Mal has directly shut down Tasha K’s claim that Jay-Z allegedly kicked him and Rory out of Roots Picnic 2026 in Philadelphia. According to Tasha’s report, this occurred as the duo were Drake fans, despite their professional link to Roc Nation. Mal immediately took to social media to deny her claim, stating that he was at home watching Game 7 of the NBA playoffs between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder on May 30. He wrote on X:“I was home watching game 7.”No evidence or reports have emerged to support the controversial comedian's claim, and it appears to have originated from unverified sources.Mal, whose full name is Jamil “Mal” Clay, is a prominent podcaster and a social media personality. He is best known as the co-host of the popular podcast New Rory & Mal, alongside Rory Farrell. The show features discussions on hip-hop culture, celebrity gossip and current events.Continue reading for more information.Who are Rory and Mal? Everything you need to know about the duo amid Jay-Z dramaRory and Mal are Rory Farrell and Jamil "Mal" Clay, who sparked an interest in their lives amid their Jay-Z drama. They are popularly known for co-hosting the hip-hop and pop-culture podcast, New Rory & MAL. Born May 4, 1990, in New Jersey, Rory entered the world of music before entering into podcasting. In his 20s, he worked in major companies such as Sony Music and MTV. In 2018, he worked as a marketing manager with Sony. Rory reportedly worked as an intern at Def Jam Records while Kanye West was making My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He became the general manager of Dusse Palooza.Roy and Mal attend the annual Made In America Festival - Source: GettyJamil Clay, known as Mal, has deep roots in the hip hop industry through family connections. He is the younger brother of Kareem “Biggs” Burke, who founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Dame Dash in 1995.Rory and Mal joined The Joe Budden Podcast around the time when it was launched in 2015. They started as co-hosts alongside rapper Joe Budden. In May 2021, the duo were fired by Budden over a public dispute involving finances and creative control. Following the exit, Rory and Mal launched New Rory & Mal in mid-2021.They praised Jay-Z in their RollingOut interview in September 2022. When the duo were asked what makes him so special, according to them. Mal said that he appreciates his quality of staying true to oneself and said:“He can rap a little bit … but like we were just talking about — staying true to yourself … and trying new things. I’m sure Jay never thought he’d have a festival with some of the biggest artists in the world performing, but here we are.”Meanwhile, Rory called him the “epitome of how hip-hop is going to age” and added:“He’s the best representation I’ve seen because hip-hop’s such a young genre. What a beautiful example we have of how hip-hop can age, it’s not just a young man’s sport … I just think he’s the perfect example of how hip-hop should age.”Jay-Z sparked controversy after appearing as a headliner at the Roots Picnic on May 30 in Philadelphia. Picnic. During his freestyle performance, he addressed various hip-hop critics and dissed several people including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Dame Dash.Later, Tasha K reported that Jay-Z had Rory and Mal kicked out of his VIP section at the festival because of their support for Drake. However, Mal disputed this explanation through a social media post.