New Rory & MAL - Best of Rory & Mal: Week of 1/12

Episode Date: January 18, 2026

This week on New Rory & Mal, we call out Mal for (kinda) being wrong about a surprise album drop, 9th Wonder gives his two cents about Mal's "Andre 3000 is overrated" take, Rory was correct about Mero being the new host for Hot 97's morning show, and Baby D joins the show from bed to give her reaction to J. Cole's album announcement #volume All lines provided by hardrock.betSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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How are you feeling? I feel good. I feel like we should get right to it. Let's get right to it, man. I feel like... I'm in a mood today. I feel some type of way today. I feel like you owe the culture some push-ups.

Why? I feel like you owe it's 10 pushups. For what? Because on Friday, nothing dropped, but another variant of COVID. Mad albums dropped. Nah, I know, but one of the most anticipated albums of all time did not drop. Mad albums dropped. Mad songs, singles.

I'm so happy to see that the wave is free. We'll get into the French and Max B tape. I like it a lot. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. No, you didn't know. I don't know.

No, that's what everyone is saying. Wall did not know. I know. Come on, man. Don't do that. Don't do that. Christmas, we gave you a Mulligan. sample clearances or whatever.

Yeah. But you are certain that something that we have been anticipating, which could only really be three people when you get down to it, if we're talking rap. If you said across all genres, you throw Beyonce in there, whatever. But we were thinking, and I guessed you were talking about Jay Cole.

I don't think Iceman is done yet. I don't think Kendrick is dropping in the first quarter. So that would only leave one, which we assumed to be based off the clues that you gave us, was Germain Cole. So I feel, even though I would not speak for the culture, just in the room, I'm the only one with a mic that wasn't wrong in this situation. I feel like, yo, it's 10 pushups. Yeah.

10 pushups for the culture, just for getting us all excited. Had a great weekend, right? Rob Markman made a good point. I don't know if you're talking about you or not. But I feel like as podcasters, maybe we should get fine for misinformation. Why? Like we should put like, you know the swear jar? We should do a swear jar across the board for all podcasters.

Listen, I owe a lot of money if that's the case. Yeah. Yeah, but if I said a name, that's different. But I did think I did. I did have very good intel that an album was dropping that we were all anticipated. Okay. I don't know what happened. I feel like this is almost like woman semantics.

Because we knew, based off the clues you were given, there was really only one person that it could have been. Okay. Who else do you think it could have been? Well, I know who I was talking about. Okay. I wouldn't say. Did they drop? No.

Okay. Why? I don't know. I don't know things happened. I don't know why it didn't drop. But I have very good conversations. that it was supposed to drop. But, you know, things happen.

So it is what it is. I was wrong that one time. I'm sorry, y'all. I apologize. But I didn't give that information without great resources. That's all. Which I understand.

I've been in that situation. Sometimes you get good information from great sources and things change. You already went out there and said some shit. It's okay. I'm not like others in the culture where they don't, you know what I'm saying, apologize for their mishaps.

I'm a man. I apologize, y'all. My work's still good. My stamp is still good, though. You know what I'm saying? Players fuck up, too. Yeah, the work just got intercepted at the border. That's all.

Trump is being hard out here. That announcement was your 92 bricks. Yeah, now you're crawling back. It's okay. It's all right. It's all right. We still here. Do we think that that,

all right, I'm done playing the guessing game. I, me personally thought you were talking about Jay Cole. You did not say it was cold. I felt like you were talking about Cole. Whatever album it is, Do you think maybe this Friday? Do we think it's just off, it was either last Friday or we don't even know?

Is it just getting pushed a week? I don't know about a week, but it definitely was, again, off the information that I had, it definitely was slated to drop Friday. Okay, with the falloff being rumored, not just with you, there was, you were not, you were the first person, not the only one that talked about

what an album was dropping Friday or around that time. With Ice Man, we think is almost done. don't know. Fall off rumor to be almost done. Do Cole and Drake drop within the same month? No. Same day. No. So do you think they're both playing the guessing game of who's going to drop? And that's maybe why things are being pushed back? No, I don't know. I mean, you know, Drake is the algorithm. He does what he wants to do when he wants to do. Both of them do whatever the fuck they want to do.

Yeah. But I mean, I think Drake has more of a chokehold on the algorithm than any other artists right now. I think more people aren't anticipating anything that Drake does or says. Good and bad. People that want to see his downfall and people that want to see. You are correct. Yes. He controls that. But I think Cole,

people want to hear from him. Cole is still very much in that algorithm based off everything that's been going on. Cole is still. He's not talked about constantly because he's not so forward facing as Drake has been, especially in the last two years. So I still think Cole kind of moves. They both move whenever the fuck they want, unless Taylor Swift is dropping.

I think the only other way that, would dictate their release schedule would be the two of them with each other of when falloff is coming and when Iceman is coming. Though I don't think like it matters. I feel like both could drop the same day and it would be fun. For who? Both of them. I think you'd get very similar sales. You think if Drake and Jay Cole dropped the same day, so who do you think has one? You know Cole has outsold Drake a year before, right? I understand it, but who do you think has the number going into this album? Who do you think has the number one album that week if they dropped the same day? I don't know. I don't know based off the directions they're taking

in the album, where if Cole goes for a more for your eyes only style type of album and Drake goes for a more, I don't know, views style, I'm taking Drake there. But I think you underestimate the Cole stand fan base and I don't want to say streaming for him because that that implies bots but I'm saying how dedicated and loyal his fan bases and the numbers that Cole does. I think it's neck and neck. It's been neck and neck before. Neither, Drake has never completely outsold Cole like by a mile. They've been very similar with numbers. So they weren't that Cole's outsold Drake before. They dropped on the same day before? No. I'm saying same year. Does that count for something? No, I mean, I think.

I think both of them are obviously, you know, too. Forrest Hills was the highest selling a rap album without you, right? I'm not. I don't remember. I couldn't tell you. I believe that broke a bunch of fucking numbers. No, Josh, not Forest Hills, Queens. All you had to type in was Jay Cole.

It's literally all you needed to type. He types in Forest Hills, New York. What the fuck is going on, right? Yes, Zillow came up for sales and Forest Hills. Yeah, I think it's closer than we're going to anticipate. I think Cole Kendrick and Drake for the most part. I mean, Drake's had more of an output. So totality because he's had way more projects.

Of course, he's outsold both of them in that regard. But if you're going for album in the years that they both drop, you make a very good point. It's been very close. But I can promise you that Jay Cole doesn't want to drop the same day as Drake. Oh, I don't think he does either. Yeah. But if they're both looking at first quarter, like, shit, it's already mid-January.

it could end up that they're a few weeks apart for sure. Maybe. If you're Drake or Cole, do you want to drop first or second? In this coin toss, are you waiting? Which one am I? Either one of them. Would you want to drop first? If I'm cold, I want to drop first.

Get it out the way. His most anticipated album, get it out of the way? No, I'm just saying, get it out. This might be Drake's most anticipated album. Yeah, okay. Yeah, so that's what I'm saying. And we've been with, we were supposed to get this cold album, how many years ago? I would rather Drake drop first if I'm cold just to get all of the Kendrick Drake, Drake,

internet, is he replying here? Just let that clear out for two, three weeks. And then people actually start listening to Ice Man for the music it is, not for what the subliminal message means. Wait, you said if you're cold, you want Drake to drop first? Yeah, get the whole Drake, Kendrick thing. It doesn't matter when Drake drops. Just get the ice man shit.

That's not going away. For sure. But I'd rather, I'd rather that not take over when my album's only a week or too old. Like, now we're just, this is just going to start now. It's so much, it's a lot of pressure on Cole with this album, though. A lot of pressure on Drake, too. Yeah, but I think we've seen, obviously, who handles pressure better. We've seen it.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know. Drake has definitely made some moves under pressure that looked like panic, but I'm not saying they are. But yes, in the scope of things, Cole bowed out immediately where he didn't even have the chance to make those types of decisions.

Couldn't sleep. Couldn't sleep. I think what made the internet upset, which is again, we're not going to take any accountability. We put it on page. We can't do that anymore. So now it's tri, for sure.

I think the word overrated is what sent people off. Your point, I understand your point. I totally get it. We can debate the point. It's not a point that other people haven't made either.

I think everyone just reacted to the word overrated. But I, there's no world where Andre 2000 is overrated. Like, he's still one of the greatest

rappers that's ever. If you have them in your top five, that's overrating them. Okay. I mean, that's subjective. To me. To me.

I don't know if I have him in my top five, you maybe my 10, he probably makes 10 or 50. You need solo albums as an MC. You need solo albums. It is what it is. It's like, but that's not a knock on him.

That's not, I'm not saying he can't do it. He just didn't do it for whatever reason. That's his creative, you know, decision. I'm just saying if I'm looking at all of the other rappers and emcees that are in my top 20, all of them have a solo album. Yeah. You can't be the only one that doesn't have a solo album and you're in top five. Like it's, no, no, come on, man.

That's unfair. You know, Ninth Wonder has some very interesting things to say. I'm not saying it was about me. Talk to Knight. Shout to my brother, Knight. He just had some very. expressive things that he wanted to get off his chest about the 3,000 take. And, you know, I read with Knife said, and I respect Ninth, and I think he's incredibly

talented. So he's somebody who I would look at and listen to what they have to say and take some, you know, I would take something from that because I respect his opinion. But yeah, I mean, it's just my personal opinion. No disrespect to Andre. But like I said, you have this conversation in Atlanta. A lot of these, a lot of cats in Atlanta don't even revere Andre. So when people say, oh, your regional biases, I'm from New York City.

The fact that I would even have Andre 2000 in that conversation means I'm not being biased. I don't think I's so. There's plenty of other New York emcees I could have put there in my top five just if I'm being biased. But the fact that I recognize with Outcast, because we're not going to just say Andre, what Outcast did for the culture and the music that they gave us, especially somebody like me. That's why Andre was in that conversation. But it's not a regional bias. Like, I'm not biased because I'm from New York and I just want to, I'm not knocking, Andre.

But again, you go to Atlanta. The disrespect that I've personally had conversations and the things that I've heard or the, or the kind of like the knock that they give Andre in Atlanta. We're in the city that he's from. And I'm looking at the, I'm arguing for Andre in Atlanta. I can co-sign separate times when I'm not even been with you in studios. I've been the only person defending Andre 300,000. Yeah.

With a bunch of kids that were born and raised in Atlanta. So it's not, I'm not being. just personally you don't have any solo albums. So this was, I didn't see all in ninth's tweets. He was suggesting that there was agency bias.

Ninth, we need to take the microphones away. Well, I don't think he was specifically saying that. Rosenberg said that I need to take a week off. I'm just like, God damn, for my personal top five?

Shit, I mean, if I was being, if I was being biased, I could have had Nikki in my top five. What's funny? But the top five part when you sit and think about it,

I think I'd want to ask ninth and Pete is three stacks in their top five. And then name me your top five is five's a small, small, small number, man. You know how many rappers have come through the culture? 50 years of hip hop. Yeah. Top five.

I don't think it's disrespectful. Someone's like, yo, I got three stacks at 12. I wouldn't think that's a disc. At all. It's not. So that's what I'm saying. I wasn't, and I think for the most, because again,

I got a lot of phone calls and text messages and DMs from some of your favorite rappers, artists, producers where they were agreeing with me. Yeah. They were saying, yo, you're right. You got to have that solo work. You have to. But it's not, they understood what I was saying. I'm not knocking his skill set.

That would be fucking crazy for me to knock 3,000 skill set. Like, he's a fucking a legend in every sense of the word. He's one of the most creative, you know, people we've had in our culture. But without that solo work, there's too many other artists that we could fight for. and they have plenty of solo albums. I wouldn't, I'd be lying if I said Regency bias does not exist. But I don't think it exists in a negative way whatsoever. Like, if I hear a rapper and I ask, yo, where they're from?

If they're from New York, am I going to be happy about that and be like, yeah, of course. I probably like more New York rappers based off where I was from, grew up, listens that type of music. I probably have more of an affinity for Kiss than, maybe somebody in the Midwest or the style. I get that. That's in a positive light. I've never heard someone and then they said, oh, nah, they're from Chicago.

And I went, I don't like them anymore. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It doesn't make sense. That's never, yes, there is a bias. No matter what it, by proxy, wherever you grow up, you're probably going to like that music more because it's right there. You're going to be excited to champion the people that have the same experiences as you and the same neighborhoods that you grew up in.

You can identify with them more. Yes, that adds. in a piece to it. But I've never heard a rapper that I liked and they said, nah, he's from Guinect County. I'm like, ugh. Yeah, I would never. I hate this song now. Yeah, it doesn't make sense. He can't be in the top 10. Yeah. And the thing about the top five is we, you know, they say we were originally biased. There's really only two slots that, because I think, I think for the most part, most of us in the culture, guys like Ninth, Pete and, you know, guys that have, you know, been around or in music or created music. I think we all have Jay Biggin' Noss.

I think that's three that I think I could safely say I think ninth in peace eras most of those guys no matter where you are yet. For most of us we have J. Biggin. All three of those gentlemen are from New York City. Yeah. So where does my regional bias come in if we all unanimously have three gentlemen in our top five? In the beginning it was mostly you know till the early 90s when the west coast came with dominance. It was New York for the most part. So that's what I'm saying. So why am I now being reasonably biased if we all collectively? have at least three guys in our top five from the city I'm from. I'm not being biased. Like that's what we all have to choose from. What if you're not being negative, what's wrong with

that? Like I have no idea what it's like to be from Atlanta and go buy a fucking Gucci mixtape in 05 off Cleveland. Like I don't, I don't know what that's. I don't know what that's like. Right. Right. Does that mean that I need, I discredit Gucci? No, I just don't have that experience and I wouldn't look at someone who has that experience and be like, nah, it's trash. Yeah. And I wasn't there. Yeah. We all kind of have some regional bias because, again, the way you live with the music,

the way you grow up with the music, what it means personally to you, the timestamp of it or where it takes you back as far as being a kid in high school, like where you're from. Yeah, that's the music that you listen to growing up. So it has a different meaning to you. And it holds a different amount of weight personally to you. And but to me, even like Gucci's an example of that. I think three stacks has surpassed any region. Yes.

I think so. Three sacks is as Atlanta as you could come. I think so. I've got something to say of C. A.T.L. That was the identity. We've had this argument with people from Atlanta. He's so far surpassed Atlanta.

But we've had this argument with people from Atlanta who don't feel that way about $3,000. They don't, they don't feel the way I feel for $3,000. And they're from the city he's from. So that's what I'm saying. It's like, you know, reading things that. what ninth is saying it's like i understand that i get it but it's like there are people from the city that Andre is from that don't hold them to the regard that i hold them from and i'm from new york

and and again i don't know if he was specifically talking about you or this podcast in general he was talking about me man he said andrew d-d-d-d-thousand like he was talking about me as your brother i will reply on this pod's behalf of saying regional bias i'm from new york in my top three if not one of my personal favorite group of all time is little brother from North Carolina. Yeah. Yeah. When I was 12 years old and 13, when I picked up one of the best producer's ever, the listening, I'm not sure the producer's name.

Right. What's his name again? I didn't go, uh, Durham? Yeah. I would never take this out of my headphones. I said, oh my God. He's from North Carolina. He's from North Carolina.

This is a great shit I've ever heard in my life. Yeah. there was no no reason about slum village I hate Detroit what Knight says so and this is his conclusion So in conclusion You know we're just fucking around right now of course

We love Knife so in conclusion I don't care what ranking anyone puts him Damn you're talking to me Andre Benjamin is one of the greatest ever to put pen to paper I agree I've seen people put their favorites on list Even with a subpar album discography Nope 3000 is a master of words

Period Oh, well, I don't agree. I don't disagree with one thing. Neither do I. Neither do I. But there's nobody on my list whose discography is wack in my top five. I'll tell you that. Not in my top five.

No. And okay. Ninth is correct about everything he said there. And again, I do think right here, we got to stop reasonable bias because if 3,000 was born with a northern area comb and did a ton of mixtapes and verses, we aren't having this debate. Of course, exactly. If he had mixed tapes and he had solo shit, yeah, you're right. That's my whole.

Point. You're right. If he did that. If he didn't, if, if Three Stacks was born in New York, no, I actually think a lot of the genius of what Three Stacks is, is his Atlanta perspective. No matter where you put that beautiful mind, it's going to be amazing. Yeah. But that sound in Southern Playlists to Cadillac, like that, that's my, how much I love Three Stacks is based off the Sonics that he created. Like, it's a style. Yeah. And that's an Atlanta style. That's why I love him is because he's from Atlanta. And when you get down, and this is a regional bias that a lot of people outside of New York hold to this myth of New York bias, Northern Area Code, go talk to a bunch of kids in Jersey, because they'll start to think, if I was born in Brooklyn, it'd be cool.

People in D.C. If I was born, you just keep going down and down and down. It's no one's ever going to be happy. Northern, I'm sure the clips thought at the time, like, damn, we was born. Well, I guess they were. But if we were from the Bronx. Bronx legend. they are. But that's what made the clips to clips is because they were from Virginia. So I don't agree with that if they were from a certain area code, they'd be revered more. I like what this gentleman had to say in response to night? We said, no, what does region have to do with people saying he needs a solo catalog?

Y'all love screaming bias when up north folks don't agree. I like that. I like that. Yeah, I'm just saying solo catalog, solo album. Even if it was just one. Even if he just gave us one solo album. I'm not saying he had to give us five. out for sixth album. I'm just saying even if it's just something where we could say, okay, this is what

3000 looks like on his own away from Alcass. You know he has verses, but again, it's features on other people's songs. And you know what I'm saying? Like it's just not solo. Yeah. Rap because he gave because people was fighting for love below and all of that. And I'm just like, bro, that's not rap. It's not. And I have to give some pushback too, even though I'm on ninth side with this and agree with what he said and disagree with you. I still, if you look at ninth's, Knight was already a young legend when he was with L.B. But him doing threats, him doing girls for Destiny's Child, and then him going on to start his label,

have his own artist, produce for other people. That made Ninth the legend outside of the group like Primo gangstar, raised groups of all time. Would Primo be a legend just with Guru? For sure. But why Prime is alien-like is because he went out and did so much stuff as DJ premiere. And I feel like producers go through that same thing.

There's a lot of times we've seen producers that are like in, you know, the early days when it was producer MC group type thing. Like, well, yeah, I got to see what they do outside of just the group. Yeah. That's a big thing with producers too. I think ninth is the legend he is based off little brother for sure. But it's everything ninth did outside of LB that made him who he is and why we revere him so much.

Right. Because he had the range to do shit elsewhere. outside of just what he was doing in the LB bubble. So, yeah, I would say the same thing for producers. And I hear what he's saying. He's three sacks is one of the greatest to ever put pen to paper. That goes about saying. But that's not even what the argument was.

Show me. Exactly. Show me where that wasn't. I didn't say all of that. Didn't take nothing away from him just personally. Got to have solo albums, man. But Love to 3000. I hope he didn't see that clip and think that out, you know,

was disrespect. There's never that for me. Love to 3000. One of the greatest ever. we just need solo 3,000. But no, I'm excited. I was hoping you were correct about that. But yeah, I like to Rob Markman's suggestion of finding podcasters.

All right. So what about when I'm right? You're going to pay me more? Yeah. Rob? Yeah. Fuck are we talking about. Rob is, you want to penalize me for being wrong. But then when I'm right.

The Jimmy Hoffer of the podcast union. He's the one that's going to decide. When I'm right, then it's just right. Yeah, it's like, you know, if you hit your touchdown catch bonus, like, Yeah, it's the same thing. Get the fuck. Okay, then I need a bonus for getting Meryl right for Hot 97. Congratulations to our brother, Merrill, Morning Show, Hot 97.

You never announced that. You never said that out your mouth. Because I was being respectful to Mero. You never said Merrill's name out of your mouth. I gave all the clues. You said whoever takes the job is somebody that has a cult file. All this other shit you said, somebody from New York. That sucker shit?

No, I didn't say suck a shit. I said whatever else you said. Okay. You said that, right? But you never said Merrill's name. I alluded the way you alluded to, just conclude for it to really be cold. When the clip went viral on Twitter,

all the comments under based off, because I wasn't going to say Merrill's name out of respect for him, even though he saw the clip and laughed and didn't give fuck. Yeah. I gave his many clues where it could obviously either land on Deezza or Merrill. So, yeah.

And then they said this podcast has no fucking credibility when they announced that like Atlanta digital team. And I was like, no credibility. Yeah, I'm a piece of shit. I should die. Yeah, no credibility at all.

Zero. But yeah, congrats to Merrill. I think, like I said, Merrill, congrats, man. Month ago, I think it's a great fit for where Hot is at right now. Another Bronx legend. Another Bronx legend. I hope they give him. I hope they give him as much creative freedom as possible, you know, to turn around the Hot 97 train.

Because, you know, we've been critical of Hot, but that still is a logo and company that has been part of our lives forever. And we love Hot 97. We only want the best for you. That's why we critique. And I think Merrill makes the most sense. Yeah. Shout out to Merrill, man. good job yeah um we should go up there let's do it okay with marrow 6 a.m

let's do it I just can't go to sleep the night before we'll just stay here I gotta stay up all night and they just go there you know what I mean like yeah no sleep but let's do it um how do we think Merrill's gonna like what do we think is his blueprint for this this will be do you think it'll be the traditional what ebro Rosenberg Laura Charlemagne ye envy like all right, we'll just do our commercial break shit and then our focus will really just be the digital interviews. Do you think Merrill would just do that? Do we think he'll get in some of his sketchbag?

Do you think they'll focus more on radio clips rather than long form interviews? Like, I mean, Merrill was great on Deas and Merrill as far as interviews went with everyone. But I'm curious to see the two hours sit down interview one-on-one with Merrill and an artist. I just don't know if he's going to take that route. He does great with Melo and Kaz.

in that regard too. Yeah. But I don't have the answer to it. This is me more complaining without a solution. Radio just needs a revamp or something. Yeah. Like it can't, what Breakfast Club did to kind of revamp radio,

they need another one of those. And I don't know if it's the same blueprint of what Breakfast Club. Breakfast Club did what was perfect for that time. Radio needed to go digital and Charlemagne smoked that shit and completely changed radio forever. I think they needs another one of those. Like, give us a reason to, turn on the radio. Yeah, I think it'll be a different, a different version of what we've already gotten with morning radio. Yeah. Because right now it's a YouTube page. Yeah. Right now, the way

Ebro and them brought it, which is fine, their interviews were great. It was just another, it's another podcast YouTube page. That's all it really is at the end of the day. So I don't know if that's going to be a solution. Hopefully, I mean, I don't know, you know, I know radio these program directors. I hope they give Merrill more freedom with breaking artists, though. Hell yeah. Especially New York artists. I think we need to get at least back to that in some way. Yeah.

You know, radio now, you can be on your morning commute to work or school or whatever. And as soon as you turn the radio back on after your days over, it's the same song that you probably left off of. It's crazy. Like, we need to get more, you know, new artists, new music on the radio. So hopefully Merrill kind of has some say in that. I know, you know, program directors gets a little iffy in that regard. But hopefully we get to that, man, with the more. want to show. Yeah, I hope they focus. I hope Merrill's able to stream six to 10. I hope they're not

so much in that old corporate bag where it's like we have to be on this radio frequency and on this YouTube page. And if we, if he puts this on Twitch, then it's over because corporate would lose their mind. It all has to be under this umbrella. Like I hope not just discovery with music, because clearly we've seen like people like Kai. There's young content creators in New York that do other things besides music. As much as I want music discovery, a lot of the younger kids are more interested in content discovery. Yeah.

So I hope Meryl can at least focus on like local streamers and shit and get them involved. Because I think even like what Black Boy Max does, I think music has gotten better on streaming that it has on any other platform. Oh, for sure. Like, yeah, radio is tough to break music because you have the gatekeepers, this and that. Streamers have been putting on a bunch of new artists that I love. And then those artists become streamers. because they're like, well, this is where my audience is at.

Yeah. So, yeah, I hope Mero just is able to fuck with the younger kids and that, like, doesn't always have to be some kid that could freestyle well from Flatbush. Like, let's, you know, diversify with the content and maybe not just music can help turn that entire thing away to get us to eventually focus on music. Make morning shows great again.

Yeah. Is that Maga? It's close, I guess. It's like Mero. Miga? Miga. Mm-ha. Yeah.

M'a. M'Gha. Yeah, M'Ga. I like M'Ga. Make more on the show is great again. Who do you think his first, his first guest will be? Dizeth? I can, I can promise you that won't be the first guest.

I don't know, man. I don't know who his first guest would be. I don't even know if it'll be a music guest. Maul, what's that right there? It doesn't look like the most powerful iPhone that's ever existed. This old thing? That is not the all-new iPhone 17 Pro, designing those powerful iPhone of all time.

But I know why you haven't gotten it is because of traffic and the store and transferring data. It's too much. Booth Mobile will send an expert to your home to work or a coffee shop. Wherever you're at, just drop your location. Bring it right to me. And Booth is going to be right there with the iPhone 17, transfer everything, no hassle at all. Visit boostmobile.com to get started.

Delivery available for select devices purchased at boostmobile.com. Terms apply. A win is a win. A win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network

on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush

got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84's big, to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I went and sat on the little ottoman in front of him. I was, hi, dad. And just when I said that, my mom comes out of the kitchen. She says, I have some cookies and milk. This is a badass convict. Right.

Just finished five years. I'm going to have cookies and milk at my mom. Yeah. On the Seno Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon Danny Trail, talk about addiction, transformation,

and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to binge, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more. I'm an alcoholic, and without this trouble, I'm going to die. Open your free I-Heart radio app.

Search the CETO show, and listen now. I feel like it was a little bit unbelievable until I really start making money. It's Financial Literacy Month, and the podcast, Eating While Broke, is bringing real conversations about money, growth, and building your future. This month, hear from top streamer Zoe Spencer and venture capitalist Lakeisha Landrum-Pierre, as they share their journeys from starting out to leveling up. If I'm outside with my parents and they're seeing all these people come up to me for pictures, it's like, what?

Today now, obviously, it's like 100%. They believe everything, but at first it was just like, you got to go get a real job. There's an economic component to communities thriving. If there's not enough money and entrepreneurship happening in communities, they fail. And what I mean by fail is they don't have money to pay for food. They cannot feed their kids.

They do not have homes. Communities don't work unless there's money flowing through them. Listen to Eating While Broke from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get. It's your podcast. When you listen to podcasts about AI and tech and the future of humanity, the hosts always act like they know what they're talking about and they are experts at everything. Here at the Nick Dick and Poll show, we're not afraid to make mistakes.

What Kugler did that I think was so unique. He's the writer-director. Who do you think he is? I don't know. You mean the like the president? You think Canada has a president. You think China has a president. those walk

rosette. God, I love that thing. I use it all the time. I wrap it in a blanket and sing to it at night. It's like the old Polish saying, not my monkeys, not my circus.

It was a good one. It is an actual Polish saying. It is an actual Polish saying. It is an actual Polish saying. Better version of Play Stupid Games Win Stupid Prizes. Yes. Which, by the way,

wasn't Taylor Swift, who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong. Listen to the Nick Dick and Paul show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Maul, we have our senior Cole correspondent

from her remote location in Fayetteville, North Carolina. First of all, Baby Dee, how are you feeling? We miss you dearly. The listeners miss you dearly. How are you feeling outside of the cold news? We just want to check on your actual health, mental health. Then we can get to what has cured you, which is Jermaine Coe announcing an album.

But how are you feeling? I literally had nothing to live for and then boom, something for like, this is amazing. You know, healing wise, I'm doing, I'm doing better. I'm doing a lot, a lot better. I'm looking forward to going, coming back to work. You always be like, oh, I don't want to go to work. And then, like, when you can't, it's like, damn, like, I would like to leave my house, you know. So how's the house bed rest been?

Picked up any new hobbies? You know, I didn't know that there were so many seasons of law and order. SvU. Like there's so many seasons. That show first Ed when you were three years old. It is airing tomorrow. I was like, damn.

Like, I was like, I can't binge this from the beginning. I'm going to start at like season 20. But I've been getting like, I've been getting a lot of editing done, prayer done. Like,

but I'm going to start crazy in this house. I really am. You've been getting prayer done. It's hilarious. How do you get prayer done? I've been getting prayer done. You mean you just been praying? How do you get prayer?

You start a, praying you go back to it later like what you mean you have to table that prayer you're like you're like when you be like because like a lot of my prayers you just in the moment prayers I'm like damn I need to do like some like some like some prayer like I've been needing to some shit I've been needing to pray for for a couple years but like I ain't get to oh you finally got to oh okay yeah you know you don't want to ask God for too much but now I'm like getting to the point where it's like I can't keep praying these same prayers like I got to expand a little did you pray for this uh this album to drop no because you know so you should have pray for you

got it. You're going to break for times like this. I should have. But, you know, I feel like God, when I was getting to the point where I was, you know, looking for a reason to get out of bed, God said, here go one. So here we are. I noticed that you had posted your- VINOLER-I-I-D-I-D-I-D-O-D-D-O-D-WRINOS. I noticed you purchased your vinyl and posted the confirmation within, I don't know, maybe three minutes of the announcement? Yes, I did. How much was it with shipping and handling? Somewhere around $70.

$2. That's like two meals I can't eat this month, but it's fine. I don't care. Two six, you'll eat again on February 6. You'll eat again February 6th. Yeah, I eat again February 6. Drink again, that's going to be my first drink. That's also when I get off official bed rest.

So February 6 is your official bed rest day release? When I, because I can't do any heavy lifting, I can't do any working out, and I can't stick anything in my vagina. until February 6th. So I'll be back to work before then, but like the important stuff I can't do. Pige's asked if you needed like any furniture move plus that last thing.

Plus that last thing is hilarious. Plus that last thing on your list. Like he said, he said he's a veil. He checked his avails. He checked his avails. He's free. Stop. I can't laugh. Stop, for real.

He checked his avails. calendar I was slammed he said I'm wide open I'm wide open oh my god that's what he was suggesting yeah um all right where where's your head at with what's gonna be on this this album how do you feel about the snippet and how do you feel as one of the most relatable rappers she said I like it and charged us $70 for the bottom I remember when it was a dollar in the dream now it's $70 and shipping and handling

you know I'm just trying to start you up to fuck at you the vinyl was 40 something after shipping immediate shipping and all of that stuff I thought Joe Biden got rid of that shit all the beating charges Trump back okay that's for ticket master what's up what you all thought of sniffing

y'all know I thought it was wonderful I thought it was beautiful I thought it was a great snippet I think it's a classic already I think it's five mics like what you niggas y'all calling me y'all know what I got to say what y'all got to say I'm like actually really excited. It's hard

to get me like really excited for a rap album these days. Yes, I'm very, very much excited for this entire thing. I'm just being me too, baby, Dee. I just have this cloud of the internet rap beef over me that's trying to like rain on

my parade of actually being excited for somebody that's really good at rapping and making music. I can't wait to do the J-Men when you're doing this and I'm looking up when this is hard. Because you know I don't want to like this shit. Fuck that. I don't want to like it. I'm just joking. But no, I think it's going to be a good album.

My prediction, Demaris, I do think Cole has a little bop on this one. I feel like he's kind of, the last two albums, I felt like he's, he hasn't focused on that, which I'm fine with, because I'm usually not somebody that wants the bops from these types of rappers. I think there's something on there that's going to play outside. Like, I think you and I will be on Steinway this summer listening to something off the falloff. I don't think he's just giving us this whole rap-ty-wrap reflection. I think it's going to be there, and I want that.

I do think he has a joint on here that's going to play outside. I have a J-Cole bop, like a J-Cole bop in a very long time, so I would appreciate that. I mean, don't save her. Was that the last, last, bop? I'm saying bop. Solo, because he's been on bops. There are a couple bops on that album, but that might. That plays in the Huka Lounge like right now.

Yeah, yeah, probably. I think we're getting a new one. I think he was testing the waters with his sexy drill. I heard it's grippy. I think he was just working on some shit. I think that was his seven-minute drill for outside records. I think we're getting one of those from Colette. You think he could have like a first-person shooter vibe,

but call it first-person apology? Oh, that wasn't even a good joke. Like. Well, hopefully the album is better than that joke, baby, Dee. It will be. Hopefully. Do you have any feature predictions? Um, I'm, I don't have any feature predictions.

Maybe J.I.D. I don't have any feature predictions. I'm praying for a 21 Sabbath feature as I say all the time. Not going to happen. Definitely not going to happen. Okay. He chose to say. I can still pray for it.

The fuck. No, no, you have more prayers to get done. So yeah, that's another one you have to. You know what I'm saying? Like that one on my list. Um, I just feel, I mean, as much as like I love all return of the dreamers, like, I kind of just want the non-Dreamville Coal project. Kind of just want Cole.

And we already have two amazing 21 Savage records with Cole. I don't know if I want more of the same. Like, I don't want a rinse and repeat of trying to redo classics. Like, I don't want another one. But, I mean, I hear you. And I don't know if I want Cole trying to be what he's been before, which has been great. Let me work with the younger artists.

I don't know if I want that either. I think I kind of just want. Hey, okay. Jay Cole. Oh, okay. You want platinum, no features. Yeah. I thought, we were debating about the Kendrick thing

because I've said on this pod a bunch of times that I thought there was Kendrick features. As the minutes pass, I'm leaning on a just Jay Cole, no features album. I don't think that's going to happen. I think there's going to be a feature or three. What you think about Freddie Gibbs feature? That's not going to happen.

You'll get a 21 Savage feature before that. I'm just saying what y'all think of it. Yids has been allegedly dissing him for the last three years. I think he has a sub at Freddie that is debatable. Like, oh, he's not told, he's not told about Freddie, but he was talking about Freddie. What's up, man? I'm just here to say that. It ain't no room.

It ain't no room for subs. He's Jesse Smolet when it comes to subs. There's no room for it. Well, that was the only true thing in his story. There was a beep ball sub. No, I don't want no subs. No subs. Just give us great music, great bars, no subs.

Hold the sub. Hold all subs. Great, great songs, great rapping, great production. We happy. Once you start subbing and it's like, no, no, no, no, no, don't do that. Okay. Stay away from that. Stay away from that.

Just give us to, give us great bars. Yeah, he doesn't have to, there's no, there's no need for any of that. Everybody's been waiting for this. Everybody just wants to hear Colby Cole. And when you're exceptional at rapping without the gimmicks and the fake mystery and whatever the hells other people shit got going on, when you're just amazing at rapping and putting words together, we just need the music. That's all. I'm going to out our good friend Reason.

I have a group chat with Reason and some other people. And he put the Instagram trailer in there and put I in all caps, A, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, H, and I said, this is gay. Did he scream? Is that a man screaming screaming via text? Don't scream on my text because Jay Cole announced the album, bro. And you're an artist yourself.

Now, you are a rapper yourself. You can't scream because Jay Cole announced the album. He's a fan of Cole. You can be a fan. I'm not saying you can't be. You can't scream, man. He has a good relationship with Cole.

It says, man. Imagine if, see, nah, don't, but don't do that because... I would also call you gay if the Iceman shit came out and you went, ah! Exactly. That's all I'm asking.

Just keep the same image. you for everybody. That's crazy to scream when another man announces an album drop. That's crazy. But if it's cold, but if his call, you can scream. I don't do what fuck. Who it is. You cannot scream. As a goalman. Don't get all started because he claims we've been moving the goalposts for gold. So.

Yeah, dude. And it's okay. It's okay. We understand that it's all right. Listen, I'm looking forward to this album just like everybody else. Like, I want to hear it. I want to hear what he did. I couldn't pick a better week to be gone from work. Every time I log out to the internet, it's a clip of y'all. somewhere. I'm like, I'm so happy that my body decided to fail me this month. You think it's been getting clipped up for the past week. Really? For what? Yeah, fill us in. Oh, full predictions.

Andre 3000 is overrated. All types of shit you've been going on and I've been gone. Oh, okay. Two for two. Yeah. Sounds like we're potting. Two for two. What have you learned about your friend group inner circle since you've been on bed rest? Oh my God. Just say you want to be. praise being a good friend. Yo, you wanted to praise you being a good friend. Yeah, I swear to God that did not even enter my mind. It was more so the subs I've seen you've been throwing out. I'm all these about subs.

Yeah. I actually think I could have been a better friend. I think I've been kind of shitty. No, you were a very good friend. You were very attentive. You were attentive to a fault. I don't care about that. No, tell me about the people you were subbing.

Ah, it's cool. It's, everything is copaesthetic. It's cool. I seen who was there and who motherfucking wasn't. I synced it. Okay. That's true.

You got to go through the fire to know it's hot, right? Yeah, nah. Nah, that's cool. Shit, lonely over here. It's been lonely, yo. But it's like, I'm cool. It's not, yo, shit.

Yo, baby, I don't know who you think you're talking to or what you think you're getting off right now. If you think that I think that it's been lonely over there, like cut this shit. You can't be lonely if I can't even pull up. I will unplug. this fucking Zoom and you will be out of the Ethernet in two seconds. Like, get the fuck out

out of his line. Shout out to my friends that have that reached out that were there and not just, you know, shit from like me being rushed into emergency surgery. As far as this shit, I was already going through with shit with my mom and people knew and they reach out. So like, you know what I'm saying? So like from that to that, it's like, oh,

I see what 2026 about to be, but to everybody, I didn't have a huge village of people who did hold shit down, but I've seen, I'm Well, I called you. I phacomed you and texted you didn't get a response. I didn't get shit. I was off oxy when you called me.

I was in a lot of pain. I was off oxy. But I'm saying, but you're up now, though. I went to surgery, got out to hospital, came home, shit, kicked my feet up, got unconscipated. You called me three days later. Well, yeah, I was giving you time to, you know, get your feet up under you and just, and then I went home. So let me FaceTime baby then check on.

FaceTime, no response. Text you, no response. I'm like, all right. Now you're sitting there hugging a J. Cole vinyl. All right, cool. Say no more. You took a problem. I see what 2020.

I'm glad you said it. I see what 2020 is. These are comparable situations. This is revelations right here. Wait till I have my surgery. Mm-hmm. So I know you're getting, I know you're getting much better, but you could tell the doctors you're not right and still keep all those prescriptions.

Correct? Nah, it don't even work like that. Like, I'm running low. Oh, because we're on Zoom. Yeah, yeah. We'll talk after. Yeah. I don't like that.

I know a guy. I don't like, I don't know how people take them shit to, like, go to the I don't like those drugs, but we can sell them. I got low notes. They gave me like a, like, you know, just enough to put me to sleep. That's all the dope has need. Yeah. Nah, y'all, we got to get some of that spent for the office.

That shit. No, we don't. No, we do not. No, we, hey, I don't know who's listening. No, we do not. There's no fin. No, we're in this office. No, it is not.

That shit went crazy. That shit. No, let them raid the office so we can sue Mondami and get some money. There's nothing to here. No, I do want to try fent one day. But with that, who says that? Like, just one day I want to try it. Okay.

Not to like get on it, but I got to see. You got to get that shit that goes straight into your veins. Whatever they're putting in the Coke, you don't want that. You want this shit that goes straight into your veins. That shit was crazy. My godfather, who I told you all had stage four cancer, never did any drugs, got addicted to fentanyl in one week. immediately.

It was that good. And then I was on FaceTime with Demaris yesterday, two days ago. And she was just telling me how good the fint was. It's a drug I got to try. Yeah. Spoken like a true white boy. Y'all miss me. Like, damn, I know the office.

No, not really. It's been mad. We've been having mad activities in here. It's shit been lit in here. Like, we really not. Like, it's cool. You got another surgery coming up in February? Like, you want to, like, you want to, like, go back out for another week or two.

Like, it's all good. Take your time. Take your time. Take your time, baby. Take your time. baby D. Did we look at what day of the week February 6th? Is he doing a, he's doing a Friday, okay. So

what are we doing for the 6th? We throw on a party? That's almost just as gay as reason screaming. Fair? Almost. Not as gay, but almost. Yo. What's up? We're doing a listening party here?

Hosted by big. You've been in your host bag all 2025. I felt like maybe we could use some of your juice. I want to listen. I want to listen with me as that really, that really that really fuck with Cole. I don't want to listen with nobody that senator looking for mistakes. No.

I want to listen with real cold listening. Yeah, you do. Oh. Yeah, I don't want to listen with Cole fans either.

Y'all going to hit subpar bars. Like, oh my God. Subpar bars. Now we're going to hear subpar bars. When clouds came out, which I did when clouds came out? This is crazy.

The way niggas re-rout shit, subpar bars. Hey, yo, when clouds came out, y'all was in there going crazy with clouds came out. And them was sub-hard, them was sub-hard bars. That was just working out.

That was just working out. We the type of cold fans that heard, you think y'all's shit, I haven't even farted. We went, whoa. That bar's crazy. You know how many times Rory played that snippet or the intro? You know how many times he played that? I thought it was the whole song.

I didn't even know you could loop like a tweet. Like, I didn't even know that. Poor thing. Wanted the war thing. It came with more pain. How he'd do that like that and put some words. So par by Oh, poor pain in the war gain

Uh-uh See Head laws go to road gain I don't know how he did that Oh It's happened when it When it beat dry Yeah

Yeah Yeah The hate Did you hear the song Because actually It was kind of hard Oh man Don't worry

It's like ice man Don't worry it yo ain't Iceman Come in like you got Something To do with that This is the forelaw This is the falloff

This is the falloff We're on fur off time February 6, 26, 26, 26. 2, 6.26. That's what we're on. Maybe you're about to get it tatted. 2.6, 26. Yeah. That's what we on.

And he's 26. Went over your head. Diss in your man. Yeah. That's nasty. It's so bad. That is so nasty that you said. He's 26.

Oh, my God. Yo, y'all are crazy, man. I love Jake. that day from Drake. Drake can't even do the six no more. Listen, listen. I agree. The six was taken by Coe was over.

Part, part six was taken. Everything's been taken. There's no sixes left for Drake. Mm-hmm. It's a beautiful day. Well, baby, Dee, it was good to see your face, good to hear your voice.

Hopefully you're healing up. You know what I'm saying? Get your hibiscus tea and all of that in you. You know what I'm saying? Get yourself together. And we're looking forward to having you back in the studio sooner than later. Hopefully before. Hopefully before for 26, 26, 26.

We'll have you back. I got to come decorate the office shit like that. Decorate. That's the real Valentine's Day. That's the real Valentine's Day. 2-6? That's the new Valentine's Day? Valentine's Day.

February 6 is the new Valentine's Day. All right. All right. I respect. All right. That's the new thing. You ain't even know that was the new Valentine's Day. What is that?

Aries? No. Aquarius? Which day is 2-6? I don't know. Where's that? What is the star? Aquarius.

It's cool. Quiris. You don't even think about that. I didn't. Scorpion, like. Yo, it's everywhere. Aquamini. Three stacks.

It's all tied together. I just, if you have sex during Aquarius season, you give birth to Scorpio's. That's all I'm saying. Yo, baby, Dee, it's been good talking to you. You can't have anything into your vagina too. It's been great seeing you. Great talking to you, baby, Dee. We love you.

We see you soon. Get better. Be safe. Be blessed. and heal up soon. Peace. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Cliford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay and I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for, black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. This is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green. Co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.

Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Edwin Castro, also known as Castro 1021. And I'm Conky, his best friend, and business manager. And we've got a new show called The 1021 Podcast. I'm taking you behind the scenes on how I became one of Twitch's most popular streamers. We also love sports. And with the World Cup right around the corner, we'll be breaking down the biggest story. lines ahead of the big tournament here in the USA.

Listen to the 1021 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.