I Don't Make the Rules, the Podcast

Episode 13 of I Don't Make the Rules kicks off with Mark and Larry diving into Ye (FKA Kanye West)'s new album BULLY and everything surrounding his return to the spotlight (00:07:36). That conversation leads into debates about the most "unbeatable" Verzuz opponent, early Album of the Year contenders as we head into Q2 (00:20:20), and their thoughts on recent releases from Bruno Mars and Jack Harlow. The episode then shifts into current events, with the guys reflecting on President Trump's recent threats toward Iran (00:46:10), followed by a discussion on Jay-Z and J. Cole's relationship after Jay's recent interview with GQ—sparking comparisons to Gucci Mane and Pooh Shiesty, and the circumstances surrounding the latter's arrest. As a seamless segue from music into sports, Larry raises the question of why artists rarely seem to get the chance to return to peak form after a slump—leading to a debate framed through basketball analogies in true IDMTR fashion. Later in the episode, the guys react to the early end of Luka's historic season amid custody and MVP eligibility battles, which evolves into a conversation about child support ethics and whether they would believe in—or date—exotic dancers. Other topics include the current state of the music industry, Jaden Ivey's controversial comments and the fallout that followed, and more.

In the longest episode of I Don't Make the Rules to date, Mark and Larry hit the ground running—opening with a quick discussion on the effectiveness of school systems before sliding into how and why time feels like it moves faster as we get older (00:03:30). From there, the guys check in on what they've been up to recently (00:05:30), including Larry's kind of trip to the Daytona 500, and Mark's trip to New York—highlighted by a night at the Garden to see the Knicks and a Broadway visit to MJ: The Musical (00:11:06). Mark's review sparks conversation around Michael Jackson's upcoming biopic and posthumous portrayals of celebrities. The episode then shifts into current events, starting with the controversy surrounding the BBC airing a slur during the BAFTAs directed at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo (00:20:42), which leads into a messy but honest conversation about mental health. From there, the guys react to President Trump's recent State of the Union Address (00:34:33) and discuss Dr. Umar Johnson's progress with the Frederick Douglass Marcus Garvey (FDMG) Academy (00:44:48), leading into broader conversations about leadership, consciousness, and action. The sports segment—now known as Rules of the Game—covers a wide range of NBA-related topics, including stars getting away with nonsense because people like them (01:06:35), NBA All-Star Weekend (01:07:43), U.S.-born vs. international NBA stars (01:19:50), Mayweather coming out of retirement, Ryan Garcia's win over Barrios and his sights set on Shakur Stevenson (01:41:15), and a quick salute to Team USA at the Winter Olympics. In a fast-moving Streamer Segment, Mark brings up the recent events surrounding DeenTheGreat (01:49:28), which leads to a conversation about Larry Wheels and his relationship—landing on a bigger point about coolness before fame (or the lack thereof). After a quick tangent about the Winter Olympic Village reportedly running out of condoms (01:53:40), the guys share thoughts on Kai Cenat allegedly giving the Clover Boys $100k a month in allowance (01:59:51). Before the episode wraps, they discuss new music from Baby Keem (02:03:24), A Boogie (02:11:12), and Brent Faiyaz—along with a debate about where Brent stands as an R&B star today (02:18:36). Along the way, the guys also get into hypothetical superpowers, the best places to meet women, hard-no dating dealbreakers, and plenty more. Technical difficulties couldn't stop this one—and neither could political incorrectness. Listen to the disclaimer at the opening… and enjoy.

After an unintentional break, Mark and Larry return to the couch for their first episode of 2026, opening with a quick analysis of the state of the world so far this year (00:03:48), which naturally leads into a conversation about race, identity, and code-switching.   From there, the guys jump straight into new music—starting with their favorite rapper J. Cole's new (and reportedly final) album, The Fall Off (00:13:53). They also touch on Don Toliver's latest project (00:34:12), Ella Mai's new album and where she fits genre-wise (00:36:21), and Super Bowl LX (00:40:05), including Bad Bunny's halftime performance.   The episode continues with discussion around LaRussell signing to Roc Nation after long championing independence (00:48:20), the 68th Annual Grammy Awards (00:49:58), and recent headlines involving Kanye West and North West (00:53:20).   Getting back into the sports segment—now dubbed Rules of the Game—the guys cover the Winter Olympics (00:58:30), Alex Honnold free-soloing Taipei 101 live on Netflix, NASCAR's updated playoff format (01:04:15), and the Dodgers' recent acquisitions.   In Episode 11's Streamer Segment, Mark shouts out IShowSpeed for his legendary Africa tour (01:08:00), brings up Blueface re-entering the space alongside new beef, and asks Larry for his thoughts on Kai Cenat's recent—and controversial—pivot (01:11:14).   Before wrapping up, the guys touch on a few final news stories, including a group of monks traveling across the country on foot (01:13:09), Ring's new controversial feature and commercial (01:14:43), Mayor Mamdani's recent changes in New York City, and a moment of acknowledgment for people across the country affected by government action.   All of this and more. We're back rolling consistently—enjoy.

For Episode 10 (Take Two) of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark and Larry link up on Christmas Eve to check back in with the Rulers after another hiatus. After addressing the break, some housekeeping, and what they've been up to since Episode 9, the guys jump into a run of holiday-adjacent topics — including their favorite Christmas songs (08:45), the matching pajama photoshoot trend for couples (14:50), the protocol for buying Christmas gifts for women they're dating, and which holiday sees the most people getting laid outside of Valentine's Day (16:59). From there, things take a turn as the guys admittedly botch coverage of a few topics they probably should've left alone — including the 2025 Streamer Awards (20:30), Tylil facing SA allegations from Jordan Pauline following events that night, the 50 Cent–produced Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning (24:45), and the recent release of additional Epstein files. Next, Mark and Larry pivot into a conversation about religious people labeling anything outside their belief systems as witchcraft, and the difference between routines and rituals (28:02). A debate around the ethics of adults beyond traditional college age using eligibility loopholes allowed by the rules sparks when Larry brings up James Nnaji (31:31), leading into a quick sports run that includes the Sherrone Moore scandal (former Michigan coach — not Mark's cousin) (36:25). Before wrapping up, the guys touch on a woman going viral on TikTok for attempting to have a seventh child to remain on welfare (44:50), older generations being easily fooled by AI content, their disagreement with the Gen Z vs. Gen Alpha distinction, how age gaps feel more extreme in modern times (47:30), and what percentage of songs on a project need to be likable for an album to be considered good (54:58). We'll be back next week with another episode — plus some extras to kick off the new year. Enjoy.

Ending their longest hiatus yet, Mark and Larry reconvene in a new setting — the Lab — to cover a wide range of topics, starting with which sports teams they're fans of and the concept of fandom and sports culture as a whole (7:00). Once they address the hiatus, what they've been up to since Episode 008, and how the Rulers have been choosing to direct questions, requests, and feedback to them (13:05), they rehash a debate about how well they think they'd perform if given the chance to play in the NFL or other professional sports leagues — and which would be the easiest to succeed in (18:37). Staying in the world of sports, they discuss the return of the NBA, its recent changes, and the surrounding allegations (27:17) before briefly touching on the World Series and all the new music released since the last episode. Next, a conversation about NBA YoungBoy's tour and overall impact (39:23) leads to a discussion about which artists they're big enough fans of to buy concert tickets for, and which fanbases would be the most dangerous as an army. The guys also debate whether Kendrick Lamar was at his peak popularity after the Super Bowl halftime performance (49:35), and the NFL's choice to have Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX — along with the backlash that followed. Then, an impromptu segment about praying for others leads to a debate on how much the spiritual realm values intentions versus actions (55:30), which prompts Larry to press Mark about his beliefs surrounding Halloween before they share thoughts on the year's best costumes and how much of a production the holiday has become in the social media era. Before wrapping up, the guys touch on D4VD's allegations (1:07:12), women dating men who display traits they publicly disapprove of (1:10:00), and recent headlines involving Saweetie and the related occupation (1:13:41) — plus plenty more. Tap in — the wait's over, and they came back swinging.

On Episode 8 (Ocho) of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark & Larry sift through another packed lineup of topics — from global perspective to personal debates. They open by reflecting on the benefits of living in the U.S. and the lack of war on our soil, before reacting to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and its fallout (08:37). From there, they dive into the Charlotte train stabbing that killed a Ukrainian refugee, sparking a bigger convo on whether schizophrenic people should be charged the same as others for brutal crimes (15:33). Moving into lighter news, they break down Clipse becoming the first hip-hop artists to ever perform at the Vatican (18:08). Music headlines keep rolling with Cardi B's album promo (19:43), Young Thug updates (21:29), including Glorilla's diss and his follow-up apology track. The conversation shifts from music into sports, with the bridge being Ciara changing her son Future Jr.'s last name to Wilson (27:40). Mark also asks Larry for his thoughts on SMART beating Akeem Supreme in a bench press battle (30:57), leading to a quick discussion about fit Black influencers in the conscious community. Before leaving sports, they touch on the NBA Hall of Fame inductions, especially the conversations surrounding Carmelo Anthony's speech (34:15). Before closing out, Mark & Larry cover the potential benefits of Apple's new AirPods Pro 3 with live translation (39:32), react to Ghostface Killah's son calling him out for lack of support (42:15), and revisit music with Mark's personal top 5 Beyoncé songs list backlash (44:40), which prompts Larry to press him on his top 3 feature rappers of all time. They finish with a cultural debate on 50 Cent acquiring the rights to the story that inspired Paid in Full — asking whether the Black community has too many drug dealer movies, slave movies, and if they're really just two branches on the same tree (47:40). The episode winds down on a personal note: are there movies so sad you'd never watch them again? (50:30). Tap in — it's another one packed with debates, hot takes, and everything in between.

In Episode 007 — the quickest installment of I Don't Make the Rules so far — Mark and Larry kick things off by unpacking the first wave of headlines surrounding Young Thug. From there, they speed through the sports world, covering the Eagles vs. Cowboys opener, PJ Washington's viral clash with Brittany Renner, and a debate over whether Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather's upcoming exhibition is more compelling than Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis. The guys also weigh in on the morality of adults catching (and keeping) game balls when kids are nearby. Before rushing off camera, the conversation pivots to the pulpit — Steven Furtick of Elevation Church sparks debate after referencing cocaine in a sermon, leading to a discussion on which sins congregations deem "acceptable" from pastors and whether all sins are truly equal. Larry then raises the question of unequal dress codes for teachers with "nice bodies," closing the episode with one last round of debate. Enjoy — more to come this week!

After a two-week hiatus, Mark and Larry reconvene with a long list of topics to cover, starting with athletes who have recently made the news for reasons outside their respective fields — including Rampage Jackson's son Raja Jackson, Sha'Carri Richardson, Christian Coleman, and Tyreek Hill. Larry also brings up Dr. Umar's accounts being frozen before the guys move into their music segment, which is packed due to this year's Grammy consideration window closing. Chance the Rapper, Offset, Mariah the Scientist, and Teyana Taylor's albums are the main focus of Episode Six's music segment, with discussions about ghost (or robot) writers in hip-hop, the constraints genre places on artists, and the leading ladies in modern R&B woven in. Later in the episode, Larry asks Mark about his stance on donating to the homeless, Mark discusses his experience attending the Highest 2 Lowest show over the weekend, and they give a quick overview of current events in the streamer world — including DDG's "Are You My Ball," Kai Cenat's Mafiathon 3, and PlaqueBoyMax's eventful stream with Lil Yachty, as well as its aftermath and the recent headlines involving Lil Yachty's former artist Karrahboo. Before wrapping up, they also gloss over their stances on holidays, old pictures of Jamie Lee Curtis making waves on new parts of the internet, the cougar mayhem on Lil Duval's Instagram page, Justin Bieber's lookalike making club appearances, Chivido Miami, and more!

On Episode 5 of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark & Larry dive into new albums from J.I.D. and Gunna, compare the quality, energy, and visuals of new vs. old music, and debate the legality and morality of AI therapy. In the streamer segment, they react to PlaqueBoyMax's stream with Lil Baby, Neon linking with Michael Jackson's best friend, and Kai Cenat's surprise run-in with an old classmate. They also give props to Shedeur Sanders for his first preseason performance, break down the launch of the "TeaOnHer" app to clap back at the Tea app, and ask whether finding out your fiancé once slept with the wedding DJ is grounds to call off the wedding. Plus plenty more!

On the latest episode of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark & Larry kick things off with will.i.am's comments about Black Thought being a trillion times better than Jay-Z, leading into a breakdown of different methods for ranking top fives—including Mark's three separate charts and the criteria behind them. They also touch on the ethics of flying women out the country and testifying against your own child (or the lack thereof). Also, they briefly discuss rumors of Ochocinco replacing Shannon Sharpe following his recent firing. Once the alcohol set in, things got a lot more unserious: streaking at pro sporting events, streamer and podcast groupies, bros vs hoes ethics, sexual tension with hoes vs "good girls", whether or not you should know your partner's exes, and more!

On the latest episode of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark and Larry chop it up about everything from the controversial rise of the new Tea app to the state of modern hip-hop, sparked by the 2025 XXL freestyle. They go head-to-head on Laila Ali vs. Claressa Shields, question whether Gen Z has any real superstars, unpack a few tricky topics like age gaps in dating and past behaviors in (toxic?) relationships, and more!

In the first uninterrupted episode of I Don't Make the Rules, Mark and Larry dive into everything from the Diddy verdict and the new Clipse album to rap beef response time limits, the myth of one man halting AI, and more. No tech issues. No redacted chaos. Just [mostly] unfiltered conversation.