LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 12, 2025 in London, England. Drake is headlining an unprecedented all three nights of Wireless Festival. (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA)

Mal was steadfast with his take about Drake winning the beef against Kendrick Lamar and Rory has made him felt vindicated with this gossip.

Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s fan bases are among the most passionate, especially when their favorite artist is called out. As a result, when the beef went down, tense debates online were commonplace. That was even true for rappers and producers close with these artists as well as with folks within hip-hop media.

Rory and Mal of New Rory & Mal were among the bigger platforms covering the battle intensely and Mal in particular was staunchly defending Drizzy at every turn. But while most spectators gave Lamar the win, there are some out there even in the Compton rapper’s camp who didn’t agree.

Rory delivered the inside scoop during a recent episode of their podcast, claiming that he was told by a producer in K. Dot’s circle that “Mal was right.”

He understands that most people aren’t going to take his word. However, Rory says this Kendrick affiliate “whispered in [his] ear” in person this very statement. Mal didn’t celebrate this “I told you so” moment, but we have to imagine that Drake fans are going to.

But that still doesn’t change Rory’s mind. Later into this clip caught by X user CY Chels, he explains how he thinks Lamar outsmarted Drake.

What’s The Latest On Drake’s ICEMAN?

Rory focuses on the fact that Drake felt he needed to go toe-to-toe lyrically with a writer like Kendrick. But instead, the latter hit the former with the “okie doke” in his eyes by making a hit with “Not Like Us,” which is widely viewed as the nail in Drake’s coffin.

But even though many think this was a humiliating loss for Toronto’s own, folks in his circle claim this is being used as fuel for ICEMAN. One of those people spreading this narrative is producer and collaborator Gordo.

In an interview earlier this month, the artist formerly known as Carnage, said, “Artistically, with all the music that he’s making, they just woke up a f*cking beast that they haven’t seen in a long time. That makes me happy. The circumstance of it, the situation of it, and all the things that he had to go through was a bit sh*tty, obviously,” he said.

As for the progress on the album, it seems like we are very close to receiving it. Yesterday, a handful of Drake’s affiliates changed their profile pictures to an image of a diamond. It’s in turn fueled speculation that it could be the cover of the project which still doesn’t have a concrete release window.