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Damaris
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human
Mall
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Rory
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Kal Penn
It's Kel Penn I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with my podcast Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode, I nerd out with amazing guests and dive into the best new audiobooks available on Audible. It's the book club for your ears. Listen to Earsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Rory
What's up, y'?
Mall
All?
Rory
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Reese Witherspoon
Picture this. Me, Reese 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 autograph Journey terms apply.
Damaris
No warrior now.
Rory
Conductor.
Mall
People. People around the world are supposed to hear us right now, and Peach forgot to listen.
Rory
Peach can't handle that space bar pressure. It's a lot.
Mall
It's a lot to deal with. Like people think. Everybody think they could just sit in these seats and turn the cameras on and you know, you know what I'm saying? When comments get to you and you can't Sleep at night.
Rory
All I need is one mic, you
Mall
know what I'm saying? You start reading them comments and them thoughts in your head, you know what I'm saying? Like, let's see if you can do it then. Let's see when the press, if you built for it, then.
Rory
Rory, I hear you.
Mall
You know what I'm saying?
Rory
Two way street. If you want to comment, be commented on.
Mall
Yeah, that's a fact. Once you put your thoughts out there, that's it. They out there.
Rory
I love speaking in hyperbole. What we're saying, we're not saying anything at all, actually.
Mall
That's what podcasting has become.
Rory
That's supposed to sound profound, but, like, when you really dissect it and you didn't say anything, say anything. Well, how are you feeling?
Mall
I'm feeling great. I'm feeling good. I'm looking great. I'm looking good.
Rory
End of the week, coming into the weekend.
Mall
Yes, sir.
Rory
How was your week? Was it a positive week?
Mall
Yeah, a little under the weather, but, you know, they can't keep me down for too long. Back bounce right back. Like, good crack. You know how that go?
Rory
I don't. Well, I mean, but I would assume that if you had a good product, you would.
Mall
It comes right. It comes right.
Rory
You would crawl right back.
Mall
Right back.
Rory
I went to, like, my first real auction this week.
Mall
Really?
Rory
Went to the Gordon Parks foundation dinner and auction.
Mall
Legendary Gordon Park.
Rory
Absolutely. Um, and I already knew I was poor, but, like, sometimes it's a little humbling to get that reminder. Like, no, you're really poor.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Like, you shouldn't be sitting here. Yeah. Like, when you're thinking about getting the chicken to go and people are buying. $100,000 photography. This isn't the place for you. This seat could have went to somebody else.
Mall
Why are you here?
Rory
Mall. They gave me a paddle. I said, what am I going to do with this?
Mall
You didn't raise it? No time.
Rory
Me and Joey Badass started joking around. We'd raise it first because we knew they'd start at 50,000, but that shit was going to 200. So, like, just to make it look like we were participating, even though Joey did end up buying one and so did Chance.
Mall
Okay.
Rory
But I was just there just to, you know, participate.
Mall
Yeah, yeah, Just raise. Just raise. Just raise the stakes. Like, all right, let me up the number real quick on somebody. But then if somebody. Nobody counted you and you stop quitting.
Rory
Yo. And shout out to our brother Chance every time he bid on one that was specific to Chicago. That I know he really wanted. But that price got like, dude, like, 1% could afford that. Yeah. And every time he'd raise his paddle, I could just see his face, like, why am I doing this? Yeah. But he ended up getting a really nice one. I won't say the price, but it was six figures.
Mall
Okay.
Rory
But no, it was a fun night. It just, you know.
Mall
Was it for charity?
Rory
Yes. Okay. And to keep the Gordon Parks foundation going and keep us. His artwork moving. Was that Cipriani?
Mall
No, I go.
Rory
We went to Mira after you were at Mirror.
Damaris
Oh, you was on a four run.
Rory
I mean, first of all, Joey Badass and Chance are far richer than me, so all the jokes about being poor. I'm not saying about them. I'm just saying I was. We were at the kids table compared to the billionaires that were in that building. Yeah. Like, people that own the color blue were there. Yeah, it was. It was a very interesting night to say.
Mall
Fun night to see.
Rory
I felt like I was in succession.
Mall
Yeah. You can peek behind that wall. Just see what they be doing back there.
Rory
Yeah, yeah. It's just Swizz and Alicia buying everything.
Mall
Yeah. Yeah. That's all it is.
Rory
But they honored Chance, which was cool. Chance to speech, man. Hank Williams presented, who was at our table as well. Was really co. Meet him. Very talented filmmaker. But John Legend was also awarded.
Mall
He was there. My guy.
Rory
He did a. He did a speech and sung at
Mall
the end of the speech, the birds. Don't you supposed to FaceTime me.
Rory
Which I was. They would have thrown me out so quick if I FaceTime you during that.
Damaris
What song did he sing?
Rory
The auction gonna start, yo. I was just. It was a really, really cool night, and it was very cool to see how they're preserving his artwork. And I'm just joking around. I was honored to be just invited to be in the room. And it was a cool experience. But handing me a paddle was a waste of wood and paper.
Mall
That's fire.
Rory
That could have went to somebody else.
Mall
That's cool. Baby D, how you feeling? You good?
Damaris
I'm feeling good. You gave me a little bit of a cough, though, like my sinus domestic. Cause it was you. You came in here fresh with them Toronto germs. And then literally the next day I woke up and I was like, Ryan
Mall
was sick in here too, and he's not here today.
Rory
But that's not because he's.
Damaris
He's not here.
Mall
He ain't here.
Damaris
And Ryan wasn't sick when he came in here. He wasn't no he was tired. He had worked all day.
Mall
He was sick. He was coughing and all kind of. He told me he was sick.
Damaris
Oh, well, you. It was from you. Ryan Germ's not strong enough.
Mall
He's. Do you know where he's from?
Damaris
Don't do it. Don't do it.
Mall
Don't do it.
Damaris
Don't do it.
Rory
Never mind. That was racist. My apologies. He took it there. You didn't. Yeah.
Mall
Other than that. Well, I mean, you didn't.
Rory
You're deflecting the way I did with COVID in. In Atlanta. Like, you did come here sick.
Mall
Yeah, I did.
Rory
So, yeah, it was probably so Tuesday.
Damaris
I woke up with a little bit. A little tickle. I was like, ah, what's this?
Mall
Yeah, but I'm not in here sneezing, coughing, and all of that, though. Like, I'm just congested.
Damaris
Yeah.
Mall
That's all. So it's. No, it's not. I don't think I'm airborne right now. But it's all right, though. But guess what, though. We are back sponsored by Boost Mobile.
Rory
That is a fact.
Mall
And we are now international on Netflix. Please, please, now, please stop DMing me asking me when you will be able to view us on Netflix across the oceans in the seven seas. Yes, you can now see us everywhere.
Rory
International seven seas.
Mall
Yeah. Cause you know, they be hitting all over the seven seas. But now you can see us internationally on Netflix.
Rory
Yes.
Mall
So tune in to the gang, gang, gang, gang Merch is on sale now. And patreon.com forward slash, new Rory Mall. $5 for the month, right?
Rory
Yes. There's a $5 tier, a $10 here, and a $20. Okay, well, then, I mean, 20 gets the most.
Mall
And yes, 15, 30, 35, 45, 47.
Rory
They put. They added that to Netflix, by the way.
Mall
Yeah, I noticed it.
Rory
I have not seen all about the Benjamins in so long.
Damaris
Oh, that's so cool. I gotta watch that.
Rory
Yeah, it's back on Netflix. So you could watch this episode and then go right to go see Cube and Mike Epps clean up the streets of Miami. Anyone have weekend plans? Lex and Dre are in town. Poor Minds has a live show this weekend. I definitely want to check that out if I can be baby free. Just don't think that's the event to take a baby to.
Mall
That's definitely not the event.
Rory
But I do want to go. I know you want to go as well.
Damaris
Unless you want to use her as bait.
Mall
Not at a poor mind show. You don't want to use bait at a Poor Mind show.
Damaris
I'm just saying they're gonna be.
Rory
I would look like a responsible father.
Mall
No, you would look like an irresponsible father.
Rory
No, no. To them, though.
Mall
No, to. To the crowd. To the audience. You would look irresponsible bringing a baby to Poor Mind's live show. Yes.
Rory
No. Okay, okay.
Mall
You can find anybody to watch a kid.
Rory
Okay, cool. Maybe they'd feel bad.
Mall
Oh, they would feel bad for the child.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
For the baby having to be there. Yes. They were like, why is this little.
Rory
I'm not going to bring Amara to a Poor Mind show, but I do want to go. So hopefully when you guys are hearing this, me and Damaris will be at
Mall
the show if I.
Rory
Unless you have. Are you out of town?
Damaris
No, I'll be at the show.
Rory
Oh, he was already going and didn't tell me.
Damaris
Yeah.
Rory
You know, that's crazy.
Damaris
I'm trying to get in there. Tickets be selling quick. You know how they get down so.
Rory
Well, they did just post that there's very few tickets left. I was just gonna buy one because I don't want to bother them.
Damaris
Well, shout out to Lex, Andrea. I'm proud.
Mall
Oh, that Alexandre.
Rory
I will see if I could be your plus one.
Mall
They ain't got you on the list?
Rory
I didn't ask. I'm sure they put me on there.
Mall
Rory, what's up? Shebang?
Damaris
Yeah. Yo, you okay, we're not gonna start this. You are not about to just start adding shebang at the end sentence.
Mall
What's up? Are you not on the list?
Rory
Imagine I text Lex. Yo, is it space on the list? Sorry, last minute. She just replied. Shebang, Shabang.
Mall
Are you not on the list for Lexa? Dre, man, I'm.
Rory
I mean, I'm sure if I asked,
Mall
but I. Oh, you didn't ask him at all. You haven't spoken?
Rory
No, no, no. I wanted to make sure I was baby free before. I. I didn't want to, like, waste the spot on the list. That's why I was thinking about just buying a ticket.
Mall
And where they. Where's the show at?
Rory
It's at the town hall, which. Which is a big venue, so congrats to them. That's really, really big. I. I was nervous to come in here today because I do hate to give mall flowers. I don't want them, even when they're dessert. But these are, like. You didn't even have inside information. You were just Master Domus and predicted this. And I. I have nothing to do but humble myself and say, mall holy Keep them. You were right, because I was here confidently arguing you down that there's no way that Jid is mad at J. Cole. They've had plenty of collabs together. The fall off was an experience about Cole's 20s and 30s, which Jid was really only around for some of. Made more sense as a concept album that Jid would not be on it. You said the mixtape. I said, hey, it was a rollout moment. His mixtape, his clue moment. I stand corrected. I think Jid is livid. So livid that those tweets for the time that I've known Jid, which has been for a little while, I wouldn't say we're best friends, are a bit out of his character. And when I do things out of my character, it's usually because I'm pissed off. And that's not really Jiz's character. So that's why I want to give you another dandelion and say, I think he's pissed. Like really mad. Not even just irritated. Like, I think he's. He's pissed.
Mall
I mean, you know, sometimes you just gotta just, you know, it's not that I want flowers.
Rory
Taking flowers for. For conflict is. Yeah, it's a little nasty.
Mall
Flowers. But I mean, it just. Just a little common sense sometimes.
Rory
Just look at it.
Damaris
That was common sense.
Mall
Yeah. Well, they're the best rappers in the industry. He signed to you. He's not currently Grammy nominated for rap album of the year. He wasn't on Mike Delete later. He wasn't on the birthday. What's the name of the birthday mixtape? He wasn't on that. He wasn't fall off. Just something just didn't feel right, that's all. Like, there's a lot of rapping happening. And the guy that signed to you who's nominated for best rap album isn't on. Not one of these last. Let's say 30 songs that he put out. 32 songs. Maybe it just was. It just felt like something was not on the up and up. Cause if you. If you have a good rapport, like, you know, you and your man is like, nah, we solid. And he's currently nominated for the biggest award per se in music in our genre.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Which is best rap album of the year. I think you would take some of those 30 something songs that you put out to kind of showcase them just a little bit. Let him get his off. He's currently nominated for a big award. And when that didn't happen, I just kind of started looking like. And then Cole's not on his album.
Rory
Well, again, which we. We chalked up to. He was probably busy working on fall off shit in the battle and everything that was busy. That was. Was going on. But. All right. So this started with a series of now deleted tweets. It didn't come out the gate.
Mall
Right.
Rory
Delete later of. Yeah, ironically, he's.
Mall
He's on the album now. See how fast.
Rory
If I delete this, maybe I'll get a verse.
Mall
Yeah, now he's on the album. See how fast he followed the hoop. Yeah, exactly.
Rory
BET had put out their nominations, which we will get to. And JID tweeted 5 Grammy nominations, 0 BET nominations, slash acknowledgement, nothing. They remix the same people every year at the BET Awards. Now, before we get to the cold part, do y' all feel like there's truth in what he's saying?
Damaris
Yes.
Mall
About what?
Rory
That the BET Awards tends to remix a lot of the same artists. Even if those artists aren't active, they still tend to be nominated for things over artists that are active that year. I can see that gripe.
Mall
I feel like Chris Brown wins that one award every year. What award is that?
Damaris
Probably male R and B artists.
Mall
Another one like people's People's Choice Award. It's not people choice. It's something. Something like that. I don't know. I feel like Chris Brown wins that every year.
Rory
I mean, I know the voting system there and, you know, it is people that have been nominated, label people, journalists, media that have, you know, access to vote for the nominations. And sometimes I don't think it's BET per se. I think it's the sheer laziness of the people that are able to vote, myself included. I'll look at that list sometimes and go, there's 85 names on the street in alphabetical order. I get five picks. It's going to take you four hours to get through everything to properly do it. And I've done it before. Yeah. But I do think there's probably music industry execs and journalists and other people that can vote that are just getting everyone in the building to vote for their person at the moment because they don't particularly care about that category and they're just clicking the name that's the biggest. And even if they're not in cycle, they'll do that.
Mall
It's starting to feel like a popularity thing.
Rory
I. I think the BET Awards are great. I think they put on a great award show every year. But I. I feel JIT on this as far as if I was an artist in the nominations. Sometimes it does get. Unless you have like a Leon Thomas year, that R and B category is going to tend to be the same.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Like, even with Kehlani will be not on a cycle year and still be nominated, which is great because she's Kehlani. But I could see another artist being like, this ain't the folded year.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Two years ago, I'm saying, like, no, I think I had a good year. I deserve to at least be nominated. And I. I feel Jit and I saw a few people saying a few artists that we've had on here before say that they've seen a trend in this specific type of artist that the BET Awards focuses on and the type of content that they make and that Jid doesn't fall in line with that.
Mall
Yeah, but he put out a great album.
Rory
No, he should be nominated. There's no.
Mall
He was nominated for Best Rap Album. You would think he would be nominated for a BET Award.
Damaris
Yeah, they could have stole him right off. Oh, I forgot his voting. So you can't do that. So nevermind.
Mall
I mean, the Grammys is voting. Allegedly.
Rory
No, but what I'm saying is they
Damaris
stole the Grammy picks, like, just to make it easier for yourself. But they vote, so.
Rory
Yeah. And I think from here they'll have like the actual board of. But yeah, to get to the nomination point. It's the same link. You get the link too.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
No, you part of the problem.
Mall
No, I voted for jit. I voted for.
Rory
I did too. Yeah. Took me two days to get through everything. What JID was. Jid was on there for me a couple times. But.
Mall
Wait, Baby Keem is nominated and not Jid?
Rory
Baby Keem deserves to be nominated. Numbers Tour music.
Mall
What tour?
Damaris
What tour?
Rory
Baby Keem's tour was all over the Internet, you guys. He had mosh pits. The Webster Hall. Shit. I thought the floor was going to fall.
Mall
I don't even remember.
Damaris
Oh, yeah, I didn't. I didn't see it.
Rory
Okay, well, I'm telling you guys, for sure. Baby Keem's tour was very, very popular. He did great numbers.
Mall
Is this based on last year?
Rory
Yeah, Whatever the month. It's not exactly January to December. Whatever they do the fucking. Like July to Baby King.
Mall
But if Baby Keem is there, God, JIT has to be there.
Rory
What? No, I think both of them should be there. If you don't have Keem or Jit, I think it's. It's kind of a wash. Yeah. In. In my opinion. But do you. I mean, do you Think that BET kind of only focuses on, I would say more of the Dirk baby gonna worlds when it comes to rap. Whereas maybe Grammys focus is more on Gibbs and like Jid and that side. Do you think there's a split there? I'm not making that point. I'm asking. No, that's what a lot of people were saying on the Internet.
Mall
Yeah, but say what you want to say.
Rory
I'm asking you a question. Do you think that's the case?
Mall
So I think BET focuses on just popularity and Grammy focuses on artists.
Rory
But I think Gunna is is deserving of Grammys and BET awards.
Mall
I do too.
Rory
But I'm saying that the type of music and the sound, sonically, the artistry. Yes.
Mall
Yeah. I think the Grammy focuses more on that.
Damaris
So I looked up the eligibility period for the BET Awards. It goes from mid March to mid March. So it would be mid March 2025 to mid March 2026. Baby Keem released his album February 20th. I can see malls. I can understand where Malz coming from. Where. That might not be fair. How you were the best male hip hop artist of the year. When?
Mall
For one month.
Damaris
For one month. I can understand what.
Rory
But we've, I mean we've seen that with, with plenty award shows where an album will meet the deadline by one month and still get nominated.
Damaris
But it's the album, not the artist.
Rory
True, but I mean it still falls in the same thing. And Keem had a lead up to that album. There was a two singles video. Like I, I, I still think Keem belongs up there.
Mall
I'm not saying he don't.
Rory
That's all I'm saying.
Mall
I'm not saying he don't.
Damaris
Who was y'? All? Okay, so if we, we have to do this when we do lists, they have asap, Rocky, Baby Keem, because the Big X, the Plug, Dababy, Don Tolliver, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and T.I. all on this list. Who would y' all take out and replace with jid?
Rory
You said March 2025 to March 2026.
Damaris
Yes.
Rory
What are we in now? May?
Damaris
Yes.
Mall
Rory trying to carry the two and all. Listen, TI can sit down. TI can come sit right here.
Damaris
No.
Rory
You know what's funny? You said that.
Mall
Come sit next to me.
Rory
He said no. Why I was carrying the one is. Cause I was trying to remember where the TI50 thing was and where TI's huge record right now landed. Cause I was about to say take ti off ti 2027 awards in there. So yeah, I'm on the ti side that jid should be over ti there, but with everything ti has done in the past few months, he should be there next year, 100%. But to me, like, you don't think Offset and Jade could perform Bodies at the BET Awards. And then I'll make total sense. Yeah, like, that's a huge record and lands in, I think the sound that they typically awards, like, it's Offset as well. Yeah. If I'm Jid, I would be livid. And I think there's. There's that false stigma that a lot of artists don't support the BET Awards but support the Grammys. I can see why Jay would be extra pissed. Like, I want to support the BET Awards. I'm happy to be Grammy nominated. But don't think I take this as just some JV shit. This is important to me.
Damaris
Y' all think ASAP had a bigger year than Jadi?
Mall
No. No, I don't.
Rory
So I love Rocky's album, but no, I don't.
Damaris
ASAP could go to y', all, but
Rory
ASAP is one of those, like, legacy. Like, when he does come out, it's, of course they should be there. I mean, I'm saying, like, he headlined every festival.
Mall
Did he headline rolling out? Yeah.
Rory
Like, I, I. Because that's just gonna look like hate if you say that. Because Rocky is always consistent, even if it's with his back catalog. He still is up there and put out a great album within that time. But, I mean, I. I think you could find out of all these nominations somewhere to acknowledge Jid and what he did in that time span, for sure. Cuz that's crazy. Like, that's really wild.
Mall
Yeah. See, this goes back to yc. This is why I have an issue with jcole not.
Rory
You think that would have got. Why, yo, why JCole not give his spot up?
Mall
JCole if JCole. If JCole did with Kendrick did for King, if J. Cole did that for Jid, he'd be right there in that conversation.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. You got the platform. I'm your artist. I got best Rap album, nigga. Showcase me, put me out in front.
Rory
That's a high. That's a high expectation. What Kendrick has done with Keem over the last few years with putting out videos, Lucy's together doing festivals. They did Camp Flog now together, did an entire. One of the highest grossing tours ever together, where Keem was not only the opener, he was on stage the whole time.
Mall
He's been on why Cole can't do that with you.
Rory
I'm just saying that most artists have a lot going on, and I think the big part of them being family helps as well, because we would have been next to each other regardless. And I'm not saying it's a Nepo thing.
Mall
That's not true. We would have been next to each other regardless, because I got mad family.
Rory
I'm not next to you See, on the on the Date tour, before Baby Keem was even. Baby Keem or an artist was sitting there engineering on the tour bus for Kendrick.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Like, he. Like I'm saying that they are together all the time. It just so happens also that Baby Keem is a very talented artist. And Kendrick.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Come out of my wing. I'm launching PG Lang, which is just at that time, one artist. And I'm launching my company with Dave Free. It's. It's me, you, and Dave. J. Cole has 75 fucking artists on
Mall
Dreamboo, and only one of them is nominated for Best Rap Album.
Damaris
I will say.
Rory
I'm just saying he can't dedicate his life to running around the world with Keem and putting out one song with Jid.
Mall
One record. I didn't say, take that.
Rory
You know, you said, what song? I'm with you. But they've collaborated. Yeah, like, but I hear you once
Mall
ain't nominated for BET Award. You don't with. You don't with Jedi, so.
Rory
Well, that's a weird conclusion with the people.
Damaris
With the people they have on here. I don't think that Jit, even if he would have gotten a co feature, he would have been on here. As I'm looking at these names, I feel like they just be on Twitter and just picked up whoever had the most conversation about them and whoever's a favorite.
Mall
Where's Wale at?
Rory
Don't even get me started.
Mall
Where's Wale at?
Damaris
But that's what I'm saying.
Rory
It's like, once we finish this Jid conversation, I was going to get right into the Wale conversation.
Damaris
Well, let's.
Mall
What are we. What are we doing here? You know what I'm saying?
Damaris
Let's finish the conversation about what?
Mall
Walk like an elephant. You got a hoodie.
Reese Witherspoon
Who.
Mall
When you walk in here, say something. Yeah, say something. Say, I'm here. Something. I just seen somebody in the mirror. I'm like, who that? Let's.
Damaris
We're going to circle back on the BET Awards and all of their nominations. We did jump ahead, but we can talk about Jid's tweet about Cole's line about him and 99Bill Freestyle and what we think it could possibly be, what he said. He said, J. Cole said it best or whatever when he. Because somebody must have said something. He must have said something, and then, oh, no, I'm sorry. He was talking about the BET Awards and how he didn't get nominated. Somebody retweeted it and said, J. Cole said it best. And he's referring to the line that if hip hop is back, JID should chart platinum. Anything less than that, it means y' all capping. J I. D then responds to that person and says, nigga ain't say shit. I've been overly platinum. That bar was ass. That's what JD Said, which Lee.
Rory
And it was, hey, you want more flowers? I can't afford them.
Damaris
No, it was. It's a now deleted tweet. He deleted the tweet. But that leads me to believe that they are not in a good space, because even if that. Even if. If. Even if we just weren't on each other's albums, whatever, that tweet, that has some spice to it. There's. There's definitely an issue there, so.
Mall
I told you it was an issue before this.
Damaris
You did. You. You. No, you told me it was weird. He wasn't on there. You didn't say it was an issue.
Mall
But that's what it means. If I'm not on nothing with you and you not on nothing with me, and I'm signed and I'm best rap album nominated, it's something we ain't f. We ain't not rocking with each other. It's okay to say it. They not. They not rocking with each other.
Rory
The bar was ass part is the sass to it, because he could really say, like, that bar doesn't make sense because I have had platinum records before. Not a platinum album, but platinum records, and that's not the case. You could say that the bar was misleading, but when you say his ass. Yeah, you got. Yeah, you got some issues.
Mall
Yo, J, call me, man.
Damaris
It's the. Ain't say, like, ain't say. Yeah, it's static. Yeah.
Mall
And what you want to do, you ain't pick that up. And what he said right there and what you want to do about it? You want to get in the booth? Because we could do that. I'm just saying, y' all said I was crazy for saying I could. Yo, I could look at it, and I could tell, like, y' all not really banging with each other like that you could see it. They not really rocking with each other.
Damaris
You have a theory as to why? I mean, all speculation.
Mall
All speculation. We seen ahrii wasn't happy with Dreamville and what they'd done. Right. She's no longer there. Correct. Okay, maybe he's the next person on that list of not being happy over at Dreamville. Yeah, that's all simple. And when you don't see them working together, if you have the platform of J. Cole, right, and you have your label, your imprint, and then you sign artists, and then now one of your artists is Grammy nominated, that would be the time where you showcase that artist, because then that helps the label look, you know what I'm saying? Like, yo, they got some shit over there. One of the homies is Grammy nominated right now. So when you don't see that, it's like, why not? Jit is super fire. They're like, oh, nah. But he had future on the hook. Jid does melodies. He does. He does all of that shit. He can't get a hook somewhere. He can't get an ad lib behind something. Like just little three bars. Like, just get Jit in there. Like, just something that says, yo, this is my. This is my. This is my Gunner right here. This is my. My artist. He's super ill. He's super lit. Let me share some of my platform with him, even though everybody already knows that he's J. Cole's artist. But, like, let me remind y' all how dope he is, though. He's not just my artist. He's super ill. This nigga's nice. Like, I'm just saying. It's just. It's just something didn't. Didn't look and feel right to me about that. Like, wait, he's not on nothing? Like, might delete later. The birthday mixtape, the album. He not on Jid album. Nothing y' all ain't got. And then somebody told me online, yo, nah, they got a whole album together. Like, watch, it's gonna drop. Oh, cool.
Rory
This is the rollout. Yeah.
Mall
If they got a whole album together, can we. We can't get one song on the album.
Rory
Dreamville is too good at rollouts to use this type of rollout.
Mall
Yeah, like, come on, man.
Rory
I'm sure they probably have enough music. Do they together on a hard drive for the. For the amount of years?
Mall
I don't know, man.
Rory
I'm not saying that. They both may not think it's up to par. Well, to be fair, rappers rap together all the time and never makes it
Damaris
it was Jid who said that him and Cole recorded a 15 track joint album. He said that. In August of 2025.
Rory
Okay.
Mall
Oh, he did say that. Okay. Well, then they got album together. Why they ain't dropped.
Rory
I mean, anytime I've seen this in the past, when an artist is signed to another artist that runs the label, they usually feel like they're being mishandled. And I've seen the artist be right and I've seen the artist be wrong. Sometimes you're not being mishandled. You just don't know what you're doing. And sometimes you are truly being mishandled and neglected at that label. Because we're focusing on the head of the label who's the biggest rapper. So, yeah, I think he just feels like he's being mishandled. That's what I've seen. Any time over when this happens.
Mall
That's why it's always tough to sign to an artist that is like a huge artist.
Rory
Yeah, you gotta. What?
Mall
You gotta wait. You gotta wait.
Rory
The whole album cycle is now cut. Is not available for you.
Mall
Yeah, like, and if I get in the studio and I get like two records that are crazy, nine times out of 10, you gonna want one of those for your project.
Rory
Yes.
Mall
Like, damn, that was my record. But what you gonna say? Like, okay, cool. You know what I mean? So it's, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a gift and a curse with that. You know what I mean? And I just think that somewhere along the line this relationship kind of like ran its course. And Jed is probably like, yo, you know what? I think I'm just better going somewhere else and doing my own thing, not being under this artist. Because it's like, yo, it's always going to be him first. And you know, you get to a point where you like, yeah, man. Like, you know, I'm. I feel like I'm just as nice as you. It gets to that point too sometimes. Yeah. I was signed years ago. I was a little bro and all of that. Lil bro is Grammy nominated now for rap album of the year.
Rory
I mean, now that I feel like
Mall
I could get my shit off, now
Rory
that everything has passed from 2024 with the big three, they've all put albums out. I think this could be the cool time where they release more music. Like, I don't see why Cole, I know he said he was retired, but I don't see why he wouldn't want to put out. Maybe it's not 15 tracks. Maybe it's seven. Maybe we throw out a quick J. Cole JID EP real quick. In between JID's album cycle. They're at that point now. At this point, all three of them should put out as much music as they want. No more this waiting game of who's going to say what because of the beef. Put out as much music as possible. Why can't Cole just put the JIT shit out? I don't think there's a point now where every. The three of them have to be so particular in every move that they make, in every look that they give. Because all three of them have put out the post Beef album. Of course, there'll probably be little shots, whatever, but for the most part, we are all past that. Put out a bunch of music.
Damaris
Well, I'm sure that that album not coming out has nothing to do with that.
Rory
I think it has everything to do with that.
Damaris
I don't. Because if that's the case, that I don't think just says that was ass. There's an issue with them.
Rory
Oh, no, I. I think two things are true. I think he thinks that bar was ass and he feels away. But also that didn't come out the same way. The French verse that Drake didn't clear didn't come out. This is not the time. Everyone is on pins and needles of everything about to say. I need to be strategic. We would have dissected that J. Cole and Jid album to the last fucking syllable. And it was probably recorded before the. Oh, no, it was after the beat. But yeah, we would have been waiting to see what he was about to say about everybody else. Yeah, it would have been a waste. But now that it's passed, why can't you put out a seven track joint with Jid and call it even? I would love to get in the room, Cole, and I'm not saying this as a shot. Cole has been very vocal about not wanting the confrontation and making sure everything's cool. I'm sure he cares about his artists even if it hasn't shown in the past to them. Yeah, squash it and put out music.
Damaris
I would love to hear it. We waiting for it. If anybody's listening. Shebang out there in the ether. Jesus Christ. Is this gonna be a thing? This is gonna be a thing.
Mall
Oh, God, I'm sorry.
Damaris
All year.
Mall
I got it. Tourette's. I'm sorry.
Damaris
What's your favorite song? Today?
Mall
Today.
Damaris
Today.
Mall
Still Janice.
Damaris
Okay. I'm gonna check in with you every day and see if it changes. Okay.
Mall
Yeah, I'm still feeling Janice. Okay, Janice and shebang still. It's my shit right there.
Damaris
Okay?
Mall
I'm saying why y' all laughing?
Damaris
Yo, it's the way you said it.
Rory
I'm laughing at the two of y'.
Damaris
All.
Mall
That's my shit right there. More Janice Still.
Rory
Yeah, no worrying now, Ma. I have not told you this before, but Boost Mobile is proving that you don't have to overpay for great wireless.
Mall
Prove it to me.
Rory
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Mall
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Kal Penn
Hey, everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay the Audible and iheart audiobook club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.
Ray Porter
I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh, my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.
Kal Penn
Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Reese Witherspoon
Picture this. Me, Reese 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 autograph journey terms apply. You heard the Lupe Shebang freestyle.
Mall
Then I saw the video, but I didn't listen to it.
Rory
Shout out to Lupe. He was performing. I wasn't sure if it was a show festival, what it was, but he forgot the lyrics to Kick Push two, which, I mean, I give you a pass. I love Kick Push two, but it's not one that I feel like he would perform all the time. And I saw Lupe perform at Rock the Bell's Cruise, and I came in here and said was blown away by his performance. He's a really, really good performer at the ability that you are rapping at that level and your show is like, that says something. So, yeah, I wouldn't boom for forgetting The Kick Push. The Kick Push lyrics. Then I'd have, like, a little bit of an issue for what I paid. But Kick Push two? Nah. But he started talking to the crowd that, you know, it's y' all fault. Y' all went and downloaded all this music on Limewire. We should be in fucking stadiums. I'm forgetting this shit. Cause y' all downloaded it, and it never came out. Cause Kick Push 2 never really came out. Yeah, like, it had to leak. Cause it was on Limewire. And he's like, of course I don't perform this. Y' all leaked it. It's not a song, right?
Damaris
Well, then, nigga, that still ain't our fault. Why you got it on the. The fuck you the one did sound check, nigga.
Rory
Like, why you blaming us?
Mall
But you know what? I am always fascinated at how artists, especially rappers, because there's so many more words with rap, how they can remember all of those verses. Like, when they had a show. That shit always fascinates me. Even if you wrote it and it's your shit, it's like for you to go out there and perform that and remember every word for two hours.
Damaris
Yeah, but their fans be sitting up there singing every word with them, and they. Fans didn't write it.
Mall
Yeah, but it's.
Rory
Yeah, but they have breath control. They're. They're performing it.
Mall
It's different when I'm performing it. Yeah. Like, I'm performing it. Like, you could take seconds off and start recording me and talking to your friend. And I'm actually still having to rap these entire records on stage. Like, that's always been fascinating to me with rap. Like, great rappers that can perform. Like, the fact that you can memorize all of those lyrics and the timing of it and everything, like, at the
Rory
level that Lupe raps.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
And I'm telling you, at the show, you can hear every word. Like, it's like you're listening to the record.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
It's incredible what he does. But I laughed when he said that. As far as, like, it's y' all fucking fault with downloading music. And I feel for Lupe because his specific generation, pre Blog era, they got hit the hardest with this shit. When they signed the majors, they had to deal with leaks, I think worse than anybody. Of course, it was a thing in the early 2000s, but that mid 2000, and then iTunes was hitting CD stores was. LimeWire was going crazy. Kaza was going crazy. Lupe's generation got this worse than anyone because the generation after learned to adjust it we'll give them free mixtapes and hopefully we can sell the album.
Mall
Right.
Rory
He was like, yo, this is my single and it's on Limewire.
Damaris
Hey, man.
Rory
So I, I, I feel for that, that gap that like 2003 to six. I feel for those guys a lot. Seven maybe. But I, I laughed at it. I didn't know he was going to get killed on the Internet to the point that he had to reply. And even in the freestyle he was like, rob, it wasn't that serious.
Damaris
Oh, he really does. I thought you were joking when you.
Rory
No, he wrapped up with Shebang.
Damaris
He really has a shebang freestyle. I'm gonna have to check that out.
Rory
Yeah, it's good too. He's just addressing the entire thing. But yeah, Lupe.
Damaris
Do y' all think Lupe could have like a comeback or do you think like, it's like legacy his.
Rory
Because he's been really consistent.
Damaris
Come back into mainstream is what I said. When I say come back, it's always
Rory
no and not because he's, he can't. Because he doesn't never gonna.
Mall
Yeah, you don't want that. No, he can still put out, he
Rory
puts out great albums. Yeah, yeah, he's in again. He was in that system that sucked. And you know, he was outside Atlantic protesting like he's, he's done with that, that world and I'm sure happy about it.
Mall
But don't get it twisted. He can still out rap 99.
Damaris
Oh, for sure.
Rory
99.999.
Mall
Yeah, for sure.
Rory
And I mean, he, he puts out, he's active like every year. You get a Lupe product every other year at minimum. So shout out to Lupe. I just thought that was funny. Yelling at your own fans.
Mall
It's your fault and I should be
Rory
in stadiums and I, and I feel them.
Mall
Definitely.
Rory
But I was 15. Lupe, if you were 15, you would have downloaded your shit too.
Mall
Oh, no, I mean, he, he understands it. He gets that.
Rory
Like, you Remember the Andre 3000 what a job verse on the Devin the Dude album where he just, he's addressing all legal downloads. Like, if I came to your job and took your corner of the car, how would, would you be all right with it?
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Cool. So, yeah, I like totally understand what Andre 3000 was saying now that I'm an adult and like in business. Yeah, but as a kid, I'm like download.
Mall
Absolutely. But also in that moment, I don't think that they're talking to the 15 year old kids.
Rory
No, but we are. We were the ones that were doing it the most.
Damaris
Yeah.
Mall
I mean that we were.
Rory
And, like, ones on the Internet, even, like, I think Metallica was probably, like, the first band that was anti Napster. I think they even got Napster, like, shut down. And I remember as a kid, like, everyone calling, like, you're whining, you fucking whiny millionaires. But it's like, dude, imagine if you had a bunch of T shirts in your house and you was going to sell them for $10 and then they stole them and went, what's the problem?
Mall
Right? Makes sense. I get it.
Rory
What's your issue?
Mall
I totally get it. I understand it. But kids gonna download shit. That's a fact.
Rory
Adults, too.
Kal Penn
Yeah.
Mall
Illegally. We're gonna download some shit now, but also support as well.
Rory
Yeah. The new version of that to me is buying the projects on itunes. Like, streaming. Of course, Penny.
Damaris
But yeah, yeah, I buy my friend stuff. Yeah.
Rory
If it's the artist I really support, I'm going. Even though I'm probably going to listen to it on streaming and not downloading.
Mall
I bought your album.
Rory
I appreciate that, man.
Mall
I said, I think. Hold on. Okay.
Rory
It counts as 1500 streams, so thank you.
Damaris
It does.
Rory
Yes. 1500 times.
Damaris
I think I. Yeah, I think I bought your album, too.
Mall
Oh, yeah, I bought it.
Rory
But that's clearly not affecting John Toliver.
Damaris
Oh, yeah. No.
Rory
He's cracked the code. Octane is the first 2026 rap album to sell over 1 million copies.
Mall
I need more flowers. Actually, I don't it.
Rory
Y' all in the flower for, like, a Don Toliver. Now we're downloading flowers. We're stealing them.
Mall
I told y', all, three months ago, this was the hottest. Y' all looked at me like, nah, Nobody imagine it was Damaris. Because she was like, I went somewhere. They didn't play. No, Don.
Damaris
First of all, I never said that Don Toliver wasn't hot at all. I never said that. No, I didn't. Okay. That's what I said. That's what I said.
Mall
Did you say that?
Damaris
That's what I said. Peach.
Mall
Then she said that that just came from burgers and bottles. Usually. I said that.
Damaris
I didn't hear that. I never said Don Toliver wasn't hot. I never said that. When what happened was. You said, no, which happened was Don Tolliver. I think on the list was eight. And out of the seven people or something that was ahead of him or I don't know how far down he was, you said, out of all seven of those people, take J. Cole. You could Take J. Cole out and put Don Toliver there. That is where you got flack for me because I was like, at the time that they did the eligibility period, J. Cole was extremely hot because it was literally the rollout and the release of the fall off. That's what I said. I never said Don Toliver wasn't hot and he didn't deserve to be in the list of the top hottest rappers. Never said that. So if you gonna quote me, quote me right, nigga.
Mall
We're gonna find the clip.
Damaris
Okay, then find it.
Mall
And I don't want. Put your Billy Jean shoes on and start moonwalking.
Damaris
N. I don't my. I don't never do.
Mall
I remember all my. Take all you moonwalking. You talking about Michael came out now all. You know how to moonwalk all of a sudden. I'm sick of this.
Rory
Anyway, though, Saturday I open the sunroof and we can put on Don Tor shoot a video.
Mall
No, put. Put that other on.
Rory
Don't. Don't start.
Mall
I just said put that other on.
Rory
I know what you're getting at, so I'm saying don't start.
Mall
So that's it. Put that other on.
Rory
Was there. Was there any other BET Award nominees that you wanted to talk about? I mean, I don't know if that's too compelling to the listeners. Just go through.
Mall
Nah. Shout out to Don Tolliver. Man. Million. A million. Million records sold.
Rory
Yeah, definitely. Congratulations.
Mall
Congrats to Don Tolliver. Congratulations to the entire team over there. Octane is phenomenal. If Octane didn't come out, I don't know what the hell I would have been listening to for the last however many months. But. Yeah.
Damaris
So, Wale, going into what you said about the BET Awards, Wale is nominated. Everything Is A Lot is nominated for Album of the Year, but he's not nominated for Best Male Hip Hop Artist.
Rory
How Watching us with Leon Thomas. That's nominated, right? Or I'm gonna start going on Wale and Leon Thomas watching us. It's a fucking smash record.
Mall
That should be a number one record.
Damaris
Well, I think we're looking at. We're looking at album of the year first. So let me. Give me a second.
Rory
I'm about to get on a Wale rant. If that's the case.
Damaris
Give me a second. We're still at the album of the year.
Rory
Don't tap the glass, Tyler. Everything is a lot. While they let God sort him out Clips the Fall off Heart sold separately. Damaris the Scientist Mutt Deluxe Leon Thomas the Romantic Bruno Mars, am I the drama Cardi B? You guys know how I feel about Tyler, but that can go. And Jid should be in that slot. Other than that, I think this is a cool, cool list.
Damaris
So Baby Keem isn't on here. Actually, most of the people that were on that were nominated for best Male Hip Hop artists are not on here.
Rory
But I, I, I'm fine with the Deluxe stuff because. Because Mutt Deluxe is like a whole new album. But that's gonna start getting tricky. Like, we gotta. I feel like someone should flag that.
Damaris
Yeah.
Rory
Because it's gonna be a cheat code. Like, Sza SOS should be like, Grammy nominated, like now. Because it's another 32. Like, yeah, that's. And then it's gonna add to the streams and the numbers, which is gonna give it merit to then be nominated to get. Like, I just think it's, it's unfair to a lot of artists. I don't know if Deluxe should be eligible for album of the year. Songs of the year, I think is totally fine because they're new songs. But that's such a cheat code because, like, he could do a third one, and it's gonna be great. And Mutt, it's just gonna be Mutt for three years straight.
Damaris
What you guys vote for?
Mall
Who's your vote Album of the year?
Damaris
You gonna go Wale mall?
Rory
I mean, out of these was just the impact, but let's sort them out.
Mall
The Mutt Deluxe is like, come on. Mud was incredible. Yeah.
Damaris
It's not fair.
Rory
Let's.
Damaris
Let's take. Let's, let's take Mud out. To be fair. Let's take Mud out. And who do you guys.
Rory
But doesn't Cardi's gonna win so Atlanta fall in this. The Deluxe of SOS that came out
Damaris
like two years ago. Boo.
Rory
No, it was. It's in my R b albums of 2025.
Damaris
Wait, what? What month did it come out of? 2025.
Mall
Probably a year ago. Yeah, like, probably like March.
Rory
Oh, no, it came right at the end of 2024.
Damaris
Yeah, I was like, the last day. No way.
Rory
That was the last day. Yeah. Okay, fair enough. Yeah, I'd go clips. Let God have sworn out of all these.
Damaris
Yeah.
Rory
But no, that the Mutt Deluxes is nuts. But yeah, I think, I mean, Cardi.
Damaris
Cardi's.
Rory
Cardi made a crazy splash with that. With that album.
Damaris
It's gonna. From the, from the award show. That it is. Cardi is. Cardi is gonna win.
Rory
Yeah, I'm not mad at that. All right, let's look at best male R B slash pop artist. Bren Fias, Bruno Mars, Bryson Taylor, Chris Brown, Duran Renard, Giveon, Leon Thomas. October London, Usher. Out the gate. I'm still with Leon. You going, Leon for the cycle?
Mall
That.
Rory
That's there. Okay. I mean, I get. I get why Chris is here, because his tour was, like, one of the craziest things ever. But Brown didn't make that cycle. Did he put out much music in between? He put out the record with. With Brent, and I think that was it. Right in that cycle.
Damaris
Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Rory
But I mean, the tour alone, I'm not mad at the nomination, but. What did I say? Brent? I meant Bryson.
Damaris
You said Brent? Yeah.
Rory
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I meant Chris put out a record with Bryson that was huge. But you could make a case for Bryson had a great year as well. I just think Leon checked all the boxes for that cycle.
Damaris
Okay, Ma, what's your vote?
Mall
It's almost unfair whenever Chris is there, man.
Rory
But if he didn't. If you put out one song in the tour, like, I. I just feel like Leon put out so much music featured on so many people's stuff. He's been on tour the entire time.
Mall
Personally, I mean, I'll go. I'll probably me. When I listen to the most, probably was Brent. Okay. Out of everybody up here, Brent and Bryson. Duran Bernard's album was crazy, though.
Rory
Really good.
Mall
Giveon had a good project. October London had a good project. This is a tough category. Honestly, this might be the toughest.
Damaris
I wouldn't be mad at them giving it to Duran.
Mall
Honestly, to Duran, Bernard, I wouldn't be mad. This album was dope. But, yeah, whenever you have somebody up there like a Chris Brown, though, and you know to what JIT is saying, it's kind of like that.
Damaris
It's like, yeah, but it's for the year, though.
Mall
It's voters fatigue. You know what I'm saying? Like, someone's like, michael Jordan should have won MVP every year he played, right? But you can't give it to Michael Jordan every year, even though he probably is the best player in the league every year. Chris Brown's probably the best male R and B pop artist every year, even if he's not putting out an album or say he's just touring. If he's just touring and selling out stadiums, it's like, so then what's the
Damaris
criteria if it does, if it's not. If an album is not required, what makes you the best of that year? What makes you better?
Mall
You're selling out stadiums.
Damaris
So you sold out, you toured better than people. That's it.
Mall
Yeah, that's a big hit.
Damaris
I mean, of course, but is that the only criteria? That's what all I'm saying is that the only criteria.
Mall
I mean, not the only. But that's a major part of it. When you see me selling out stadiums, like, it's hard to say anybody's a better male R and B pop artist than me. You know what I'm saying?
Rory
I hear you, but that's just one thing. Leon, of course, didn't do stadiums, but he was on tour that entire cycle with huge venues around the entire world for sure.
Mall
And he had an incredible album, plus
Rory
the deluxe plus feature. Like. Yeah, I just think he checks more boxes than Chris does in. In that regard.
Mall
No, I'm. I'm with you. Like I said, me personally, I would. My. My vote would be Brent. Me personally.
Damaris
Why would your vote be Brent? Because of his. His project.
Mall
Those project was incredible.
Rory
Same.
Damaris
Okay.
Mall
His project was incredible.
Rory
So you.
Mall
Okay, but I'm just saying it's hard. Whenever you put Chris Brown, it's like. You know what I'm saying? It's like, here come this. You know what I'm saying? Like, ah, damn. Who the island beating Christian in a category. You know what I'm saying?
Rory
But did Brent's album Icon just made it February 13, 2026. Yeah, just made it. Dijon. I feel like. I know you guys aren't a huge fan of him, but his album Baby was my favorite last year, and he wrote a majority of Justin Bieber's Dijon.
Mall
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Rory
He had an incredible R B pop album last year and wrote almost all of both those Justin Bieber albums. Like, I'm not saying he should win, but, like, a nomination, I would understand, okay, that. That would be my only add on in here, but.
Damaris
So you're going Leon, you're going Chris, and I'm going Leon.
Rory
Yeah.
Damaris
Okay.
Rory
We can quickly do the female R and B pop.
Mall
I wanted to go Bruno.
Rory
We can quickly do the best female R B pop artist.
Damaris
Not this year.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
I hate Ari Lennox, Coco Jones, lma, Jill Scott, Kehlani Mariah, the scientist, Olivia Dean, Sza Thames. I'm leaning towards Kehlani.
Damaris
Kehlani should win.
Rory
That's the first one out the gate that I'm thinking.
Damaris
They sleep in our Ella, though. I ain't gonna too much lie to you, but Kehlani should win.
Mall
Tim's.
Rory
I was either gonna go Kehlani or Tim's.
Mall
Yeah, I think I'm gonna go. Tim's.
Rory
That Tim. That's.
Mall
I ain't gonna lie. Olivia Dean, though.
Damaris
Tim.
Rory
But then, well, she swept in like the. Yeah.
Mall
Olivia Dean.
Damaris
We call it anything R and B now.
Mall
You don't think Olivia Dean is R and B?
Damaris
I don't think Olivia.
Rory
Well, it's R and B pop.
Damaris
Tim's has a R and B pop. Okay. Yeah.
Rory
No. Olivia Dean.
Damaris
Even in that category, R and B pop, Tim's is a. Ah. Tim's makes a lot of different types of. Yes. And it's more Afro beats than R B. And I love Tim's album. I listen.
Mall
She got one of the
Rory
records. Like, Afrobeats is pop.
Damaris
Yeah.
Mall
Tim's got one of the best R B records of the year.
Damaris
Yes. For sure.
Rory
Album for sure.
Damaris
But the album is not completely R B. It's not even. It's not even really half R B. Like, it has R B elements. But I would consider it.
Rory
I'm saying pop. Like Olivia Dean and Thames.
Damaris
Olivia Dean pop makes sense. Yes.
Rory
Yeah. And Thames, too. I think that sound is. When you have Ed Sheeran, like, strumming away to Afrobeats. It's pop music now. Yeah.
Damaris
Olivia Dean had a huge year, but I don't think they're going to give it to her. But she had a huge year. The only bet is going to give it to Kehlani.
Rory
I mean, I think it should go to her.
Damaris
Yes.
Rory
That's. That's my opinion.
Mall
But yeah, Folded is like, what you gonna do with that?
Damaris
Kehlani had one hell of a year. I think they're gonna give it to her. But Olivia Dean would be a strong contender. I don't like them combining R B and pop. I think that's extremely lazy.
Rory
I hate that. Yeah. But y' all know my vote. I also get it with. With time. Like, how much time you have to shoot the award show. I guess you could do ones off. Off camera.
Damaris
Okay. They still doing video of the year? People still watch videos?
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Hell, yeah.
Damaris
There is no song of the year award now, which is interesting.
Rory
Of all the things you could take away.
Mall
So what did they replace it with?
Damaris
I don't think so. They probably just took it away.
Mall
That's crazy how you just take away song of the year.
Damaris
Like, I kind of get that, though.
Mall
Song of the year. But I mean, folded.
Damaris
No.
Mall
What would be the song of the Year?
Damaris
Because I'm sure that there were bigger songs than folks. Like, that's what I get. I get getting I get wanting to get rid of Song of the Year because you have to then include so many categories. With albums, it's already hard to narrow it down to 8, 9. But then with songs. Oh, Video of the Year is in. Stanford is the closest for it would be Video of the Year. But that doesn't. You could have a terrible song and a great video. It doesn't mean anything.
Mall
So video to you is supposed to be substituting for song of the Year.
Damaris
No, it's not. That was a. That was a misspeak on my part. But yeah, I feel like how are you gonna pick like from every single category of genre, pick one song of the year? I feel like that's tough to do.
Rory
Yeah.
Damaris
Even the Grammys has Song of the Year and Record of the Year. One acknowledges like impact and all the things. All of those things. And one acknowledges writing.
Rory
So, yeah, I'll be tuning in and I know the Hip Hop Awards are no longer here with us, but we could add the cyphers right. In 2024, rest in peace to the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Mall
He's no longer with us.
Rory
I think you could still take the greatest thing from that, which was the Ciphers, and add it to the BET Awards because I think the Internet cares about that. Even if you get some rappers up there that can't rap, it'll still be a moment. And that could be a cool way to get legacy involved in some of that or some of the. The rappers. Rappers like to make a well rounded show. Yeah. If they're not gonna be nominated, let them rap.
Damaris
Yeah.
Rory
Okay, Legit. Do a J. Cole diss record in the BET Cipher.
Damaris
But this. So the people who. I think the ciphers, the people who would allow themselves to go and actually be in the ciphers, can't really rap like that. The niggas that can really rap don't be trying to do them ciphers.
Rory
So I disagree. If you had all the people that.
Mall
All the rappers did the ciphers before.
Damaris
Before. I'm talking about now in this day.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Last year I seen y' all roll Brandi out. The last year, some shit. Brandi started rapping.
Damaris
Don't do that. It was Teyana Taylor.
Mall
Yeah, it was a couple people.
Damaris
Brandi did a good job.
Mall
That was still cool though, is what I'm saying. I get what they was trying to do, but I was saying her. Her.
Damaris
I think her had a verse, but her could rap.
Mall
Yeah, but I'm cool.
Rory
All right. But if you see. All right. Have on the Radar hosted like you see the amount of people that could actually rap that go up to what's not now LA leakers, but leakers on the Radar. Like, it's clearly. You can see the views of people that are rapping, rapping. Let on the Radar hosted. There's rappers that want to rap that. That.
Mall
Yeah, but then y' all gonna want to put all the Fentanyl young rappers on there, and I don't.
Damaris
They are gonna want to, because that's
Rory
what's gonna get them to use.
Damaris
That's the thing.
Mall
That's what we.
Rory
I mean, did you just see what Gabe did with that? Who's next? Cipher for on the Radar? It was seven incredible lyricists. Like, they exist, but that's not gonna
Damaris
get ratings they care about. Not even ratings. That's.
Rory
No, that's why I said balance it with the people that can't rap. Okay, let's. Let's make a spectacle and laugh and then let's see some people rap.
Mall
Shout out Corey Guns. He got a dope cipher right now. One Train Cyphers.
Rory
Corey Guns went nuts on that.
Mall
Yeah, he went crazy on that.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
Shout out to Corey.
Rory
Yeah, Shit. Corey Gunn's up there.
Mall
Yeah, I ain't mad at that, but I just don't know if it's at the BET Awards, though.
Rory
I mean.
Mall
But I get it. Anyways, get the nominees right. First and foremost. Let's start there. Get the nominees right. Cause Wale should be nominated.
Rory
Well, he's got some in there, but now that I know Song of the Year isn't there, I feel less upset about watching us. But, yeah, I saw this tweet yesterday. Wale put up a video. And what's that? Lost in Vegas. 83 asked a really good question. Who is Wale's rap ancestor? He's always sounded like his own thing to me. What rap family tree does he belong to? Such a creative, authentic talent that needs to be appreciated more for his contributions. I completely agree. I don't know if Wale really has one, and I think that's in part to being from the dmv, where there's not a long lineage of popular hip hop. Because when he came out, he was. He was rapping 100 miles. He's rapping on gogo beats. Of course, he didn't sound like anyone. No one ever rapped on Go Go beats. But yeah, I think him being Nigerian, his accent, and from the dmv, I don't know who. Like. Like, we've never really seen that before.
Damaris
Well, some people put some suggestions in there. He got a couple answers where it's like Q Tip. He has a Az, a black thought.
Rory
I mean, he has a little bit of lyrical Y class.
Damaris
Nas, Lauren, Andre.
Rory
I mean, no, he raps at a high level. I just don't, like. I don't, like, hear AZ when I hear they're both incredible lyricists. I don't hear Wale when I hear Az.
Damaris
Everybody is saying Q Tip. Tip and Lauren.
Mall
Yeah, Tribe.
Damaris
Yeah, I can hear Tribe Tip for sure.
Rory
And again, yeah, he's a lyrical Wycliffe more than I think Lauren, but, yeah, that makes sense. That was a cool question, though. Yeah, I like when there's healthy questions.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Yeah. Fuji's for sure in the pockets that he uses. Friend of the show, Ray Daniels, who we've had up here, had one of the wildest predictions, and I love Ray and sometimes I know Ray's trolling, but I don't. I kind of felt like he believed this one.
Damaris
Some people said believe a lot of the things that they say.
Rory
Jay is gonna to diss Drake and there'll be a back and forth. He said he's gonna put out an album, not that he's gonna give a little acapella shot at Yankee Stadium. Yeah, but he said Jay gonna put out an album.
Mall
Yeah, but Ray also said it was over for Draco. He also said it was over for Drake.
Rory
Did he?
Mall
Yeah, he said that he was pumping that heavy.
Rory
I thought he came up here and complimented him.
Mall
No, he said it's over for Drake. He said that he was running around for over a year saying that.
Rory
But didn't he come on this couch and say that music has been missing without him? And I thought he complimented Drake. I felt like you're back and forth. He even admitted humbly that you put things in perspective for him.
Mall
I know what he was saying for a year before he came up here is what I'm saying. He was very loud about it being over for Drake.
Rory
Over.
Mall
And I'm like, you know, okay. I don't think Jay is going to just district, though. I don't see that.
Damaris
So one thing that we didn't really cover in our last episode and we caught a lot of flack for it is what I'm sure he's responded to or even saying this is because there were allegedly a lot of Jay Z shots on Iceman Chick is up that people assumed were about.
Mall
What are the shots?
Rory
I mean, I guess it depends your definition of shots. He. He definitely addressed hoving and gave him a few little elbows, in my opinion. Based off putting Kendrick on the Super Bowl. But he said, I'll take the 500. I'll take the 500K. Not the dinner. I never could learn from none of y'. All. That's in regards to the 500k or dinner with Jay Z where you could learn from him and become a mogul instead of.
Mall
That's a shot.
Damaris
No.
Mall
Oh, okay.
Rory
But saying I could never learn from y'. All. It's a. It's an elbow. It's a. We're in the paint, and we're going for a rebound, and I give you an elbow. It's not a flagrant. It's just. I'm going up for the rebound.
Mall
Okay.
Rory
That's all that is. And then there was the. We know how. You OGs are rocking already. The jig is up.
Mall
That's a shot.
Rory
I'm. It's an elbow in the paint.
Mall
So where's the shots?
Rory
Okay. There was also. Do you remember on Fear when he said, I'll never. I never cry when Pac died, but I probably will when HOV does. And I'll drop a tear for every single thing he showed us. And then in the videos for the stream, he's at a grave, and he has one tear. So the fans are alleging that compared to that line in there in the video, that he's suggesting that he could never learn shit from hov. Didn't learn shit from hov. Now he's at the grave, and he was gonna drop a tear for every single thing that HOV showed us.
Mall
Y' all be there. Y' all be doing too much.
Damaris
I feel like that's dragged.
Rory
Paul, I didn't write this.
Mall
I know. I said y'. All. Meaning, like, whoever said that they doing too much?
Damaris
No.
Rory
Okay. But you do think it's a little lyrical. Elbows on.
Damaris
I don't. Yeah. I think that the. I'll take the 500k, not the dinner. I can never learn shit from none of y'. All. That's an elbow. That's a little bit of a shot. I don't. Do we know how you oversee rocking already?
Kal Penn
All right.
Rory
Come on.
Mall
But it's not a shot.
Rory
If J just happened to land on that lyric.
Mall
It's not a shot of Jay Z himself said to take the 500K. He's. Jay said that out his mouth. Take the 500K.
Rory
That. Those two things don't connect.
Damaris
Yeah.
Mall
All right. But him having a teardrop on his face and.
Damaris
No, that was wild.
Rory
I thought that was very much a reach, but I just wanted to Laugh for a little bit. All right. HOV has done two B side shows where he had brand new verses. He goes acapella and gives us a new verse, addresses everything that's currently happening. He addressed the nip one at the one that I went to. He addressed him starting title and everything that he went through with Apple and Amazon at the other bside show. I do assume, whether it be Roots Picnic next week or either of these Yankee Stadium shows, we will be getting a new Jay Z verse, not a new song like Acapella that's addressing something that's currently happening bars. I see a world, not the Ray Daniels world that you get a shot, an elbow similar to these. Nothing crazy. I'm just elbowing you back in the paint for the rebound. Okay, Three, no, four shows. Three at Yankee Stadium, one at Roots Picnic, within three months of each other. There's no way. We're not getting Jay to address anything that's going on right now. Okay. And Acapella's happening.
Mall
I could see that. I don't know if it'll be a back and forth, though. Like, I don't. I don't know if it'd be that. But. Yeah, that's part of. That's part of the sport, though. Like, you know, rappers say my name and, you know, like you said, a little. Not necessarily a shot, but a little like, you know, my name is in there, though.
Rory
But that's the book of hov.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
Hope started exactly with Drake, right?
Mall
So it's like, okay, like, I heard you.
Damaris
Like, all right, so he did learn shit,
Rory
and that may be in the freestyle callback.
Mall
Yeah, but I mean. Yeah, I guess I don't know if it'll be a back and forth, though, that I don't see. I don't see a back and forth happening. But, I mean, I definitely see Jay giving us new bars and, you know, maybe over an original beat or something that we haven't heard yet and him having some type of rebuttal to. You know what I mean? Yeah. You niggas running to talk to HOV for a second opinion.
Rory
I don't think that was a shot at hov.
Mall
I think, no, it wasn't a shot, but I could see Jay kind of like playing off of that maybe. But the back and forth and the diss and all of that.
Damaris
No, no, that shit has never happen.
Mall
I don't see Jay dissing Drake.
Damaris
Nah, it's never happening.
Mall
No, I don't see that happening. I would be very surprised if Jay disses Drake like I would be very surprised. Do I hear a rebuttal and a little, like, I caught that bar and like, a little, like, response to the bar? Yeah, for sure. That's part of the sport. That's hip hop, that's rap. But a diss, like disrespect and then like, back and forth. I don't see that. Yeah, no.
Rory
All right, I hear well. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock BET Florida Sportsbook. I was going crazy over the weekend with Preakness, and I turned out. I did a. I did all right, man.
Mall
Made a little coin.
Rory
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Mall
You know what you gotta do first, though, right, Rory?
Rory
What's that?
Mall
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Rory
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Mall
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Kal Penn
everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary, Massive Sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.
Ray Porter
I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections and it's like, okay, yo yo yo, is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great cause it served the story. People will say like oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like yeah dude, me too.
Kal Penn
Listen To Hearsay the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Reese Witherspoon
Picture this. Me, Reese 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 Terms apply. Well, while we're on festival, sorry to get a little local, but Summer Jam put out their lineup and I think it looks great. It's a little confusing.
Damaris
Yeah, confused the.
Rory
Out of me, actually, I was very, very confused. It's the experience from 7pm to 11pm, but the main stage starts at 8. So my guess is they're going to just have people come out during DJ sets. And I promise, I'm not saying that they bit Palooza or child's drums or anything, but I'm saying like a palooza when you're at a party and then performers just come out to perform their biggest records and then you go back to DJ set and back to artists,
Damaris
which means that they gotta pay them less because they're probably coming out in performance 100%.
Rory
Yep. Two records, not a full set. We'll handle all the production. Yeah, you don't need dancers, you don't need a lighting guy. We got it all.
Damaris
Yeah. The biggest party to ever hit an arena. Yeah, man, they cutting them corners, ain't they?
Rory
Don't do that to Hot 97.
Damaris
They are. I mean, I get it. Like it's expensive to throw these shits now.
Rory
Like hell yeah. But no, I mean, I think the lineup is. Is cool. The 7pm main stage is all our guys bars there and then you got the party afterwards. And I think a welcome home to Fetty Wap. I assume Fetty's gonna close the show. That's a huge moment in Newark. Like, I think it's for. For what they have budget wise and where everything is at, where Hot 97 is at. I think they did a great job of putting together a good event.
Damaris
Who you think they're gonna be loudest? The loudest for outside of Fetty Wap. Let's be messy,
Rory
yo. They, in my opinion, they got the baby's name way too small.
Damaris
I literally, I would literally was about to say the baby thing needs to
Rory
be the Size of the experience.
Damaris
He's going to have the loudest when they play that song. Especially if it's advertised as, like, a party. When they play that song, that. That arena is gonna go insane.
Rory
If you give Baby five records, he's. It'll be. It'll be tough to find pop.
Damaris
That is one of the biggest songs right now in hip hop pop that you can't go nowhere without hearing that song in Jersey.
Rory
French. I mean, French is always gonna be French. So. Yeah, I would say the Baby or French Montana. Okay. Would have the biggest, I think. I mean, I don't. Does the younger crowd go? I haven't been to one in a long time. I. Spice. If she twerks. I mean, I think she'll do the spongebob song.
Damaris
Honey Baby Ice Spice Da Baby G. Herbo has a very young crowd, too, though.
Rory
Yeah. Cash Cobain. And I'm not saying Cash Cobain is local by any means. I'm saying when he's local, it's even crazier.
Damaris
Yeah. Sleep Apollo 41. Those are all very young. That's a young crowd.
Rory
And they make music at party, too, so. No, I think they did well, man.
Damaris
Shout out to them.
Mall
Yeah. Fetty gonna have that going crazy, though.
Rory
Nuts. I. That. That would be the reason I would go. I would go upper deck to stay away from the party, but I'd buy the cheap seats just to watch. But. All right, we get to see Kaz host.
Damaris
Okay. As a hosting.
Rory
Yeah. Host Nessa Mornings with marrow team. And DJ Drew Ski Flex is DJing the experience. So, you know, there'll be a lot of yelling.
Damaris
Oh, he gonna yell over all the records.
Rory
It's gonna be an experience.
Damaris
Don't hate.
Mall
Don't hate.
Damaris
We gotta do what they gotta do, man. At least it's still going on, so.
Rory
No, for sure. I'm. Listen, we. I feel like we've been one of the few pods over the last five years that has championed Summer Jam, taking the pivot they had to take. Like, you can't complain. They don't try to do local.
Mall
They definitely do.
Rory
And I mean, if you like the local, that's on you.
Damaris
Yeah. We're gonna talk about Max B saying only three New York rappers is better than him. Or y' all just want to skip straight to sports.
Mall
Wait, what? Max said
Damaris
only Big J and Nas better than him In New York, all time rappers debate.
Rory
And they was on Gillian Wallow. And didn't Wallow bring up Big Daddy Kane. And he said Big Daddy Kane was irrelevant.
Jacob Goldstein
Yeah,
Damaris
yeah.
Rory
Which I understood why Max B had the reaction he had. And I get Wallow's point as well. Like, Big Daddy King still tours every year. He's relevant in a legacy ACT world. But I can see why Max, like, scoffed at that entire thing.
Damaris
He said he ahead of Rakim, too. Y' all so disrespectful to women.
Rory
Who did he say?
Damaris
He said he bigger than Rakim and Big Daddy Kane. But Nicki Minaj is way bigger than, like. Like, I just need us all to be for real. And I don't like how her name doesn't get mentioned. But, I mean, you know, he said Big.
Rory
Big J and Nas were the only ones. He wasn't.
Damaris
Yeah, Big J and I was only ones bigger than him.
Rory
All right, man, shout out to Max
Mall
B. Yeah, shout out. Yo, that's where I'm at. That's where I'm at when start saying like that. Yo, listen, shout out Max, man. Like, you know, I mean, what you want me to say? If that's how he feel like, you know, all right, cool. I'm not here to. You know what I'm saying?
Damaris
Bet he said nobody has the catalog that he has.
Rory
Nah, dmx? Nobody.
Mall
No, shout out Max, dog. Like, that's where I'm at in life, man. It you say whatever the. Y', all.
Rory
If I beat a body, I'd feel like I better. Everybody, too.
Mall
You know what I'm saying?
Damaris
None of you beat a body. What's really the criteria for male hip hop artists? None of you beat a body.
Rory
That being a criteria on the best male hip hop artist? Did they beat a body? Yeah, check.
Damaris
That's one of them. How y' all feeling as Knicks fans? Y' all felt good for y'. All.
Rory
I mean, when. When we're recording this right now. Game two is in a few hours.
Damaris
God damn. Y' all can't clap. Speed it.
Mall
Yeah, I thought it was, like, it's only one game. Settle to settle the troops.
Rory
That's hate.
Mall
Nah, listen, I'm just saying.
Rory
No, that's. That's.
Mall
I've been here before. I've seen this.
Rory
That's seven games in a row.
Mall
Tonight's game. We're recording this on a Thursday?
Rory
Yes, I already said that. We recording this hours before game two. But we already know the Knicks is up 2 0. You can quote me on that one.
Mall
You standing on that?
Rory
Absolutely. If we win tonight, it's a sweep.
Mall
Big box of business standing on.
Rory
We looking at. We looking like the. Was it the 01 Lakers that swept all the way. Except for one game to the Sixers.
Damaris
He talking, ain't he? He gonna talk y' all right. Into a hole.
Mall
Oh, they better win tonight.
Rory
Went right down 95. Swept up that whole city.
Mall
Took the brooms to Philly.
Rory
What's. What's. What's Cleveland? What is that? I75. We just going that way now.
Mall
Sweep all of that. Get up everywhere.
Rory
No, I'm. I'm talking. Y' all know I'm so nervous as a Knicks fan that everything is going good.
Mall
Yeah.
Rory
And that. That's never happened, so I'm terrified. We'll see.
Damaris
We'll see.
Rory
We look good, though.
Mall
They do look good. That was a tough one. Last. Was that Monday night.
Damaris
Oh, my God, y'.
Rory
All.
Damaris
I had a dream. Who's the tall nigga that played for the Knicks? The tall Doofy one. He always falling. I can't stand him.
Rory
Mitch is not Doofy.
Damaris
Mitchell. I had a dream I was playing one on one against him. I swear to God.
Mall
Do we have voicemails?
Damaris
I swear to God. Ball. You know how you forget you had a dream until something like just. I had a dream. I was playing 101.
Mall
You had a dream that you was playing Mitchell Robinson.
Rory
101.
Damaris
I swear, my life. Forgot. I had a dream.
Rory
Did he fall?
Damaris
No, obviously I did. But, yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy.
Rory
You should DM him right now and say, hey, I had a dream about you, and just see what his reply is. And then he could say, what was he doing? And he said, one on one.
Mall
Damaris dreaming that she playing Mitchell Robinson.
Damaris
That shit was so weird. I completely forgot.
Mall
You didn't get a bucket.
Rory
There's no way you got.
Damaris
No, I definitely got a bucket. I definitely got a bucket. I crossed them at least once time.
Rory
Mitchell's having trouble. Yeah.
Mall
Hold on, man. Yeah, I hit Damaris with the not. Definitely got a bucket.
Damaris
I definitely got a bucket. You think I'm a loser in my own dreams? Come on, now, bro.
Mall
Yo, I definitely got a bucket. It's hilarious.
Rory
It was a jump. It was a jump shot. Or you. You took it to the. To the hole?
Damaris
No, I took it to the hole.
Rory
All right. It was a reverse layup. Like, give us.
Damaris
I don't remember all that exactly, but I remember, like, it was like a cross cross. And then I ran up and I took it to the hall.
Mall
That getting punched dream or not,
Damaris
I had, like, three files. I kept. I remember, keep.
Rory
I kept even tracks of files, and
Damaris
one on one is I kept following him. That was A crazy ass dream. I cannot believe I forgot I had that.
Rory
You could hang on his bicep and he still dumb.
Damaris
Yo.
Mall
Yo. Damaris is crazy. Yo. What you ate before you went to sleep that night?
Damaris
I don't know.
Rory
It was a steak.
Mall
You had a steak?
Damaris
It was a Tuesday. No, salmon, rice and broccolini.
Mall
Yeah. What you had, what you drank, though?
Damaris
Prune juice.
Mall
Yeah, that's what it was. That's what got you. It was the prune.
Rory
Cleared your system out and the only thing left was Mitch the Prune.
Mall
It's the prune.
Damaris
The prune.
Mall
The prune. Don't do that again. Don't drink no prune before bed.
Rory
Yo.
Damaris
Hey, y'.
Mall
All. And drinking prune juice with dinner is crazy.
Damaris
I drink prune juice regularly. I gotta see. You gotta stay regular. I said I'm an adult woman.
Mall
Like, oh, I'm regular.
Rory
Clear out the system.
Mall
Yeah, I'm regular. I ain't got that problem. But prune juice with a meal.
Damaris
Yeah. I like the taste of prune juice, though.
Mall
Okay. Yeah.
Rory
So. So what'd y' all play for?
Damaris
Oh, I don't remember all of that. Yeah, I don't remember.
Mall
You just remember you scored. We was in the garden.
Damaris
Whatever. Y', all, I know y' all had some unrealistic dreams before.
Rory
I know you don't for sure.
Damaris
In one of your dreams, I got a better chance of crossing him than you got a Halle Berry.
Mall
Me and him, but I don't know one of y'.
Damaris
All. Somebody had that dream before. I've had that dream before. None of y'. All. Cali Berry, Y' all dreams?
Mall
No.
Rory
No. I wish I could train my brain to do that, though.
Mall
Yeah.
Damaris
Ma was breathing on her shoot.
Rory
Or shoot, man. Come on. I'd respect him if he didn't got to.
Mall
That's a young child running wild. That's all I was.
Rory
So you don't remember the score before we close?
Mall
Okay.
Rory
I mean, maybe. Maybe it's double or nothing tonight when you go to sleep.
Mall
It's you and Max, y'. All. The biggest in New York. Don't trip. Hopefully the Knicks get this W tonight, though. They need it.
Rory
Yeah. Before we get to voicemails, Black Love is the New Gangster is out right now. I heard it this week at his listening event, and it sounded incredible. So please take some time today to go listen to Black's new album. Vince Staples White Flag single is out as well. Majid Jordan Cold, which is a single, and French. And Max B Wave Gods, too. They have another project out as well. So some music to listen to.
Mall
Always good to have some good music to listen to.
Rory
And listen. I'm always here from A J.
Mall
Not just in general, but, you know, this will be a lot of fluffing. It'll be a lot of out fluff in the atmosphere.
Rory
I. I would. I would like a good a Magid summer.
Mall
Majid. Now you on mine. You on my type. Why you. My. That's my.
Rory
Come on.
Mall
You know. That's my. Why you can't let nobody.
Rory
You don't even consider Majid EP a classic.
Mall
That's why you can't even let nobody. Y' all killed me for that. For some years, too. Then you went back. He's like, nah, that was hard.
Rory
The four track EP that was introduced to us.
Mall
No, the. The album.
Rory
Oh, the first album. Yeah, that.
Mall
It.
Rory
It aged well. Yeah, but I didn't hate it. I just. I was coming off the four track ep.
Mall
He wasn't vibing like how I was vibing. He was like, nah, I don't know. It was all right.
Rory
You were still on post. Molly was hard.
Mall
That was hard. That was hard. From the gate. From the gate. That was hard. Do we have voicemails? You've got mail.
Damaris
We do.
Mall
From who?
Rory
What's up, guys? So I just see a crazy post. I immediately thought y' all had to get y' all take on that. So essentially, people are taking their messages with their ex, girlfriend, boyfriend, whoever put it into AI and essentially creating an AI generated version of their ex that they can continue a relationship with through messaging. And I thought this was one of the scariest usages of AI I've seen yet. Jeffrey the sad is probably the sickest, but I had to get y' all take. I mean, mall straight off, off the rib. I know you would not be about it, but Rory Tamaris, I can see y' all experimenting a little bit around with it. So let me know what y' all think. Love y'.
Kal Penn
All. Love the pod.
Rory
Talk to y' all soon. Peace. Why would I want to argue with AI?
Damaris
I wrote Chat GBT and said, can you pretend to be my ex? And they say, yeah, tell me what your ex was like. How you want the conversation to feel Comforting, realistic, toxic, like closure, apology and argumentative. And who starts the conversation? Yeah, I just wrote him and said, can you pretend to be my ex?
Mall
And you know what's funny? Before the marriage said that, I said, she would definitely be the one to do that.
Damaris
I would not do that. I would do it for fun. Like, I Just did.
Mall
You would definitely take your ex's text, put them in Chat GPT and, like, use it for future arguments with that nigga. Yes, you would.
Damaris
I would not. I don't need that. You know how good I am.
Rory
Go find an argument like, you just at home bored. Like, you know what? Let me. Let me argue with ChatGPT real quick in the spirit of my ex. I know a lot of that's a sickness.
Damaris
That is scary. I mean, I know a lot of people who have Chat GPT craft their responses in arguments with their partner and stuff like that. I always thought that that was weird.
Rory
I think it's weird, too.
Damaris
That's weird.
Mall
But, yeah, that's very weird.
Rory
And I feel like you could tell, like, if I've been dating someone for a year and all of a sudden now you're using, like, proper English, I would. I'd catch on that you don't even
Damaris
talk this way now, but you can make it sound like you, like, talk like me.
Mall
Talk like me. Argue like, I would.
Damaris
I'm about to say argue with my ex. Like, I would.
Rory
Well, all right, so what's sicker? Doing that or creating a new partner in AI? Like, no, I think getting a new girlfriend on AI is sicker.
Mall
Yeah, of course that's sicker.
Rory
Like. Like. Oh, no, both are equally sick.
Mall
But going back and forth with a. A program. Software about.
Rory
There's a whole movie. What's it called? Her.
Mall
Well, like, now that I think has
Rory
to be an argument. Like, nice text.
Damaris
Yeah.
Rory
Why Jokingly said, oh, it'd be an
Mall
argument going back and forth with some program that is that, you know, is not a real person.
Rory
Yeah.
Mall
And, like, engaging back and forth in conversation romantically. Because it would have to be romantic if it's an ex.
Rory
Right?
Mall
That's. That's insane. That might be the definition of insanity.
Rory
Have you. Have you seen the movie Her? This was well before, like, AI was a thing.
Mall
I believe. So. Yeah.
Rory
Yes. It's shot really well. It's dope. Yeah. The funniest part of that entire movie is when he asks her, how many other people are you talking to? And it's like an astronomical. That's the craziest body count number I've ever heard in my. Like, he starts melting down when she's like, well, I'm talking to 6 billion people.
Mall
Yeah. What did you think?
Rory
And he can't handle that.
Mall
Yeah.
Damaris
AI is scaring me because I told him I'm like, argue with my. I was like, argue as if you're me. Like, you're tired of my ex taking advantage of you. And they. I was like. But word it like me and like the little things that they throw in there. First of all, they put my. Honestly in there. They put my. They put my. You think I'd never leave, never get fed up, never stop seeing the good in you. I gave you grace. In situations, most people would have been done over. You take my kindness as weakness, and it's actually irritating.
Rory
Why are they talking like you're the Chat GPT in this situation?
Damaris
Why are they talking like me?
Rory
Wait, so did you upload your text messages or something?
Damaris
No, I just asked. To talk like me? I said, how do they know how you talk? Well, I talk to ChatGPT regularly. Not as if they're my ex, but about just random things. So I use like, I'll ask ChatGPT
Rory
a question, but it's just a sentence. Like, I don't think they would.
Damaris
My prompts that I use for. Are very, like.
Rory
Okay.
Damaris
Because I've used Chat GPT for to help write bios. Creative things. So. And to make it sound more realistic, I had to.
Rory
Got it.
Damaris
You know, make it sound like me. So.
Rory
That's scary.
Mall
I'm.
Damaris
Yeah, scary.
Rory
Well, what happens when people start doing that with dead family members? This is going to ruin grief. Because if you're trying to do this with your ex, to talk to your ex, still, it's going to move to family members.
Damaris
I could see people doing that.
Rory
That.
Mall
See, Talk to your dead loved ones.
Rory
I thought it was really sweet when Kanye did that whatever AI generated thing for Kim's birthday where her dad, like, talked to her for her birthday. I thought that was sweet. Stop it there.
Mall
That should have been a lot.
Rory
Cut it right. Cut it right there. Beautiful moment. You haven't heard your father's voice. AI can make your father's voice. It was a nice birthday message. You get to see it. Stop it there. The moment she could just start talking to her pops. Now we're wouldn't. No. People want to. You think people handle grief bad now?
Mall
Yeah, that, that, that. That will cause a lot of mental problems. More than we already have.
Rory
I watched. I've watched my mom go to so many mediums and stand in lines for all that daytime television shit to talk to my cousin. Lose her mind. Imagine if she could sit at home all day and talk to her. Lose your fucking mind. This is bad. It's not just going to stop at the X thing.
Mall
No, no, Definitely not.
Rory
It's. It's. Now I want to know how if we. If we put in Mitch's text messages how she talked to her ex into Chad gbt yo talk to me the way Mitch talked to her ex.
Mall
You don't. You definitely do not want that.
Rory
That'd be more entertaining.
Mall
He definitely do not want that.
Damaris
Wait, hold on. I'm gonna ask it to talk to me like I'm. Argue with me like you're mall. Because that's another thing why reason why they can talk to me and you ain't gonna get no response.
Mall
They're not gonna argue. I don't argue. It's going to shut off.
Rory
That's all. It's going to shut off.
Mall
That shit going to shut off. That's all that shit going.
Rory
Turn the water system off.
Damaris
The reason why they're also able to mimic my tone is because if you ask ChatGPT who I am, they know who I am. They also know who you two are. So they can pull up because of what we do for a living. Examples of how we talk and analyze that through a computer. Not I, but let's be real for a second. You do this.
Mall
That's supposed to be me?
Rory
Yeah, that's definitely.
Damaris
Nobody's forcing you to keep extended grace after the eighth red flag demerits. First of all.
Rory
First of all, pretty spot on.
Damaris
This is mad funny. This is actually very funny.
Mall
Wait, that's supposed to be me?
Damaris
That's supposed to be you.
Mall
I never said that.
Rory
You would say something like that though.
Mall
No, I would not. I've never said that in my life.
Damaris
I said this is too deep. Make it more surface level like mall.
Rory
Jesus Christ.
Mall
Get out.
Rory
Shut up.
Damaris
Oh, they said he is quoting me and said nah. See, this is your problem right here. You always taking advantage of my kindness, bro. Maybe he just don't with you. Okay, that's fine. I'm not saying he right. I'm saying you'd be acting surprised every time somebody show you exactly who they are. If a dog bark every Tuesday, why are you shocked on Thursday? Damaris also, you definitely sent that long ass paragraph home.
Rory
You definitely get a riddle like that from your mom.
Mall
Yeah, that's me. I'll get that off.
Rory
Well done.
Damaris
Throw a little random riddle in there, bro.
Rory
Mama's definitely told him dogs bark on Tuesday.
Mall
Random little saying, 1,000%. All right, Rory. Well, I don't know what you're doing this weekend, but I'm sure you'll be outside somewhere.
Rory
Maybe.
Mall
You already said you're gonna be outside.
Rory
Maybe if I get a babysitter.
Mall
If The Knicks win. I'm going outside.
Damaris
No, if the Knicks win, you stay your ass in the house. You're not going outside. Outside gonna be terrible if they win.
Mall
I'm gonna be on side talk. I'm be. I'm gonna be everywhere if the Knicks wins. If they win tonight, I'm everywhere. I'm going outside this week.
Rory
We were watching the game at the gala and we leaving Joey's like, let's run by the Garden.
Damaris
I was like, bro, run by the Garden.
Rory
No, we're not.
Mall
You don't want to do.
Rory
We're not running by the Garden.
Mall
No. All right. Baby, did you in town this weekend?
Damaris
Yeah.
Mall
I gotta ask. You know, I gotta ask you too, cuz. It ain't no telling with you. I'm in town, you in town. We're so lucky to have you this weekend. All right, well, we'll talk to y' all soon. Be safe, be blessed. I'm that nigga. He's just ging peace.
Rory
No worry.
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Rory
Paramount plus is now the home of all your BET favorites.
Damaris
What?
Rory
Yeah, with all new episodes of Tyler Perry's Divorce Sisters, you've always liked a little drama plus plus a whole new world of movies like Gladiator 2.
Mall
Now I will control an empire original
Rory
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Damaris
Just make sure we protect each other
Rory
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Damaris
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Episode 497 | The Jig Is Up
Release Date: May 22, 2026
Host(s): Rory, Mal, Damaris
This episode of New Rory & MAL is packed with music industry drama, a heated and insightful discussion about the state and standards of major music award shows (particularly the BET Awards), rap industry politics, predictions, competitiveness, and a dose of New York sports fandom. Notable topics include the controversy between JID and J. Cole, BET nominations snubs, Lupe Fiasco’s thoughts on piracy, and the wild possibilities of AI-powered relationships. The crew also explores Summer Jam’s new festival format and hilariously riffs on Knicks playoff dreams and outrageous Max B claims.
[03:03 - 06:52]
[06:55 - 08:54]
[10:01 - 33:03]
[37:38 - 43:45]
[44:04 - 57:47]
[60:59 - 67:11]
[72:06 - 79:04]
[84:04 - 91:47]
On the JID/Cole Rift:
“I have nothing to do but humble myself and say, Mall, holy—keep them. You were right… I think JID is livid. Not just irritated. Like, I think he’s pissed.”
— Rory (12:01)
On Award Show Politics:
“Chris Brown's probably the best male R&B pop artist every year, even if he’s not putting out an album… you can't give it to Michael Jordan every year, even though he probably is the best player.”
— Mall (50:07)
On Hip-Hop Generational Impact:
“Lupe’s generation got this worse than anyone… you were 15, you would have downloaded your shit too.”
— Rory (41:56)
On AI Partner Tech:
“Why would I want to argue with AI?”
— Mall (85:01)
On Max B’s Boldness:
“If I beat a body, I'd feel like I’m better than everybody, too!”
— Rory (77:38)
On Knicks Fandom:
“If we win tonight, it’s a sweep. You can quote me on that one.”
— Rory (78:35)
This episode delivers a front-row seat to real-life music industry politics and takes you deep into the way artists, awards, and fans interact in 2026’s landscape. If you want candid, smart, and funny rap talk—with side orders of wild AI speculation and New York sports heartbreak—this episode is a must-listen.