Episode 520 | I Play Rocky

Summary

New Rory & MAL – Episode 520 | "I Play Rocky" (July 17, 2026)
Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode captures the hosts – Rory, Mal, Damaris, and guests – in their element, seamlessly weaving together cultural commentary, movie takes, playful debates, and hip-hop industry insights. The conversation moves from reactions to the new "I Play Rocky" movie trailer and generational divides in film taste, into heated debates about sandwich spots, literary adaptation in film, the evolution of TV and streaming, rap’s geographic divides, the Jadakiss vs. 38 Spesh beef, payola in radio, and the semantics of what makes a true lyricist in rap.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

1. The "I Play Rocky" Trailer and Rocky vs. Creed Debate

Timestamps: 03:05 – 13:40

• New Trailer Reactions: The group reacts to the trailer for "I Play Rocky," a meta-movie about Sylvester Stallone’s journey making the original "Rocky."

  • Damaris: "Come on, man. You don't feel inspired after watching that trailer?" (03:05)
  • Rory: "It's a movie about a dude making a movie ... Ryan's young, so he wasn't around for Rocky." (03:39)
  • Damaris: "It's an American classic." (04:25)

• Generational Divide: Mal reveals he’s mostly unfamiliar with the original "Rocky" films, having only caught glimpses with his dad, highlighting the generational disconnect with certain cinematic classics.

• Rocky vs. Creed: Spirited debate about whether the "Rocky" series holds up better than the more recent "Creed" films.

  • Damaris: "No, it ain't no fucking nostalgia. It's reality. That Creed series is shit. Shout out to Michael [B. Jordan]." (09:16)
  • Mall: "I think that's nostalgia." (09:15)
  • Decision: Most co-hosts feel Rocky films are superior due to story, legacy, and “heart,” despite better production values in "Creed."

• Philadelphia’s Legacy:

  • Rory shares a Bill Burr joke: "Philadelphia is so racist that they had Joe Frazier, but instead they made up some small Italian guy boxer as their Philadelphia boxing story." (08:13)

• Rocky as a Cultural Touchstone: Debate over whether "Rocky" is required viewing for Americans, compared to reading "Of Mice and Men" in school (04:25–04:56).

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2. Movie Trailers, Batman, and Film Criticism

Timestamps: 06:44 – 11:01

• "I Play Rocky" vs. Odyssey: Damaris confidently predicts "I Play Rocky" will outshine current favorite "Odyssey."

  • Damaris: "Guaranteed it's a better movie." (06:30)

• Batman (Robert Pattinson Version): Discussion about how recent Batman movies break from the action-movie mold.

  • Damaris: "To me, that Batman was dope." (07:16)

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3. Sandwich Shop Debates: Blimpie vs. Jersey Mike’s

Timestamps: 11:13 – 13:44

• Moderator energy turns to regional sandwich rivalries, with strong opinions over the joys of Jersey Mike’s, Blimpie, and even Quiznos.
  • Rory: "First of all, Jersey Mike's is better than Blimpy's by far." (11:26)
  • Damaris: "Nah, Blimpy is way better than Jersey Mike's. You tripping." (11:57)

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4. Binge-Watching Culture & Generational TV Taste

Timestamps: 13:44 – 16:27

• TV Trades: The hosts joke about “trading” required viewings:

  • Mal will watch Rockies if Rory attempts "House of the Dragon." (13:48)
  • Damaris admits she dropped out of "The Sopranos," leading to jokes about only enjoying modern TV pacing.
  • Rory: "You don't get a Walter White without a Tony Soprano." (15:12)

• Mal’s Dad Calls In: On-air call to Mal’s dad settles his favorite show (spoiler: it’s "Yellowstone") and confirms he's never watched all the Rockies. (17:10–18:12)

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5. Literary Adaptations & Audiobooks

Timestamps: 19:00 – 26:36

• The team dives into the endless adaptation of books into Netflix series, discussions of murder-mystery books vs. shows, and pokes fun at dramatized audiobook readings.

  • Damaris: "If you tell me, yo, this book is crazy ... does it have a movie based on it? ... I'm not reading. I'm gonna be honest with you." (22:53)
  • Mall: "Why you clown people for? ... If I came in here and I'm like, what book you reading? ... Hardball." (25:03)

• The Case of "Hardball": Rory details the lawsuit over the film's adaptation and altered portrayal compared to the true story. (25:14–26:13)

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6. Marvel, Reboots & Film Industry Laziness

Timestamps: 26:36 – 27:56

• The group laments Hollywood’s lack of originality, with endless Marvel movies and “reboots or something that was successful before.”
  • Rory: "Hollywood is really lazy now. It's just Marvel or reboots of something that was successful before." (26:36)

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7. Samuel L. Jackson’s Greatest Roles

Timestamps: 34:20 – 39:56

• A lively debate on Samuel L. Jackson’s best performances, spanning "Django," "Pulp Fiction," "School Daze," "Jungle Fever," and even his less serious roles like "Snakes on a Plane."

  • Mall: "Your best role can't be being an Uncle Tom." (34:41)
  • Damaris: "Some best roles in real life is being Uncle Tom." (34:44)
  • “Snakes on a Plane” and “Deep Blue Sea” are roasted as career lowlights.

• Personal favorites include his bit role in "Jurassic Park" for chain-smoking on set, and his character Gator in "Jungle Fever." (38:47–36:56)

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8. Upstate NY vs. NYC Hip-Hop: 38 Spesh vs. Jadakiss

Timestamps: 40:59 – 59:57

• A major segment focuses on the brewing rap beef between upstate NY rapper 38 Spesh and Jadakiss, reflecting bigger tensions between “city” and “upstate” rappers for respect, airplay, and recognition.

  • Damaris: "For the last few years, anytime they start talking about the best in New York ... they leave out the Westside Gunns, the Conways, the Bennys ... out of those, you know." (41:09)

• Discussion of divisions in how NY state defines “upstate,” the prison system’s parity across regions, and whether these beefs are really about city vs. upstate or just rapper egos.

  • Zip: “You could go six hours and get to Virginia too ... That’s the Midwest.” (42:10)
  • Mall: “Everything is upstate to y’all. Y’all call anything above you ‘upstate.’” (48:58)

• Analysis of whether Jadakiss was ducking a verse request from 38 Spesh, or if industry “no’s” are always couched in politeness.

  • Damaris: “That’s the rap beef I like. Like you said you was gonna give me a verse ... you never did. I spoke about it ... you go on your song ... so now what you really gonna say?” (56:30–59:03)

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9. Radio Payola Scandal

Timestamps: 62:33 – 68:34

• Rory breaks down the recent FCC probe and settlement with iHeartMedia over payola ("show-ola"), namely stations and DJs exchanging airtime for artist performances or cash.

  • Rory: “This has been a thing for over a year ... iHeart just settled with the FCC for a payola lawsuit ... just now they have to adopt a new reporting measure to ensure legal compliance.” (63:38)

• The group gossips about long-standing rumors involving Hot 97, specific DJs, and how pay-for-play has always haunted the industry.

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10. New Music Releases

Timestamps: 72:55 – 75:37

• Excitement around albums from Steve Lacy (featuring SZA and Erykah Badu), Masego, Larry June, Rome Streets, Sid (“Oh, Beard”), and a new Tory Lanez project from jail.
• Sid’s upcoming solo and Internet records are particularly anticipated.
  • Damaris: “The lesbians are running R&B right now.” (73:48)

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11. How Do You Define a Lyricist?

Timestamps: 77:05 – 84:37

• A listener voicemail sparks discussion about what makes someone a “lyricist” in rap: is it punchlines, wordplay, flow, substance, or a combination?
  • Rory: “A punchline rapper is like the party rapper of lyricists.” (77:25)
  • Zip: “If you make words rhyme, you’re being lyrical ... but if you just have a crazy flow but you ain’t saying nothing ...” (78:16–82:08)
  • References to Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Fabolous (“punchline king”), Biggie’s inventive rhymes, and the great Renegade debate.

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NOTABLE QUOTES

• Damaris (on Rocky’s cultural status):
  "It's an American classic." (04:25)

• Rory (on the origins of the "Rocky" movie):
  "Mind you, I did not know that's how it went, that he wrote it. And they were like, we'll get an actor. He's like, duh, I'm gonna do it." (05:17)

• Damaris (on literary laziness):
  "Hollywood is really lazy now. It's just Marvel or reboots of something that was successful before." (26:36)

• Mall (on reading):
  "I'm not about to be in the bed under the blankets reading a book about a murder mystery. I'll turn the TV on and watch it, though." (22:22)
  "I always thought it was about vocabulary and who sounds the most intelligent when they're rapping." (81:52)

• Rory (on lyricism):
  "The punchline rapper is like the party rapper of lyricists ... like Lil Wayne if you removed all substance." (77:23)

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MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• Mal’s Dad’s Favorite Show:
  Mal’s dad picks "Yellowstone" as his all-time favorite TV show live on air, shocking the team who bet on "Game of Thrones." (17:10–18:02)

• Blimpie vs. Jersey Mike's:
  The discussion derails beautifully into an analysis of sandwich shops.

  • Rory: "I've never heard anyone big up Blimpies in my life." (12:58)

• Samuel L. Jackson’s Strange Roles:
  “Snakes on a Plane” and “Deep Blue Sea” are roasted as low points.

  • Mall: "That might be his Catwoman, for sure." (37:09)

• Rap Beef as Marketing:
  Rory and Zip discuss whether Spesh’s attacks on Jadakiss are more about generating promo than actual animosity.

  • Rory: "I think Spesh is starting to realize that that doesn't get you the promo that you may deserve. And doing shit like this is what sparks people talking about you." (55:10)

• Lyricist Definition Rabbit Hole:
  Segment ends with team uncertain about if punchlines or wordsmithing matters more.

  • Rory: "I don't have an answer. I don't know anymore." (86:57)

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OTHER TOPICS / RUNNING JOKES

• Regional sandwich rivalries (Jersey Mike’s vs. Blimpie)
• Samuel L. Jackson’s “functioning crackhead” era (39:15)
• Hollywood’s reboot addiction and Marvel fatigue
• The eternal New York “upstate vs. city” debate
• The subtleties of payola and radio’s shadow economy

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SUMMARY

This episode is packed with spirited, wide-ranging debates, sharp pop-culture observation, and classic New Rory & Mal energy, making it essential listening for anyone interested in music, movies, and the eternal generational shifts in taste. Whether roasting film trailers, ranking rap discographies, or unpacking the ever-complex world of hip-hop industry politics, the crew keeps the conversation fast, irreverent, and full of quotables.

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For New Music & More Hip-Hop Culture – Don’t Miss This One!

Transcript

[Mall]

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[Colin Coward]

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[Rory]

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[Damaris]

Oh, he leaves him in the dust.

[Rory]

He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the nonstop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal.

[Colin Coward]

He shoots.

[Rory]

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[Rory]

Reese Witherspoon here, checking into my favorite hotel in Paris. Bonjour.

[Damaris]

Bonjour.

[Rory]

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[Mall]

Phew.

[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[Rory]

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[Damaris]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[Damaris]

And ma.

[Zip]

No.

[Damaris]

Come on, man. You don't feel inspired after watching that trailer?

[Rory]

I'm inspired by the. Him being inspired by the inspiration.

[Damaris]

I can't wait to see that.

[Rory]

Into the.

[Damaris]

I can't wait to see the I play Rory movie.

[Mall]

I play Rory. It's funny as.

[Damaris]

I can't wait. You wasn't inspired by that trailer just now?

[Rory]

I was seriously, very much like that didn't look.

[Damaris]

That's not like it. You don't. How many times you watch a trail? I'm like, nah, I'm going to see that. I definitely said that after I saw that trailer. Like, I gotta go see that. That was dope. That wasn't dope. To me. That wasn't a dope trailer. That was the worst movie ever.

[Rory]

It's a movie about a dude making a movie. Okay, but see, right, we just start. Ryan's young, so he wasn't around for the Rocky.

[Damaris]

He don't know Rocky. He don't know Rocky. He doesn't even.

[Rory]

He's never even heard Eye of the Tiger. He doesn't even know.

[Damaris]

No, you don't know Rocky, though. You don't know the.

[Rory]

When he goes to Philly, he gets a cheese. He doesn't go to the steps. He doesn't go to the steps.

[Damaris]

Yeah, like, you don't know Rocky, man. Damaris. You don't know Rocky. You never.

[Mall]

I know him from creed.

[Damaris]

See?

[Rory]

You never watched any of the Rocky movies.

[Damaris]

You've never seen any of Rock.

[Mall]

I'm sure my dad has had one playing in the background at some point.

[Damaris]

Your dad has definitely seen every Rocky.

[Mall]

Well, yeah, but I'm saying he's probably had them playing in the background.

[Colin Coward]

I probably walk.

[Mall]

Walk past, but I've never watched them.

[Rory]

I feel like. I mean, I don't know if you love them, but you have to just. It's one of those series you just have to watch. Just.

[Damaris]

It's an American classic.

[Rory]

It is an American classic.

[Damaris]

It's like when you had to read like, Wuthering Heights in school. Remember? You had to read w. Read Wuthering Heights. You had to Never had to read that.

[Mall]

No, I didn't have to read that. We're not that old.

[Damaris]

Oh, yeah, I know, but you had used. In school. We had to read that.

[Mall]

We had to read like Of Mice and Men.

[Damaris]

We read that. You had to read that. So how you said, I'm old as. I had to read that. It's the same like. What are you talking about?

[Rory]

Mice And Mania and Rocky are pretty much the same.

[Damaris]

It's the same Of Mice and Men and Rocky is the same thing.

[Mall]

Shut up.

[Damaris]

It's the same thing.

[Rory]

The flies. It's all the same.

[Damaris]

It's all the same. It's about believing. It's about what starts here.

[Mall]

Quiet reading while the cage bird sings.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I don't think I read that.

[Rory]

Rocky was in the meat truck. That was his cage.

[Damaris]

Things frozen solid.

[Rory]

For those that don't know what we're talking about, there is a movie about Sylvester Stallone making Rocky. It's a movie about making a movie. I play Rocky, and mind you, I did not know that's how it went, that he wrote it. And they were like, we'll get an actor. He's like, duh, I'm gonna do it. Yeah, I didn't know that. No, that's how it works.

[Damaris]

Guys, I. Billy, Rocky, I want to

[Rory]

fuck Adrian on camera.

[Damaris]

Rory made it weird. See, that fast is weird. The movie has nothing to do with Rocky fucking on camera. Nothing to do with that. How y'. All. Not that that wasn't a dope trilogy.

[Rory]

No, I really want to see it.

[Damaris]

Yeah, that's all right, Rory. So we're here. You get it.

[Rory]

You understand, like, the same way. Flight. It's like. Flight sort of like. I like seeing how things were made.

[Damaris]

Yeah, it's a great. It's a great story.

[Mall]

Yeah, but, like, Sylvester Stallone's accent is, like, enough on him. I don't want to see somebody do his accent. I don't want to do that.

[Rory]

I mean, his accent, his own accent is a caricature. So, like, no matter what, you're going to sound like you're doing a caricature. But that's really just how it is.

[Damaris]

I'm willing to bet that's going to be one of the best movies of the year. Like, y' all all going crazy over Odyssey right now. Peach can't find any tickets. AMC is sold out. I guarantee you I play Rocky is better than Odyssey. All right, all right. Bullfucking guaranteed.

[Rory]

I mean, different genres.

[Damaris]

Guaranteed it's a better movie. I guarantee we going to come here, we gonna both. We gonn all see I play Rocky and Odyssey. And I guarantee you I play Rocky is a better movie. Guaranteed. I can look at the. I'm telling. Looking at the trailer, I'm like, oh, this is. This is. This is great.

[Mall]

But you never saw a whack. Saw a trailer like, this could be the most amazing movie ever. And you go. And it's like the best parts of the movie were all the trailer. Like they best parts that's happened.

[Damaris]

But the Rocky, the Rocky story is so like that, like to Rory's point, like that series, that trilogy. Not even a trilogy. More than a trilogy at this point. Yeah, like that shit is so crazy that the origin story has to be incredible. But then again, I don't know because y' all didn't like. People didn't like the Batman with. What's the dude from Robert Pattinson?

[Mall]

That shit. People didn't like that so long and dark.

[Damaris]

Nah, y' all see that movie? To me, that Batman was dope.

[Mall]

I couldn't get. I would I maybe if I could have gotten through half of it. It was long as fuck. Because remember, you were supposed to go with me. I ended up going by myself.

[Damaris]

We were supposed to go see that together.

[Mall]

Yeah, I ended up going by myself. They was like, ma took you. I said, nah.

[Rory]

But what you're comparing that to like

[Damaris]

Rocky IV or what Batman? No, I'm saying that because I liked Rocky 4. No, people said people didn't like that Batman movie. I liked it. I thought it was good because it wasn't the, I guess the prototypical action packed Batman movie. People didn't like it, but I liked the story of it. I liked the dark, you know, the cinematography of it. I thought the movie was good. So I'm looking at this. I play Rocky trailer. Like, okay, this is the story. A lot of people didn't know that that's the story of the real Rocky movie and Sylvester Stallone story. So the fact that they put that on, you know, in theaters to show that I thought the trailer looked dope. Now I'm not saying, you know, it's the greatest trailer or anything like that, but based off the trailer, looking at it, I'm like, okay, yeah, I gotta go see that.

[Rory]

Yeah. One of my favorite Bill Burr jokes is that Philadelphia is so racist that they had Joe Frazier, but instead they made up some small Italian guy boxer as their Philadelphia boxing story.

[Damaris]

Trying to compare Rocky to the Joe Frazier story.

[Rory]

No, no, you had the real story of Joe Frazier that you could have done. But nah, let's just make up some fictional little Italian guy.

[Damaris]

I mean, you know, it's a story of believing. It's just believing yourself. Who doesn't love a. And it's coming out November 3rd, right around the holiday. That's going to be a big movie, man. I'm telling you. I know they don't, you know, Autumn

[Mall]

unks going to be in there, watching that.

[Rory]

And you don't know what Rocky Ford did to, like, our patriotism. Where was the guy from Russia or something? Like, we was in the thick of it.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And Rocky, he just went to the woods.

[Damaris]

Yeah. It was a lot going on with the Soviet Union at that time in America.

[Rory]

I don't even think it was the Soviet Union. I think it was Russia at that point.

[Mall]

Be honest. You guys think that the Rockies is better than the Creeds are better than the Creeds?

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Yes, I do.

[Damaris]

It's not even close.

[Mall]

I think that's nostalgia.

[Damaris]

No, it ain't no fucking nostalgia. It's reality. That Cree series is shit. Shout out to Michael Jordan.

[Mall]

Craziest.

[Damaris]

Shout out to Michael.

[Rory]

Call it shit. But it's not better than the Rock.

[Mall]

Now you're just. Now you're just saying stuff.

[Rory]

Well, I didn't see Creed, too. I only saw the first Creed. How many Creeds are there?

[Mall]

There's three.

[Rory]

Seven of them. There's three.

[Mall]

And every single one gets better. Like the second one's better than the first and the third one's better.

[Damaris]

The production is better. I don't know if the story's better.

[Mall]

The story is better. The story with him and Jonathan fucking Majors.

[Damaris]

And the man came home. He's salty. He just came home from doing a bit. Now he want to fight. He won a championship bout out the. Out the prison. He want to go straight for the. For the belt. That story's ass. Get out of here.

[Mall]

It's a really good story.

[Rory]

It's not better than the Rocky.

[Damaris]

That ain't better.

[Rory]

You only watched one.

[Mall]

So how you going to judge him?

[Rory]

Cuz I didn't. I didn't need to see two or three. I already know what happened now.

[Damaris]

Nobody said about nobody.

[Rory]

Everyone count. Everyone counted him out.

[Damaris]

Nobody ever.

[Rory]

And then he came back. That's not against everyone's wishes.

[Mall]

That's not.

[Zip]

I.

[Damaris]

His wife was deaf and he was acting. He was in the mirror saying how he was going to propose to her. She was right outside the door. She heard him. Like, I get it. It pulled at the heartstrings a little bit, but that ain't better than Rocky. Adrian worked at the fucking.

[Colin Coward]

The.

[Damaris]

The pet store. Come on, man. Did you see that apartment they lived in to where he took it to Beverly Hills? Get the out of here with that creed shit, man. This creed is.

[Mall]

It's a.

[Damaris]

It's aight. Michael B. Jordan did a good job, but that don't compare to no fucking Rocky 4. Rocky 4 is one of the greatest movies ever. Ever.

[Mall]

I'm being unctified.

[Rory]

See, that's why Made in America never even hit you the same. You didn't even know where you were standing. You was right there in Rocky territory. See, you was looking at Bad Bunny. No, I was looking at Hope.

[Colin Coward]

Where did they get.

[Damaris]

What is this for?

[Mall]

Rocky4.38% on rock and tomatoes. Greatest movie of all time, though, for sure.

[Zip]

Come on.

[Damaris]

We go about Rotten Tomatoes now.

[Rory]

Yeah, come on.

[Damaris]

Come on, man. What do they know?

[Rory]

I only like Jersey tomatoes.

[Damaris]

Yeah, what do they know? They think. They think Jersey Mike's is better than Blimpy.

[Mall]

He said Rory's a rotten tomato. Yo, can you. You had enough jokes last episode when you were hungover.

[Zip]

Don't.

[Mall]

No more jokes from you.

[Rory]

First of all, Jersey Mike's is better than Blimpy's by far.

[Damaris]

Get those yo.

[Rory]

Blimpy's doing today, bro.

[Damaris]

Blimpy's his ass.

[Rory]

Yes. It's always been ass. Been ass since I was a kid. It's always ass.

[Damaris]

By the time he was a kid, Blippi was phasing out.

[Colin Coward]

That.

[Damaris]

That is.

[Rory]

Well, nah, Blippies, when I was, like, a teenager, started phasing up.

[Damaris]

Yeah, when did the last Blippi close kill.

[Rory]

No, there's more. Baby's open.

[Mall]

I was about to say, there's still Blippies open.

[Damaris]

Where, like. And when they had, like, half.

[Mall]

Jersey City.

[Rory]

There's one in Jersey City right in

[Mall]

the corner from Royals.

[Rory]

They started phasing out, though. But, yeah, there's a lot in Jersey. Oh, so Jersey stinks, though?

[Damaris]

Nah, Blimpy is way better than Jersey Mike's. You tripping.

[Rory]

It's not even, like, remotely close.

[Damaris]

Peach. Come on, Peach.

[Rory]

Jersey Mike's actually, like, you gonna give mud cuts? Blimpy's gives you one slice of turkey and then a bunch of lettuce.

[Damaris]

No, you don't. You gotta ask for more. Tell them how you want your sandwich.

[Rory]

Yeah, the Blimpy's employees is doing that.

[Damaris]

Nah, man, y'. All tripping Blippies is better than Jersey Mike's, man. Y'.

[Colin Coward]

All.

[Rory]

Well, I don't really eat any of these because we have delis. But if I'm. If I'm out, like, somewhere else in the country, I want a sandwich. I'm going to Jersey Mike's before Blimpy's any day.

[Damaris]

Let me guess. Quick check is better than Blimpy.

[Rory]

No.

[Damaris]

Oh, okay.

[Rory]

No. Wawa stinks. Quick check stinks. They all stink.

[Damaris]

You know, Quick check is like, Wawa

[Rory]

It's a worse Wawa. Quick check is a relatively new thing, though.

[Damaris]

No, it's been out for a while. I can't believe. I can't believe. I think Jersey Mike's is better than Blippi. That's crazy, man.

[Rory]

Subway might be better than Blippi's.

[Damaris]

All right, never mind, bro. The disrespect is going to a whole.

[Rory]

I've never heard anyone big up Blimpies in my life.

[Mall]

What?

[Zip]

No.

[Rory]

Not once have I heard someone like, yo, we out to Blimpies tonight.

[Damaris]

You're crazy.

[Rory]

Jimmy John's or Jersey Mike's? Jersey Mike's over Jimmy John's.

[Mall]

I might have to go Jersey bikes.

[Damaris]

Let me guess, you Quiznos.

[Mall]

There was a sandwich that I used to like from Quiznos over what, Blimpy?

[Zip]

Over.

[Mall]

Nowhere. Just. It was. You know, I. You know, Quiznos isn't bad. How we went from comparing Rocky movies to comparison sandwiches.

[Damaris]

We're comparing. It. It.

[Rory]

Because he was. He was punching. And cold cuts in the freezer. That's what.

[Damaris]

Meat frozen solid. I'm going to see that. Y' all tripping. I'm going to see. I play Rocky. Y' all bugging out, man. I'm going to see.

[Rory]

In a tracksuit.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I'm going to see that, man. I might get my gray sweatsuit, man, and go see Rocky.

[Mall]

Okay. So, Roy, I'll watch the Rockies if you do what I asked you to do. Fair.

[Rory]

Watching four Rocky movies you could do in an afternoon. Watching eight seasons of Game of Thrones is going to take me a lifetime.

[Damaris]

Oh, yeah.

[Mall]

I told you to not watch Game of Thrones.

[Rory]

Just do House of Jones, okay? I promise. On air here. Yes, I will start watching that. I'm not watching eight seasons of Game of Thrones.

[Mall]

After you watch House of the Dragons, you'll want to. That's why I said just watch House of Dragons first.

[Rory]

Where are you at with Sopranos? Did you give up? Because I know you're on. I gave up.

[Damaris]

You gave up on a Soprano baby. I'm not going.

[Rory]

Oh, then you'll never survive Rocky.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I'm not going to lie. I get it now.

[Mall]

What you think I just don't like Italians.

[Damaris]

Like, like the fuck gave up on the Sopranos.

[Mall]

I'm going to try again. I just. It's like when I want to put something on, I'm not, like, really rushing to that.

[Zip]

How do you watch.

[Damaris]

How do you sit through Game of Thrones and can't sit through the Sopranos?

[Mall]

Game of Thrones is Interesting. I think it's. I think the bronze is not interesting. So what I'm saying is I really think if I would have watched it at the time, like I said before, if I would have watched it when it came out, it would be different. Watching that style of TV now is just. Looks old. Like, it's just old. I don't.

[Rory]

We're also on season one, but. I hear you, but all of TV kind of copies what the Sopranos did. I feel like that's the one show the Wire I get. If you didn't watch it at the time, Yeah, I get that. Sopranos, literally every single show in 2026 and before copies the Sopranos.

[Mall]

How so?

[Rory]

From character development, how they shoot it, where you have to like a bad guy. Breaking Bad doesn't exist without Sopranos. You don't get a Walter White without a Tony Soprano. All shows that have the arc of the main character being a piece of shit, but you love him, which is most of TV now comes first from the Sopranos. Psychology, mental health, mixed with violence, mixed with. With that caricature all comes from the sopranos.

[Mall]

Okay?

[Rory]

Having 17 main characters, all with different storylines. Sopranos, okay? All Sopranos. How everything is shot right now is Sopranos. But I'm not saying you have to like it. Just give it a chance to season two. I told you from the beginning, season one is a little tough to get through if you're not watching it real time. Okay, if you give up in season two, then I'll shut up.

[Mall]

All right? I'll try again this weekend.

[Damaris]

No, you won't.

[Mall]

Yes, I will.

[Damaris]

Stop lying.

[Rory]

Did your dad watch Sopranos?

[Mall]

I don't think so.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mall]

Damn.

[Rory]

Sometimes you gotta watch it. With what?

[Mall]

An old man?

[Rory]

Yeah, exactly.

[Zip]

What you think?

[Damaris]

Your favorite.

[Mall]

My bad.

[Damaris]

I'm an old man.

[Mall]

Sorry.

[Damaris]

What you think? What's your dad's favorite show you think all the time.

[Mall]

Favorite show he likes of all time. Yeah, like I don't know about show of all time.

[Colin Coward]

He.

[Mall]

Game of Thrones might be it for him as well.

[Damaris]

No way.

[Mall]

No.

[Damaris]

Game of Thrones is not your dad's favorite show of all time.

[Rory]

Everything we know about you, I'm. I wouldn't land on.

[Damaris]

I'm not rolling with that. Okay, Game of Thrones. Call your dad right now. We got it.

[Rory]

We.

[Damaris]

I need to know. I need to know. Game of Thrones is not your dad's favorite show of all time. There's no way.

[Mall]

He doesn't answer my phone calls a lot.

[Damaris]

What. What type of father is he?

[Mall]

Because I'm always asking for money.

[Damaris]

Oh, well, he's a good father. He's the best dad in the world.

[Rory]

He's not answering because he can't afford it.

[Damaris]

He's the best father on the whole planet.

[Rory]

That'd be my. When certain people call me like, yo, why you ain't pick up? Because I can't afford. Every time you call, it cost me. Yeah, I'm not even if it's not monetary, it's gonna cost me time. It's gonna cost me something I can't have.

[Mall]

I'm about to put you on speakerphone.

[Zip]

Okay?

[Damaris]

You just tell me. You gotta ask him a question real

[Mall]

quick on the show. Mom wants to ask you a question real quick.

[Rory]

Not a crazy question.

[Mall]

Not like the last question I asked you. Dad, what's your favorite TV show of all time?

[Rory]

Favorite TV show? Why?

[Zip]

Mom, they want to talk to me.

[Mall]

Favorite, favorite TV show of all time. Dad, quickly.

[Rory]

All right. I mean, what type of show you talking about?

[Damaris]

Any. Anything. Like, what's your favorite show of all time?

[Mall]

Like, your favorite. Like, when you think of, like, it puts joy in your heart.

[Rory]

The best TV show that I've watched

[Zip]

that I can remember was Yellowstone.

[Damaris]

Okay. Yellowstone. Okay. That's a good show. Damaris said your favorite show of all time was Game of Thrones. That.

[Zip]

That. That's ranking up there.

[Damaris]

That's right.

[Rory]

That's ranking right up there with it.

[Mall]

Thank you. Thanks, dad.

[Rory]

It's ranking right up there with it.

[Damaris]

Yellowstone is a good show.

[Mall]

Did you ever watch all the Rockies?

[Zip]

No. No. All right.

[Mall]

Bye, dad.

[Rory]

Love you.

[Damaris]

He said, nah, nah, I ain't watch that.

[Rory]

To his defense, my father feels the same way. Just of. Of his prejudice against Italians he calls Rocky. I enjoyed the Rockies. My dad was like, please get this guinea away from me.

[Mall]

Oh, my God, is that a slur?

[Rory]

These grease balls I can't watch.

[Damaris]

Oh, my God.

[Rory]

I'm not gonna put that on my dad.

[Mall]

But that's probably why. Yeah, that's probably why.

[Rory]

What is Yellowstone? Forgive me.

[Mall]

I don't know. I think it's about cowboys or something. He keeps trying to get me to watch it.

[Rory]

Kevin Costner?

[Mall]

Sometimes.

[Damaris]

Sometimes. You like Kevin Costner?

[Rory]

Most. Most times I like Kevin Costner, yeah.

[Mall]

I didn't know Kevin Costner was in it. He's been telling me to watch it for mad long.

[Rory]

Cowboy?

[Damaris]

No. Yo, Kelly Riley.

[Mall]

It's a couple people in there. He really likes it, so you probably would like it.

[Damaris]

Yellowstone's good. It's a good show. You like it?

[Rory]

What's what's the one you. You like about the Irish gangsters? My dad.

[Mall]

That's.

[Rory]

That's my dad. That's my dad's favorite show.

[Damaris]

Kiki Blonde is definitely top five greatest.

[Rory]

He doesn't shut up about that. Did you see them? There's a movie now?

[Damaris]

Yeah, Ryan was just telling me about it. I saw the Immortal Man. I saw that on. On Netflix. But Ryan was saying there's an another one. There's a new series coming.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Damaris]

Based off of his son and that whole. That whole story. So. But Peaky Blind is definitely one of the greatest shows of all time.

[Rory]

Got you.

[Mall]

Oh, mall. There's a new show on Netflix that I think you'll like. It's kind of like the All Her Fault show. It's called I Will Find you'd. It's based off of Harlem.

[Damaris]

Told y' all about that.

[Mall]

Yeah, you did?

[Rory]

Yeah, he came in here and I watched it.

[Mall]

I watched it.

[Rory]

Yeah, it was good.

[Damaris]

I liked it.

[Mall]

Yeah, it was good.

[Rory]

Yeah, I watched the whole thing in one day in the hospital.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Yeah. Harlan Coben is one of my favorite authors.

[Damaris]

Did you think it was that guy, though?

[Mall]

No, no, I thought it was his mother the whole time.

[Damaris]

So I'm gonna tell you a funny story. So I was watching it and this girl called me. She was like, oh, my God, I love the guy. Like, the boyfriend. She was like, he's so sweet. So. So then when she finished watching it, I called her back. I was like, yo, you still like that dude? She was roving like, oh, my God, he's such a sweetheart. He's such a stand up guy. Whole time.

[Mall]

There's a lesson in that. There's a lesson in that. You can't trust these.

[Damaris]

And knowing her, like, in the guy she's dated, like, it makes sense why she liked that guy. She's terrible with the guy she's dated. Terrible. He.

[Rory]

I mean, he gave red flags from the beginning, in my opinion.

[Mall]

What was his red flags?

[Rory]

Everything she liked about him. He was too much.

[Damaris]

I was like, he was too available.

[Mall]

In.

[Rory]

In a script. This feels like, why is this guy so good?

[Mall]

In a script? Yes, but like, in real life, he was too available.

[Damaris]

I let you stay at my crib, check the cameras. You got some nigga in there. I'm cool with that. Who is this nigga?

[Mall]

You know what's crazy though? He knew the nigga, though. Like, he knew what nigga that was.

[Damaris]

That's what I'm saying. And he never said nothing about, like, he never flipped he was always available. Yo, I'll come get you. Where are you? He pulled right up.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

You ain't got nothing to do.

[Zip]

Like, you.

[Damaris]

You just available for this chick that you. That don't. That broke it off with you before, like. Yeah, I don't know. Something about him from the beginning was kind of like.

[Rory]

And what did everyone do for a living that they all had those houses?

[Damaris]

Well, his mom was the. Who she. For that company? Was she the CEO or something like that?

[Rory]

Yeah, like, everybody just casually had amazing.

[Zip]

Come on, man.

[Rory]

Pfizer, what's the other one that we loved where the baby got switched in the car accident? That was super great.

[Damaris]

That was all her fault.

[Rory]

Everyone is just rich in these shows.

[Damaris]

No, that was that bad.

[Rory]

And they don't work.

[Damaris]

That show was crazy. That show was crazy.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Who wrote that? We got to start getting into these writers, like, their minds. Yeah, like, how your brain go to that. What you did in your life, what

[Rory]

you saw, how much clue did you play, how much murder mystery at Game night.

[Damaris]

Great show. But let's talk about the writer, though. Let's get into the life of the writer.

[Mall]

The books are usually always better, though. You guys don't like murder mystery books? Those are my favorite books. I love, like, trying to find out who killed the housewife.

[Damaris]

Reading it. I'll watch it. I'm not about to be in the bed under the blankets reading a book about a murder mystery. I'll turn the TV on and watch it, though.

[Mall]

Why? Why?

[Damaris]

I'm not reading no book. I'm gonna just keep it on. I'm not reading no book. I'm not. If it. The. The.

[Zip]

The.

[Damaris]

The farthest I'll go is if you tell me, like, it's an audiobook.

[Mall]

Well, that's not reading.

[Damaris]

And Samuel better be reading it on crack. Yeah, on crack. He better be playing gator. So you.

[Rory]

I'm not sober. Samuel James.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Yeah. Don't get me sober, Samuel.

[Mall]

You never was a reader. You didn't. You didn't.

[Damaris]

I've read certain books, but I'm like, now, if you tell me, yo, this book is crazy, the first thing I'm asking you is, does it have a movie based on it? Yo, I'm not reading. I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm not reading no book. I'm not. I'm just not. I'm not. I'm not gonna be in bed reading a murder mystery.

[Mall]

You gotta be in bed. You could, like, sit on your couch,

[Damaris]

lounge, and read a murder mystery.

[Mall]

No, because See, when you read, you have to use your imagination.

[Damaris]

Like, when I watch too, I gotta use my imagination. When I watched, I will find you. The whole time I was imagining who the fuck is behind.

[Mall]

Yes, but when you. To imagine what the house looks like, like, you have to take the descriptive words that they use and imagine what the house looks like, what the characters look like, like, imagine their facial expressions, like. No. All right.

[Rory]

Did you read Gone Girl before the movie?

[Mall]

No, not Gone Girl. A girl on a train. Yes, but Gone Girl. I actually saw the movie before I. The movie made me want to go read the book.

[Rory]

Girl on the train. Book is fire. Gone Girl. I just. When I saw the movie, I did not expect Tyler Perry to pop up. That's just not how I imagined the character. Yeah, because I read Gone Girl before the movie.

[Damaris]

Like, I don't know.

[Rory]

I don't know casting if I would have landed on Tyler Perry. But mind you, Tyler Perry did smoke that role. He killed that role.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but it's time like an Atticus

[Rory]

Finch in my head.

[Damaris]

We're not taking Tyler Perry serious as no. Detective.

[Rory]

No, he.

[Damaris]

Get out of here, man.

[Rory]

That might be my favorite role you ever played, though.

[Mall]

He.

[Rory]

He killed that rule.

[Mall]

He smoked it.

[Rory]

It's just not. If you read the book, you're not going to picture Tyler Perry. That's all.

[Mall]

You know, the crazy thing is Tyler Perry actually is very. He's very talented.

[Rory]

Like, I don't think anyone would deny the tal.

[Mall]

I think that he purposely aims for a specific demographic and that's why a lot of his movies are cringe to people like us. But he. He knows what he's doing. He's very talented.

[Rory]

Oh, he definitely knows what he's doing. He owns half of Atlanta now. Like, yeah, he don't get there without intention.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I think he figured that out. He knew exactly what the fuck he

[Rory]

knew his sweet spot.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Rory]

But you know, I just recently found out was based off a book. Hardball the movie.

[Mall]

Really?

[Damaris]

Imagine somebody reading Hardball the book. No, Malt.

[Mall]

Look, what you clown people for?

[Damaris]

Yo, if I was Damaris, if I came in here and I'm like, yo, what book you reading? You said Hardball.

[Rory]

Well, you want to know the real title? Hardball. A Season in the Projects.

[Damaris]

Oh, my.

[Rory]

That's the name of the book.

[Damaris]

You can't read that book.

[Rory]

You can't even know. But what's so fucked up is, okay, so how I even stumbled upon this or why my algorithms. There was like an anniversary of the lawsuit. There was a lawsuit. This was a true story about a priest that also, like, worked in finance, but he was a priest in North Chicago and put together this North Chicago baseball league. And he sued Hardball because they took his book and changed him from this great priest in the north end of Chicago helping everyone in the projects to this degenerate gambling womanizer.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And he sued Paramount for this entire thing because they changed him from a priest to a degenerate, more or less. And he was pissed that all the kids in the book were, like, well behaved, nice kids, and he turned all them into, like, black stereotypes. So there. There was a huge lawsuit that I was not even aware of back in 2000.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Rory]

About the entire thing. But, yeah, Hardball is a book. Like, there's a G baby out. Well, not anymore. There was a G baby out there.

[Damaris]

Okay. I never knew that. I never knew harbor was based on a true story.

[Mall]

That's fire.

[Rory]

Because, I mean, no one used to, like, write scripts. They just read a book and be like, let's do it.

[Mall]

They still do that now. I like how. That's why, literally, I don't. I'm like, does Harlan Coburn have a deal with Netflix? There's another show that just popped up of his that I was watching last night.

[Damaris]

Like, he probably does.

[Mall]

People are lazy.

[Damaris]

Yeah. I'm just not reading no book, though. I'm sorry.

[Rory]

Well, Hollywood is really lazy now. It's just Marvel or reboots of something that was successful before.

[Mall]

Marvel hasn't had a movie in a while. Don't blame everything on us.

[Damaris]

When is the new Avengers?

[Rory]

You ask literally anyone in Hollywood. And their biggest gripe is that all they make is Marvel movies or reboots of things that already worked. Yeah, definitely reboots.

[Mall]

Doomsday is coming out this year.

[Damaris]

End of this year, December 18th.

[Rory]

But Avengers, Mayan calendar.

[Mall]

Hang that up.

[Damaris]

That's gonna be crazy. December 18th, right before the holiday. That's gonna be crazy.

[Mall]

Did you watch Black Widow's prequel movie?

[Damaris]

Black Widows?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

No, I don't think so.

[Mall]

You should watch that. It's good.

[Damaris]

Black Widow. What is that about?

[Mall]

Black Widow.

[Rory]

Spider.

[Mall]

The Avenger.

[Damaris]

The Avenger. Okay.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Wait, who. Who plays Scarlett Johansson? When did that come out?

[Mall]

Probably Covid. Yeah, around that time.

[Rory]

How come they never bring Halle Berry back for Catwoman? Like, why they never do that?

[Mall]

Please.

[Rory]

I saw that one.

[Mall]

She got killed for that role. Why she got killed for that?

[Rory]

For the basketball team.

[Damaris]

The movie. No, the movie. Catwoman was. It was kind of.

[Mall]

It was kind of wild.

[Damaris]

It was bad that was bad. We love having.

[Rory]

I saw that in theaters with my dad. Just me and my dad went to go see Catwoman. I remember vividly.

[Damaris]

That was bad.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

That might be the worst dad movie date ever. Taking your son to go see Catwoman.

[Rory]

You know why we went.

[Damaris]

Of course you want to see that chocolate. I get it. But Catwoman, that was. That movie was bad. That movie. Like, thinking about that movie. That movie was bad, bro.

[Mall]

Yeah. Somebody put the basketball scene on Twitter,

[Rory]

and I. Oh, that shit goes viral like, once a week. And I watch it. I watch it every time.

[Damaris]

That movie was.

[Mall]

And it'd be so funny because Halle Berry be commenting like, can y' all please stop this?

[Rory]

It's not only that. It's just. I wish I could have been one of the kids as, like, an extra. That was like, damn, look at her crossover.

[Damaris]

Yeah, that movie was terrible.

[Rory]

What's that? What's the guy's name again?

[Mall]

I forgot.

[Rory]

He was supposed to be something, right? Yeah, like, he was.

[Mall]

He played in a couple movies.

[Damaris]

Yeah, that's my man from.

[Rory]

I want to call him Mario.

[Damaris]

I just feel like that's my man from Blood In, Blood Out.

[Mall]

God, this is so maybe that movie

[Damaris]

Blood In, Blood Out.

[Rory]

Of course I do.

[Mall]

This is really bad.

[Rory]

Can we put this in the corner

[Mall]

and not get on Netflix?

[Rory]

Yeah, we should be fine.

[Mall]

We'll be fine.

[Rory]

I'm sure. I'm sure this woman.

[Damaris]

This is.

[Rory]

Is on Netflix.

[Damaris]

This has never been on Netflix. We are the first ones to put Catwoman on Netflix.

[Rory]

Yo, taking the jackets off Mall Damaris was saying she was at the show. She couldn't find me. She didn't have service. But finally when we connected, I said, damaris, it's because you don't have Boost Mobile.

[Damaris]

That's exactly why.

[Rory]

It is proving that you are overpaying for great wireless right now. You need to unlock your savings. This is what I said at the show. And I told her, $25 a month. Forever Unlimited plan. You'd have service in Yankee Stadium. And it's a permanent price with no contracts and no price hikes. You can keep the phone that you have in your hand, Damaris, while we're watching the show, keep your number. But you save up to $600 a year compared to the other major carriers that have no service in Yankee Stadium. BoostMobile.com Go there today, Damaris.

[Damaris]

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

[Rory]

mall Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock BET Sportsbook. If you haven't tried out Hard Rock Bet yet, there is no better time to get in the game than right now.

[Damaris]

Yes sir.

[Rory]

We're down to our final four in the world's biggest soccer tournament. We are excited, and that's just a handful of matches that remain before a champion is crowned in the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

[Damaris]

Viva la Culpa.

[Rory]

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[Damaris]

Moving not only that, Rory, then there's Super Sub, one of my favorite promos for player props. If the player you bet on is subbed off, you still win if their replacement fulfills the bet. Same odds, same payout. So if you're ready to try your first bet on Hard Rock Bet today, sign up and you can score $150 in bonus bets. Just place a $5 bet and if it wins, you get not only your winnings, but also an extra $150 in bonus bets. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and don't let the Cubs biggest game pass you by. Road us. Go with us. Hard Rock Bet pairborn Bonus bets Not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, you call 1-833-PLAY-WISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia

[Colin Coward]

Hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward Podcast. Every goal starts with an assist. As Official partners of U.S. soccer, this team is ready to deliver. Sensodyne dentist recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil, of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief. Voltaren Arthritis gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. Learn how Halion can assist your game day goals. Ationassist.com Colin 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.

[Damaris]

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.

[Colin Coward]

I was like, no.

[Damaris]

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.

[Colin Coward]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. He's dribbling the ball with everything on the line.

[Rory]

He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him.

[Damaris]

Oh, he leaves him in the dust.

[Rory]

He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the nonstop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal. He shoots no unlimited data for $25 a month forever. Visit your local Boost Mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb, customers may experience lower speeds.

[Colin Coward]

Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost $25 unlimited plan.

[Rory]

Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc, and a shocking twist where you realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately, though, Mint's story is better. Every plan $15 a month, even unlimited.

[Mall]

That's it.

[Rory]

Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months, or $180 for a 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy.

[Colin Coward]

See terms

[Mall]

Speaking of movies, this is why I can't like, date young people. Because somebody Said to me, yo, I never thought that Samuel Jackson's best role would be Django. And I said, get the fuck off my phone, bro.

[Damaris]

He smoked that role, though.

[Mall]

He did. But his best role of all time.

[Damaris]

It's up there. That. That's up there.

[Mall]

Your best role can't be being an Uncle Tom.

[Damaris]

Why not? Some best roles in real life is being Uncle Tom. At least he was in a movie with DiCaprio doing it. Like. Yeah, that's definitely one of his best roles, though. He smoked that role. Yeah.

[Rory]

I mean, I wouldn't think it's that crazy for someone to say that, but I don't know.

[Mall]

Why would they put. Why would Google put Frozone in the Incredibles? Where's my super suit?

[Rory]

Do the right thing, Mo Better Blues. I thought Pulp Fiction was number one without, like. I didn't think we needed to break Winfield.

[Damaris]

For sure.

[Mall]

Mr. Glass. The unbreakable is good, too.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

He also has, like, small roles in amazing stuff, too, Like, Juice. He was great in School Days. I even like him as Stacks in Goodfellas.

[Mall]

Yo, School Days is funny as fuck. Him Egg. School Days was hilarious.

[Damaris]

Oh, he worked at the chicken joint, right? No, they was at the chicken joint. He was hanging out in the chicken joint.

[Zip]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Yo, Samuel got some iconic roles, man. I forgot about that roll of School Days.

[Rory]

School Days is interesting movie to say the least.

[Mall]

Why? What do you mean? Oh, as a Kappa, you're offended?

[Rory]

No, not at all. I love the movie School Days. I think it's great. I just think it was Spike. I've seen interviews about School Days, and he's even talked to people from D9 about it.

[Zip]

He had.

[Rory]

He had a bias, an admitted bias and hate towards black Greek organizations. And it just. It seeps through that movie, his hatred for them, that's all. But, I mean, it does show up a terrible side that is realistic, especially at that time with frats and sororities, period.

[Zip]

Not.

[Rory]

Not just D9 or black ones, but. Yeah, I'm tired of you.

[Zip]

Always the same shit.

[Mall]

He was so mad, bro. Sorry.

[Damaris]

Yo, the marriage said that. I could see that scene right now. The School Days is a classic. His role in Jungle Fever, though. Gator. Yeah, Classic.

[Rory]

Yeah. That's up. That's top five for sure.

[Damaris]

Classic. That's top five for sure dot that nigga was classic. Rolling gator,

[Rory]

snakes on a plane.

[Damaris]

All right. See, they always want to point out your. Your shortcomings.

[Mall]

That might be his Catwoman, for sure.

[Damaris]

Black Snake moan. Snakes on a plane.

[Mall]

No, Black Snake moan was Good. Don't do that.

[Damaris]

You thought that was a good movie?

[Mall]

It wasn't bad. Black Snake Mo was entertaining. I remember watching it. I was very.

[Damaris]

It wasn't bad. It's not as bad as Snakes on a Plane. Only movie worse than Snakes on a Plane is Sharknado.

[Rory]

Yeah, but what's the. What's the Deep Blue Sea? All right, Snakes on a Play. We're talking Samuel Jackson, Snakes on a Plane or Deep Blue Sea. Which is worse?

[Damaris]

Snakes on a Plane.

[Mall]

Snakes on a Plane. Deep Blue Sea ain't that bad.

[Damaris]

Snakes on a Plane is the worst, probably the worst movie of all time.

[Rory]

But what do you think? It was supposed to be that way?

[Damaris]

I don't think they.

[Rory]

I don't think it was supposed to be taken seriously. Like, I think they wrote that just so they. They were probably high and like, yo, how do we get Samuel Jackson to scream, get these snakes off this plane?

[Damaris]

Wait, Samuel Jackson was in Inglourious Bastards. I don't remember his role in that.

[Mall]

Also the worst movie.

[Rory]

Is there any black people in that movie?

[Mall]

I'm screaming the worst movie to ever exist is actually baggage claim. But I'm not.

[Damaris]

I don't even want baggage claim.

[Mall]

I know that Paula Patton.

[Damaris]

It had like, Nah, that's not the worst.

[Mall]

Yeah, I'm My mama. That. That movie was terrible. It had Trey songs in it, I think. Like, that movie was bad.

[Rory]

Wait, that's a baggage claim. It wasn't that bad.

[Damaris]

That wasn't that bad.

[Mall]

Terrible.

[Rory]

But she's a flight attendant. Like, dates all and then finally meets the one.

[Mall]

Yeah, it's a bad movie.

[Damaris]

The worst ever, though.

[Mall]

Oh, he's the narrator. He's the narrator in Glorious.

[Damaris]

Oh, okay.

[Colin Coward]

I know.

[Damaris]

He wasn't. He wasn't on. On screen.

[Mall]

He said Quentin Tarantino ain't got no black man in his movies.

[Damaris]

No, he got black. He's in Quentin Tarantino movie. I'm just saying.

[Colin Coward]

I know.

[Damaris]

He wasn't on screen in that movie, though.

[Rory]

I liked him in Jurassic park where he hot boxed that place with cigarettes for the entire movie. You could smell the cigarettes coming off the screen. He played. He played the guy that was like trying to hack the mega base data frame. He had big ass glasses.

[Damaris]

Which Jurassic park was that? The first one.

[Rory]

First one. Yeah.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Rory]

He ends up, I think, of course, dying.

[Damaris]

I can't remember the first Jurassic Park.

[Rory]

He's always being eaten by a shark, a snake.

[Damaris]

That's how they get him out. That means they couldn't afford him any longer. Like, they had to let him go. Like, all right, man, we can't keep

[Rory]

paying you since we're speaking of old men in the younger generation. There was a clip going around that Samuel Jackson was a functioning crackhead. He would cook crack, start hallucinating, thinking his daughter was suffocating from all the crack smoke, run up the stairs, save her, run back down. And he said he was a high functioning crackhead.

[Damaris]

There's a lot of people that are high functioning crackhead.

[Rory]

Well, he's from that era where it was kind of common to smoke crack.

[Damaris]

Yeah, it's a lot of high functioning crackheads. You'd be surprised how many doctors, lawyers, like, people that have really, like, make a lot of money. Like, they. People think crack is just like, you know, you a crackhead laying in your own vomit in the subway like, no dysfunctioning crackheads. Without a doubt.

[Rory]

Jordan Hufford.

[Mall]

Crazy. Imagine your dentist being a crackhead.

[Rory]

I'm pretty sure some dentists, sure, there's plenty.

[Damaris]

Some orthodontists do smoke crack, for sure.

[Mall]

Oh, my God. Being our crack, giving me a root canal. Oh, my God.

[Rory]

Probably pretty efficient if he was high functioning.

[Damaris]

And if you. And if you mistake your back molar

[Rory]

for a crack rock, get the work done for free.

[Mall]

What the is.

[Damaris]

I'm just saying, look at your. If you ever look at crack and look at your back molars, it's the same thing. It's pretty similar. It looks. You know what I mean? I'm just.

[Rory]

That's hilarious. Well, yeah. Another Manhattan Plaza alumni, Samuel Jackson, was a security guard there. Probably high on crack. I'm willing to bet in Hell's Kitchen at that time. Yeah, a thousand percent.

[Damaris]

I'm willing to bet he definitely did a shift while he was on crack before.

[Rory]

Yeah. I'm saying. Sure wouldn't be the first one.

[Damaris]

No.

[Rory]

All right, let's get into some music. We got Netflix zip with us now.

[Damaris]

Yeah, man. That's it.

[Rory]

Man versus everybody.

[Damaris]

Yo, what's going on, baby? What's going on? What's. What's the. What's the temperature like up there upstate, man?

[Mall]

Like, top hot.

[Rory]

It is because there's a fire in Canada, right?

[Mall]

Yeah, there's a fire in Canada. It's hot.

[Zip]

That's a good enough reason.

[Damaris]

Yeah, yeah. But what's going on? Like, it's like upstate versus the city right now. 38 specialty, shooting at everybody. What's going. But it all jokes aside, though, I do kind of feel like this is low key. Been brewing for a minute, though. Why you feel like that? Well, because for the last few years, anytime they start talking about the best in New York, the best rappers, they leave out the west side guns, the Conways, the Bennies. Out of those. Out of those, you know.

[Zip]

You think that's unfair.

[Damaris]

Yeah, it's unfair.

[Rory]

It's unfair if you. If you include Westchester and Long Island. Yeah, I think it's unfair. Yeah, just do the five boroughs. Cool, whatever. Yeah. But if you. If you.

[Damaris]

Technically, the locks are. They're not from new.

[Zip]

They cross the street and be in Westchester.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Zip]

You could crush the street. And being Long Island. Yeah, you gotta go six miles, six hours. I mean, to get to Buffalo. Yeah, but you gotta go six hours to get. That's the thing. You could go to six hours and get to Virginia, too.

[Damaris]

Still New York.

[Zip]

But you could go that way. That's fall. That's like the Midwest.

[Mall]

Watch your mouth.

[Zip]

That's kind of like the Midwest.

[Mall]

It ain't kind of like a goddamn thing.

[Zip]

Cleveland is right there, right? Cleveland ain't the Midwest. How far Cleveland is from Buffalo? Let's talk about it. That's Lake Erie. I know what the fuck I'm talking about. I was up there. That's the Midwest. Them niggas like old school cars. They talk a little different.

[Rory]

All of that.

[Zip]

That's kind of far away from here. That's why it's a disconnect. It ain't like, oh, yo, n be hating on them. Them niggas is far away from here.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but you. But. But still. It's still New York, though. It's definitely New York. It's Rochester, New York. It's Syracuse, New York. It's still New York. But I feel like it's been brewing, though. The conversation has been brewing. I'm pretty sure a lot of these guys from these places are feeling some type of way being left out. Especially when they've been putting on for the years, making some of the best music, having some of the best bars.

[Rory]

But I don't think they mad at the rappers. I could see them being mad at publications, but I think people from upstate are used to that, which we've had had a lot of.

[Damaris]

Not rappers, not mad at rappers from the city. But in the situation with Special and Kiss, I could see how that is getting. How it's turning into something else now.

[Zip]

Nah, man, I ain't gonna lie, man. This with Special and Kiss is crazy because. Especially saying, why you won't take my money? You ducking because you won't take my money. I don't need your money. If I Needed the money. I would take it. If you had 100,000. Kiss is taking that. But is Kiss worth a hundred thousand right now for a feature? I doubt that.

[Damaris]

Right.

[Zip]

So you not giving him that.

[Damaris]

Right.

[Zip]

So whatever you got for him, I'm good on that. I could get that to wear a nigga's shirt on the podcast.

[Rory]

I also think Kiss would do features. I don't think Kiss does features for money. I think Kiss does features because if he fuck with you. Because he fuck with you.

[Damaris]

If he fuck with you, he fuck with the record.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Now, Special's thing is, Kiss told him to send him something. He would give him a verse.

[Zip]

I understand that he said that.

[Damaris]

So that's why so special. And said, don't tell me that, because I might actually send you something, a joint to hop on.

[Zip]

But industry niggas, like, somebody told me that, they said, yo, an industry nigga is going to tell you no without

[Damaris]

saying no for sure. But Special saying, don't do that with him, though. Cause he not. You don't. You ain't have to say that. Right?

[Zip]

You special, man. You.38 special, right? You Special. I got it. What? You Special got it? I mean, I gotta do.

[Damaris]

What you mean? Nah.

[Mall]

What the fuck?

[Damaris]

He said. He's shooting at everybody.

[Zip]

I don't really like, I'm.

[Rory]

Keep it real.

[Zip]

He talking all that. You niggas is too old to be talking about selling drugs or the aroma of drugs. He's 40 something, right? Yeah, he's named after a gun. How hypocritical is that?

[Damaris]

Yeah, but that was his name when he first started rapping.

[Zip]

And these niggas was talking about this shit when they first started rapping. So I'm saying what we talking about here? Don't be like, you can't be named after a gun at. For. You couldn't be Joe Speci by now.

[Mall]

Yo, Joe Speci is.

[Zip]

You couldn't be Joe Speci by now, right? Like, you still gotta be named after the gun. And you talking about some nigga, and you be talking about coke, too, for sure. So what's the difference? Like, that's. That's. That's kind of like what we really talking about here.

[Damaris]

Well, I think he's saying because Fat Joe and Kiss is older, you know, kiss is, what, 51?

[Rory]

But kiss doesn't. Kiss has a good balance of not just talking about that. The theme of the song was about the aroma of drugs. So I think Kiss just heard the hook or wherever Fat Joe was going and was like, oh, is what we talking about. All right.

[Zip]

Nah. More, you trying to play devil's advocate, bro. You know, you cannot be saying a n. Can't be talking about Coke at 50.

[Colin Coward]

50.

[Zip]

But you 40 talking about it. You closer to 50 than 30, right?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Zip]

How you still talking about it? How you. It's okay for you to do that, right? You honestly. There's latest freestyle that he got up on the radar. He said he'll put a brick of coke on a head so you can exchange cocaine for whatever type of currency you see fit.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You could do whatever you want to

[Zip]

do with the cocaine.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Zip]

But another chance. You cannot do that, bro. That's some corny. If you was on some D1 saying that I understand. I wouldn't have said nothing. All your positive, you want some yo buy real estate. This, do this. If that was it, that was it. But you'll be talking this. Come on, son. That's corny, bro.

[Damaris]

But now, what about the. The obvious with what seems to be like the. The kind of. The divide in between guys that are from the state of New York versus the rappers that are from the city of New York.

[Rory]

But I don't think that's the case here. I just think this is.

[Damaris]

No, but there's other guys jumping in, though.

[Zip]

Rochester is making freestyles and all that.

[Damaris]

Yeah, it's starting to. It's starting to. It's starting to bubble into.

[Rory]

But shooting specifically at people in the five boroughs or at Jadakiss. Is this a Jadakiss thing or is this the New York City?

[Damaris]

Well, I've seen one of them definitely shooting that Kiss.

[Rory]

But that's a Kiss thing.

[Damaris]

You never been in the prison system.

[Zip]

Yeah, that's somebody that don't even rock with.38 special. That's what I'm saying. Like, the upstate is going to team up. That's Green Double. Yeah, they green double.38 special. Green double stole some jeans from him. They was calling him Gene Double. It was calling him Gene Double. Yeah, he in the comment section talking. He telling the. That was calling him all type of things on the song. He telling the. Yo, get him.

[Damaris]

Yeah, get him.

[Zip]

He got you before, right? Shout out to Green. Green get busy. But I watched it. A nigga, like, kind of like, dragged him around last year. Know what I'm saying? And he in the comment section telling that same nigga to get another nigga. He don't even like you. So y' all just gonna team up making some upstate shit?

[Damaris]

Okay, so this is what I'm saying. Even if I got an Issue with you. The fact that.

[Zip]

But they like that, though.

[Damaris]

But that's what I'm saying. The fact that the rappers from the five boroughs, or you have an issue with one of the rappers, one of the most legendary rappers from the five boroughs, It. It's upstate against.

[Zip]

Yeah, but all of them not gonna get involved with that. Cause I grew up with them. All of them don't get involved with that. But the majority of them, they on that. Like, the east side of Rochester don't rock with the west side of Rochester in jail. They is Rochester.

[Damaris]

They together in jail.

[Zip]

They together in jail.

[Damaris]

Right.

[Zip]

To go against the. From the city.

[Damaris]

So that's what I'm saying. So now it seems like that's what it is.

[Zip]

They be having murder one beef with each other in the town.

[Damaris]

Right.

[Zip]

Get to jail. That's some township we in.

[Damaris]

We ain't here.

[Rory]

Yeah, but I mean, in this situation,

[Zip]

usg, that's what they call it. Usg, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse. So you. They tell the Albany, y' all ain't really upstate now.

[Rory]

Albany, not upstate.

[Zip]

They tell them that it's up from

[Mall]

you guys, but to us, it's like, ain't really upstate.

[Zip]

I'm dead ass. They tell them Albany is far.

[Rory]

Up 87.

[Zip]

Upstate New York, hours away.

[Rory]

That's upstate.

[Zip]

Up 87.

[Mall]

That's everything is upstate to y'.

[Colin Coward]

All.

[Mall]

Y' all call.

[Rory]

We jokingly say Westchester. That's a joke, though. But Albany is definitely.

[Damaris]

Albany is upstate.

[Zip]

That's upstate.

[Rory]

Come on, you go up 87 that far, you're in upstate New York.

[Damaris]

Isn't Albany the capital of New York? Yeah, yeah, that's upstate.

[Rory]

Wait, what that got to do.

[Damaris]

It's upstate. I'm just saying that's the capital.

[Mall]

I don't got a to do with nothing. But like, even when y' all say upstate, it's just. It's because New York, y' all center New York City. So, like, anything more than 10 miles up from y' all is upstate. And it's like, shit, be at, like, the middle. Like, Syracuse is dead smack in the middle of New York State. But, like, they call it upstate. We're in the middle.

[Zip]

That's central New York.

[Mall]

Yeah, we're literally in central New York, but it's up from y'. All. So because y' all are all the way at the bottom, anything above y' all is upstairs.

[Zip]

Yeah, but that's far from Canada. Nevado, the St. Lawrence River. Right there. That's it. You get to Canada right there. That shit is fall.

[Rory]

Yeah. You're not about to question his geography.

[Zip]

You know that.

[Rory]

I've been.

[Zip]

I've been. I've been in the jail in every one of them locations. Buffalo, I was in Windy. Rochester, I was in Attica. That. Syracuse, Five Points, Auburn, I was in all that shit, all burn. 30 minutes from Syracuse. Them little joints used to get on the bus and come see them niggas. They was official. Heard the mother city bus. Jump off the city bus. I'm dead ass.

[Mall]

Oh, Zip, I need you to help me visit somebody in Rikers. I don't know how.

[Zip]

I don't know how to do that. I ain't been on Rikers island in a long time, and I need you

[Damaris]

to help visit somebody on Rikers Island.

[Zip]

That's like the worst visit in the state.

[Damaris]

Would you want to give that?

[Zip]

It'll take you four or five hours to get an hour visit on Rikers Island. That's the worst visit in the world, man.

[Damaris]

How you. How would you like Zip to help you get a visit?

[Mall]

Because I don't know the. I. I don't know. I don't know what to do.

[Zip]

You gotta go get on that bus.

[Damaris]

Gotta go get on that bus.

[Zip]

Once it goes across the bridge and you get off, they're gonna be like, who you here to see? Until you got to fill this stuff out. And then you go away for a while. They might have.

[Rory]

The last name is that day or some.

[Zip]

They might have a dog sniffing around.

[Damaris]

Yeah, so don't go boo for nothing.

[Zip]

Yeah, don't bring. Don't bring that back. Fill it out first. Yeah, fill it out. If you need help. If you need help, I'll show you what, the knives, how to put them together. That's. I'll put you on.

[Mall]

So he was just. That he would help me stick drugs up my ass.

[Zip]

I didn't say I would help you do all of that. I didn't say that.

[Damaris]

You put the balloons together.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Zip]

And now I say they hold the weed inside their.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Oh, my God.

[Zip]

But you don't got to. You know what I'm saying?

[Mall]

I asked if El Zip said, how can I help you? And they said, nah, I help you.

[Zip]

Boof.

[Mall]

Some like. You see what I'm saying?

[Damaris]

They gonna make you squat and cough. And all that gonna come flopping, right?

[Rory]

That column gonna burst. Reggie in the air K2 Everywhere K2

[Damaris]

Everywhere the bar gonna be right Calling

[Rory]

us numb as you have a collect

[Damaris]

call from yo More they got got me, I'm hanging right this Zip. This Zip said it was Official was going to work. Please press one

[Mall]

Y. Would y' all bail me out?

[Damaris]

I don't know, baby. It depends on what you doing, cuz.

[Colin Coward]

This.

[Zip]

You knock with the bag. Yeah. That's a light bell. You ain't get nothing.

[Damaris]

They start investigating me. They start investigating a that came to bail you out.

[Mall]

They do.

[Damaris]

Hell, yeah.

[Rory]

Gotta go through the finances.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Where'd you get this money?

[Damaris]

Send a lawyer. I ain't going up there. Send a lawyer to go get it.

[Colin Coward]

I ain't.

[Damaris]

I ain't going. I send a lawyer. I ain't going over there. Hell, no.

[Mall]

I always tell people that. I be like, please don't. Don't give me an excuse to go to jail. Cause, like, my boss is a bail me out just for the story alone. The story alone, they'll pay for.

[Damaris]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll send a lawyer for sure. We gonna talk bad about you, though. That's a fact. But, yeah, man, I don't know, man. I don't know where this is going with Special.

[Rory]

I just want him to rap. He was on his couch saying he was down to rap.

[Damaris]

He been rapping, Is there?

[Rory]

No, of course.

[Mall]

Special.

[Zip]

I'm saying nothing to Kiss.

[Rory]

Rapping Kiss. I didn't really think the record with Fat Joe and having Khaled in the back was like, some straight diss@38 special. Plus that freestyle. I don't think it was either. But Kiss has rapped twice since Special said, let's rap.

[Damaris]

Well, he had a couple balls, but he said, is this about a verse or is this about a career?

[Rory]

He's talking about no little shots. Yeah, I agree. He's definitely talking about him, which I think warrants Special reply. So I'm saying I want to hear Special rap. I don't think it was some crazy.

[Zip]

I feel like Chess might have, like, played himself. Because if you only going to say that, you leave room for this nigga to go crazy.

[Rory]

Well, I think he was just.

[Zip]

You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

Temperature check where he replies. I don't think Kiss is going to come out the gate with everything you can say. He's going to wait.

[Damaris]

I don't know if that's the right strategy, though.

[Rory]

Why?

[Damaris]

Because Special has a whole clip.

[Zip]

Yeah, special.

[Rory]

I'm not doubting 38 special whatsoever. I'm just not doubting Jadakiss.

[Damaris]

I'm not doubting Jadakiss. I'm just saying you don't want. You don't want to leave room.

[Rory]

I think Special's nice.

[Damaris]

He left room.

[Zip]

For son to go crazy, though I said that as soon as I heard it.

[Rory]

Like, that's also leaves room for Kiss to reply to whatever that is we've seen a million times. People just check the temperature real quick. Here's a light shot just to see what type of time we on.

[Damaris]

All Kiss gonna do is say how he really feel. Like he don't think Special is that dope. Cause that's all it really is. Like, Kiss just don't think Special is that dope.

[Zip]

Sound like a gangster from the 1930s.

[Damaris]

Yeah, something like. Yeah, that's what. That's what he gonna do. Cause that to me, that's what it. That's what it boils down to.

[Rory]

I like that Special sound like that.

[Zip]

You like that?

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Damaris]

He don't sound like nobody. That's why.

[Rory]

No, that's why I like Special. Because he has that, like, you know, very unique sound.

[Zip]

But yeah, I think from the Dick Tracy movie. Yeah,

[Rory]

you hearsay.

[Zip]

Yeah, yeah.

[Damaris]

But I think that's what it's gonna boil down to.

[Zip]

Kids got a score, right? Yeah.

[Damaris]

He gonna tell him that. He just don't think. He don't think he that dope. That's what it is. Who Kiss don't respect.

[Zip]

It gotta be that.

[Damaris]

You don't respect Special like that.

[Zip]

But I'm saying, I think Special got mad when he started seeing Benny. All them other. All the upstate niggas on Jadakiss platform, that big ass platform, like he ain't getting a look. Somebody said his shit flopped too. He just put a tape out a couple months ago, you know what I'm saying? So he might be pissed off. He put a tape out. He don't get no. He don't get a chance to do a promo run. These other niggas put tapes out. They doing promo runs and all that.

[Mall]

He.

[Zip]

That shit sound kind of salty to me. He's like a Dame dad situation. Why he with his wife?

[Rory]

I don't think it's that. I think with all this happening, I don't know if you saw on Twitter like Spesh was getting his flowers from a lot of people. Ransom, like, people started giving the history of how long Spech has been in this and how many people Spech has put on.

[Damaris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Rory]

And gave their first shot, which I was happy to see. But I think Spech is starting to realize that that doesn't get you the promo that you may deserve. And doing shit like this is what sparks people talking about you. Spech put a bunch of people on and that didn't get him the promo run you're talking about.

[Zip]

And he tried to.

[Rory]

Now he sees what this does, and this gets traction. And we know Special is far from stupid, so that's why. Yeah. Is there a lot of hypocrisy in what he's saying about 50 year old this and that? Of course there is. And I know Special knows there's hypocrisy in that, but this is working. It's working for him right now. Now he's on more podcasts. He's getting more eyes. More eyes than ears, and more people that weren't just, you know, a casual fan. Want to hear what Special has to say?

[Zip]

Yeah, like, that shit sent me to the light. And I'm saying, once he said he smoked Kiss on his song. I've been feeling like I don't like the way he say, sound like a gangster from the 1930s, you know what I'm saying? So I went back, I listened, I've been listening to him, and I'm saying, yeah, he talked. You know what I'm saying?

[Damaris]

Talking I like. To Rory's point, though, I do think that this is beneficial for Special because more people are talking about him. People are checking out his music. And I do think he has a clip for kiss.

[Rory]

Oh, 100%. And I think Special's at that point in his career, you know, it's not like he's signed to anyone specific or has to harbor certain relationships. That's why you end up shooting everybody. I don't give a fuck. He doesn't.

[Damaris]

But this is the rap beef I like. Like you said you was gonna give me a verse. You never did. I spoke about it. You go on your song.

[Zip]

So now what you really gonna say? Nigga, you really a fan. You was just trying to give me money to give me. What you really gonna say on the song?

[Damaris]

Dis me who's not a fan of Kiss, right?

[Zip]

So what you gonna get on the song?

[Damaris]

Me saying you a fan of me is not a diss. Yeah, don't like Kiss.

[Zip]

It really kind of like nullify, like Kiss.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Zip]

What you really saying?

[Rory]

What you gonna say?

[Damaris]

You're not a man of your word. You said send you. Send you a joint. You was gonna send me a verse. You never did you. It seemed like you ducking Wreck. It seems like you. Now, we ain't saying Kisses, duck and wreck, but Special could say that in a bar. It seemed like you duck and wreck, or you just don't wanna take my money. Or you just don't think I'm that nice? Okay, well, then let me show you how nice I am.

[Zip]

If I was kissing them, I'd dress up like Dick Tracy. And them yellow trench coats that had to match the yellow trench coat with the hat to match. Get the old school called Tommy Gun.

[Damaris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zip]

And rap like that. Yeah, and rap like that.

[Rory]

Start writing your name with machine guns on the side of the face.

[Zip]

Now hanging out the side of that, all that crazy. That's what I would do. Some gangsters from the 1930s.

[Damaris]

I can't wait, though, because I do think Special is. I mean, I'm sure as rappers do, they load up, he got a clip ready to go.

[Zip]

Niggas be trying to say, yo, Special, who he think he is doing? I'm telling that nigga been rapping for 20 years. You mean who he think he is? He got. He got. He got the.

[Damaris]

He got every right.

[Zip]

He got the cachet to do that. I ain't taking nothing from the nigga. I ain't no real big fan, but I ain't. I. I give credit with credit due, right?

[Damaris]

That's respectful.

[Zip]

Be talking about, oh, yo, who he think he is talking about Kiss like that. Kiss is a man, and his. So is he. You know what I'm saying? He fell away. And so you saying, what you say some of this. I'm not going for this shit. And I'm saying, like, you know, you understand what I'm saying? Like, I'm not going for this. Oh, yo, y' all 50 years old talking about coke. So what you 40? Named after a gun. That's the same kind of ignorance, if you ask me. And I don't mind it. Me personally, I don't give a fuck. Right? Yeah.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Let's see what this goes.

[Damaris]

No, but this is the type of rap beef I like, though, because it's not. It's not stemming from a beef like, I don't like you is stemming from, yo, you told me to send you a joint for a verse, and you never sent the verse back in rap. I like that type of like, all right, so fuck it. Because now, what's better than getting a verse from somebody getting in a battle?

[Zip]

But these niggas. But when you start talking about, yo, n ain't live certain shit and all that, nigga, you don't know what n really did. Cause n take a N father saying, yo, he went to private school as a nigga, wasn't outside. And that's some dumb shit. Cause my father and my uncle went to Catholic school. And them niggas went to jail for the worst shit you could go to jail for, really. You know what I'm saying? Like, and so that's that. You know what I'm saying? Like, I know for a fact going to private school don't mean you wasn't outside doing some shit at all. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, and that's an angle,

[Damaris]

like going to private school just mean your parents tried to give you the best.

[Zip]

A better education, a chance at a

[Damaris]

better education, a better head start than the rest of the field. That's all that means.

[Rory]

Yeah, say that at Cardinal Hayes and see how far you get. But, I mean, I. I think we get. I think we get a record, freestyle, whatever, from Special latest mid next week.

[Zip]

I feel like he was being pulled to take off.

[Rory]

I agree.

[Zip]

I feel like he.

[Rory]

I think it's already too late. Well, not too late, I feel. But I wanted to add, like, it's.

[Zip]

You said too much on the pause.

[Rory]

Dragon go rap.

[Zip]

Yeah. I don't feel like you should have went back to Bag Fuel. And I'm saying shout out to Bag Fee. I like, I liked that interview, that. It was a good interview. They got a lot out of that. But I feel like you should have rapped first and then went on back Fuel. And I'm saying it explained why you were saying the shit you were saying instead of explaining and saying this. So what, you gonna come say this in the rhyme now?

[Damaris]

Yeah, but you go, you already told us this.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Damaris]

Like, but then Jim jumped in. That was dope.

[Zip]

What he said about Jim is true, though, bro. Jim is not a ball rap nigga. Jim is a vibe. Jim is a vibe rapper.

[Damaris]

On that podcast, though, park out. I fuck with them. What's their name again? Parker. That Jim did. You did it, too. You did this.

[Zip]

No funny shit.

[Damaris]

No funny. I fuck with. No shout out to. No funny shit. But Jim did say they was trying

[Zip]

to get y' all on there.

[Damaris]

Yeah, Jim did say that Special was nice, though. Like, he gave Special. He was like, yo, Special. He was like, yo, Special is nice, though. Like, he could. He could rap.

[Zip]

So it's not like he started dissing them, though.

[Damaris]

You start.

[Zip]

You. That all. That's. That's like a backhand comment. I'm saying you start dissing me, talking about, can't dress, niggas don't get no money. That was a whole nother all that I could rap. I ain't trying to hear none of that.

[Damaris]

Yeah, Well, I like. What special response? Like, you not even a rapper about bars. Yeah, right.

[Rory]

But is that, bro. Jim has been saying he better than Nas. Like, nothing.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Shocks me when, like, you think he's gonna tiptoe around 38 special say, yo, I got the best catalog in New York City history.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Zip]

Yeah. He said none of the from his era got a better catalog.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So, yeah, that's Jimmy being Jimmy.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

If I was 38 special, I wouldn't take that personal, though.

[Zip]

Jimmy got 37 projects.

[Rory]

Jimmy is a great, great discography.

[Zip]

37 projects.

[Damaris]

Jim put out 37 projects. Damn. About all that. I didn't know.

[Zip]

I'm trying to tell you some shit. I did the math.

[Damaris]

37.

[Zip]

Yeah. And that's why he think he got a better catalog. I don't like the big quantity.

[Damaris]

He probably has a bigger catalog.

[Zip]

He thinks quantity supersedes quality.

[Rory]

But Jimmy's last four albums have been

[Damaris]

eight solo studio albums, four collaborative albums, 19 official mixtapes. So that's 31. Yeah.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I mean, I think his albums are great. I don't know if it's top.

[Zip]

Could you Name out of 37?

[Rory]

No, I don't. I don't know everything.

[Damaris]

I can't name 10 gym albums, but

[Rory]

he has eight albums.

[Damaris]

Hustle's poem to me is one of the best projects.

[Rory]

El Capo is incredible.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Waste of talent is incredible. Like, I think Jimmy puts out great.

[Damaris]

He does, but I don't know if it's the best in New York City.

[Rory]

No, I don't know about that.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

But I think Jimmy is very much.

[Damaris]

He got some dope. He got some dope projects, though, for sure.

[Rory]

Y' all saw what Flex said last

[Zip]

night on Twitter about DJ Enough of them charging. He put them business in the street.

[Rory]

Listen, man, everybody said I was lying about the radio Rico. I mean, I know. I know we're distributing through iHeart, but I'm still gonna say it. IHeart just settled on their payola scandal and now they have to monitor things way differently. And what Flex is saying is what I didn't say at the time because it wasn't my place to say. But if you look at the timing of when I said the radio possibility of a rico, or that they were investigating major outlets in New York City on radio, it was around the time that people were getting fired and things were switching up between the two biggest hip hop radio stations. And I'm not saying this about DJ enough. I do not know. I was not there. But Flex said, DJ enough. I Got you fired? Question mark. Did French Montana pay you 25k for the heavy hitter conference call? Did Maino pay you 40k for the mixed show list ads? Was Nori offered a discount of 2,500 for a month of spins? Did Miles brando pay you 10k to perform at mixed show meeting and get added to the mix show list? Was DJ Wavy asked to pay 2,500 to spend on summer mix weekend? These are all questions that DJ Flex is asking. Enough. And payola is a crime. I'm not accusing enough of that. Just repeating what has been in paperwork. And yeah, this is the shit people were talking about with the New York City payola thing. Not saying what's true and what's not true. But this has been a thing for over a year. To the point that iheart had settled with the FCC for a payola lawsuit. Just now they have to adopt a new reporting measure to ensure legal compliance. There was a lot of risk of what was going on in radio for the past few years. Somehow that got dragged into Drake bullshit. But that's just what the Internet does. What I've been talking about is exactly what I Heart settled on. And from what I saw, plus more is what Flex is talking about as well. This wasn't like a huge secret in the industry about what was going on with the payola shit. People that said I was making this shit up. I didn't just walk in here and be like, payola? No. This has been a thing for quite some time.

[Damaris]

I Heart Media, the largest owner of radio stations in the US agreed to enter into a consent decree with FCC to settle a probe the agency launched last year into iHeartMedia's compliance with federal rules prohibiting a specific form of payola dubbed show ola, which involves radio stations pressuring artists to perform at station host music shows. Oh, that's crazy. All festivals for free offer reduced payment in exchange for more favorable airtime for their songs, per the fcc.

[Zip]

It sound like Hotline was involved with that shit. Cause some of that shit they used to be playing, I used to be like, how did this make it to the ratings?

[Rory]

Well, I think so. So iheart is obvious not only that huge conglomerate with how some of these

[Damaris]

artists get a summer jam spot.

[Rory]

Like who?

[Damaris]

I mean, we ain't doing that, but I'm just saying I'd be like, who?

[Rory]

I don't know if I've seen anything on Summer Jam that looked like a blatant pale to me. Or I was like, there's no way they could be on There.

[Damaris]

All right, I have. But, you know, again, I'm not that in touch with what's going on with the new music as much as I used to.

[Rory]

Well, I mean, I think Hot 97, because they've never been on a major, major conglomerate the way other radio stations have. Iheart obviously owning the world at this point. That's more specific DJs, I feel like. Whereas iHeart may have had a structure here with certain employees, but with Hot 97, Ms. Communications, I forgot the name they're with now. That is kind of small peanuts to some degree. Like, it would have to be specific DJs. There is no station rate for payola at this point. This is brown bag money here.

[Damaris]

Yeah, Cash pull up, like, yeah, just

[Rory]

leave that on the wheel well of my car.

[Damaris]

Right.

[Rory]

And we're cool. But I mean, I don't want to put this on enough without evidence or anything. But.

[Damaris]

No, for sure, I'll get that.

[Zip]

I'm not saying it don't make it true, but.

[Rory]

Well, I mean, a lot of people

[Damaris]

actually was asking questions.

[Zip]

Yes.

[Rory]

Well, you know, I don't really defend Flex like that, but they were accusing Flex of being the reason why Enough was fired the way he was fired as well. And then Flex took a six hour time slot. And I had heard behind the scenes of what Flex put out there. So that's why I didn't jump on that train of like, because I. With DJ Enough, everyone's like, why would you. Why would Flex do that to Enough? Like they friends this and that? Well, yeah, there may have been some accusations in the background that Flex has no power. If you get accused of this, Flex can't step in and be like, nah, it's illegal. Yeah, Flex can't stop that.

[Zip]

So you think this was going on behind the scenes?

[Rory]

Hell, I know it was.

[Zip]

Oh, so yeah. Cause I remember when it first happened, like Flex had came out and was saying something, I was listening to it, but like, it was like, damn. I mean, I had been there like 20 years ago or 30 years ago type shit. You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

And again, not saying if y' all

[Zip]

niggas was doing this type of shit, like taking bread and all that, the feds involved and all that. Get up, get away from me.

[Rory]

Yeah. And again, not saying that this is true. This is alleged on Enough. Even if there's Talk about it, Hot 97 is gonna be like, no. Even if there's chatter, please get away from us. We can't afford that. And Flex, as much power as he does have that he has at Hot 97. He can't stop somebody from getting fired for potential payola.

[Zip]

No.

[Rory]

He can't step in and be like, nah, let's let illegal keep going. I can't do that. So I do give Flex some grace there because a lot of people on him when enough was fired and everything started switching up and he took over all the time slots, you know, it looked like Flex was like.

[Damaris]

It looked like he got enough out of there so he can get more, you know, more time on the air. But yeah, I don't know. I don't. Again, I don't know the nuances or the, the details of any of that, but show ola or payola has been a thing in the music business forever since it started. The more they the music business, even

[Rory]

if they clean it up, they're just going to find other ways, other ways to do it, to do it. Like insider trading is always going to happen.

[Damaris]

Absolutely.

[Rory]

All payola really is. But I don't know.

[Zip]

No worry about mall.

[Rory]

The beard was shimmering in Yankee Stadium with all the light shows, everything. It was just reflecting off this luscious beard. And that is because of Basque and lather. Everyone wasn't even looking at at the show. It was just like, oh, the beard looks fuller today.

[Damaris]

When they were saying diamonds are forever,

[Rory]

they was talking about your business 100%. Listen, Maul, there may not be blood flowing into my brain at the moment, but with bask and lather, it is going to my hair follicles. It promotes the softening of my beard. No dandruff, so I'm hugging people up. I wore dark to the show. No flakes.

[Damaris]

Nasty. You don't need it.

[Rory]

I was looking great because of the Basque and lather.

[Damaris]

And not only that, Rory, of course we love it because it is black owned. Shayne and her mom researched and formulated their own scalp and hair oil to stimulate hair growth and to retain length. Explore viral bestsellers and products of healthier hair of all types. From Baskin lather, go to baskinlathercode.com and use code Rory and Mall for 20% off. That's 20% off at Bask and Lather. Co.com code roryandmall

[Colin Coward]

hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward podcast. All right. You know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal. A big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reel. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly true in life Halion is shining a light on the assists. An official partner of U.S. soccer. They got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you, so here they are. Sensodyne Dentist Recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful Inflammation Fighting Pain Relief Relief Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists because every goal starts with an assist. Learn how Halion can assist your game day [e-mail] Colin 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.

[Damaris]

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 it?

[Colin Coward]

Indulgent.

[Damaris]

And I really thought about it.

[Colin Coward]

I was like no.

[Damaris]

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 cuz it served the story. People will say like oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like yeah dude, me too.

[Colin Coward]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I hardly Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. He's dribbling the ball with everything on the line.

[Rory]

He's driving down the pitch. He's facing price hikes and cuts past him. Carrier contracts, tries to block him.

[Damaris]

Oh, he leaves him in the dust.

[Rory]

He's at the edge of the box. He cuts past the nonstop group chat, trash talk. He clears on goal.

[Colin Coward]

He shoots

[Rory]

unlimited data for $25 a month. Forever. Visit your local Boost Mall mobile store today to get unlimited data with a price that never changes. Boost mobile after 30gb customers may experience lower speeds.

[Colin Coward]

Customers will pay 25amonth as long as they remain active on the Boost 25 Unlimited plan.

[Rory]

Awkward time to ask this, but hey, did you download the trail map? Yeah, I know I don't need to. I don't understand you're trusting your signal out here? I'm trusting T Mobile. They have the best network.

[Mall]

And if we end up in bumtots

[Rory]

nowhere, well, we've got T Satellite for backup.

[Colin Coward]

Whoa.

[Rory]

I don't trust my carrier that much. We'll just use your phone as a flashlight. With America's best network and T Satellite, we're keeping you connected in places you never thought possible.

[Zip]

And if you switch today, you get

[Rory]

free phones for zero down and only 25 bucks a month per line for four lines.

[Colin Coward]

Find out more@t mobile.com or visit your local store. Best Mobile Network Based on analysis by

[Rory]

Ooklev's BTEST intelligence data to a 2025 with 24 monthly bill credits and 4 eligible port ins on essentials for well

[Damaris]

qualified customers with autopay plus taxes, fees

[Rory]

and 35 connection charge per line credits and imbalance 2 if you pay off earlier, cancel contact US Finance Agreement example $299.99 Moto Edge 5G required T satellite available with compatible device in most outdoor areas in the US where you can see the sky included with experience beyond your $10 a month all over news monthly cancel anytime visit t mobile.com. New music that is out right now this might be one of those new music Fridays that I'm kind of excited about. Album wise. We get a Steve Lacey album which has SZA and Erykah Badu on it. That is out now. Masego Full project say go Larry June who has Janae Aiko and music Soul Child on there. We get Rome Streets. We get a Sid album which is added yes. Oh Beard, which is a hilarious title.

[Damaris]

Yo, back to my left.

[Rory]

I was about to say it's giving

[Damaris]

Mall's theory more legs if this bid album is crazy.

[Rory]

S thank you.

[Damaris]

You give us some. You give us some credence to what I'm saying. The lesbians are running R B right now.

[Rory]

I'm excited because it's been a minute since Sid gave us a project. I think since NBA All Star in New Orleans. I think was the last time we got a I just remember listening to Sid. Yeah, it's been a minute. She also said in an interview that we're getting an Internet album January 2027.

[Damaris]

Oh God.

[Rory]

So I'm excited for the Sid shit. But also singles. Travis Scott, James Blake, Lil Baby produced by Pharrell. I heard the snippet. I'm cool.

[Damaris]

You didn't like it?

[Rory]

I didn't like the pairing.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

Yeah, that I don't know. Just not for me. Hopefully it works. I'm not here to hate but Albial featuring Joey Badass Roy woods coming out. It's. There's a lot of. A lot of good music.

[Zip]

I'll be out.

[Damaris]

And Joey Badass Rome Street's got an album, right?

[Rory]

Yes, sir. Tory Lanez is putting out a project. I did hear album did hear a snippet and the snippet sounded.

[Zip]

Yeah, it's called when that last came out. I was with that for. For a while.

[Rory]

Made you think I was gone. But so I mean I'm sure that will do well because there's a whole part of the Internet that may not even like Tory Lanez music but just love what he represents and stands for as an activist.

[Zip]

Do you like that last project he put out?

[Rory]

Torey's very hit or miss for me. With music like super hit or miss. I don't think I've ever heard of Tory Lanez album or song where I was like, this is kind of good. It's either I dislike it fully or I like it like Tory. When Tory mimics other artists. Can't stand that shit.

[Mall]

Sorry.

[Rory]

Double this. Just one rap. Just one R and B. Like Tory Lanez is super talented, but I can't take the imitation form of Tory Lanez music when he just full blown imitates another artist.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Rory]

I. I don't particularly love that.

[Zip]

I need this rap diss, man. I don't that R B. I don't. I ain't into that.

[Damaris]

I mean R B, I ain't on B.

[Zip]

Smooth.

[Damaris]

Why not, man? I ain't on B. Dude, why you want to just put some R B on to just chill.

[Zip]

Like I throw Drake and Fab and like that on Flash type. That's fine. I mean.

[Mall]

Okay.

[Rory]

Can you get the Sid album? I'm curious if Tory. But Tory R B.

[Damaris]

You don't With Tori army the Chicks

[Rory]

tape stuff is not really.

[Damaris]

I don't really.

[Zip]

That's not my.

[Damaris]

Okay.

[Rory]

But sometimes like Tory can rap, but sometimes he does too much of a Drake impression where I'm like, I'll just go listen to Drake. I don't particularly need to listen to this.

[Damaris]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So I'm.

[Colin Coward]

I don't know.

[Rory]

I mean all Tory aside, I'm sure this will do well because it has

[Zip]

county jail Senate kite yelling td. That was fire.

[Rory]

Well, I'm sure Tory's gonna have the jail bars on here.

[Zip]

That. Yo, that lasted. He was talking real jail.

[Rory]

I was like been in there for a little bit.

[Zip]

Yo. That was fire.

[Rory]

Word almost died in there right after that.

[Zip]

They trying to kill. He was talking that, like, nothing can happen to him. They. They wowed him up.

[Damaris]

He got a first day out song on there. R B version. Ryan said he's not out. Thank you for that, Ryan.

[Rory]

Same. Same day.

[Damaris]

Thank you for that, Ryan.

[Zip]

He's not out.

[Rory]

Yeah, I'm still in.

[Damaris]

All right. Do we have voicemails? You've got mail.

[Rory]

I've been seeing what defines a lyricist, like, circulating on, like, the Internet. I'm curious, like, what y' all would think. I feel like a lyricist is, like. It's like tool. Like branches.

[Mall]

It's like.

[Rory]

Like a punchline rapper, but it's like a real, like, lyricist.

[Colin Coward]

Like.

[Rory]

Like, the punchline rapper is like the party rapper of lyricists. Like. Like, you don't really need a lot of context. Like, you don't really have to flow together. Like, make a dope punchline. You just said, you know, versus, like, a real lyricist. Like. Like Nas, for instance.

[Mall]

Like,

[Rory]

you don't have. You don't use punch lines. Every line. And his punchlines are, like, usually contextual. Like, usually have to listen to what he said before or after to, like, understand the punchline or for it to, like, flow, you know, Like, a punchline rapper would be like, the Joker. Like, the Joker, to me is like Lil Wayne if you removed all of Lil Wayne's substance. Like, just pure punchline. I'm curious what y' all feel, like, defines, like, a lyricist. This is what got Lupe in trouble now.

[Zip]

I ain't gonna lie. Cause people be saying, yo, he's a lyricist.

[Damaris]

He's a lyricist.

[Zip]

And I don't get it. No, I'm just saying, anybody. Oh, well, he's a lyricist. He's not a little. I don't get that rhyming. He's making words rhyme. He's being lyrical. Respectfully. That's how they go. If you making words rhyme, you're being lyrical.

[Rory]

Yeah. And I mean, when I was in the hospitals, when Lupe was getting all that flack, so I didn't follow too much of it. I just saw he was getting killed. It was for his lyricist opinion, where he. Where he really got killed, where he was saying, like, me and Nas aren't the highest lyricists. Somebody like a battle rapper in URL is more of a lyricist than us. And then that's when he got killed. He's like, now Nas isn't a lyricist. And that's not what Lupe was saying. It's kind of similar to what this guy's question is. Like, are you one if you use a bunch of fucking punchlines and entendres, similes, metaphors. Or if you're like Nas, who's just a great storyteller. Nas don't use a lot of punchlines or entendres at all.

[Zip]

He started off like that.

[Rory]

He did. But album two on no, Nas is just great at rapping and telling stories, and you feel everything he's saying, the content he talks about. But Nas isn't gonna punchline you to death. Like, Jay will do that, but he'll put a bunch of entendres in, slight punchlines in. That's more his style. But nobody would say Nas is less or more of a lyricist than Jay. That's so I feel him. I don't know this question.

[Damaris]

People would say. Some people would say that. Actually, a lot of people, I think

[Rory]

they're just on the same level. I put them just both.

[Damaris]

No, I agree with you, but I'm saying a lot of people would say between NASA, Jay, who's the more lyrical rapper? People would say, nah.

[Rory]

Well, this goes to this gentleman's question and what Lupe was saying. Why? Because to me, HOV uses more punchlines and entendres than Nas for sure. But I don't think either of them are better. I think they're both top tier, elite lyricists. So I don't really know at this point based off the reaction I saw of people, what they did to Lupe for bringing that point up. Like, all right, is it punchlines or is it because you're really good at rapping?

[Damaris]

I don't know if I'm ready to agree that the punchline makes you lyrical. I don't know if I'm ready to say it's the punchline.

[Rory]

Content to me is content substance of you being able to rhyme really well. That first plus the content and what you're saying. It doesn't necessarily have to be, I feel like metaphor to be a good lyricist.

[Zip]

I feel like they the niggas with the best flows. They say they lyrical. If a flow is like that, that, that I feel like. Not like you saying you keep. You see how you keep naming Nas?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Zip]

Hov, I bet you a say Eminem is lyrical. Of course that's the flows. Them get on the beat and they be inside that beat and they can become part of the beat. And so now say they lyrical as opposed to the punchline where he ain't really. Ah. Line after line. He giving you pain, pain, pain. You understand what I'm saying? Cause like, I Ain't gonna lie. Lil Wayne did used to have a lot of random punchlines. I used to like that. But Fab was considered a punchline rapper. He wasn't like that. Those wasn't random. He used to line you up for the punchlines. Banks was plk. He used to line you up for them punchlines. That is fire. But that is not easy, bro.

[Damaris]

No, it's not easy to.

[Rory]

They Fab, Wayne and Banks would do that on mixtapes. But then when it was time to make a record, they'd have subtle punchlines that weren't like that. Cause Wayne would do that on the Drought series. But then on the Carter, when it's time to make fucking wheel weed officer shit, he's not gonna do a million punchlines in that. That regard. They had different balance. Whereas I hate the rapper that just rhymes really well, has a crazy flow, but you ain't say a fucking thing. You just flowing well. And it's just like, all right, this is cool. I guess when I hear lyrical, I

[Mall]

always thought of the base word lyric. So I always thought it was about vocabulary and who sounds the most intelligent when they're rapping. Lyricists. I never thought about flow, but that's just me personally. That's.

[Damaris]

I mean, that's part of it gotta

[Rory]

be there, though lyrics.

[Zip]

I feel like the flow is the most.

[Rory]

To me, that's the most. That's the. That's the version of melody for a rapper. Is that the cadence? Like, that's.

[Damaris]

I mean, it's all part of all adds to. Cause you'll be using words, and if the flow is terrible, it don't even matter.

[Zip]

Yeah, you could be saying some shit, but if you ain't flowing, if you

[Damaris]

flowing it, you ain't using.

[Zip]

But you right. Like, you could be saying some shit. Not flowing, it's trash. You could be not really saying nothing, but you flowing. It's fire.

[Rory]

But I don't think that makes sense. You could be a great R and B writer if you.

[Mall]

If you rap it about little to nothing. But your flow is trash. I mean, what. Your flow is fire. Like, I don't think that makes you a lyricist.

[Zip]

Like, oh, so the lyrics. What are your lyrics saying? Is them niggas that you might have had the dictionary out a little bit for this when you was writing this rhyme. That's what they be saying when they

[Mall]

be saying that read books. That read books make great rappers.

[Damaris]

That's part of. To me.

[Zip]

Well, for sure, you get better subject matter.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but that's part of the whole renegade who killed who. To me, it was all about the flow. Lyricist.

[Zip]

Yeah, because that shit was one of the greatest lies ever told in rap. Yeah, because Eminem murdered you on your own shit. And people, like, just jacked it. Cause Nas.

[Damaris]

But. No, but that's. But this is what I'm saying.

[Zip]

My son Nas got two of the biggest lies ever told in rap.

[Damaris]

Again, what's the second one?

[Zip]

Hip hop is dead.

[Damaris]

At the time. I know why he said it.

[Zip]

He was wrong, though. Rap might have been dying. Hip hop was up and jumping.

[Mall]

He said he was early.

[Damaris]

Yo, he was early. It might not have been.

[Zip]

Hip hop was up and jumping, though. Soulja Boy was popping, right?

[Damaris]

Yeah, but I don't think Nas looked at that.

[Zip]

Which song Hip Hop got his name from?

[Damaris]

Yeah, Hip Hop. Yeah.

[Zip]

Saying shit hip, right? Cause this is what hip hop is about when they first come out. Just do your thing, man. Go on.

[Colin Coward]

It's.

[Zip]

That's what Soulja Boy was doing. He was just doing his thing. Hip hop was alive and kicking. Rap, that. That they strong arm hip hop from.

[Rory]

He was talking about in the 80s,

[Zip]

the rap niggas couldn't rap no more. Yeah, can't rap no more. Rap might have been dying, but not hip hop. Hip hop.

[Rory]

He was alive ahead of his time because, like, people like Jeezy got offended. Remember when Jeezy and Nas had an issue at that time, all them niggas and Jeezy's fire, like he was ahead of his time. Now, you could absolutely say that, but you still have people that could really rap. There's a balance, but that's the whole.

[Damaris]

The lyrical shit. Eminem and Jay on Renegade, like, to me, Jay was spitting now the flow, the mu.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Since I'm in the position to talk to these kids and they listen. I ain't apologizing like an instrument. But then Jay, when he said I had to hustle my back to the walls. Ashy knuckles, pocket filled with a lot of lint, not a cent, got a vent. Lot of innocent lives also on the project bench. That's lyrical, too.

[Zip]

My demeanor, 30 years, my senior, childhood didn't mean much.

[Damaris]

Only Richard Green right here.

[Zip]

Like, come on, man.

[Damaris]

That's all lyrics.

[Rory]

So they both went nuts.

[Zip]

Yes.

[Damaris]

That's why I never. I never. I get it again. Flow, flow Sometime could dress it up and make it like, oo. Cuz it ain't what you say, it's how you say it.

[Rory]

All right, so what's more lyricism? What, like, cannabis would do or Nas doing A song like Rewind, There's. There's no punchline and rewind. But is. Is that not top tiered lyricism?

[Damaris]

To me, yes. But some people.

[Zip]

And I feel like. But I feel like I was like, no, hell, she was like, me kiss. I feel like that was a punchline.

[Rory]

I was like, no, she was like, me kiss.

[Damaris]

That was definitely a punchline. That was a punchline. That was definitely. Yeah, yeah, that was a punchline. Yeah, sure. For sure.

[Zip]

Yeah, I feel like that was a punch.

[Damaris]

It was just a. A totally different way of being a punchline. But that's how you look at rap. That's a. I was like, no, hell,

[Zip]

she was like, me kiss. Got on the knees, Bob the head, spit it back in my dick. That was a punchline.

[Rory]

I don't care. On the back of the song.

[Damaris]

That was definitely a punchline.

[Zip]

Yeah, that was fire.

[Damaris]

But, yeah, I guess I just thought

[Rory]

it was funny that Nas had a voicemail. Yo, is Nas leaving? If you call that number, you know who you calling?

[Zip]

Yo, is Nas leaving?

[Rory]

Nas don't got a. You think Nas had a voicemail?

[Damaris]

No, I don't think he said, yo, is Nas leaving?

[Mall]

I.

[Rory]

If I'm calling that voice.

[Zip]

Everybody had voicemails back then, son. You had to have a voicemail.

[Damaris]

You had to.

[Zip]

You had to. So my was the king of New York. You guys got fat while everybody. It's my turn. That's why I had to speak it

[Damaris]

like this with the phone.

[Zip]

Yeah. Worried about whoa. Get you guys getting ready to listen to us. Should they write, you gotta do it over the audio.

[Damaris]

Be too low.

[Zip]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Next up, maybe this was a white thing. What I hated the most when people did the voicemails. They'd be like, hello. And you think you were talking to them. What's up? All right, you can leave a message after. Yo, that in the precinct.

[Damaris]

Too much time on you.

[Zip]

That shit happened to a. In the precinct.

[Damaris]

I couldn't stand when did that.

[Rory]

Oh, I. Yo, I could only imagine you trying to get bail in a precinct.

[Zip]

You get called now you can't.

[Damaris]

You ain't even getting better.

[Zip]

You just calling, letting them know you there. Yeah, and playing on the phone.

[Mall]

Yo, not right now. For real.

[Damaris]

I'm never calling you again.

[Rory]

Yeah, well, I feel like we didn't answer, and I don't have an answer. I don't know anymore.

[Zip]

Yeah, it's hard.

[Rory]

It's kind of whatever you feel like.

[Damaris]

Yeah, I don't. I don't know, man. Again, if you want to just get into Lyrics making you a lyricist and then the words that you choose to use and, you know, I guess. But again, I like when rappers also like. Jay is probably the king of saying a word a different way just so it rhymes with another word. Big.

[Rory]

Big was great at that.

[Zip]

Big was the best at that.

[Rory]

Big was really good at that.

[Damaris]

I don't know if Big. Whoa.

[Rory]

And Anti Pain Wis Cancer.

[Mall]

What I could put you.

[Rory]

He wasn't outside of school.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

You don't know Nothing said was canceled.

[Mall]

No, it was canceled.

[Damaris]

Okay. I thought. I thought she said was Campbell. I said, who was canceled? Big like, how did. When they cancel B. I. G? But yeah, I don't know. It goes. It goes to who shot you Separate

[Zip]

the week from the opsa. Lee Halton. How you make all the creek these Brooklyn street that Big did that, bro.

[Damaris]

Yeah, but no, he didn't change no words on there to make it round. What word did he change?

[Zip]

Obsolete.

[Damaris]

He just chopped it up.

[Zip]

Yeah, he changed the way you say it. That's what you just said. Change the way you say a word.

[Damaris]

Jay would like how she said Wisconsin. It's Wisconsin. It's not Wisconsin. Like, Jay does that with a lot of his bars. And it's like, that's not even. But for it to rhyme with another word. I don't know if Biggie ever did that more than Jay.

[Mall]

Like, let a nigga try me. I'm gonna kill your whole motherfucking family. Not family.

[Rory]

That's just Detroit.

[Damaris]

The fact that she quoted DEJ Loaf in this conversation is crazy to me.

[Zip]

I used to fuck with Dej.

[Damaris]

I fuck with DEJ Lo, too. But for Baby to grab DEJ Loaf a Dejloaf ball. Throw that in his. That shit.

[Rory]

Yo, that record. Yeah, that was fire with the delicious cameo. Nah, that record was going straight to the top.

[Damaris]

It was a cameo. That, man. Yeah, that added to the. To the record for sure. We got another voicemail.

[Rory]

No Big using proper English all the time was like some of my favorite black and ugly. However.

[Mall]

However.

[Zip]

A fist fight would be asinine.

[Rory]

No Big use proper names all the time.

[Zip]

Big was nice with syllables, bro.

[Damaris]

Another kid that went to.

[Zip]

I think Ma is the illest crew.

[Damaris]

Another kid from the hood went to a good school.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Damaris]

Moms had a good job. See what I'm saying? I'm selling crack rock. Yeah. I don't mean you're gonna be a good kid just because you go to get a good school, man.

[Rory]

Fair.

[Damaris]

All right, well, y' all ready for Patreon? Ready to go talk some. I want to talk about the Sebastian. You seen the Sebastian on Vlad?

[Zip]

Nah.

[Damaris]

He was talking about the rate of NBA players getting divorced when he came into the league. It was 7 out of 10. Now it's 9 out of 10 players get divorced. We'll talk about it on Patreon, though. All right, we'll talk to y' all soon. Be safe.

[Rory]

Be blessed.

[Damaris]

I'm that nigga. He's just ginger. We headed to Patreon. No warrior now.

[Rory]

The game started. Call your dad. I'm on it, Ma.

[Mall]

Hola.

[Rory]

Hello, Hijita? I can't hear you.

[Damaris]

I'm at the stadium in Monterrey.

[Zip]

Cool. Here.

[Rory]

Shout go together get non stop talk tax and Data in the U.S. mexico and Canada with T Mobile America's Best Network. Switch on the TLife app or on T mobile.com connectathy on qualifying plants not for extended international use. You must resize in the US in primary usage must occur in our network. Best Based on analysis by Ooklo speed test intelligence data 2H2025 when Kohler, global design leader in luxurious kitchen and bath products, asked me to be their ambassador for timeless, elegant, durable cast iron, I said I'm in.

[Zip]

Soon after, I was in their Kohler

[Rory]

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[Zip]

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[Rory]

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[Zip]

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[Rory]

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[Zip]

Shop my curated [e-mail] as the Kohler

[Rory]

Cast Iron Ambassador, I say long live Cast Iron.

[Colin Coward]

Hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward Podcast. All right, you know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal. A big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists. An official partner of U.S. soccer. They got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you. So here they are. Sensodyne Dentist recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil, of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief. Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and Tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists. Because every goal starts with an assist. Learn how Halion can assist your game day [e-mail] Con this is Daniel Cormier

[Rory]

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[Zip]

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[Rory]

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[Zip]

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[Damaris]

Additional terms apply.

[Rory]

See totalwireless.com for details.

[Mall]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.