, I was. We were having a really good conversation, too. I think it was about Summer Jam relocating. We were having, like, a conversation that podcasters and YouTube people cared about that they weren't having with anyone else. And I just remember being, like, irritated.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, oh, I would have came early. Like, I would have came earlier if that was the case. Like, I understand that you have to book all these people. And, you know, Peter and Ebro booked me. I didn't, like, go through. I didn't, like, email the program director, the way the publicist or whatever. So, like, I get it. Maybe they didn't tell the them and they didn't put it on the calendar, but I was irritated. I was not arrogant. But I was like, that was stupid.

[Mall]

No, you was walking around the green room.

[Damaris]

Oh, you know, in his phone.

[Mall]

Oh, you just left. You stormed out.

[Rory]

No, I. They said, we gotta wrap it up. I said, okay,

[Mall]

Rory ain't never leave like that. You never left somewhere like that.

[Damaris]

He was heavy as. The moment he got away from that,

[Mall]

he grabbed camera while you had to leave.

[Rory]

They said, yeah, we have to wrap up. Like, someone's in the background. Like me.

[Damaris]

It was me.

[Rory]

But wait, it was me. And yoms was there. Yoms was my security that day.

[Mall]

Nice.

[Rory]

And me and yomi just walked to the studio.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

Just walk from Hot 97 to here. All right, well, listen, I'm not mad. Their views were met.

[Mall]

No, no, I get it. I get what you're saying.

[Rory]

They're adsense.

[Mall]

I just don't believe you just got up and walked out and was like,

[Rory]

what was I supposed to do?

[Mall]

You got it. You got it.

[Damaris]

You definitely text somebody, like. And they just cut my interview short. I'll show them.

[Mall]

I'll show them.

[Rory]

I let the views speak for themselves.

[Mall]

I'll show them. Wait till next week.

[Damaris]

Oh, my God. And you did so major money bag. Recoup. Next one coming.

[Mall]

They looking forward. Recoup Rory.

[Damaris]

Recoup Rory.

[Mall]

Yo, they don't. They don't know they got to call you recoup. Yeah, that's a flex, though. Artist. Yeah, Artist put out a lot of don't recoup. Yeah, I may recoup, dog.

[Damaris]

They still be paying for that chain on their neck.

[Mall]

Talk about it three albums later. Now pull up your royalty statements. Pull up your.

[Rory]

What's that say?

[Mall]

I like that.

[Rory]

That's. That's what. That's what a recoup looks like.

[Damaris]

Yeah, pop your.

[Mall]

Yeah, because they swear you or he

[Damaris]

called me and was like, yeah, I sold more than Glowrilla. I said, oh, did I say that?

[Rory]

I don't think I said that.

[Damaris]

I don't think I said. That's how you know you said, I don't think I said that.

[Mall]

Oh, my God.

[Rory]

No. What's that say more? Not everyone. Not every artist. Tone app. What's that say right there?

[Mall]

Does that say.

[Rory]

That says recouped 100%. Yeah, I thought it'd be different.

[Mall]

Yeah. Come on, man. Double off.

[Rory]

All the artists, pull out your tone app. It's red or green on yours when

[Mall]

they start talking about the tone app.

[Rory]

Who puts 26 on a spaceship?

[Damaris]

Me.

[Rory]

Because I can.

[Damaris]

I don't know, Ma. You sound kind of good doing that.

[Mall]

Yo, see, Baby D, always trying to see objectify me. That's the problem now, man.

[Rory]

Well, while we're on recouping. No worries now, Mall, finally, Boost Mobile is proving that you don't have to overpay for great wireless, which you've been doing forever. You always overpay. How about you unlock your savings with a $25 a month forever unlimited plan. It's a permanent price with no contracts, no price hikes. You keep your phone and your number, but you save up to $600 a year compared to the major carriers. So, Mall, please stop overpaying and switch to a fair price of Boost Mobile.com

[Mall]

based on average annual single line payment of AT&T Verizon and T Mobile customers compared to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plans as of January 2026. For full offer details, visit boost mobile.com

[Rory]

more the shampoo and conditioner that I've been using for my hair, my beard, I've just been using out of convenience and they have caught me lacking with a black shirt on. You see how dry my beard is? But finally, I have found a product. Bask in Lather. No more man.

[Mall]

I see you.

[Rory]

But you have to understand how dry this white skin is.

[Mall]

Yeah,

[Rory]

it takes a certain type of oil.

[Mall]

That's what it is. I couldn't figure why you. You got this glow like this hue to your beard now.

[Rory]

Yes. And you said at the top of the episode, it's the basking lather, man.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I'm looking younger. I feel better.

[Mall]

Is it soft?

[Rory]

Oh, I mean. Go put it back.

[Mall]

Can I hear it? Can I hear like when you. Okay.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That's moisturized. That's moisturized for sure.

[Mall]

The Men's Healthy Hair and Beer Starter Kit, Rory, though, it transforms your routine to keep your beard looking at its best. So all in one, that helps you maintain a healthy, stylish, well groomed beard. If you can't, you know, you got the patchy beard, you can't really get it right.

[Rory]

Yeah, this is what you need, a

[Mall]

basking lather for that.

[Rory]

Explore viral bestseller and products of healthier hair of all types from Basque and Lather. Go to baskinlather co.com and use code Rory and Mall for 20% off. That's 20% off at Bask and Lather C Code Rory and Mole. When you're buying something. It's nice to have options for how you pay.

[Mall]

That's what Klarna is all about. It lets you decide whether you want to pay now, pay later, or spread payments over time.

[Rory]

And everything's managed in the Klarna app, so you can keep track of all of it in one place.

[Mall]

Download the Klarna app today or visit klarna.com to learn more.

[Rory]

California Resident Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Law License NMLS Number 135319 Klarna Balance Account required to be eligible for cashback points. Limitations, Terms and conditions apply. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Money is not everything, but you're not an adult if you do not realize that it does affect everything around you, no matter what. It can drive a lot of stress, anxiety, worry, sleepless nights. That's just the way the world works. This month we want to normalize the emotional weight of financial stress and remind people that struggling with money doesn't mean they failed. Sometimes it's just about accessing the right kind of support. I'm not here to say that therapy will solve your financial problems or even teach you financial literacy, but all of those things do cause stress. When your pockets are tapped, so is your heart. And sometimes you need somebody to speak to because trust me man, I did not know how much 3 year olds cost and it's been driving me nuts. Like I need to talk to my therapist about how much this financial instability that I have at times when it comes to having a child or just my day to day expenses can really drive me to a place that I don't particularly like. We're all human. We all stress about money. I understand it's not the most important thing, but we are human and we do need it. Unfortunately, when life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] Rorymal that's betterhelp.com Rorymal Picture this me, Reese

[Reese Witherspoon (advertisement voice)]

Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

[Rory]

Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Journey terms apply.

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[Rory]

Did you guys see that? The Simba clip talking about the Kanye show? Can we pull it up and play it? I don't think Simba will flag us.

[Simba]

You know why I'm pissed off today? I seen Kanye west in a motherfucking stadium last night with about 70,000 people and they talking about he on pace to do 100,000 thousand copies first week. The you mean it was just 70000 people in LA and they talk about he on pace to do a hundred thousand first week? You telling me them 70000 people ain't listen to that album more than once? Play the song more than once? Some ain't right about how these streams is getting calculated and we got to figure out what the that is. Something is not right. Something is not the right. How is it a could get 70,000 people in a stadium but he's on course to do a hundred thousand streams the first week? How are they even counting these streams? Because everybody's streams is different. The bigger artist. The bigger the artist you are, the more your payout is. You get more money.

[Rory]

He makes a good point.

[Mall]

No he first of all, no, he makes a good point. But what he's forgetting is it was two shows with 80,000 people, so that's 160 people.

[Rory]

Add in Mexico City.

[Mall]

Add in Mexico City that he did before la. So yeah, I mean and then we

[Rory]

also see people that get a billion streams but probably couldn't pack out sobs.

[Mall]

Exactly.

[Rory]

Couldn't sell a shirt So I. I feel them that it's odd because there's no way that the 80, 000 people that went there, not 90% of them, didn't listen to Bully on the way to the show.

[Mall]

Like, listen to it on the way. Listen to when they left today. Listen to it. Like. Yeah, something.

[Rory]

I mean, I. I get. I get that if. I don't know if, like, Bruce Springsteen drops an album today, he could still do MetLife, even if his older crowd loves his back catalog. Yeah. So I get that. But he has a point of that ratio of 70,000 people. There's no way a majority of them did not listen to that out multiple times.

[Mall]

No, this is. This is one of the biggest artists in the world. Like, that's. That doesn't make. What Simba's saying is right. That can't. That can't be correct.

[Rory]

Because there's times with huge artists, especially if they've gone independent or don't have singles. Yeah. To the average fan, sometimes they miss when even big artists put out projects. But 70,000 people bought a hard ticket the week of. You knew Kanye west that album out. You listen to it.

[Mall]

Yeah. The artist that has over a million people sitting in the queue to get some tickets to a show and then that's the same artist we're talking about is on pace to do a hundred thousand.

[Damaris]

I agree with you.

[Mall]

Something ain't right. Like, something is. Something is off here. Like something is a little devil's ass. Just explain it to me. Like, just. I'm not saying that, you know, the labels are doing some funny shit, the streaming service do. But somebody has to explain how I can have over a million people in a queue waiting to get tickets to a concert, but I'm on pace to do a hundred thousand in the first week.

[Rory]

There could be a very logical explanation.

[Mall]

It could be.

[Rory]

I'm just with you. What Simba brings up, I think is

[Mall]

they gotta explain it, though.

[Damaris]

How is that devil's advocate? Do y' all think that. Remember we had the conversation about Steven Lacey and people who buy bought tickets just because they like one song? Do you think that there is a possibility that a lot of these people buying tickets to these shows are young Kanye Hypebeast fans?

[Mall]

When they showed the audience, it was nothing but white, Mexican, Asian kids that I saw in the audience.

[Rory]

But young, young kids too. But young Hypebeast Kanye fans that wait outside the supreme store right now have Bully playing in their AirPods right now. Okay, like, I. I hear you on the Steve Lacey thing. But I think it's a wrong comparison because that obviously drastically different catalogs and fan bases and how long they've been around. But that was because Tick tock kids like that song and wanted to go see him.

[Mall]

The.

[Rory]

The young Kanye stands are every sense of the word there. Like, they listen to the music. Yeah. And that matches up. Like when Nikki does crazy numbers after she's disappeared, it matches up because then she goes on to sell out an entire arena. Like, it makes sense. Nikki's numbers versus what she does with. With hard tickets. You could forget the online and the bars, whatever. Real people show up to buy real tickets and stream her project. A hundred thousand for Kanye west after he's doing these shows. Someone explained it to me. That's all. I don't get it.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Cause if he's on pace to do 100,000 and had over a million people sitting in the queue, like, bro, what's up? The numbers ain't that far apart. Like, that's not even possible. Yeah.

[Damaris]

I feel like there's some people who would go see Kanye west maybe for a back catalog, like you said with Bruce Springsteen, who might not be bumping.

[Rory]

I agree with you that there's definitely people that probably went to that show and hadn't heard Bully yet. But when you add up the Mexico City show, both those shows, like, and then add up, those percentages still are nuts.

[Mall]

No, that. And then add up the people that didn't go to the shows that listen to the album. Like, how are we. That you can't be.

[Rory]

That wasn't just 70,000 people that just listen to Bully and went to the show. I didn't go to the show. And I've listened to Bully multiple times.

[Mall]

Yeah. Like, so that's what I'm saying. People that hadn't. Didn't go to the show at all never even thought about going to the show that listened to the album. Like, factor those people in too.

[Damaris]

And how many times do you have to listen to an album all the way through for it to count as a sale?

[Mall]

This is what we. I mean, this is what we trying to uncover.

[Rory]

Who knows at this point?

[Mall]

This is what we try to uncover. Like, they have to.

[Rory]

They tell you the rules, but there's no way of tracking it.

[Mall]

Exactly. Like, how do you. How do you. How do we know that that's exactly how they're calculating this?

[Rory]

Because it's. 1500 streams is one sale.

[Damaris]

Yeah, 1500 streams. That's insane, though.

[Rory]

That's why with the artists I really like, I really go to iTunes.

[Mall]

1500 streams is equivalent to one sale.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mall]

Who is coming up with this math? How is that? The like, how is that. How did they land on 1500 streams?

[Rory]

You got. You got to go to Sweden and ask. I don't know.

[Damaris]

I'm also seeing 75 is 70. Who knows? No one knows.

[Rory]

150 streams of a single song equals one track download. So

[Mall]

that is crazy.

[Rory]

So I, I like when I put out a record. I bought it on itunes. Off road Freddy gives masego out. Now I bought it. If I didn't pay that dollar, I would have to stream it 150 times for that to count as a. As $1.

[Mall]

Yeah. That's crazy. So I mean, so yeah, if you're doing. Then technically Kanye, it was over a million.

[Rory]

Yeah. In short, if you listen to a 10 song album all the way through 150 times, that generates 1500 streams and counts as oneself.

[Damaris]

That's insane.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

I' ma just buy my friends. Well, I bought your album, but I wonder why.

[Rory]

I was proud of my 12, 000 units.

[Mall]

Wait a minute. If you listen to a 10 song album all the way through 150 times.

[Damaris]

Times.

[Mall]

I've never listened to a 10 song album all the Way through. One hundred and fifty times.

[Rory]

You've. I mean you definitely reasonable doubt 150 times. But it took years.

[Damaris]

He definitely played Drake and Party next door album 150 times. All the way through.

[Mall]

Hell no. You crazy.

[Rory]

Show us your. Your wrap up. We.

[Damaris]

It was at the top. That's what I'm saying.

[Mall]

Yeah, but that don't mean I listened to it 150 times. Damaris. Are you crazy? Never listen to no album 150 times. From. From top to bottom. No, like Rory said, it may be albums that came out 30 years ago that I'm just getting to like 80 times. I listen to it all the way through like.

[Rory]

But. But how Spotify and trust me, I'm not defending them there. This math is based off everyone on the the app. Not one single person. They're saying 1500 stream. Like you don't have to sit there and do it 150 times. Because I mean that would be absurd. It's still. The math is still insane though. They're basing it off everyone on the app at one time and did pretty much the amount of time you spend on it. But yeah, it's. It's. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. Sorry. Artists. We're.

[Mall]

Yeah. God damn. Good luck, man.

[Damaris]

So happy Podcaster.

[Mall]

Good luck, man.

[Rory]

That green circle again.

[Mall]

Oh, my God.

[Damaris]

But it's the same thing. I was having a conversation with P. Just far as podcasting. And if you're on a podcast label or if you have a deal, they pay attention to downloads, and it's like, who the fuck downloads a podcast? Like, unless you have automatic downloads turned on, you don't download a podcast. You go and you stream and listen to the fucking podcast.

[Mall]

Yeah, and don't hold me to the same standard y' all hold Kanye to.

[Damaris]

Right? Like.

[Mall]

Or cut me the same Kanye check. Y' all gonna do that? Yeah, cut me the same Kanye Check.

[Rory]

Well, I mean, mall. And I. I can't speak for other podcasts because I really don't know what their licensing deals are, but from my understanding. Well, I think you and I were the only ones that have fought for that. That age old fucking dinosaur mentality of downloads and CPMs for advertisers in a licensing deal, this amount of money based off the amount of downloads of a podcast is like ancient history. And people are still going by those rules. Yeah, we just recently changed our licensing deal to fight against, like, no, it has to go off streams. Like, I don't know, views. This is stupid.

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

Who is downloading these and why is that the basis now? Now it's just like, you're trying to put us in a shitty licensing deal to us over because, you know, nobody's downloading this.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And I know majority podcasters that have licensing deals and do advertising are still stuck in that. We had to fight to have that.

[Mall]

I'm happy that y' all did fight the power.

[Damaris]

Cause I remember I was like, me, I was talking, I was like, how what down how many download? You're crazy as fuck. That's insane. That's such a cheat. I'm like, y' all are cheating, like, people. And people are allowing you to cheat them. This is crazy.

[Rory]

And for those that. That I guess don't understand because we're talking more like nerdy podcast stuff. For example, if you have a licensing deal and there's a minimal guarantee of money that comes in, and if you surpass it, then you start splitting up more profit. But to keep that minimal guarantee, you have to hit a certain amount of downloads, which is what they, you know, obviously pitch to advertisers, and that's how you get your cpm. But they're doing it based off how many people download your podcast, not your views on YouTube. So they're underselling your show and they're underselling the advertisers, in my opinion, as well, of the value of what an ad could be on your YouTube page or your Netflix page or your audio. Like downloads.

[Mall]

Yeah, you're.

[Rory]

You're hustling backwards. Why would you even tell an advertiser a download number? Look at my YouTube views. Yeah, it's insane. But anyways, we went on a tangent there. Chloe Bailey was at the show. I was furious.

[Damaris]

The Yay show. Why would you be furious about that?

[Rory]

She's. She signed a Beyonce. I don't care. I'm really joking. But they. They were killing her online all weekend. They kept showing her the tweet of the terrible things Kanye said about their children. And I honestly, like, I. I don't think.

[Damaris]

I mean, I guess I get it,

[Rory]

because Chloe Bailey is a grown woman, can do what the she wants. I did see some of the. The beehives stance on it, though. I do understand why people would be like, well, that's weird.

[Damaris]

I get it. But she might not even know that that was said.

[Mall]

We're not doing it.

[Damaris]

Okay. No, let me. Hear me, Hear me, hear me, hear me.

[Mall]

I'm listening.

[Damaris]

We are way deeper in the Internet than people who are celebrities. Granted, people who are celebrities are. They are on the Internet. But we. Because it's our job to know like that. That's why we know like that. When I talk to my friends who just have normal jobs, they're nurses, doctors. They don't know that Kanye has said like that, okay, that's an intern.

[Mall]

Okay, Chloe Bailey's in the industry. She signed. She's under Beyonce.

[Damaris]

But what does that mean? That doesn't mean.

[Mall]

You don't think that she knows what Kanye west said about Beyonce's kids.

[Damaris]

I think it's a possibility that she may not have. I think it's a possibility she may not have been.

[Mall]

She knows it.

[Rory]

I don't think it's the Beyonce thing.

[Mall]

Here's what it is. People don't care. People don't care. That's just the bottom line. And I say it all the time. People don't give a fuck. People be fake acting like they care about this, and they so morally. You know this. People don't give a fuck. They don't like this. You'll say something as crazy as Kanye did. 80,000 people don't give a fuck. People don't care. But for Chloe to be there, it looks away. Cause it's like, yo, you're signed. Like, Beyonce gave you a platform. She gave you a look this is the biggest artist of her generation, basically putting you under her wing. You and your sister under her wing. You not supposed to be at this show.

[Damaris]

Agreed.

[Rory]

All right, y' all probably laugh at me, but how do we know they didn't have a conversation?

[Mall]

Who?

[Rory]

Chloe and Beyonce.

[Mall]

About going to the show.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Nah, nah.

[Damaris]

Cause you don't ask that. You ask for forgiveness for that. You don't ask for permission.

[Mall]

You ain't. She ain't. They didn't. Chloe didn't have no toy like, hey, Hey, B. Yeah. So I have Yay. Tickets to the sofa.

[Rory]

I'm not.

[Mall]

How does that conversation even go?

[Rory]

All right, I hear. I don't mean that type of conversation. Maybe they've had that conversation about Kanye's tweets, and Beyonce was vocal that she personally did not care. I don't know if there's a world where that happens, but they could have already had that Kanye conversation. Chloe may have been in the studio with Kanye. There could have been a combo already that Chloe knew Beyonce wouldn't feel any type of way of her going. Probably like, we are business.

[Mall]

Just because. You're right. Maybe maybe that did happen. No, no, no. You're right. Maybe maybe that did happen. I can't rule that out. Right. Maybe that did happen. I'm on the side of that's too much to be having to go to a concert. I shouldn't have to have a conversation if I feel like I got to do all of that. I'm just not going.

[Rory]

I'm just not going. No, I agree with you. Yeah.

[Mall]

What about your role? You know what I'm saying? I got passes to the soul fire, yo. Like, but, you know, you my man, right? You know, I'm just going. Cause I'm gonna just go to the show, and I'm just not going. Like, it's not that serious to me.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

I'm not support. I'm not supporting that like, you my man. I'm not supporting anybody that said what they said about your kids. I'm never supporting that person again. I'm not going to their show. Like, for what? Just so I could take pictures and videos of me being at the show.

[Rory]

Would you go to a Kanye west show?

[Mall]

Me? No.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Damaris]

No.

[Rory]

I'm just curious. Did you have a relationship with the other party?

[Mall]

No.

[Rory]

Because those are his children as well.

[Mall]

No, No. I would never go to a Kanye show again in my life. Never.

[Damaris]

Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I wasn't even. I'm just a fan, and I wasn't Even running to the album like, I ain't really.

[Mall]

Kanye is talented. One of the greatest artists we've ever had. One of the greatest producers we've ever had. Without a doubt. But I can't support somebody that said that about J and B's kids. I can't. No. Hell no. There's no way. There's no way I cannot go to the concert and do what? Just, like, I'm here. Like, I'm just. No, I'm not doing that, bro. Like, that was absolutely, like, too far. And I get that people do things and make mistakes. I understand all of that. But sometimes it's certain things to me, to me personally, that I'm just like. It's like, nah, I don't have to go to that show.

[Rory]

Gotcha.

[Mall]

Like, I don't have to do that.

[Rory]

So it's Pepsi, Diageo, and Mole.

[Mall]

Well, I'm not pulling out a wireless. Like, I'm not. I was never going to wireless, so I'm not pulling out of wireless. So you can't put me with Pepsi and Diageo.

[Rory]

No, you and Pepsi Diagonal.

[Mall]

Cause I wasn't. I was never going to wireless, so I didn't pull out a wireless Pepsi, though, however. And Diageo and PayPal.

[Rory]

Before we get to that, I understand your stance with your long relationship with the Carters and your family and not. What is support then? Cause I hear you are not going to the show. Does that mean you don't listen to Kanye? I mean, you did buy the Hitler boots. I don't know if that was before.

[Mall]

That was before. That was before. That was before. That was before you bought the Hitler boots.

[Rory]

The Hitler boots. Before.

[Mall]

Before. Before. Yeah. Yeah, the Hitler boots was cool. Before he said what he said. Before he said what he said. You know what I'm saying, by the way? Yeah. No, but that was before. That was before that. That was before that rant.

[Rory]

Okay? Because, I mean, yes, it was ins. It was insane what he said about their kids, but ye has also said insane things before and after that, too. I'm just trying to. I'm just trying to get like, everyone has their own personal line and it moves, and everyone moves the goalposts for themselves sometimes. I'm a hypocrite when it comes to supporting and not supporting artists sometimes as well. I'm just trying to get the gauge of what the rules really are for each person.

[Mall]

I don't. When people care about politics and their views on religion, that's cool. When you start talking about somebody's children and things like that. Nah, bro.

[Rory]

I mean, I came in here and said, I'm fucking done with Kanye when he was doing the Free Diddy shit. And I was like, you got daughters? I came in here and did that. And then I also came in here and said, yo, bully was incredible. I'm a hypocrite. Hypocrite as well when it comes to this type of stuff. Like, I don't think all fans and listeners will just. We can all admit we're. We pick and choose and we're hypocrites. Sometimes we go against the. That we just said. That's just how it works with music, in my opinion.

[Mall]

Yeah, but certain. I'm just not supporting. I'm sorry.

[Damaris]

You can shoot in the air all you want, but when you start putting names on them bullets and the names happen to be children's names. No.

[Rory]

Oh, not because, Kai, a lot of

[Damaris]

what Kanye has said has been generalizations of groups of people or religions or general. You're not picking on anybody. You're not picking on one person. You put a name on that bullet. Nah, bro.

[Mall]

This is the same. This is the same guy who was mad at everybody and cursing everybody out, saying, y' all wouldn't help me get my kids back. How are we supposed to do that? And then you go around and you talk about somebody's kids the way he did. Like, and I. I get it. Y' all gonna say, you know, mental health and this, and I understand all of that, but at some point, it's like, all right, bro, your mental health is amazing when it comes to putting on the show. At so far, though, you mentally sharp as a motherfucker when it come to that.

[Rory]

I mean, well, Cameron was one of the first people to say it. Kanye is not crazy. No, he's convenient. He's. Yes, it's kind of probably definitely have diagnosed mental health issues, for sure. But he does kind of pick and choose when to use it and when not to use it.

[Mall]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Rory]

So it's like a buffet of mental illness.

[Mall]

We understand he's a great artist and a great producer and all of that. We not taking that away from him. But it is a choice when you decide to purchase a ticket and go to a show and things like that. You're putting a lot of effort into supporting that artist at that point.

[Rory]

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, it was obviously in la. I'm trying to think. If it was in New York, I probably wouldn't go to the show, but I don't know if it would be on any moral reason. I don't know.

[Mall]

Okay, that's true.

[Rory]

I actually don't have it. I don't know if I would go to a Kanye show or not. Haven't, like, actually thought about it.

[Damaris]

Why not? Why? I mean, outside of the moral reasons, I would love to go to a Kanye show.

[Mall]

So that's why you would still actively go to Kanye.

[Damaris]

No, I wouldn't, but it's because of moral reason. So if he's taking a moral reasoning out of it, I would like to

[Rory]

sound like a great person, be like, I wouldn't go because of moral reason. I just don't know. Like, I. I haven't really sat and

[Damaris]

thought he's one of your favorite artists of all time. I don't understand why you wouldn't want to go to his show.

[Rory]

I've seen him live. That's. I mean, that show, all the clips looked incredible. But then, like, I'd watch a stream. What's the difference?

[Damaris]

There's a huge difference between watching a stream.

[Rory]

I understand. There's a actual transactional value. You are supporting someone. You are giving them your money for their entertainment.

[Damaris]

No, I also mean, like, it's just different watching a show live and watching it on stream. There's a different energy that it sounds different.

[Rory]

I know. It just blurs the lines even more of where you stand with support versus not, not support. Like, if. If I say I do not support this person, but I watch their stream of their live show.

[Mall]

Well, we watch.

[Rory]

Bit of a contradiction.

[Mall]

We watch it because obviously we would have to talk about it. So it's different for us. But, like, you know, again, getting a ticket, going to the show, that's a little different than being home and just watching the stream.

[Rory]

I mean, I, I don't fuck with a lot of things Kanye west has said. I'm just being honest with myself. I'm not sure if I would go to the show or not go. I don't know at this point, and I probably won't think. Think on it anymore, to be quite honest. But I did get my blueprint ticket. Pepsi's gonna be at that one.

[Damaris]

No shade.

[Mall]

They will.

[Rory]

Well, first of all, I understand Pepsi stance because they did end police brutality. So Pepsi has always been on a way higher moral ground than the rest of us. So I do see why they could not not align themselves with someone like Kanye West. After you end police brutality with Kendall Jenner. I, like, I totally get it.

[Mall]

It makes sense.

[Rory]

Yeah, they had an Asian Playing the cello and black people break dancing.

[Damaris]

Who got you?

[Rory]

Pepsi would never align themselves with someone like Kanye West.

[Damaris]

They pulled out a wireless.

[Rory]

Yep, they did. Diageo, which is. Owns a bunch of liquor brands, including puffs, vodka, and tequila. Paypal, please go down that rabbit hole one day on YouTube if you'd like to find out who's moral and who's not. But no, I know they're not doing this because of moral reasons. It's business, and I understand why they are. I get it.

[Mall]

What does this mean for wireless, though, as far as these are three big sponsors.

[Damaris]

It's a very big sponsor.

[Rory]

It's huge. I mean, I know festivals that lost Budweiser and had to cancel the festival. Like, one sponsor can bury a festival. I guess as someone that would be running a festival, of course you don't want to give the power to your advertisers of who can be on the bill, but I feel like you'd want to check with them.

[Damaris]

No.

[Mall]

Yeah. I mean, yes, you would, but I don't know, man. I. I think I kind of see. I kind of see. Oh, and Rockstar Energy just pulled up. Pulled out, too.

[Rory]

Yeah, once. Once a one big company pulls out, it kind of puts every other company in a weird place, because now it looks like. Well, they pulled out because. So this means you do stand with everything that Kanye west has ever said

[Damaris]

in his entire life. Yeah.

[Mall]

Okay, so I'm gonna just go ahead and say it. I don't think Kanye's gonna be doing wireless. No.

[Rory]

And, I mean, there was already. I wouldn't say, rumors, like legitimate news sources saying that they're trying to block Kanye from even entering the UK So I think Kanye will not be doing that show.

[Damaris]

Wait, they're trying to. For. Because of anti Semitism?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Okay. I think that there may be sponsors who want to take a stand against things like that that might sign up to sponsor things.

[Rory]

I get the optics. And now everyone has to pull. Pull out. And listen, I totally understand why Jewish people would be offended by the things that Kanye west said. I'm not saying they shouldn't feel away. I've just seen Drill rap on a festival stage with a Pepsi logo behind it.

[Mall]

Just an observation. Just making an observation. That's all I get.

[Reese Witherspoon (advertisement voice)]

All right.

[Rory]

Rock stars pulling out because everyone. Does this mean you stand with everything Kanye said? Well, I. I mean, I've seen you guys advertise with a lot of artists that say a lot of wild. Yeah, I'm not condoning what Kanye said, but. I. I'VE seen Lil Durk in. In. In front of a Sprite ad. Like, I don't know what to tell you.

[Damaris]

Well, the people he is talking about killing are black people, and no one cares about black people. But when you have an issue with other people's people, there tends to be a problem. That went without saying, but I felt like saying it. People don't give a. I can't say

[Rory]

that part out loud.

[Damaris]

People don't give a. About black people. They don't. He said it out loud. He had a great career. People don't give a. About black people. So when you talking about drugging, raping, and murdering your own, they'll slap a logo behind that so quick.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Plenty of logos.

[Rory]

And. And this isn't the Kanye defender. Like, everything he does is. Has this. This deep meaning that you don't understand. But that Heil Hitler song, which was insane. He was trying to prove that this song will be the only song taking off DSPs. But everything talking about murder is totally fine right here. So I. I don't know. Just. It puts advertisers in a weird place. Like, don't. I think, just say, hey, we're not doing this? Not because we think it's anti Semitic. It's because we're getting a lot of pressure from people that we work with and need to continue to work with.

[Mall]

I think a lot of. I think a lot of these festival people and stuff, they. I think they kind of knew that this was gonna happen. I think they anticipated some of this. And I'm willing to bet that the person that is gonna end up doing wireless, they already, like, had him kind of, like, you know, in the wings. He or she in the wings. Like, listen, we have Kanye. We're gonna announce Kanye. We anticipate there'll be some pushback. Brands will want to, you know, distance themselves from the festival. In the event that that happens, we're gonna offer you the wireless this year. I feel like that's. They had to have. There's no way they didn't anticipate this happening.

[Rory]

Well, I think a lot. I think a lot of companies were starting to think that the Kanye forgiveness thing was kicking in all the way. Like, when you do Sofi Stadium, like, is that not probably the most important stadium in the United States? It's in Los Angeles. It's brand new, biggest market. Even MetLife's in the swamps like that. It's probably the most important statement, like, well, if Kanye is doing that, we should be fine. Either way, we can all agree that it looks like Kanye west will not be doing wireless. And I'm sure they're scrambling. Who do they get after you go Drake. Kanye. Like, who's that replacement?

[Mall]

My guess is somebody that he brought out with him at the show. Travis. I mean.

[Rory]

Yeah, I could see Travis.

[Mall]

Travis. Or maybe have a mix of different artists for the three days.

[Rory]

I can see that as well. Or I mean, they could just do what every festival does and just have ASAP Rocky headline. Or. Or.

[Mall]

What would be the gotcha of all gotchas? Jay does three nights in New York. Beyonce does three nights in the uk. That would be the. That would be the gotcha of all gotchas. That would be the gotcha of all gotchas.

[Rory]

I'm just saying that would be. That would be hilarious.

[Mall]

Jay. You do New York for three nights. B does London for three nights.

[Rory]

And they stream each other's shows at the shows with the volume off.

[Mall]

Yeah, like.

[Rory]

Like there's just one screen is dedicated.

[Mall]

Well, it's six hours ahead, right. So I don't know, you know, does began.

[Rory]

They could start that could be the opener.

[Mall]

Do they really Flexing began on the jet right after her show and fly to New York. I'm just saying, when you got money so many ways. There's so many options, you know, the options are limitless. When you got that type of money. Yeah, I could be six hours ahead, do my show, and then fly back.

[Rory]

Well, it'd be six. No, you couldn't do New York and then. I don't fucking know. Listen, whatever the jet stream's doing these

[Mall]

days, I mean, listen, man, I'm just saying. But yeah, somebody like that, I could see that happening.

[Rory]

Yeah. And do those sponsors come back?

[Mall]

What if they're not Beyonce? Of course, anything. It'll be unlimited Pepsi in the uk.

[Damaris]

Unlimited Pepsi is funny as shit.

[Mall]

Are you kidding me?

[Rory]

Oh, like, whoever they put, like, if Kanye's off the bill, dude, the sponsors go. Okay, cool. Now who? We're back.

[Mall]

Who?

[Rory]

Yes, okay.

[Mall]

Absolutely. If Jake. If they announced J. Cole doing wireless,

[Rory]

that'd be good.

[Damaris]

Jay's J. Cole's done it like three times, though. I don't know if it would be him.

[Mall]

He's done wireless.

[Damaris]

He's done it like three times. Drake has done it like three times.

[Mall]

Yeah, I mean, just put an album out. So, you know, was tour.

[Rory]

I mean, he announced the tours that around the same. He might be on the road at that time.

[Damaris]

Oh yeah, probably.

[Mall]

Oh, actually he is. He is. Yes.

[Rory]

Kendrick Possible.

[Mall]

Possibly.

[Damaris]

I'm not Seeing his name as headliner for the past seven or so years.

[Rory]

So, yeah, I could see that. Okay. Yeah. I just really don't see Kanye west being on that stage after every advertiser pulls out.

[Mall]

No, it's. It's not happening. Yeah, they're gonna be like, listen, bro, we can't. I mean, Kanye could flex and. And pay for it himself.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but who want to do that?

[Mall]

I'm just saying he. He could if he really cared about it enough.

[Rory]

But again, this is where it puts everyone in a weird position, even though we know these companies are doing it for moral reasons. Now, let's say Kanye goes to wireless and says, all right, how much money were you making from these advertisers? All right, the entire thing is sponsored by Dondo or Yeezus. Now, the optics makes it look like wireless is like, well, we agree with everything Kanye west has to say.

[Mall]

I mean, but.

[Rory]

Because that's what happens when one advertiser pulls out. Now everyone else is like, well, shit. I don't.

[Mall]

But that's already. That's already a thing. They already announced him as the. The headliner, so it doesn't. Clearly, they didn't have an issue with Kanye.

[Rory]

Yeah, but that's. That's. I mean, that's just not how.

[Mall]

You cannot have an issue with Kanye until sponsors pull out.

[Rory]

You're bringing in logic more.

[Mall]

No, I understand, but, yeah, to bring a logic to the conversation. Like, y' all can't do that now. Y' all already announced them, so it was fine. But when Pepsi, PayPal, Diageo, Rockstar Energy be like, yo, nah, we cool.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Then wireless is like, yeah, Kanye ain't gonna lie.

[Rory]

We.

[Mall]

We got to back out of this again.

[Rory]

I just thought. I think they all thought forgiveness had been given. Kanye was with the rabbi. That's another thing, too. Just religious. Wasn't he supposed to be forgiven? He met with the rap. He met with the guy.

[Mall]

That's what we thought. That's what we thought.

[Rory]

Clearly diagnosed for all religions, forgiveness.

[Mall]

They didn't see that. They didn't see the hands translator. They didn't see it. So there, you know.

[Rory]

You know, I know a book. Kanye, the Saudis.

[Mall]

Oh, man. You heard what Dave said?

[Rory]

Dave said.

[Mall]

Dave said.

[Rory]

Dave said this and then went to the Kanye show. They were smoking Erykah Badu and Dave Chappelle for that.

[Mall]

Wow.

[Rory]

People are going to do what they want to do, man.

[Mall]

That's the bottom line. People are going to do what the they want to do.

[Rory]

And I also. I understand people's outrage with that. But then I hate when people are like, chappelle and Erykah Badu stand for nothing. Lauryn Hill stands for nothing. Like, you know what these people have stood for in the music industry?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Are y'. All. What if. What do y' all stand for? Have you walked away from $50 million because it was the right thing to do? Because black comedians were getting fucked over by Comedy Central?

[Damaris]

They don't stand for shit. They sit on the Internet and type.

[Simba]

Everybody, always.

[Damaris]

Some, some so and so don't stand for nothing. You don't stand for nothing. You don't go help your community. You don't donate the shit. You just sit on Twitter and fucking complain. Shut the fuck up. My bad. I'm sorry.

[Rory]

No, I.

[Mall]

That sounded personal.

[Damaris]

You talking.

[Rory]

Oh, no. I felt like. I felt that in my chest. I wish I would have said that. Yeah.

[Mall]

Like who you like?

[Damaris]

That shit is so old.

[Mall]

No worry.

[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[Rory]

I feel like lately everybody's trying to be a little more intentional with their money.

[Mall]

Yeah, especially when you look at your statement and you're like, wait, when did I buy that?

[Rory]

Exactly. That's where Klarna comes in. It's an app that gives you flexibility in how you pay for things, Right?

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

You guys brought up Cole with the wireless thing. There was one convo we, we didn't have because I think we were just kind of j cold out with his press run and I know our listeners were. He did bring up an interesting point in one of those interviews. I don't want to talk about Cole. I want to talk about his point. He said there may never be another universal classic in hip hop again. I kind of feel him, I. I don't know if, if the climate even allows for it anymore.

[Mall]

He goes on to say, there's too many voices now and it's too much bias. There's never going to be agreement again. It's like politics now. Your best bet to get another hands down universal classic is from someone who hasn't developed enough hate yet. You think if Drake Iceman comes out and it's something that I feel is a classic. You think that this guy that don't like Drake and been spending his whole time shitting on him is going to agree on his platform, that it is a classic? Fuck no. I understand to what Cole's saying. I understand. I don't think there will ever be a unanimous agreement on an album like this is a classic because you have so many people that can, you know, voice that they don't feel is a classic. Those voices can be heard now. But I do think that there is still enough people that can agree when you hear it. And when we get something we like, yo, that's incredible because we've had it. We've had those moments where it's like everybody kind of agrees, like, yo, this is incredible. But I understand what he's saying. There's people that can't wait no matter how great Iceman sounds, right? Because he said Iceman, not because I want to say, no matter how great Iceman sounds, the most anticipated album, probably, dare I say ever, that we've had.

[Rory]

I wouldn't say ever, but whatever, right?

[Mall]

I think that when the album comes out, I think if people feel like it's a classic, or it's great. They'll say that. But to what Cole is saying, there's absolutely gonna be people that can't wait to trash it and say it's terrible and it's his worst project. Because, like, we were talking earlier, that's what catches sometimes is the negative shit. People trashing it, people saying it's garbage. It's his worst album. Those voices now have a platform and those voices sometimes are pushed, like, okay, yeah. Like, yeah, I don't think that album is good. That shit is trash. But these are people that, no matter what the album's gonna sound like, they're going to say that, like, you can't change people's opinions. Now at home, they might love it and bump it, but when they gotta turn on their cameras and turn on their streams and go on YouTube, they're going to push a different energy because that's what has been advantageous for them. Like, that's been successful for them. Like, nah, Say you hate it no matter what.

[Damaris]

But even before all of these people. I hear you. But even before, and you're right, but even before people had all these voices. There is no such thing as a universal classic. You came in here and said that. There's mad skips on Get Rich or Die Trying. Everybody looked at you like you were crazy. There's no such thing as a universal classic. It's a general consensus this. That this is a classic. And I think that if you end this, even in this day and age, if you do do put out an album where the music is good enough, even if there are people that are on, will still be known as a classic if the music is good enough. However, I do agree with him with, as far as someone who hasn't gained enough hate yet, because I think if you're way too far in your career and you have the level of haters that Drake has, I do think that it is. It can become impossible.

[Rory]

But just because, like, a Drake, Cole, Kendrick thing, I. I understand what he's saying because of the climate with specifically those three artists. And typically a classic would come from the bigger established artists. Not to, like, even agree with Ebro's point that I disagree with. Have we just given voices to people that aren't here for music to begin with? Like, why. Why should they dictate that the people that are sitting here waiting to hate, like, before they even hit play, they already have their Yo, Iceman is trash shit in their drafts, but in the real, why should we even give them the ability to deem any of that

[Damaris]

in the real world, people don't, though. That's the thing. Like, what's being said on the Internet is not correlating with people who don't. Who don't have a Twitter, who are out in the real world playing the album in their car. Like.

[Rory]

Yeah, I mean, but why I agree with you is I used to think there was universal classics until. Until Twitter, really. And I'm not saying this new weird Stan era before that, classics that me and my circle deemed to be classics. I got on Twitter in 2009 and people would, you know, certain tribe albums aren't classics. I'm like, I've never even heard anyone say that. Like, it's just allowed you have more access to musical opinions instead of your. Your inner circle, which typically, you know, you argue, but you tend to agree. You're. Your friends are hip hop fans.

[Damaris]

Chance. Yeah.

[Rory]

It never went further than that. So universal classic wasn't really universal. It was your circle.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Now it's universal. And then nothing can be universal then.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Not everyone. I should. So you get what you're not trying for. I never heard anyone say in my life.

[Damaris]

And y' all from the same. Like. Like, this isn't. He's not, like, from, like, Kentucky. Like, he's from New York. So that was. Yeah.

[Mall]

Well, again, I. I think that people throw the word classic around too loosely. An album can be great. An album can be really good. It doesn't have to be either bad or classic. And I feel like that's where we kinda are in that space now. It's either like, I love it or I hate it. And it's like, that's not. No. An album could just be good.

[Damaris]

Sometimes shit just be cool.

[Mall]

Sometimes shit just be cool. Like, nah, that album is cool. I fuck with it. But it's like people be wanting to say, nah, it's classic. Classic. I'm like, y' all use that word too loosely. Like, classic, first of all, needs a certain amount of time to be deemed

[Rory]

a classic in some instance.

[Mall]

But yeah, there's some that we love immediately. Like, this is incredible. Right? But classic, I think, is a testament of time and how it ages and how it sounds 5, 10, 15 years. How much it changed the way people made albums, how much it changed the way people made songs, how much it influenced people. Like, that's what I think you have to, like, you know, put into the pot of it being a classic, but just because the song is good and you like it and there's a lot of songs in there. That you like. That doesn't mean you have to run to say classic. Like, I just don't. I don't think that.

[Damaris]

What was the. Sorry, Rory, what was the last Universal classic? You.

[Rory]

I took your. That was literally what I was about to say.

[Damaris]

Great minds, things alike. What was the last Universal classic that you think exists?

[Rory]

I used to think it would be between. Well, I think both these albums are classics, but Good Kid, Mad City and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, to me, I thought those were the last Universal classics. And then on the old Pot, people are saying it's not a classic at all. Like, I didn't even know. People didn't think that.

[Damaris]

Good Kid, Mad City or My Beautiful.

[Rory]

My Beautiful Dark Swiss Fantasy, y'.

[Mall]

All.

[Rory]

I was told by older people, like, yeah, they're like, what you think? I was like, you can. You can make a case. It's the best hip hop album. And they look at me like I'm nuts.

[Damaris]

Insane to me.

[Rory]

But I. I would say those would be the last ones that I remember everyone going like, all right, these are. This is a classic. But then I started to meet more people that thought otherwise. So I don't really know.

[Damaris]

Ma, what about you? The last universal classic that you think.

[Mall]

The last universal classic. I feel like Jay's Black Album.

[Damaris]

That's a very long time ago, Ma.

[Mall]

No, I'm just naming, like. I'm just naming ones that I could think about.

[Rory]

Yeah,

[Mall]

I felt like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was one of them. I feel like everybody felt like that album was incredible.

[Damaris]

And now Take Care.

[Mall]

I feel like Take Care was. Was one that a lot of people felt like was a classic.

[Damaris]

At the time, Take Care was considered an instant classic, but over time, my opinion on that has changed. But Take Care was considered an instant classic.

[Mall]

Why has your opinion changed over time?

[Damaris]

Because I don't think that Take Care Aged is. Like I said, I don't think that that's Drake's classic. I don't think Take Care Aged is as good as Views did.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

But to me, Take Care was an instant classic when it first dropped. Still love Take Care, but I think Views is better.

[Rory]

But then you still had that again. I think that was our circles that. Because I thought the same thing would take care of Kim. I was like, this is a classic. But there was also that maybe kind of started what Cole is talking about at a very small level. There was the Drake hate train of, like, the singing is. Is horrible.

[Mall]

We're talking about just rap.

[Damaris]

Oh, just rap albums. Yes, just rap.

[Rory]

Just Rap. Just rap.

[Damaris]

Because the last instant classic for everybody that I would assume would be Anti, which would be Rihanna. That would be the last. Like, if we're not talking rap.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I mean, that Control was the same year too, right? Sizzle Control.

[Damaris]

Yes, I think so. Around that time. I don't think that Control is a classic, though, so.

[Rory]

But I do.

[Damaris]

It's a universal classic. But I. I would be on my Get Rich or die trying with control 17.

[Rory]

So, yeah, I mean, I think Controls was a classic and is a classic. I mean, Anti. Do we have to. But I'm sure we could probably, if we type it on Twitter now. Not someone that's trolling. There's probably someone that's really a music fan that would say that's not a classic. And it would blow my mind on why they would think that.

[Mall]

But what's the album she put out after Control?

[Rory]

Sos.

[Damaris]

SOS SOS is a classic.

[Rory]

SOS is incredible.

[Damaris]

I've always thought that SOS is better.

[Rory]

So I came on the pod and y' all made fun of me. Control is Illmatic. And sos it was written like, it's a perfect example to me of those two things. And a lot of people think it was written was better than Illmatic. And I'm fine with that opinion. But Controls the concise ten records like Illmatic. It was written was when Nas experimented a bit, gotten his back. Like, it's a longer album. I think the same thing with. With scissor and control versus SOS. SOS is incredible.

[Damaris]

2014 for souls dries is a classic, but I'm a cold fan, so nobody takes anything I say seriously.

[Rory]

I. I personally think it's a classic as well, but I don't think it's a universal classic.

[Mall]

Yeah, we talk about Universal.

[Damaris]

They would say that it's his classic.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I would say that. That. But also with streaming and access that we have now, which I think has been a good thing. Like, all these niche pockets of rap exist now. Like, there's not just the radio and here's the five artists that you have to listen to and that's it. That type of environment creates an easier lane for a classic because there's only so many artists being pushed on the radio in your face now. It doesn't matter. Like, bro, I don't. I don't listen to Yeet. He does arenas to that world. It's a classic. But there is no Universal anymore because I don't have to listen to eat.

[Damaris]

But I. Even still, I. I hear You.

[Rory]

I don't have to listen to it.

[Damaris]

I hear you. But the good, the cream rises to the top.

[Rory]

No, of course. No matter.

[Damaris]

You know what I'm saying? So, like, you can sell out arenas and you can have all of these streams and all of that, but when it comes to a classic album, the masses do have to agree on that. Like, it can't just be your little pocket corner of the world. The masses do have to agree on it.

[Rory]

But I'm saying the masses don't exist anymore because even pockets are people doing arenas.

[Damaris]

The masses still exist. That's why you can have a Beyonce. You can have a Drake, you can have a Travis Scott. The masses still matter. You can have your pockets, but the masses still matter. Are you seeing what I'm saying?

[Rory]

Artists that have been. Drake came out in what, oh, seven? Beyonce came out in 1995. Like, you're talking about artists that have. That come from a different system and now have just adapted because they're superstars. For new acts that doesn't exist, we always have the superstar conversation. And the answer to that is because of how the system is. It's just pockets of fans. You don't have to listen to everything. There's no more masses anymore.

[Mall]

Yeah, it's too many people. Like, we all listen to rap, hip hop, but there's so many different sub genres and things like that now that have developed their own world and their own following that we're not a part of. Cause we don't listen to that. But like you said, somebody like, Yeet, he can go and sell out an arena right now. We don't listen to that, though. Like, me and Rory don't listen to that. Not saying he's not talented, not saying he's not dope. We just don't listen to that shit. We was late on really listening and getting into NBA Youngboy's music like that. We just saw what he was doing and we knew he had a following. But I was like, shit, like, they in there. I haven't seen an arena full of fans that was rocking like that unless it was like, classic, legendary artists. So that was like, when we saw that, we were like, hold up. We gotta really pay attention to what he's doing. So you have all of these different people that love NBA. YoungBoy might think his album's a classic. Dre could put out his greatest album right now. And they gonna be like, yo, that shit is trash. There's just so many different people online that can voice that opinion that don't really like, that's just not their shit. They don't really listen to that. Meaning back when Illmatic and it was written came out, we wasn't so divided as listeners. Even the genre wasn't as. It was so many different sounds in the genre like that. Back then. There was different types of hip hop, for sure, but not as like it is now. There's so many different sounds and different types of artists where it's like, we don't really listen to that. But that doesn't mean that that's not dope and good music.

[Damaris]

Yes, it does.

[Mall]

No, it doesn't. You can't say that, because it's people that don't listen to the type of rap that we love that's like, that Trash.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Somebody thinks J. Cole is trash out there in the world, which is.

[Damaris]

They've always said that that's fine, but

[Mall]

that's what I'm saying. Some people think that. We don't think that. But there's some people that listen to rap, they're like, man, that cold trash. Get out of there. Nobody want to hear that shit.

[Damaris]

But I just feel like. I feel like, okay, you can say some shit is trash, right? But we all know you just don't like it. Some shit really just do be musically trash, and that's okay that you like. Some people like garbage. Like Oscar loved garbage in fucking Sesame Street. Some people like garbage, but that don't mean it's not garbage. Whereas somebody can dislike J. Cole and say that shit is trash. But if you pay attention to what rap is, he's a good rapper, whether you like the music or not. Like, that's. Some of this shit be ass, like, for real. And this is not just me being old or us just being old. It literally be ass.

[Mall]

I mean, go back. I go back to when DMX was on with Charlamagne and them, and they was asking about rappers and artists that he. Like, he was naming niggas that was killing on the charts at the time. Like, you're like, I don't really listen. No, I don't like Tim. I don't like him. You hear what I'm saying? And this is dmx. Like, this is somebody that has put out classic songs, classic album. Like, so he has a. He can speak to that. You can ask him his opinion, and it's, like, valid because he did it. He walked that road already.

[Damaris]

Well, yeah, music was changing at that time, too, so he wasn't.

[Mall]

But the music that we was listening to that we loved, and the artists that we Love, I get your point. You ask somebody like dmx and he like, nah, that shit. I don't listen to that. I don't even know. I don't wanna hear that shit. Like Ross, all these N had crazy songs, crazy albums. He's like, yo, I don't wanna hear about out you eating and. And you buying cars. Like, I don't want to hear that. And this is the artist that had great songs out, great albums out. But somebody like DMX is like, yo, nah, just don't. That ain't. I don't listen.

[Damaris]

My dad used to say that. He used to be like, hip hop. When I used to play Drake when I was younger, he's like, hip hop getting too soft. Why is nigga singing?

[Rory]

I'm like.

[Damaris]

I'm like, but it's not all supposed to be so hard.

[Mall]

That's what he was written by LL's. LL had songs and melodies. Curtis Blow. Like, all of these niggas was doing that. Like, that was always a part of it.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but LL was a singer.

[Mall]

No, not to the extent of what Drake is. No, no rapper has sang to what Drake is doing. But I'm just saying, like, somebody like LL had, it was ladies love. He was making songs for girls. Like, it wasn't. You know what I'm saying? Like, some of his best songs is R and B. Like, it's R and B. It's on R and B hook. You get what I'm saying? So it was soft to an extent. It was still melody, it was still melodic, but it was just. Just, you know, he just. He wasn't the one that was really singing like that. But the song, we love it because of the melody was playing.

[Damaris]

Hey. He said, plus he drink too much and smoke too many blunts. Why you hating on somebody else like that? Like, that is crazy.

[Mall]

Sometimes you got to throw that in there.

[Rory]

Just.

[Mall]

You gotta. You gotta let her know what she dealing with. Like, yo, you know that smoke too much, right? Like, he dated a crackhead. Yeah, you dating an addict. Like, that's what LL was saying. Like, you know, you dating an addict. I mean, the gym, him. You see me, I'll be working out. Like, I eat healthy. Like, you want to be with him. He throwing your ph off and all that. That's really what LL was getting to.

[Rory]

Yeah, so dirty Macking. No, he's. He's hall of fame, Dirty Mac.

[Mall]

Yeah, absolutely, Absolutely.

[Rory]

Sometimes he's up there with Mario. Yeah, you know, he's. He's. He's first ballot.

[Mall]

Listen, you think PayPal didn't call Diageo. They was dirty macking. They like, yo, son, you jacking Kanye

[Rory]

doing this without logo advertising is simply who all gonna be there. Yeah, like, y. Y' all going like,

[Mall]

yo, like, yo, listen, you know, ye. Like, do we wanna. Cause you know he liable to get on that wireless stage and say some more crazy shit.

[Damaris]

What's your logo in the back with

[Mall]

my logo behind him?

[Rory]

Ooh.

[Mall]

Nah. Yeah, yeah. Advertisers dirty Mac, too. Like, yo, you know what Kanye just said? You sure you want that PayPal logo up there?

[Rory]

Like, we saw Kid rock shoot a 24 pack of Bud Light with an AR15. We can't have this.

[Mall]

We can't have this, man. Man, we cannot stand for this. We got to stand for something, but this ain't it.

[Rory]

That's hilarious. Yeah, like, when you know the baby's on stage asking if you sucked your man's dick sometimes, I don't know. Monster energy doesn't want to be behind you.

[Damaris]

He. He's going viral right now again, too.

[Mall]

For what? What do you say now?

[Damaris]

Well, outside of that, pop that song, which I do want to say how everybody said that the baby couldn't have a comeback. That pop that song that hard, that said, spread them cheeks, Let me see that hole. And we just poetic whole time in Houston, every time that song came on,

[Mall]

I was in a split showing hole. I just didn't. I say peach at the top. I saw something wink.

[Rory]

Yeah, see, that's the Pepsi logo. If you look at it, it's just somebody.

[Mall]

That's the PayPal, the 2P, yo,

[Damaris]

the baby. Jesus Christ.

[Mall]

Stop. Let me do my job.

[Damaris]

Dababy is currently going viral again. They saying, you know, he has a reputation for being mean, but I. Some people are agreeing with him on this. A fan painted his daughters. A picture is a beautiful picture of his daughters. And he refused to take it. And he came back and his rebuttal was, why the are you drawing my daughters? Like, I. I don't even jack that for real. And you still got the picture that you took? Like, the picture of the pan on your page. Like, take that down. That is weird. Do y' all agree with him?

[Rory]

Yeah, but I. I wouldn't if. If we were at a meet and greet and somebody brought me a painting, okay.

[Mall]

Of Amara. Stand up. Stand tall. Stand tall. That's why I fuck with. That's why you my guy. Stand tall.

[Rory]

I wouldn't have handled it the way the baby did, but I would have had the same feelings, okay?

[Damaris]

That makes sense.

[Rory]

I would.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I don't know if I want you to. But then again, I also don't post unless you're my close friends. I don't post Amara on there. But if I posted Amara's photo on. On Instagram and somebody painted it, what's the difference? Then I don't really have a leg to stand on in that regard.

[Mall]

Right.

[Rory]

But I can as a parent, if somebody brought up like, okay, you chose my. My children. I think this person, and they're Charleston White's second cousin. I found that out via him. I don't think it automatically means they had bad intentions, but I think every parent is allowed to have those antennas of anyone that doesn't know their kid painting their child. Also, like, I can see why you. Your. Your spidey senses be like, whoa, like, okay. And I'm sure this person didn't have bad intentions or is like some fucking weird creep. It is just an interesting choice when you don't know somebody to paint their children and give them a gift. But if you put your children on the Internet and someone paints them, I don't know if you're allowed to just be like, nah, fuck that. You're weird.

[Mall]

Yeah. I think two things can be true. I think you can feel a way about a random artist walking up to you and showing you a painting of your daughters or your children. I think you could kind of look at that like, you know, like. Like it's a little awkward, little weird, but okay, but now if this is a picture that you've posted on social media. Cause he had to get the picture from somewhere.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Right. So if you posted this on your social media and it's, you know, an artist saw that and was like, yo, I think it would be, you know, this would be something that the baby would. Cause I think. I do think the artist made the painting out of just like wanting the baby to have something special of his children or whatever, like, to have in his house. Right. So I don't think he had bad intentions minded. But I could, as a father, I could understand the baby's stance of, you know, this is a little. This is a little weird of you to, you know, just make this painting of my kids. But again, we just gotta understand intent. I think sometimes. And I think that gets lost. I think the artist thought he was doing, you know, something nice that the baby would appreciate of having that picture as a painting. You know what I'm saying? I don't think it was some weird energy behind the artist doing that. At all. I just think the way you handle things is the important part. I think that's what you control. I think Dababy, him having a conversation with the artist. I appreciate the gesture, but I do think it's a little awkward of you to paint this picture of my daughters, but I understand the intent behind it. You meant well, and you thought it was something I would appreciate, but I would appreciate if you didn't just paint a portrait of my kids.

[Damaris]

But see. Okay, so after Dababy didn't take the painting, the painter said he didn't see what was wrong with the painting in a new post and shouted the baby out. And then the baby commented and said, you still got my daughters on your page as a grown man. After I made it clear that I ain't comfortable with that. That's where you go wrong. You can have all the good intent in the world. But now the painting that I already told y' all wasn't comfortable with, go and post it on your page. Now you trying to go viral now.

[Mall]

That's. That's. Now that is.

[Rory]

I also don't know why he didn't take the painting. Feeling that way. I'm taking the, like, painting you. If I feel like you shouldn't paint my children, give me the. I'm not giving you back the painting. Yeah, we going to hang it in your crib.

[Mall]

Yeah, I'm going to take that painting. Like, all right.

[Rory]

Who. Who else would need a photo of my children besides me?

[Damaris]

Yeah, but you also might not want to encourage other people to do the same. Like, taking it might make it look like.

[Rory]

No, I think you can make it clear to him that you feel uncomfortable with that, with the video, and then just take the painting and dispose of whatever the you want to do with it. But giving back to them is. I feel like the baby probably should have taken that if you felt that way.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

I mean, I just.

[Damaris]

Again posting on edgy and saying, I don't know what's wrong with this picture. Like, why would it. If I don't want you post painting my daughters, why the Would you post the painting? Like, now I feel like you only painted it to go. To get attention, to go viral. Like.

[Rory]

Like, you know, he's kind of. He's kind of proving the baby's point of why it's. Why it's weird.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Yeah. When you post it on your page and that's like, okay, I wouldn't have

[Rory]

handled it the way he would have. But, yeah, if we were at a meet and greet, I I would accept it, but, yeah, I'd be like, it's a little odd. But then again, people have. I have multiple paintings of myself for meet and greets. And I think in my head, how narcissistic do you think I am? You think I'm gonna hang up a painting of me?

[Damaris]

Yeah. I mean, I would.

[Rory]

And I've been very appreciative.

[Mall]

Like, I'm wearing you on your shirt.

[Damaris]

I'm hot.

[Rory]

And I've always appreciated when people did that. Some of them have been really great. But I will tell you, they are sitting in my closet because I don't know where to hang a painting of myself.

[Mall]

Yeah, let me get it. That's a little.

[Rory]

Let me get it.

[Mall]

What you gonna do with a painting?

[Rory]

Remember the Sopranos when. But Tony tried to get rid of the painting of himself, and then Pauly took it and got it on in his crib? Imagine Damaris just having a painting over the mantle, over the toilet.

[Mall]

That is crazy.

[Rory]

That's crazy.

[Mall]

That's wild as fuck. So you want him to see your ass every. Every day?

[Rory]

Just got the view, just taking shit, just looking down.

[Mall]

But I do understand, Dababy. I get it. It's a little awkward for a random artist to walk up to you in a club and have a portrait of your kids. I get that part of it. But I do think there's a way to have that conversation and appreciation for an artist trying to do a good gesture, but to let them know, like, yo, listen, I would just appreciate it if you didn't. Didn't, you know, paint portraits of my kids. Like, I think it's a. I understand both sides of it. I do.

[Rory]

Yeah. Before we get out of here, when we're recording this, the national championship has not happened yet with NCAA basketball. Michigan versus Yukon. When you hear this, you'll know the results, but we can have fun and

[Mall]

guess I'm taking the Huskies. Taking the huskies.

[Rory]

How. How UConn made it to the finals is beyond me.

[Mall]

Listen, after you make a shot like that against. Against Duke, that puts you on such a high that I think, like, it's. That, to me, is the championship. Like, making a shot like that in that moment. I think that anything else after that is kind of like. Like it's just a walk in the park now.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

That pressure in that moment now don't get the championship game. Lot of pressure. But again, if you. Coming off of two games ago, you hit that shot and your team's on a high. Adrenaline is still flowing. I just think it's hard to beat a team that is on a high like that.

[Rory]

No, they're on a run. Yeah, they're definitely on a run. And, I mean, I love the Hurley family, Jersey City royalty. Love them. Always want to support them, but I still think Michigan.

[Mall]

You taking Michigan?

[Rory]

Yeah, I'm with you. They're on. They're on a run. But UConn should not be in the national championship. They shouldn't.

[Mall]

Yeah, but that's.

[Rory]

That's the two. I mean, Magic in March. I get it.

[Mall]

They're a two seed.

[Rory]

I couldn't beat St. John's I mean,

[Mall]

they're two seed, though. They. You know, so they. It's not like they're seven seeding in there. They're two seed.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I just don't.

[Mall]

But I take the Husky. I got the Huskies winning by, let's say, eight.

[Rory]

Damn. Okay.

[Mall]

Yeah, I got the Huskies by eight. All right.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Rory]

I'm going Michigan, but I think it'll be a very close game.

[Mall]

Huskies by eight. Man, get it done. Get it done.

[Rory]

Yo, Arizona got washed.

[Mall]

Oh, yeah. I kind of felt like that was gonna happen, though.

[Rory]

I. With Arizona, it was. It was tough to watch. But. No, listen, I had Arizona winning the whole thing.

[Mall]

Trey won our bracket. Right. Because he had Arizona winning the whole thing. But I think as far as points. No, none of us picked well. No, somebody has the Huskies. Somebody in our. And out.

[Rory]

No, Mike. Mike Madness. He won. As far as everyone in this room, though, got y', all, I'm at. I'm at five. More at seven. And Damaris. I'm at 11.

[Damaris]

That's fine.

[Rory]

There's 11. I just want to make clear there's 11 people in.

[Mall]

There's 11.

[Rory]

There's 11 people in the bracket. It's not like she's 11th, but there's 25 people,

[Damaris]

so if I suck, so do Peach.

[Rory]

Yeah, but Peach picked Kansas to go all the way, so.

[Damaris]

No, he didn't. You did that.

[Mall]

I picked Houston. Go all the way.

[Rory]

I had Houston in the final four, so, like, I. I didn't think that was that crazy of a take at the time. Yeah, but shout out to Mike Madness, please DM us or. Or email us. We can send you some merch for winning Nico Harrison's burner as well. You got second place. Hit us up so we can send you some merch. Trey, you're part of the team, so. No. And, yeah.

[Damaris]

Damn.

[Mall]

Trey fell a third. Yeah, I feel like he had Arizona winning.

[Rory]

Right. Okay, But. But Mike had Michigan winning, so that was the Deciding factor with that. But it was fun to do. Do the bracket with the office pool.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Of course, we got smoked by the

[Mall]

listeners, but, you know, sorry, man. It happens, man. Gonna get it done, though, baby.

[Rory]

D knows Ball being in last place is just the irony of this.

[Damaris]

I was doing better than everybody at the beginning and in my.

[Mall]

Yeah, that's how it usually happens after the second, they smoked, smoked, cooked.

[Rory]

But that gets so confusing because I was tied with Trey for number one for a while, and then I went into, like, the tab of group forecast, and I had a 0% chance of winning. Like, once I looked through everything.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And this was the second. I was like, oh, man, I'm tired for first zero percent chance of winning. I think Damaris, who was in last, had a higher percentage chance of winning than I did.

[Mall]

Yeah. My bracket was cooked after, like, the third. You get what?

[Damaris]

I get more than y', all, so it don't matter.

[Mall]

That's a fact. That's.

[Rory]

I mean, that is true.

[Mall]

That's a fact.

[Rory]

No one's gonna argue.

[Mall]

It always goes back to that, too. Like, no matter what you're talking about.

[Rory]

Like, do I get bitches, though?

[Damaris]

Do I get bitches?

[Rory]

Do I get bitches?

[Damaris]

All right, cool.

[Rory]

Yes or no?

[Mall]

Yeah. You answer for me. Like, you tell me yes or no.

[Rory]

That's my. That's my favorite debater. The yes or no debater. Yes or no gives you a fact that has nothing to do with the conversation. Yes or no?

[Damaris]

Mall.

[Rory]

Yes. Right?

[Damaris]

That's mall as fuck.

[Mall]

Mall me, I've never done that. I say y' all get more than you.

[Rory]

Yes or no?

[Damaris]

Yes or no? You'll ask a question that has nuance and be like, yes or no? Yes. And I'm like, it's not.

[Mall]

It should be yes or no. Y' all be making it too much nuance. It'd be yes or no.

[Rory]

But that's what they teach in, like, those debate classes. Like, just get people to say yes. And it manipulates the mind that you're saying something correct. Like, we. All right, we agree the sky's blue. Yes or no? Like, yeah. So anything I say after this has to be true, right?

[Mall]

Yes. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. You got it.

[Rory]

Debate classes are just telling us the world is stupid and we're easily manipulated.

[Mall]

All right, well, we'll talk to y' all soon. You're on your way to la, right?

[Rory]

Yes, as of right now. I'm. I'm in the air.

[Mall]

You're in the air. So safe trip, Safe travels. Have fun. Good luck on the shoot. Hopefully you got a lot of, you know, beautiful women that come out and want to be extras in the video. And FaceTime me if you need me to kind of like vet.

[Rory]

I'll add it to add it to the treatment. Yeah, there's sketches in the, in the.

[Mall]

Yeah, just FaceTime me, bro. I'll help you with that. All right, we'll talk to y' all soon. Be safe, be blessed. I'm that he's just ginger. Peace.

[Rory]

I feel like lately everybody's trying to be a little more intentional with their money.

[Mall]

Yeah. Especially when you look at your statement and you're like, wait, wait, when did I buy that?

[Rory]

Exactly. That's where Klarna comes in. It's an app that gives you flexibility in how you pay for things.

[Mall]

Right. You can choose to pay now, pay later, or spread payments over time, depending on what works for you.

[Rory]

And everything's organized in the Klarna app so you can actually see what's happening with your purchases.

[Mall]

Plus, you can find deals and cash back when you shop through Klarna.

[Rory]

Download the Klarna app today or visit klarna.com to learn more. California resident Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Law License NMLS Number 1353190 Klarna Balance Account required to be eligible for cash back points Limitations, terms and conditions apply.

[Mall]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[Damaris]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.