Mal is opening up about an uncomfortable encounter with members of J. Cole’s Dreamville camp, admitting that some of his recent commentary about the North Carolina rapper may have damaged relationships he previously valued.
During a recent episode of New Rory & Mal, Mal discussed running into Dreamville co-founder and president Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad in Los Angeles. According to Mal, the interaction was noticeably different from their previous encounters, with neither man acknowledging the other despite making eye contact.
For Mal, that moment apparently hit harder than expected.
“This is the first time I ever felt bad about something I said,” Mal explained, according to the discussion reported by HotNewHipHop. He noted that he had always had a good relationship with Ib and never intended for his comments about Cole to be interpreted as a personal attack.
Mal has been outspoken about J. Cole throughout the year, particularly following the rapper’s decision to step away from the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle. More recently, Mal criticized Cole after an emotional performance of “Love Yourz,” suggesting that the rapper’s tears appeared performative.
That particular criticism eventually led to an apology.
Mal later learned that Cole’s emotional performance was connected to the family of Collin Griffin, a fan Cole met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2017. Griffin, who had been diagnosed with stage-four cancer, later passed away, and his family attended Cole’s performance. After learning the full context, Mal apologized for his comments.
Despite standing behind much of what he has said about Cole, Mal acknowledged that he didn’t want his commentary to permanently damage his relationship with Ib or anyone else in the Dreamville camp.
“I wasn’t trying to disrespect you,” Mal explained, emphasizing that his comments were part of how he approaches hip-hop conversations rather than an attempt to personally attack Cole or his associates.
Mal also described Ib as someone he considers a cool person, making the awkward encounter even more disappointing for him.
At the same time, Mal isn’t completely walking back his opinions. He reiterated that he stands behind the things he’s said publicly, while recognizing that people close to Cole may understandably have taken issue with some of his commentary.
The situation highlights the difference between commentary and personal relationships in hip-hop media. Mal’s job as a podcast personality involves offering strong opinions, but his latest story suggests those opinions can sometimes have consequences beyond the conversation happening behind the microphone.
For now, there is no indication that J. Cole himself has publicly addressed the situation. Whether Mal and Dreamville eventually clear the air remains to be seen, but Mal’s willingness to acknowledge the awkward encounter suggests he would rather avoid turning the situation into a larger conflict.