The Bond Debate Returns + Pooh Shiesty’s Day in Court Approaches

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – "The Bond Debate Returns + Pooh Shiesty’s Day in Court Approaches"

Date: June 9, 2026
Host: Lauren LaRosa (with references to DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God)
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network / iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Lauren LaRosa covers a breadth of current culture – from the city-stopping Knicks crowd and major security for a high-profile game, to deep conversations on representation with the enduring James Bond debate centered around Idris Elba, and a legal update on rapper Pooh Shiesty’s upcoming trial. Lauren weaves in lively anecdotes, cultural debates, and thought-provoking commentary on race, media, fame, and justice in America.

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Key Segments & Discussions

1. The Chaos of NYC's Game Night

Timestamps: [01:36]–[09:22]

• Lauren kicks off with a personal story about her lack of sports fandom:

  “I am not like a big sports fan girl. So like this, this is me, okay? Like, I’ll go to the parties, I’ll get cute... but I don't have, like, a team that I, like, die Hard, go hard for.” (03:04)

• Describes the explosive atmosphere in NYC as Knicks fans prepared for the NBA Finals Game 3 (with President Trump attending):
  • Streets and train stations overcrowded as fans flocked to Madison Square Garden.
  • Media influencer Druski’s planned meetup near MSG was abruptly shut down by authorities due to security concerns.
  • Special NYPD and Secret Service protocols in effect, with full blocks closed off to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for five blocks around MSG.

  “The NYPD News X account yesterday posted… ‘With tonight's presidential visit, there will be an extremely tight security measures in and around MSG... vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be closed.’” (07:24)

• Lauren reflects on the surreal dedication of diehard fans and her relief at avoiding the chaos by grilling at home.

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2. Idris Elba – Unpacking the James Bond Debate

Timestamps: [13:34]–[29:34]

• Lauren introduces Idris Elba’s recent British GQ profile, noting his eclectic career and humanitarian work (he was recently knighted for anti-knife crime activism).
• Plays a captivating clip of Elba discussing the responsibility and pressure of portraying Nelson Mandela:

  “Me playing Nelson Mandela? Come on. ... Nelson Mandela wants you to play Nelson Mandela. ... At first it was a lot of pressure. ... I moved to South Africa, obviously before shooting, wanted to understand the culture, especially the Xhosa culture and South Africans generally and their understanding of Nelson Mandela's story.” (Joe Jonas as Idris Elba clip, [14:08]–[16:00])

The Bond Question Revived

• Lauren notes it’s been 15+ years since speculation started:

  “It's been 15 years and we are still talking about the James Bond rumors. ... She details Idris Elba's response ... he playfully rolls his eyes and slides down in the seat.” (16:40)

• Elba’s own words (as paraphrased/quoted by Lauren):
  • On Bond’s Whiteness: “I've always felt that it's not a realistic thing. He believes James Bond was written how he was written for a reason ... He also thinks realistically, some markets just don't go for that ... audiences won't all go for a black male and African male playing Bond, that's not what they like in their culture, period.” (18:45)
  • On ‘Wokeness’: “Bond is so unrealistic ... A hint of reality is good, but let's not try to make it woke. ... I think you've got to be pure to what it is. It's escapism. Don't try and answer the world's taste, just be Bond.” (19:10)
• Lauren’s Analysis:
  • She affirms the need for nuance: Representation should exist, but not be forced or “box-checking.”

    “I hate watching things where you can tell that they were just trying to check the black box or check the racial box or check the inclusion box. Hate that to my core...” (22:10)

  • On timing and authenticity: She’s glad a “woke” Bond didn’t emerge in the thick of social justice performativeness post-2020.
  • She argues that the world’s resistance to a Black Bond shouldn’t prevent it from happening if done well:

    “I don't agree that's why you don't do it. ... I don't think the world will ever be ready for anything that goes black after being historically white or ambiguous for however amount of time. ... But if you want to bring those things in, there are ways that you can do it.” (25:15)

  • On casting: Lauren advocates for actors like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II or Idris, who have “a certain level of ... maturity ... meticulous, like art, like studying of the craft”. (27:30)
• Memorable Lauren Quote:

  “I'm all here for race, I'm all here for reparations, I'm all here for black, black, blackity black, y'all. But I do think that, like, I hate watching things where you can tell that they were just trying to ... check the inclusion box.” (22:10)

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3. Legal Update: Pooh Shiesty’s Day in Court

Timestamps: [29:34]–[end]

• Lauren gives an update on the Gucci Mane abduction and robbery case:
  • Pooh Shiesty (Gucci’s artist) and his father still held, while co-defendant Big 30 is out on bond.
  • February 2027 set for trial date, allowing both sides time for evidence gathering and arguments.
  • Central legal challenge: The prosecution lacks in-studio evidence and has no cooperation from victims, including Gucci Mane:

    “If there’s no evidence of what actually happened inside ... outside of victim testimony, and you don't have victims testifying, I am very curious to see how the prosecution goes about this one.” (32:55)

  • Pooh’s defense: Presence at studio is explainable, but other circumstantial factors (social media with jewelry, etc.) need addressing.
• Lauren’s Take:

  “At most, Pooh Shiesty walks away being slapped on the wrist because he violated his probation ... but that is like the least of his worries right now.” (33:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sports Fandom:

  “I'm like a cute fan. Like, if it's cute and you want to invite me out because it looks good, and, like, I can dress up and look good, I'ma go.” (04:45)

• On NYC Security:

  “You will not be able to walk east to west ... exit in the game. Listen, I'm just glad I was out of the madness.” (08:35)

• Idris Elba on Mandela:

  “She always said that, you know, you remind me of him when he was younger ... calm and you're very well spoken and you're forthright and you seem like you've got conviction.” (15:35)

• Lauren on the Bond Debate:

  “A black James Bond existing period ... it doesn’t have to be a complete 360-turn of a storyline. ... James Bond can still be James Bond.” (21:40)

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Episode Flow & Tone

Lauren’s style is candid, conversational, and thoughtful, seamlessly blending pop culture, personal reflection, social commentary, and legal analysis. Her knack for dissecting high-level ideas (“wokeness” in film, fandom, representation) with relatable, energetic storytelling keeps the episode both intellectually rich and highly accessible.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] Sports/Fandom, NYC Game Night Lockdown
• [13:34] Idris Elba: Knighthood, Mandela, and becoming Bond
• [18:45] Elba and Lauren on the realistic challenges of Bond representation
• [22:10] Lauren’s critique of inclusion for inclusion’s sake in media
• [27:30] Who could play a Black Bond? Casting analysis
• [29:34] Pooh Shiesty case update & legal breakdown

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Summary

This episode stands out for its in-depth look at the James Bond representation debate through the experiences and perspective of Idris Elba, a timely update on the Pooh Shiesty case, and a boots-on-the-ground vignette of NYC during a high-stakes game night. Lauren deftly balances hot topics in pop culture and justice while offering listeners an inclusive, reflective, and lively space to consider what’s next for representation—in film, music, and real life.

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Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers.

[Joe Jonas]

I'm Joe.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm Kevin.

[Nick Jonas]

And I'm Nick. And guess what?

[Lauren LaRosa]

We created our own podcast called hey Jonas.

[Nick Jonas]

We invented a podcast.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, we didn't invent it. We.

[Nick Jonas]

We just contributed to the first people to do podcasts.

[Kevin Jonas]

We get to ask other people questions

[Lauren LaRosa]

because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.

[Nick Jonas]

Tired and sick.

[Kevin Jonas]

Listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio

[Lauren LaRosa]

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nick Jonas]

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody exclusive.

[Podcast Advertiser/Guest]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, y', all, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now, we always start off with behind the scenes of the grind. Check in and this episode is no different. So let's do it back on the grind. Now, I am not like a big sports fan girl. So like this, this is me, okay? Like, I'll go to the parties, I'll get cute. I'll enjoy a little drinky Drink a little good time. I understand what's happening, even though I don't know all the plays. I used to work at a gym in college. Very fun fact. I used to work at a gym in college, and we used to have intramural sports, and everybody who worked at the gym had to participate. And the games of the intramural sports, and it was extra money, so I used to volunteer and do it even when I wasn't assigned to. So, like, the basketball games, the football games, I would have to work them, so sometimes I would have to keep score. So I would have to know at least, you know, on a basic level what was going on, to be able to, like, watch the score and, like, you know, crazy time in life, y'. All. But listen, in college, you do what you got to do to get by. So I can go to, like, a sporting event and not be, like, completely oblivious, but I don't have, like, a team that I, like, die Hard, go hard for. And let me tell y' all something. Yesterday, the way that the Knicks was getting ready, the Knicks fans were getting ready for the game that went down last night, baby. I'm telling y', all, like, I got out of New York City no later than, like, 10am I was not playing any games. I think I even missed our production meeting after the Breakfast Club yesterday because I was determined not to be stuck trying to get out of New York City. People were already parking their cars, like, you know, anywhere they could near train stations. I was grilling yesterday, last night, and I saw people, like, walking to different train stations trying to get over the bridge to go into New York in their Knicks gear. The fact that people would want to be in the mix of that is crazy to me, but it shows me how much of a diehard fan I am not. I'm like a. I'm like a cute fan. Like, if it's cute and you want to invite me out because it looks good, and, like, I can dress up and look good, I' ma go. And I'm always down for a good time. But no, with Trump being at the game, I mean, everything is shutting down. I know Druski was supposed to have, like, this big meetup in Harold Square yesterday, which is not too far, like, just, like, a handful of blocks over from Madison Square Garden. For those of you guys who don't live in New York, Madison Square Garden is where the. The game. It went down yesterday, the next in the Spurs. I. When I saw the flyer, I thought it was crazy that he would even do it. But I was like, I mean, it's a good way to cause mayhem. Which is it works for him because he's a viral online comedian. They do all those meetups and stuff like that. But I was like, that is going to be an insane thing. We had one of our social media team members from Breakfast Club, Eli, shout out to OVO Eli on stream. W's in the chat. We had him or he just wanted to. We didn't have him. He just wanted to go out and he was like streaming everything. That was like downtown yesterday. And like, you know, he was there when they were telling people that they had shut down the Drew Ski meet up. It didn't even get shut down. It didn't even have a chance to begin. And they told him it wasn't allowed to happen. So, yeah. Oh, maybe I should reach out and get some more details. Like, I wonder if police and like fire marshal saw it and called him. Like, I wonder how they knew. Like, how did they know to shut it down? It's not like people were. Well, there were some people there waiting for Jusi, according to what I was told by, you know, Eli, who was actually there on the scene. But I don't think that it was mayhem to the point where they would know that like, you know, like, Drew's coming here. We want to shut it down. Unless it had gotten so big and cross NYPD's radar that they were like, nahuh, no. They're even putting like a walking ban on some locations. So the NYPD News X account yesterday posted before the game tonight is game three of the NBA Finals, an exciting time for New York City, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the game safely. With tonight's presidential visit, there will be an extremely tight security measures in and around msg, which is Madison Square Garden, that the NYPD and Secret Service have planned together. Starting at 4pm today, vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be closed from West 30th street to 35th Street. So on five blocks in New York City, you can. You can. It's not even about driving. All I was thinking about was being able to drive down certain streets and certain blocks being blocked off. You're not allowed to walk. No one will be allowed inside the secure area unless you have a ticket to the game, which is still going to be crazy because there's going to be a lot of crazy fans with tickets to the game, a train ticket are going to business inside the area, have credentials or some other authorized reason to be there. I don't know how they're going to check all of this, to be honest with you. Like between the blocks of 30th and 35th Street, I think they said what, between 6th and 8th Avenue? 6th Avenue is the avenue of the like. There's so much there. There's so many restaurants and bars and stuff like that in the area. So that's going to be very hard for them to patrol. But I'm interested to see how you know that. That had to be very hard for them to patrol. But, I mean, the president is in town, so they of course, tried to do the best that they could, but I just. I would have hate to have been one of those cops out there. They say everyone entering the secure area will be screened and you can only enter at these access points. Oh, wow. So they had everybody going to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 different access points last night. And those were. Those access points were the only way you were able to enter within that area. So the reporting that it was going to take people three plus hours to get into the game, if you had a ticket, I see why now? Because before you even have would have gotten to Madison Square Garden, you had to do a whole security check on the street. Imagine how many people had to line up at these five points. Insane. So then when fans left MSG after the game, NYPD says that they were able to access public transit in Penn Station. If they were trying to leave the area by foot or car. They had to walk north or south between 29th and 36th Street. You will not be able to walk east. The west. You've. Yeah. Exit in the game. Listen, I'm just glad I was out of the madness. Okay. Out of the madness. I barbecued a bit. Got to kind of chill out a little bit, get ready for the next day. I don't know why these last couple weeks has felt like a whirlwind, but I feel like I'm coming down on the other side of the whirlwind where things are like, I'm like getting a grasp on life. Sometimes I feel like I'm like going through things so much and I try and like, stop in a moment and literally claim my day. Like, I'll say I'm going to own the day. I'm not going to let the day own me because a lot of times it feels like things are just moving so fast and I'm trying to keep up with the day. And when that happens, oftentimes I get through the day and I literally, either I can't remember certain things that happened throughout the day. Or I am. I'm sitting back and thinking of things that I did throughout the day where I'm like, I could have did that a little bit better. Or, oh, I forgot to do this because I was maneuvering so fast to do this other thing. So I hate when that happens, and I hate that feeling, but I feel like it is slowing down. Like, this week is helping me to slow down and take control again. I'm so excited for that. But yes, y', all, I mean, we kind of already there that behind the Scenes of the Grind was a little bit of the latest, so we might as well get right on into it. Let's get into the latest.

[Drink Champs Host]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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Yes. I literally filmed in his apartment in Queensbridge. His moms were still up in that apartment. Nas was just beginning to take off. His pops used to live near me in Harlem. His dad introduced him to a whole lot of, you know, conscious stuff, and he made a young prodigy.

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[Akilah Hughes]

Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it getting a new one put up in its place.

[Lauren LaRosa]

As long as there's a politics of

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

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You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Nick Jonas]

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Listen to Deep Cover the Family man on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Idris Elba talking about, you know, people that come and shut cities down. Idris Elba, who is world renowned actor, a dj, but also, I mean he's just been a sex symbol for a very long time now is is sitting down with British GQ and he's talking about something that we don't often hear him because he's so many different characters, right? Like he's been on the wire he's been Nelson Mandela, by the way. Nelson Mandela asked Idris Elba to play him himself. He talked about that. Let's take a listen.

[Joe Jonas]

Me playing Nelson Mandela, Come on. I don't nothing like him. Just like, no, no, it's not like that. In fact, Nelson Mandela wants you to play Nelson Mandela. I was like, what? At first it was a lot of pressure. I was like, nah, I can't. I mean, what. How do you even approach something like that? And then once I got to understand, I spoke to Justin Chadwick, director, I was like, okay, this isn't a, you know, like, for like, I don't want you to look like, I want you to body his essence. And I said, okay, understand. And it was based on the book Long Walk to Freedom, which is a 700 page books big story. And it was just, you know, going on that history journey to understand how to play him, play various parts of his life. You know, I moved to South Africa, obviously before shooting, wanted to understand the culture, especially the Xhosa culture and South Africans generally and their understanding of Nelson Mandela's story. I just wanted to absorb that because that was really important to me that I didn't do like an impression of him. Nelson Mandela is a most polarizing character. You know, for some people he's a absolute hero, and for others, he's less of, you know, even if I'm doing an accent or whatever, understanding the culture is the easiest way for me to get into it, to absorb it. I learned a lot about South Africa, about the history. I got to hang with Winnie Mandela a lot. And she was very helpful in helping construct me as a, as an actor for Nelson. She always said that, you know, you remind me of him when he was younger. You remind me of him a lot. You know, you're very calm and you're very well spoken and you're forthright and you seem like you've got conviction. She used to say that a lot. Said he was very handsome, you're very handsome.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He's done so many different big, powerful, insanely powerful roles we played that to make that point. Like all of these different roles he's been able to play and be these people that have stopped the world and that people will remember. But a few weeks ago he was knighted over in the UK and a knighthood is. It's like here, here in the U.S. you know, how people are given like a day in the city or a key to the city. Like you're honored by high level political officials for work that you've done. In the community or impact. So he was knighted for his work that he does with children in the community over there. A lot of it is about, you know, he tackling knife crimes, which is a big thing. Gun violence is really big here in us but knife crime is really big over in the uk. I remember I went to London and I was younger and I was in high school and at that time I was experiencing like a lot of my friends were passing away from gun violence and I remember going over there on a speaking tour for about two weeks and I thought that it was so crazy that guns weren't their biggest issue, that it was knives. I just, I, I always will remember that. But he's tackling knife crime in different communities over there. And you know, with this new community enterprise that he's running, he's talking a lot about just getting comfortable with his role of his actual self. So stepping outside of the characters and leaning into who he is as a dad, as a partner, as a person, as a community activist and what that looks like and how that plays into his roles. Because one of the things that you identify right off the bat in reading this GQ article or listening to parts of it, not all of it is written. Some of it is in video, but not all of it that is written is in video. So that's why you'll hear Idris in some of this podcast episode. But then some of it I will be reading whatever's not in video. But what you identify instantly is the fact that like, well, most actors, they have like a through line, so it's like you know them for certain types of roles. With Idris, he's done everything from super serious to super dramatic to gangster to, you know, like on the not comedian ish side, but like lighter, light hearted side of things. Like he's kind of all over the place when it comes to the roles that he's adapted in his career. But one of the roles that I feel like will never escape him, no matter how much he denies it, and he hasn't even played the role yet, is James Bond. People cannot wait for Idris Elba to play James Bond. But he's here again all these years later. This conversation started in like 2019. 2020. So about six to seven years later, still denying it. Wait, I'm sorry, not six or seven years later. That's like 15 years later. Yes, that's like 15 years later. While my math is off, you could tell what role I didn't play. Well, the mathematician. So the article opens literally right off the bat with them talking about the James Bond rumors and the writer in GQ, her name is Haley Campbell. She says, it's been 15 years and we are still talking about the James Bond rumors. I mean, this man has played so many roles. And then she lists some of them, and she says, but Idris Elba, in that James Bond convo is one that still just will not go away. Now, she details Idris Elba's response when she brings up the role of James Bond. So she says that she brings it up, and Idris Elba playfully rolls his eyes and slides down in the seat until all she can see is his durag. I mean, because at this point, it's like, how many times does he have to tell us it's not going to happen? But I don't. We just won't let it go. But what I thought was interesting here is that not only did he say that it wasn't going to happen, but he says that he doesn't think the world is even ready for a black man to play James Bond. So when asked about playing James Bond, he responds, it was never legit. It was always just a rumor. It started at the Italian premiere of Quantum of Solace, held a day after the 2008 u. S. Presidential election. Daniel Craig said that Barack Obama's victory suggested that we had reached the time for a black Bond. Elba says fans simply took it and ran with it. He says, I've always felt that it's not a realistic thing. He he believes. Idris Elbow believes that James Bond was written how he was written for a reason, but I was. But he says he was complimented by the thought that people, you know, would think that he could play James Bond. He says he also thinks realistically, in realistic terms, some markets just don't go for that. Talking about having a black James Bond Bond is big all over the world, and audiences won't all go for black. For a black male and African male playing Bond, that's not what they like in their culture, period. He also believes that changing Bond isn't really necessary. Bond is so unrealistic, says Idris Elba. So a hint of a reality is good, but let's not try to make it woke. Idris continues, I think you've got to be pure to what it is. Idris continues, it's escapism. Don't try and answer the world's taste, Just be buying. Now, on one hand, I understand what he's saying. Like, I wouldn't want to see a woke James Bond. So, like, Even if he did do the role, I'm kind of glad that it didn't happen around that black square time when autumn, white people was, like, kneeling in the Capitol, you know what I mean? Because white people were just being crazy around that time, and everything was so black. And, like, it was like every movie, every TV show, every company was giving you a Rolodex on everything black and everything slavery and everything that they should be apologizing for. So it was like, just. It was overly like. It was like the world outside of black people were trying to overcompensate for what black people have already known, experienced, and been going through for over 400 years. It was just too much. And it made a lot of things to me, like, very. Like. Like why? Like, I remember. Crazy comparison, but this is how my mind works. I remember when they put Ebony K. Williams on Real Housewives of New York. Now, don't get me wrong, I. I love the Real Housewives franchise. Atlanta is my favorite. Potomac is right after that, Beverly Hills after that. And I haven't gotten into any of the other. Other girls, right? But with New York, I watched Real Housewives of New York a bit. But I remember tuning in specifically for Ebony K. Williams season because it was, like, such a big deal for her as a black woman to be on that show, especially during that time, because, again, it was that time where the world was looking to be educated and looking to. On black things, and it was our responsibility to do so, which I hate. And they were just looking to write a lot of the wrongs that they had done over all of these decades and hundreds of years, right? So they brought her on the show, and I felt like I understood the point of what they were trying to do. And I think that Ebony K. Williams is a very brilliant, educated, you know, can hold her own black woman. But I just was like. It was just too much. Like, it was overly like, I'm gonna teach you guys, or I'm gonna show you guys the black experience. Instead of her just being on the show and being a black woman who lives this luxurious life. Like, it was forced, in my opinion. And I don't think that that had anything to do with her. I think that that was a lot of our production in the network and what they were desperately trying to achieve because they saw how white, a lot of their casts were outside of Atlanta. And I think if you would have took a movie like James Bond at that time and tried to do that, it would have ruined the franchise, and it would have been a. It Just would have looked crazy on Idris. But to be honest with you, I don't think if he had read a script that wasn't as genius as Bond had already been, black man or not, it wouldn't have happened. He would have said no to it. And I'm glad that he would have because imagine a racially woke and cheesy James Bond. Like, I'm all here for race. I'm all here for reparations. I'm all here for black, black, blackity, black, y'. All. But I do think that, like, I hate watching things where you can tell that they were just trying to like check the black box or check the racial box or check the inclusion box. Like hate that to my core. Especially when it's things that have, like scripts that have depth and energy that require so much more than that. But if you want to bring those things in, there are ways that you can do it. I mean, number one, you bring black people into the writers rooms, into the director's seats, into the producer rooms, and things on have to be subtle. I think a black James Bond existing period, like, you don't got to take them, you know, to Harlem. You don't gotta. And there's no, no shade to American Gangster and all the movies that did things like that. But it doesn't have to be this like complete360u turn of a storyline. Like James Bond can still be James Bond. But I think just seeing a black man exist in that role and be powerful, which I think could have easily been done and would have been beautifully done if done the right way. I agree that you don't want to make it too woke. So that's, that's the, let's get that out the way. I do agree with each other on that. What I don't agree with is. Oh, and second thing I agree with is that the world is not ready for it. Let me get his direct quote. He says, but I was complimented by it. Talking about the, the thought that people, the fact that people would even think that he would be a good James Bond. I think in realistic terms, some markets just don't go for that. Bond is big all over the world and audiences won't all go for a black male and African male playing Bond. That's just not what they like in their culture, period. Listen, I don't disagree with that either, but I do disagree with the fact of, like, that, like, for me, that wouldn't be a reason of why it shouldn't be done because I don't think that the world is any is ready for anything black lead to be flipped on his face like that whatsoever. Like they got mad about the Little Mermaid, about Haley Bailey playing the Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid is a animated character at its core, but because she was a black woman, people were upset. So that's always going to be a thing. I don't think the world will ever be ready for anything that goes black after being historically white or ambiguous for however amount of time. Right. But I don't think, I don't agree. That's why you don't do it. I just think when you do it, there is a level of, I mean, there's just an extra level of care that would need to be taken because you understand the conversation. You understand the difference of, of, you know, how a black Bond would see the world versus how a white one would. You understand how the world would see a black Bond, James Bond versus how we see the white one in the movie. So far, like, you just, we get all of that. And those nuances I think could make for a great story, but I also think if not done the right way, they can make for a, a really not good viewer experience as well too. But I just don't think that that's why you don't do it though. Like, that's, that's my only pushback here with him. And I get, and I understand I, I've seen him, you know, say comments over the years that people, as people have brought this up, that it wasn't happening and that he doesn't want to be known as the black James Bond. But, and I completely understand that as well. I think that there's always this thing of like not wanting to be typecast and like stuck in a box. Especially for an actor like Idris Elba who's been able to do so much and so many wide ranging characters, but I, I wouldn't be mad at seeing it at all. I do think it takes a certain person, I think, and Idris is one of the people that I would think of that could do it be only because I think he has this, there's like a coolness to him, but there's also like a, there's an elevated, like, it's like a charm, but there's also, it's like a smart. I don't know how you approach it. Like, when I think of James Bond, I think of someone who's like untouchable. He's very smart, he's very witty, he, he moves, he sticks and goes. You know, he's a Leader, he's just a guy. And I think that there are a lot of black male leads right now who could do it. You know who I also think could be good at it? Outside of Idris Elba, but people don't talk about him a lot. Yeah, yeah. Abdul Mateen. I think that he is a person that could do it as well too. I think you would need someone who is, who's acted on a high level enough like, who's done enough high level films and films that have required them to like, really deeply study the character, the history of the character, the movements, the notions, the like so many deep things that I think a actor who's high level and really good, like, you know, Michael B. Jordan is really, really good. Damson Idris is really, really good. Like, they're all great, but I think you need like a Idris or yay. Abdul Mateen, who to me they would like, they would just bury themselves in the preparation for the character enough where like we would literally really believe that they walk and breathe. James Bond. I don't know if, like, I don't know if Michael B. Jordan could, could convince me in a, in a James Bond role. As good as he is, I don't think that Damson Idris is there yet either. As good as he is, I don't think. I think that there's a, it's just like a, there's a certain level of like maturity that is needed there. And I think I saw that when I watched Yahya Abdul Mateen in Man on Fire. I saw that there. Idris Elba. I've seen it over and over again in several of his roles where I'm like, okay, he has that meticulous, like art, like study, studying of the craft. But also like, you just, I don't know, you just believe them differently. Yeah. So look, I say all this to say who am I? But I'll be here for y'.

[Kevin Jonas]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let me know what y' all think. Now, real quick as we close the latest this episode, I wanted to do a quick update, shifting gears a bit. I mean, we still talking cr. Crime and crime solving and all the things, right? The gangsters. But we, we're going into real life here. Some gangsters that shouldn't have been trying to be gangster, allegedly. Because you guys remember the case that we covered where rap artist Gucci Mane, rap artist and label owner Gucci man was reportedly abducted and robbed at gunpoint in a music studio. Now they arrested his artist Pooh Shici for that along with another music artist named Big 30 out of Memphis. And Pooh Shici's dad, the artist Big 30 has been let go. Not let go, but he's been released on a bond until trial. Pushes and his father, however, are still being held. I know there were some conversations happening in court through documents. Not in court, but through documents about Pushes dad trying to be released until it was time for trial. Well, we now have a potential trial date set. So there were some documents filed today that just kind of outline the schedule of what's about to happen. So the new trial date that we were looking at is. Is in February of 2027. So that's about seven to eight months from now. And that will give both the prosecution and defense time to prep their arguments, go through witnesses, submit witnesses, go through discovery from both sides. So evidence that is, you know, being going to be used in court to gather, but also to give it to the other side to be so that they can prepare their arguments against it and vice versa. But this is going to be really interesting. This trial is going to be really interesting because there's a lot of unanswered questions. Number one, evidence inside of the studio is still a big question. You have Pushe's side, who is a defense that is saying, yeah, you guys can place him at the studio. You know, he was on an ankle monitor which was tracking his location. There are photos, but there's nothing from inside the studio that proves that an actual robbery or an abduction took place. Now, there's supposed to be some cell phone footage of Gucci Mane being forced to sign this contract, but that video footage and the actual contract itself up until this point that we know, and, and we may find out differently as evidence comes out, as they're filing these documents, getting ready for trial, but that we know of right now, none of that was was found. So for the prosecutors, their biggest thing is going to be able. Is being able to prove that Pooh Shiesty like what happened inside that music studio, especially because from all of their reports outside of a police report in the beginning, they don't have cooperation from any of the victims, including Gucci man at this point in time. So proving that is going to be tough. Now it's also going to be tough for Gucci Mane if he's subpoenaed to testify like, and, and just to see how he navigates that, because I know that that's something that he doesn't want to do, that he, you know, we all know he has talked about being completely against, but I'm interested To see how that goes. And yeah, I mean, push. I see. Team has to. It's like, okay, we know that he was there. They got to make it make sense as to why it was there. And they can claim, you know, small things like he's an artist, it's a studio. That's why I was there. Makes sense. But it's like to be there at that day, that time, to have called and and, you know, bust people in, like, all of the things he would have to prove that these are things that he does on a day to day, weekly week basis, being in the studio is going to be a little bit easier to prove. Again, because he is a music artist. But the people that were there that were reportedly seen with, you know, jewelry that was allegedly taken from the victims later on social media, like, there are small things like that that he's going to need to explain. But if there's no evidence of what actually happened inside of the studio, outside of victim testimony and you don't have victims testifying, I am very curious to see how the prosecution goes about this one. Because if they can't stick that at most pushes, he walks away being slapped on the wrist because he violated his probation, because he was on home confinement and, you know, everything would have had to have been approved. Timing out of the house, you know, the fact that he was round guns, you know, all of that. And that may sit him down again. It may or may not. But that is like the least of his worries right now. So we'll keep you guys updated as that develops. I'm Lauren LaRosa. This is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shape the room. Baby. I tell you guys, every single episode, and I mean, it's it. Y' all could be anywhere with anybody talking about all of the things, but you guys choose to be right here with me. My lowriders. I appreciate you and I will catch you in my next episode. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.