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[00:00]
Lauren LaRosa
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
[00:04]
Michael Rapaport
You know what's funny? Hip hop fans can debate literally anything from the best rapper alive to the best era of hip hop, to what's the best album to who has the best verse. Now Sprite is giving us a whole new argument. The Sprite Living track list is 50 songs that help shape hip hop culture, from rap legends to the hottest artists carrying the hip hop torch today. But. But the coolest part isn't just the tracks. It's the stories behind them. The lyrics, the moments, the impact. Check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.
[00:44]
Essie Cupp
When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers, so stupid, such incredibly bad politics. We have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes. Stay for the sanity. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[01:22]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[01:29]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[01:36]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[01:38]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[01:44]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[01:51]
Michael Rapaport
This is Michael Rapoport and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike any one you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture, and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rappaport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[02:24]
Lauren LaRosa
I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody know she
[02:28]
Guest/Commentator
don't lie about that.
[02:29]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Right?
[02:29]
Lauren came in hot.
[02:31]
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. All of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now, look, y' all know we start off here at the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Y' all could probably almost say it with me at this point with behind the scenes of the Grind checking on in. Let's do it,
[02:59]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
y'.
[03:00]
Betrayal Weekly Host
All.
[03:00]
Lauren LaRosa
We have made it to Friday. Yeah. Look. Whoa. Dang. Don't even have a voice. That is crazy. I don't even know what that comes from. Like, at one point, I thought that when I would lose my voice, I literally would think that it was like, because, you know, you're talking so much, you're doing so many different things. But now I'm like, is it like a sleep thing or what is going on?
[03:26]
Guest/Commentator
But I feel well rested.
[03:27]
Lauren LaRosa
I don't know. Like, I genuinely feel well rested. This week has been a little bit topsy turvy all over the place. So I told you guys, we have been in Delaware, We've been in Philly. We've done a lot this week. Family things, you know, but everything is all good. But we're headed into a weekend, and this weekend will be even crazier. But the good thing about when my weekends are crazy, it means I'll be able to bring you guys some sound. So this weekend coming up, I have a. A charity basketball game that happens in my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, every single year and has been for literally decades at this point called Duffy's Hope Celebrity Game. You can go get tickets Duffy's Hope Inc.org for tickets if you would like to attend. And this year, they have Tariq from power, Michael Rainey Jr, Giano Polo from Power. I probably just said his last name wrong. He plays Braden Their Boots. Ennis, who is the boxer from Philly. Lorenz Tate, Derek Milano, Young Dylan. The kids be Loving Young Dylan. And DJ Diamond Cuts, who's also. She's from Philly as well as Boots. She's from Philly as well as Boots and is the fighter DJ all all things personality at Power 99, which is a really popular station in Philadelphia. She is going to be there as well. I'm not for sure. Is she gonna be DJing or is she just attending? I'm not for sure which she's doing, but she shall be there. So get your tickets, get your tickets, get your tickets. It's gonna be. It's gonna be a good time. And then we're closing out the weekend with the og, the icon Angie Martinez at her summer barbecue here in New York. City at Coney Island. I was going to say get your tickets to that, but I believe they're sold out. So if you guys already have tickets, I will see you there. But again, when I have an eventful weekend, y' all know y' all have an eventful Monday. That means we'll be bringing some audio from the experience right on back into the podcast because not only do I like to bring you guys the latest, I also like to keep y' all where the latest is going down at, right on the scene and in the thick of things. Now let's get on in to the conversation today. Let's get into the latest.
[05:49]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self sometimes. I still can't believe we keep electing members then to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[06:28]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them, keeping them at the back of the line.
[06:43]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[06:53]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast, Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history, separating the myths people want to believe from the reality underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession, and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts.
[07:53]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano, and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
[08:29]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[08:36]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[08:43]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Talong cons and stolen identities?
[08:46]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[08:53]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices, each with the courage to tell their own story.
[08:57]
Guest/Commentator
He said I had been kidnapped.
[09:00]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[09:02]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[09:07]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[09:10]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh, my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[09:17]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts
[09:27]
Lauren LaRosa
on the docket today, y', all. Forge dropped its highest paid podcasters of 2026. And on that list is a man we know very well, Charlemagne the. But we're going to go down the list, starting from the top. Charlemagne is number ten. Ten on the list, I believe. Yeah, Charlemagne is number ten on the list. Joe Rogan is number one on the list. Joe Button is on this list as well, too. He is number 15. But let's talk a bit about just the opening conversation that Forbes has, right? Because Forbes opens the list with talking about Jay Shetty, who is. Who does his podcast on purpose that he's been doing since 2019. So they. They open up this list talking about Jay Shetty and the fact that when he started his podcast, people told that it was too late. Because at that point, you know, that was like, right when the pandemic was about to go down. Podcasts that kind of already been kicking off and ringing off a bit. I feel like it was still very, like, niche, though. But I'm probably definitely wrong about that. But from the outside looking in, I say outside because at that time, I wasn't a podcaster. It looked like, you know, there were a lot of people doing podcasts who were into podcast. But now it feels like even if you're not into podcast, even if, you know, podcast isn't, like, traditional media or traditional Way to consume media every single day. If a personality or a talent that you love across anything, sports, music, whatever, nowadays creates a podcast, you become an avid podcast listener. It's not just like a niched audience. That's how it feels anyway, to me as a new person coming into the space. But they talk about how he created his podcast in 2019 and then seven years later, he. He is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. And I think what is so intriguing and motivating about this article is the fact that they talk about how podcasts like Jay Shetty's are not only competing with like the biggest TV shows, the biggest radio shows, and the biggest, like Internet, Internet native talk shows, but is. Podcasts are literally like blurring the lines at this point because you get a little bit of everything right. Like with a. With the podcast that has video to it, you get the TV show, daily TV show feel because it's audio, because it's. You know, some people are doing daily. Most people do like once a week. I think in this article, they talk about how Joe Rogan drops like 15 podcasts per month. So not everybody's daily, but the. The way that audio is set up and, and because it is so it is at its best, like when a podcast is doing what they're supposed to be doing, it is very consistent. And because of that, And because of that, people really grow attached to you. Like your listeners grow really attached to your voice, to everything you guys know. Like, you tune into this podcast daily, hopefully daily and other podcasts as well. But even more motivating than just, you know, hearing the outlet confirm what we already knew is happening, right, Is the money that they ain't talking about. And it's not even. I'll be honest with y', all, like, podcasting is a job for real. Like, whenever I hear somebody talking about, like, yo, I think I want to start a podcast, in my mind, I'm like, whatever it is that you want to start this podcast about, like literally whatever it is, whatever your niche is about to be your pocket, you coming from your corner of the things is going to be. Make sure you really thoroughly enjoy doing that. And it is something that you are going to say consistent at, because this is really a job and consistency matters so much. Jay Shetty, right, very consistent. He landed a distribution deal through iHeart that Forbes is estimating put him at $21 million over the past 12 months. And then they say when those deals expired this year, that Jay Shetty landed a new kind of contract. And this new contract made it where the audio and the video of his show will not only be distributed by Spotify, but it will also stream on Netflix. You guys know Breakfast Club recently went to Netflix as well because they have their podcast division. And then the two companies combining to pay him an estimated total of $100 million over the next three years. And this is what I'm saying, because when you think about a lot of the people on this list, and we're going to get into this list, right, it's not just like we're out here doing a podcast. We're consistent because of the money or the business in it. There is a lot of business and a lot of money, as y' all see. But these people are very dedicated to like their audiences into what they do like, and I would argue would do it even if the money wasn't this. Because at one point they were doing it when the money wasn't this.
[14:32]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast, off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self sometimes. I still can't believe we keep electing men to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week, you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[15:10]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them, keeping them at the back of the line.
[15:25]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[15:35]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history, separating them myths people want to believe from the reality underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[16:35]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.
[17:11]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[17:18]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[17:25]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Talong cons and stolen identities?
[17:28]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[17:36]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices each with the courage to tell their own story.
[17:40]
Guest/Commentator
He said, I have been kidnapped.
[17:42]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[17:45]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[17:49]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[17:52]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[17:59]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[18:09]
Lauren LaRosa
So number one on this list is Joe Rogan. The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify, he is listed at being worth $82 million.
[18:17]
Guest/Commentator
It says sitting with the 58 year
[18:19]
Lauren LaRosa
old comedian and UFC broadcaster for three hour conversations at his Red Curtain studio in Austin, Texas has become a rite of passage for anyone from actors promoting a movie to politicians running for president. Regardless of whether his endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 impacted the outcome of the election. As his buddy Dana White told Forbes, the widespread conversation about it proves not only Rogan's power, but also the legitimacy of podcasting as a whole. Going to keep going. They have diary the diary of a CEO I seen Steve Barlett, Steve Bartlett's diary of a CEO podcast. A lot of places I wanna another thing that these lists do. It makes me want to like go down a rabbit hole of like listening and watching these podcasts. Now another thing that I think is pretty interesting as well is that some of these podcasts. Let me see in the first quarter, 2026, Bartlett Barlettes corporate interview show the Diary of a CEO posted its highest revenue quarter ever in the show's nine years. Dang. Driving the business for the 33 year old entrepreneurial's profile, which was valued at $425 million last fall in an investment round from a private equity backer. Wow. A 30 under 30 Europe alum in 2020. Bartlett will also appear on American television this fall as a guest on Shark Tank after several appearances on the show's UK counterpart. I want to know how many of these podcasts are not video? Because another thing that I and I say this all the time whenever I talk about these podcast podcast lists. One of the things that I've learned about podcasting is how big people can be in the audio world. Just solely audio alone. Okay. Number four on the list is Ashley Flowers with Crime Junkie Red and she's via Red Sea Adventures in Tubi. So I'm assuming our video is through to be she's listed at $42 million. Oh, Mel Robbins. I love Mel Robbins Podcast. Mel Robbins is a video in audio as well. The Mel Robbins podcast via Sirius XM $35 million and her genre. I feel like people who do anything in the motivational space, it's like such a niche genre to like be successful in because everybody and everything is motivation. Like everybody's trying to be in that space. So I feel like to really sustain and to really have people believe you and believe that like you have to be so good about choosing who you have conversations with, choosing who you trust, your plat, who you like trust to bring on your platform to speak to your listeners. But your listeners have to really trust and value you, your opinion and your experiences and your advice and your motivational, like, you know, tidbits because you can go find like there are like ancient, like, like think about how many times you've heard somebody say go read. Like, I mean, what are some books? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or Atomic habits or the oh my God, this is human. The subtle art. The subtle art. Subtle art of not giving an F. People all even like the alchemist. I don't know. People always talk about the alchemist too when you're trying to like have these conversations about like thoughts, opinions, forming thoughts and opinions, higher powers, purpose, all of that. But like those, I mean, and those are books. I know. But I'm saying that to say like there's a lot of deeply rooted motivational spaces that have been there for a very long time. So when you come into this space face, it's very like to me it's like watching people in that space. Like, I feel the same way about Wallow, who does a million dollars worth of game with Gilly because he has literally come into the space. He's very authentic to his audience no matter how big he gets. But he's very successful. Like the books that he drops, the video content that he does, the podcast that he currently is currently on, like, he's extremely successful. Number seven is Jason and Travis Kelsey. Y' all know Travis Kelsey, right? Tell us his husband's like. They come in at $35 million with their podcast New Heights. Then you have Alex Cooper. We'll call her daddy at $32 million. Number 10, Charlemagne with the Breakfast Club for I Heart Netflix.
[22:49]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Now.
[22:49]
Lauren LaRosa
I think this is also really interesting too. I'm gonna read the the tidbit that they say. In December, the 48 year old host of the Breakfast Club renewed a wide spanning agreement with iHeartMedia worth up to $200 million over the next five years, which covers not only his radio and podcast work on air, but also funding for the Black Effect podcast network, which he owns 51 of in a joint venture with iHeart. He told Forbes he wants to build it into the bet for podcasting. And he has launched over 60 shows separate from renewal. Charlemagne co hosts the Brilliant Idiots podcast, which he does with comedian Andrew Schultz, comedian and actor Andrew Schultz, and scored a big payday from Netflix for his flagship daily morning drive time program, which insiders tell Forbes is the most viewed podcast on the platform so far this year. Coming in 2027, he's been chosen to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now they list him for the Breakfast Club as a podcast. And I think, yes, the Breakfast Club is right. This is what I'm talking about with the blurred lines thing and like where media is right now. You guys know Breakfast Club is a flagship, you know, nationally syndicated hall of Fame radio show first. Like that is first and foremost. But then the Breakfast Club has like its own life across social media. Like, we did a topic this week. Jess Envy and Charlamagne did a topic this week. And when I saw the topic online, I was like, okay, this will be good conversation. And when I'm thinking of things because a lot of times like, so if you guys watch our show on Netflix on Breakfast Club on Netflix in the Morning Times, I will come in and I'll pitch, I'll pitch them topics, right? Me pitching them topics, I'm always trying to think of what are things that they'll have, like really good conversations about, but also really good personal experiences with. Because I know that that stuff does so well. Because. Because radio is so like, people get attached to you. And then there's a whole podcast audience down. Then there's a whole, whole social media audience now. Then there's all. It's. There's so many avenues of which people digest the Breakfast Club. There's so many ways to think about how the content that they're putting out can live and recreate conversation. Some of the stuff just is like, I know it's going to be funny in the room. And some things are just hard truths. I've always been told that there are certain men who don't watch really get into their, you know, their private areas when they watch. Because they were always taught that, like, men are not supposed to be touched certain places, right? So I saw Eric Benet post this video. Let's take a listen.
[25:25]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
Look, if you are one of those men who feel like if you wash your ass with soap and water and get up in that, make sure it's clean, if you're one of those men who feel like that simple hygiene act makes you gay, then you. You very well are probably closeted gay male. You should wash your ass expeditiously.
[26:00]
Lauren LaRosa
And when I saw the video post, I'm like, okay, this would be great on the show because I know they'll make it funny and I know it'll be a conversation because people love acting like they don't know that men are like that when it comes to cleaning their bodies and their behinds. But also, I had no idea that Envy had his own personal experience with it. Let's take a listen to what Envy said.
[26:21]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
So, yes, I used to be the type of guy that didn't quote, unquote, get up all in there. See what I'm saying? But I'm gonna tell you why. You don't know what the hell going on. But I never thought about it. That's not a conversation I had with the fellas at the bar, barbershop, or when we out in the Balboa, hey, fellas, did you wash your ass? But let me tell you so you know, one day, me and gear this a long time ago, you know, we take showers with each other, we wash each other. And one day she got up all in there. And I'm like, whoa. And then I realized I'm supposed to wash my ass thoroughly incorrectly. So ever since that I'm like, I wash my ass, but you should get up all in there. You don't want Stinky ass. That's what I'm saying. So what was on the rag when
[26:54]
Guest/Commentator
she washed your ass?
[26:55]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
You didn't know all that was all up in there, all them little dingleberries and all the butt crusts all up in there. And she really went up in there and had to detail your ass and you didn't think about it the whole time? Detailing your ass, your boxes, your briefs wasn't crunchy at the end of the night, they're not crunchy anymore. But that was when I was younger. But she did it and I was like, oh, I have to get up. I wasn't thinking, I was just like, wang. You know, keep it moving. But now I imagine how long before that happened, she was really thinking about, like really probably breaking up with you. Or probably, you know, that's probably why she didn't orgasm either. Y' all all right, enough little stinky ass. But detailing your ass is funny. I like that y'.
[27:33]
Essie Cupp
All.
[27:33]
Lauren LaRosa
When I tell y', all, this clip right here is so viral right now. Audio is the gift that keeps on giving across podcasts. Cuz the Breakfast Club is a podcast, right? So you have tons of podcasts that
[27:45]
Guest/Commentator
are talking about it.
[27:46]
Lauren LaRosa
Then it's been recreated, reacted to, reposted across social media insanely. Like today I was literally. I'm scrolling down my timeline and I see so many people still reacting to it and commenting on it. You have.com's covering it because we have the video aspect and the radio aspect and a lot of outlets listen to our radio show. Like the Breakfast Club alone as a podcast is its own vehicle and it's under the Black Effect podcast network. Like the system that Charlemagne has built. People out here doing real business, like big business.
[28:19]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Scupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. Sometimes I still can't believe we keep electing men to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[28:58]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them. Keeping them at the back of the line.
[29:13]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[29:23]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history. Separating the myths people want to believe from the reality under underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession, and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[30:23]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano, and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.
[30:58]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[31:06]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[31:13]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[31:15]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[31:23]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices, each with the courage to tell their own story.
[31:27]
Guest/Commentator
He said, I have been kidnapped.
[31:30]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[31:32]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[31:37]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[31:40]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh, my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[31:47]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[31:57]
Lauren LaRosa
Number 11, you have Dax Shepard with Armchair Expert. Amy Pollard is at number 12. Jay Shetty is at number 14. Joe Budden is at number 15. Let's see what they say about Joe Budden. I'll just read what I can see. It's like kind of cut off because I have like a PDF version of the actual write up because the write up was behind a paywall. So it mentions them being the biggest paywall on Patreon, where fans pay directly to hear Joe Budden discuss hip hop culture with his panel guests. With business partner Ian Schwartzman, they have built out a fully independent network and are currently working on a technology platform with community building tools they hope to license to other creators. And in August, the network adds two new shows. Schwartzman will host an executive interview show with Yahoo. Finance and Budding is. And Joe Budden is launching a true crime podcast in partnership with Law and Order creator Dick Wolf. That is major. That is major. Shout out to Joe Budden for that. A true true crime is another huge podcast genre that I learned about recently. Like when I was doing a lot of the, the, the, the Diddy show coverage. Not show coverage, but the, the trial coverage during the show, during the Breakfast Club. And then here on the latest with Lauren, the rules of the podcast. I had so many other true crime podcasts reaching out to me because they were covering the Diddy trial and they wanted someone who was on the ground and in the room. And by collaborating with those podcasts, like when I tell y', all, my audience went crazy on the audio side, I'm sure, but completely went crazy on the social media side as well. Like, people are like addicted od to those true crime podcasts. So for him to be working with Dick Wolf because the way that people are like Law and Order, this opening sound of the show, like everything about it, has become such a staple in our television, on our televisions and in our homes. So bringing that to a podcast world and then it's gonna be somewhat for us because it's Joe Budding. Genius. Tucker Carlson's at number 16. Number 17 is Scott Galloway. I don't know who. I don't know this podcast, the Proof G pod. Who else do I know on this list? I don't know anybody else. Number 20 is Hannah Burner and Paige Desorbedo with Giggly Squad.
[34:24]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
Wow.
[34:24]
Lauren LaRosa
It's no black women on this podcast list. I am, I'm like, these are the type of lists that I am aiming to be on that I want to get to. You know what I need to do, though? I need to diversify the business around the pod. Like right now we are doing great. We're, you know, we're new. We're building, we're building our family with y' all the lowriders. But like, we, we gotta run it up all of these podcasts I just mentioned have, like I said, there's so many different lanes in which people are then funneling back to what is the core of the podcast, which is the audio, whether it's social media content or whatever the case may be. Yeah. Or videos, partnerships with YouTube to be. Yeah. This is dope. This is inspiring. I love seeing stuff like this and reading stuff like this. Charlamagne always sends me these lists and it's like, yo, this is what you, you know, should be paying attention to. And one of the things too, that I thought was so fire by. And I'mma close with this, that I thought was so fire about this write up was when they talk about how, like, the mega deals and the money is impressive. But what's really impressive is that unlike people who make movies or TV or any other forms of entertainment, podcasters retain a lot of ownership when it comes to their ip. So that means, like, the networks and the platforms that are paying out all this money to the podcasters are most of the time just paying to license it as a distributor and, like, the actual ownership of, like, the audio and all that stuff, like, you keep a huge percentage of that and you're just paying somebody to be a house where people know to go to this house to get that podcast. And then you talk about ad sales. I. I'm really excited about this podcast journey and where we are and where we're going and just how everything is changing and turning. Like, I knew that when daytime television started going away and this was before it even started, like, a while ago when I was like, okay, what across the spectrum do we need? Like, we need, like, even right now, I'm trying to figure out, like, I think my goal when I was leaving TMZ was like, okay, we need a solidified news source and voice across social media because it gets. It gets a little gray area there. Like, it gets a little blurry there. It gets a little, you know, anybody saying anything there. And I feel like I'm. I'm really working hard to do that. One of the things I want to learn, you know, now that the Breakfast Club, like, I'm there full time, is the balance of the schedule in and, like, making sure I'm able to still be present. Like, there are some weeks where, like, it is so hard for me to get an exclusive. And I'm like, like I said this week, I'm like, yo, I need an exclusive. Like, I need to land something that puts us in the conversation as, like, the leader of the conversation. But now, like, in addition to me knowing I need to do that and I'm working on things, I'm also thinking, like, okay, where else can I position myself and how can I do it in a way where I see where this is going and no one's doing it like that yet. And I have an idea, and we about to start doing it, and I'm really excited for it. Not gonna put it out there yet. Y' all will see it when it happens. Literally, you will see it. But, yes. Congratulations to, you know, Char Making a list. Congratulations to Joe Budden. I don't know. Oh, Mel Robbins. I'm a big fan of Jay Shetty's podcast. There is a true business in this, guys. Like, I know people be joking, like, yo, defund podcast mics. I get it. But, like, if the podcast mic is in the right hand and the business is businessing and the purpose is purposing, I think that's the biggest thing here is, like, I don't know everybody across this list, but I know, you know, like, I've been watching Joe Buttons content for a time. I, you know, working with Charlotte. Like, I see that these shows and these networks that they're building and all this media stuff that they're doing, it's not just about having a voice and being first and all of that. It's actually about, like, building real, you know, platforms and services that, like, actually, like, help people, like, employ people and be of service to people. But also, you know, like, what is the why? Like, I always get the critique from the guys, like, did happen this week on the show. They got on me, y', all, this week, because I didn't prioritize a print story over, like, just another breaking news story that was happening, which I understood, okay, but my whole thing was. It's like, you know, I gotta do a little bit of both sometimes. Like, But Charlemagne said something to me, and I hate when he's right, but he said something to me that I was like, okay. He was like, there wasn't even a purpose to you doing that story, like, sometimes.
[39:09]
Essie Cupp
And.
[39:09]
Lauren LaRosa
And for me, I feel like there won't always be a purpose. And I. I will stand 10 toes down, and I will always argue that back. Sometimes there isn't always a purpose. Sometimes the purpose is. Is to just update into, you know, tell the news and to do it in a way that, you know, people expect it and can trust it. But sometimes there's deeper conversation that can come from things as well, too. And I do try and lean more toward that. In those things. And I mean, that's not just all, like, positive stuff. Sometimes that stuff can be salacious as well, but it can lead to a more, you know, deeper subs, like, you know, conversation full of substance. But, like, when I look at people making like, money and doing deals like these people are doing on this list, I'm like, that's because they figured out that, that, that perfect spot of like, here's my passion, here's my purpose, here's my niche, here's the content, here's what the people like. Not even hears what's trending. I don't think that these people even chase was trending. I think they just know. They know what they know their audience, but also they know where it's more about themselves and not it's like it's more about themselves and what they want to put out into the world and how they want to do it and not about what the world is asking of people to do. And I think that's why some of them come in early in the like, I know, you know, Charlemagne was early in this space from transitioning to radio and having an iHeart partner in a podcast space. Joe Button was screaming about being independent in the hip hop podcasting space and people thought he was crazy, right? But even if you're not early, like a Jay Shetty, it's about what is the purpose of it, what is the why. So I'm trying to marry all of the and once I do, you know, we will be honeymoon. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, y'.
[40:49]
Michael Rapaport
All.
[40:49]
Lauren LaRosa
I tell y' all every single episode. Y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all of the things, but y' all choose to be right here with me, my low riders. I appreciate you and I'll catch you in the next one.
[41:04]
Essie Cupp
When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cup, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast, off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers, so stupid, such incredibly bad politics. We have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes. Stay for the sanity. Listen to a fake cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[41:41]
Michael Rapaport
This is Michael Rapaport and My podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike any one you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rapoport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[42:11]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[42:18]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[42:25]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[42:28]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[42:34]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[42:41]
Guest/Commentator
Can superstars even exist the way they used to?
[42:43]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
2016 was sort of that last era
[42:47]
Lauren LaRosa
of monoculture where we still consumed things in community. Everybody wanted to be Beyonce that I
[42:55]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
don't think we'll ever see another Rihanna.
[42:57]
Lauren LaRosa
What does it mean to be black and eat in America? You will never make me feel bad for being a black girl for being
[43:03]
Guest/Commentator
a black American girl ever. From music to food to the conversations shaping black culture, right now, therapy for Black girls is bringing it all to the mic. Listen to therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[43:17]
Lauren LaRosa
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

Summary7 min read

The Breakfast Club | “Forbes' Highest-Paid Podcasters EXPOSE the Future of Media”

Date: July 31, 2026
Host: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts
Core Cast: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Special Commentator: Lauren LaRosa (major lens for this episode)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the just-released Forbes list of the highest-paid podcasters of 2026, using it as a launch point to analyze the evolution, business, and cultural power of podcasting. With The Breakfast Club's own Charlamagne Tha God making the list, Lauren LaRosa leads listeners through the implications of these rankings, discusses the money and strategy behind podcasting's new media model, and unpacks the blurring lines between radio, TV, and podcasts.

Major Discussion Points and Insights

1. Eventful Weekends & Podcasting as a Lifestyle

[02:31-05:49]

Lauren recaps her busy media and events schedule, highlighting the blending of her personal, professional, and on-air lives.
Mentions the Duffy’s Hope Celebrity Game and Angie Martinez’s Coney Island summer BBQ, emphasizing how real-world events and podcast content feed each other.
Underscores commitment to bringing listeners both pop culture news and direct, behind-the-scenes experiences.

2. Forbes Highest-Paid Podcasters: New Media Titans

[09:26-16:35, 18:08-28:19, 31:56-39:09]

Lauren introduces Forbes’ 2026 list and breaks down key names and the business moves fueling podcasting’s financial explosion.
Notable Podcasters discussed, their deals, and their strategies:
- Joe Rogan (#1, $82M): Set the bar with major Spotify exclusivity, highlights the cultural rite of passage his show has become.
  "Sitting with the 58-year-old comedian and UFC broadcaster for three-hour conversations in Austin, Texas, has become a rite of passage..." [18:16]
- Jay Shetty: Rose from “too late to start” in 2019 to landing $100M deals with Spotify and Netflix for his hybrid podcast.
  "Seven years later, he is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world." [09:26]
- Ashley Flowers (Crime Junkie): $42M, spanning audio/video, reinforcing true crime’s dominance.
- Mel Robbins: Motivational niche success story ($35M) in a field packed with “everybody trying to do motivation.”
- Jason & Travis Kelce (New Heights): $35M sports podcast merging NFL celebrity and entertainment.
- Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy): $32M, showing big deals beyond the expected podcasting demographic.
- Charlemagne tha God (Breakfast Club) (#10): $200M+ deal with iHeart/Netflix, sole media business that now supports over 60 additional podcasts via Black Effect.
  - "He has launched over 60 shows...and scored a big payday from Netflix for his flagship program, which insiders tell Forbes is the most viewed podcast on the platform so far this year." [22:49]
- Joe Budden (#15): Fully independent, big Patreon and deal with Law & Order creator Dick Wolf for true crime podcast.
  "With business partner Ian Schwartzman, they've built out a fully independent network... and are currently working on a technology platform..." [31:56]
Lauren repeatedly emphasizes:
- The “blurred lines” between radio, TV, podcast, and social media distribution.
- The importance of consistency, ownership, and having a clear “why” or purpose for successful podcasting.

3. The Podcasting Model: Audio as the Core and Expansion into Video/Social

[09:26-22:49]

Lauren examines how major podcasters aren’t just “doing a podcast” for the money, but are building multiplatform vehicles.
- "Podcasts are literally like blurring the lines at this point because you get a little bit of everything." [09:26]
- "It's not just like a niche audience... if a personality or a talent you love... creates a podcast, you become an avid podcast listener." [09:26]
Discussion of how big shows like The Breakfast Club and Call Her Daddy live as radio, podcast, social phenomena, with each audience feeding the other.

4. Viral Moments & Content Creation in the Modern Ecosystem

[25:24-28:19]

Dissects the anatomy of a viral on-air moment with a humorous, raw discussion about men’s hygiene standards and how such moments fuel podcast and social traction:
- DJ Envy’s Confessional:
  "So yes, I used to be the type of guy that didn't, quote, unquote, get up all in there... One day, me and gear this a long time ago… she got up all in there... Now I wash my ass, but you should get up all in there. You don't want stinky ass." [26:21]
- Lauren notes how such unscripted, real content travels across formats: "This clip right here is so viral... Audio is the gift that keeps on giving." [27:32]
- Highlights how significant portions of viral culture and news now stem from podcast content, with radio, video, and social layers all interlocking.

5. Ownership, IP, and the Business Model

[34:24-39:09]

New mega-deals aren’t just about upfront cash – they are built on retaining IP ownership, with podcast creators often only licensing, not selling, their core content rights.
- “Podcasters retain a lot of ownership when it comes to their IP... the networks and platforms...are just paying to license it as a distributor... and you keep a huge percentage of that.” [34:24]
Lauren reflects on lessons from the list:
- Diversification ("I need to diversify the business around the pod")
- Running “real business” and building platforms/services, not just being the first or loudest voice.
- The importance of staying true to purpose and voice, not simply chasing trends.

6. Cultural Commentary on Representation and Strategy

[34:24-39:09]

Lauren observes and expresses concern about the lack of Black women on the Forbes list.
- “It’s no black women on this podcast list. These are the type of lists that I am aiming to be on…” [34:24]
Emphasizes the need for strategic, original content connected to authentic purpose and audience needs.

Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Consistency & Why Successful Podcasts Succeed:
- "Podcasting is a job for real... whatever you want to start... make sure you thoroughly enjoy doing that, and it’s something you are going to stay consistent at." – Lauren LaRosa, [09:26]
On Ownership:
- “…what’s really impressive is that... podcasters retain a lot of ownership when it comes to their IP...” – Lauren LaRosa, [34:24]
On The Breakfast Club's Multi-Audience Platform:
- "There’s a whole podcast audience now. Then there’s a whole social media audience now. There’s so many avenues people digest The Breakfast Club..." – Lauren LaRosa, [22:49]
Viral Real Talk:
- "Now I wash my ass, but you should get up all in there. You don't want stinky ass." – Envy (Breakfast Club), [26:21]
Cultural Representation:
- “It’s no black women on this podcast list. I am, I'm like, these are the type of lists that I am aiming to be on that I want to get to...” – Lauren LaRosa, [34:24]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Speaker | Highlight | |-----------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:31 | Lauren LaRosa | Kicks off main show; previews eventful weekend, pop culture coverage | | 09:26 | Lauren LaRosa | Shifts to Forbes highest-paid podcasters list; Jay Shetty’s rise and media model | | 18:08 | Lauren LaRosa | Breaks down Joe Rogan’s status, other top earners, revenue models | | 22:49 | Lauren LaRosa | Charlemagne’s major deal, The Breakfast Club platform expansion | | 25:24 | Envy (Breakfast Club) | Viral hygiene clip; authenticity in podcast/radio content | | 27:32 | Lauren LaRosa | On virality and cross-platform impact of on-air moments | | 31:56 | Lauren LaRosa | Joe Budden’s indie podcast model, new crime show | | 34:24 | Lauren LaRosa | Representation, business, and IP/ownership in podcasting | | 39:09 | Lauren LaRosa | Final thoughts: Purpose, voice, finding the “why,” plans to level up |

Tone and Language

The episode maintains The Breakfast Club’s characteristic mix of witty, candid, and intimate conversation, spiked with Lauren’s inspirational, “let’s build,” and “industry insider” perspective. There’s a balance of celebration for podcasting’s disruptive successes and realism about the demands and dynamics of new media entrepreneurship.

Takeaways for Listeners

Podcasting isn’t a side hustle—it’s a full business requiring relentless consistency, strategic expansion, and a genuine connection with your audience.
Modern podcast stars are rewriting the rules of media, often owning IP and distributing via platforms, rather than getting locked into legacy models.
Virality and cultural impact flow from authenticity—real, relatable moments, especially on shows like The Breakfast Club, can travel across multiple media in today’s ecosystem.
Representation and ownership still matter: the industry is rapidly expanding, but there remain gaps (e.g., Black women not featured on top-paid lists) and opportunities to lead with purpose and innovate in new ways.
The line between TV, radio, social, and podcast is non-existent for the most successful; successful podcasters are building multiplatform empires, not just mics.

Final Thoughts

Lauren LaRosa closes by underlining both the challenges and the massive opportunities ahead for diversified podcast creators. She urges listeners—and herself—to combine passion with business acumen and to focus on purpose over trend-chasing, building platforms that can deeply serve audiences now and for the future.

"If the podcast mic is in the right hand and the business is businessing and the purpose is purposing—that's the biggest thing here..."
– Lauren LaRosa [close, ~39:30]

Loading summary

Transcript103 lines

[00:00]
Lauren LaRosa
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
[00:04]
Michael Rapaport
You know what's funny? Hip hop fans can debate literally anything from the best rapper alive to the best era of hip hop, to what's the best album to who has the best verse. Now Sprite is giving us a whole new argument. The Sprite Living track list is 50 songs that help shape hip hop culture, from rap legends to the hottest artists carrying the hip hop torch today. But. But the coolest part isn't just the tracks. It's the stories behind them. The lyrics, the moments, the impact. Check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.
[00:44]
Essie Cupp
When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers, so stupid, such incredibly bad politics. We have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes. Stay for the sanity. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[01:22]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[01:29]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[01:36]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[01:38]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[01:44]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[01:51]
Michael Rapaport
This is Michael Rapoport and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike any one you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture, and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rappaport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[02:24]
Lauren LaRosa
I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody know she
[02:28]
Guest/Commentator
don't lie about that.
[02:29]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Right?
[02:29]
Lauren came in hot.
[02:31]
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. All of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now, look, y' all know we start off here at the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Y' all could probably almost say it with me at this point with behind the scenes of the Grind checking on in. Let's do it,
[02:59]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
y'.
[03:00]
Betrayal Weekly Host
All.
[03:00]
Lauren LaRosa
We have made it to Friday. Yeah. Look. Whoa. Dang. Don't even have a voice. That is crazy. I don't even know what that comes from. Like, at one point, I thought that when I would lose my voice, I literally would think that it was like, because, you know, you're talking so much, you're doing so many different things. But now I'm like, is it like a sleep thing or what is going on?
[03:26]
Guest/Commentator
But I feel well rested.
[03:27]
Lauren LaRosa
I don't know. Like, I genuinely feel well rested. This week has been a little bit topsy turvy all over the place. So I told you guys, we have been in Delaware, We've been in Philly. We've done a lot this week. Family things, you know, but everything is all good. But we're headed into a weekend, and this weekend will be even crazier. But the good thing about when my weekends are crazy, it means I'll be able to bring you guys some sound. So this weekend coming up, I have a. A charity basketball game that happens in my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, every single year and has been for literally decades at this point called Duffy's Hope Celebrity Game. You can go get tickets Duffy's Hope Inc.org for tickets if you would like to attend. And this year, they have Tariq from power, Michael Rainey Jr, Giano Polo from Power. I probably just said his last name wrong. He plays Braden Their Boots. Ennis, who is the boxer from Philly. Lorenz Tate, Derek Milano, Young Dylan. The kids be Loving Young Dylan. And DJ Diamond Cuts, who's also. She's from Philly as well as Boots. She's from Philly as well as Boots and is the fighter DJ all all things personality at Power 99, which is a really popular station in Philadelphia. She is going to be there as well. I'm not for sure. Is she gonna be DJing or is she just attending? I'm not for sure which she's doing, but she shall be there. So get your tickets, get your tickets, get your tickets. It's gonna be. It's gonna be a good time. And then we're closing out the weekend with the og, the icon Angie Martinez at her summer barbecue here in New York. City at Coney Island. I was going to say get your tickets to that, but I believe they're sold out. So if you guys already have tickets, I will see you there. But again, when I have an eventful weekend, y' all know y' all have an eventful Monday. That means we'll be bringing some audio from the experience right on back into the podcast because not only do I like to bring you guys the latest, I also like to keep y' all where the latest is going down at, right on the scene and in the thick of things. Now let's get on in to the conversation today. Let's get into the latest.
[05:49]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self sometimes. I still can't believe we keep electing members then to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[06:28]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them, keeping them at the back of the line.
[06:43]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[06:53]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast, Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history, separating the myths people want to believe from the reality underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession, and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts.
[07:53]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano, and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
[08:29]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[08:36]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[08:43]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Talong cons and stolen identities?
[08:46]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[08:53]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices, each with the courage to tell their own story.
[08:57]
Guest/Commentator
He said I had been kidnapped.
[09:00]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[09:02]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[09:07]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[09:10]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh, my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[09:17]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts
[09:27]
Lauren LaRosa
on the docket today, y', all. Forge dropped its highest paid podcasters of 2026. And on that list is a man we know very well, Charlemagne the. But we're going to go down the list, starting from the top. Charlemagne is number ten. Ten on the list, I believe. Yeah, Charlemagne is number ten on the list. Joe Rogan is number one on the list. Joe Button is on this list as well, too. He is number 15. But let's talk a bit about just the opening conversation that Forbes has, right? Because Forbes opens the list with talking about Jay Shetty, who is. Who does his podcast on purpose that he's been doing since 2019. So they. They open up this list talking about Jay Shetty and the fact that when he started his podcast, people told that it was too late. Because at that point, you know, that was like, right when the pandemic was about to go down. Podcasts that kind of already been kicking off and ringing off a bit. I feel like it was still very, like, niche, though. But I'm probably definitely wrong about that. But from the outside looking in, I say outside because at that time, I wasn't a podcaster. It looked like, you know, there were a lot of people doing podcasts who were into podcast. But now it feels like even if you're not into podcast, even if, you know, podcast isn't, like, traditional media or traditional Way to consume media every single day. If a personality or a talent that you love across anything, sports, music, whatever, nowadays creates a podcast, you become an avid podcast listener. It's not just like a niched audience. That's how it feels anyway, to me as a new person coming into the space. But they talk about how he created his podcast in 2019 and then seven years later, he. He is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. And I think what is so intriguing and motivating about this article is the fact that they talk about how podcasts like Jay Shetty's are not only competing with like the biggest TV shows, the biggest radio shows, and the biggest, like Internet, Internet native talk shows, but is. Podcasts are literally like blurring the lines at this point because you get a little bit of everything right. Like with a. With the podcast that has video to it, you get the TV show, daily TV show feel because it's audio, because it's. You know, some people are doing daily. Most people do like once a week. I think in this article, they talk about how Joe Rogan drops like 15 podcasts per month. So not everybody's daily, but the. The way that audio is set up and, and because it is so it is at its best, like when a podcast is doing what they're supposed to be doing, it is very consistent. And because of that, And because of that, people really grow attached to you. Like your listeners grow really attached to your voice, to everything you guys know. Like, you tune into this podcast daily, hopefully daily and other podcasts as well. But even more motivating than just, you know, hearing the outlet confirm what we already knew is happening, right, Is the money that they ain't talking about. And it's not even. I'll be honest with y', all, like, podcasting is a job for real. Like, whenever I hear somebody talking about, like, yo, I think I want to start a podcast, in my mind, I'm like, whatever it is that you want to start this podcast about, like literally whatever it is, whatever your niche is about to be your pocket, you coming from your corner of the things is going to be. Make sure you really thoroughly enjoy doing that. And it is something that you are going to say consistent at, because this is really a job and consistency matters so much. Jay Shetty, right, very consistent. He landed a distribution deal through iHeart that Forbes is estimating put him at $21 million over the past 12 months. And then they say when those deals expired this year, that Jay Shetty landed a new kind of contract. And this new contract made it where the audio and the video of his show will not only be distributed by Spotify, but it will also stream on Netflix. You guys know Breakfast Club recently went to Netflix as well because they have their podcast division. And then the two companies combining to pay him an estimated total of $100 million over the next three years. And this is what I'm saying, because when you think about a lot of the people on this list, and we're going to get into this list, right, it's not just like we're out here doing a podcast. We're consistent because of the money or the business in it. There is a lot of business and a lot of money, as y' all see. But these people are very dedicated to like their audiences into what they do like, and I would argue would do it even if the money wasn't this. Because at one point they were doing it when the money wasn't this.
[14:32]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast, off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self sometimes. I still can't believe we keep electing men to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week, you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[15:10]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them, keeping them at the back of the line.
[15:25]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[15:35]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history, separating them myths people want to believe from the reality underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[16:35]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.
[17:11]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[17:18]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[17:25]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Talong cons and stolen identities?
[17:28]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[17:36]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices each with the courage to tell their own story.
[17:40]
Guest/Commentator
He said, I have been kidnapped.
[17:42]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[17:45]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[17:49]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[17:52]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[17:59]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[18:09]
Lauren LaRosa
So number one on this list is Joe Rogan. The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify, he is listed at being worth $82 million.
[18:17]
Guest/Commentator
It says sitting with the 58 year
[18:19]
Lauren LaRosa
old comedian and UFC broadcaster for three hour conversations at his Red Curtain studio in Austin, Texas has become a rite of passage for anyone from actors promoting a movie to politicians running for president. Regardless of whether his endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 impacted the outcome of the election. As his buddy Dana White told Forbes, the widespread conversation about it proves not only Rogan's power, but also the legitimacy of podcasting as a whole. Going to keep going. They have diary the diary of a CEO I seen Steve Barlett, Steve Bartlett's diary of a CEO podcast. A lot of places I wanna another thing that these lists do. It makes me want to like go down a rabbit hole of like listening and watching these podcasts. Now another thing that I think is pretty interesting as well is that some of these podcasts. Let me see in the first quarter, 2026, Bartlett Barlettes corporate interview show the Diary of a CEO posted its highest revenue quarter ever in the show's nine years. Dang. Driving the business for the 33 year old entrepreneurial's profile, which was valued at $425 million last fall in an investment round from a private equity backer. Wow. A 30 under 30 Europe alum in 2020. Bartlett will also appear on American television this fall as a guest on Shark Tank after several appearances on the show's UK counterpart. I want to know how many of these podcasts are not video? Because another thing that I and I say this all the time whenever I talk about these podcast podcast lists. One of the things that I've learned about podcasting is how big people can be in the audio world. Just solely audio alone. Okay. Number four on the list is Ashley Flowers with Crime Junkie Red and she's via Red Sea Adventures in Tubi. So I'm assuming our video is through to be she's listed at $42 million. Oh, Mel Robbins. I love Mel Robbins Podcast. Mel Robbins is a video in audio as well. The Mel Robbins podcast via Sirius XM $35 million and her genre. I feel like people who do anything in the motivational space, it's like such a niche genre to like be successful in because everybody and everything is motivation. Like everybody's trying to be in that space. So I feel like to really sustain and to really have people believe you and believe that like you have to be so good about choosing who you have conversations with, choosing who you trust, your plat, who you like trust to bring on your platform to speak to your listeners. But your listeners have to really trust and value you, your opinion and your experiences and your advice and your motivational, like, you know, tidbits because you can go find like there are like ancient, like, like think about how many times you've heard somebody say go read. Like, I mean, what are some books? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or Atomic habits or the oh my God, this is human. The subtle art. The subtle art. Subtle art of not giving an F. People all even like the alchemist. I don't know. People always talk about the alchemist too when you're trying to like have these conversations about like thoughts, opinions, forming thoughts and opinions, higher powers, purpose, all of that. But like those, I mean, and those are books. I know. But I'm saying that to say like there's a lot of deeply rooted motivational spaces that have been there for a very long time. So when you come into this space face, it's very like to me it's like watching people in that space. Like, I feel the same way about Wallow, who does a million dollars worth of game with Gilly because he has literally come into the space. He's very authentic to his audience no matter how big he gets. But he's very successful. Like the books that he drops, the video content that he does, the podcast that he currently is currently on, like, he's extremely successful. Number seven is Jason and Travis Kelsey. Y' all know Travis Kelsey, right? Tell us his husband's like. They come in at $35 million with their podcast New Heights. Then you have Alex Cooper. We'll call her daddy at $32 million. Number 10, Charlemagne with the Breakfast Club for I Heart Netflix.
[22:49]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Now.
[22:49]
Lauren LaRosa
I think this is also really interesting too. I'm gonna read the the tidbit that they say. In December, the 48 year old host of the Breakfast Club renewed a wide spanning agreement with iHeartMedia worth up to $200 million over the next five years, which covers not only his radio and podcast work on air, but also funding for the Black Effect podcast network, which he owns 51 of in a joint venture with iHeart. He told Forbes he wants to build it into the bet for podcasting. And he has launched over 60 shows separate from renewal. Charlemagne co hosts the Brilliant Idiots podcast, which he does with comedian Andrew Schultz, comedian and actor Andrew Schultz, and scored a big payday from Netflix for his flagship daily morning drive time program, which insiders tell Forbes is the most viewed podcast on the platform so far this year. Coming in 2027, he's been chosen to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now they list him for the Breakfast Club as a podcast. And I think, yes, the Breakfast Club is right. This is what I'm talking about with the blurred lines thing and like where media is right now. You guys know Breakfast Club is a flagship, you know, nationally syndicated hall of Fame radio show first. Like that is first and foremost. But then the Breakfast Club has like its own life across social media. Like, we did a topic this week. Jess Envy and Charlamagne did a topic this week. And when I saw the topic online, I was like, okay, this will be good conversation. And when I'm thinking of things because a lot of times like, so if you guys watch our show on Netflix on Breakfast Club on Netflix in the Morning Times, I will come in and I'll pitch, I'll pitch them topics, right? Me pitching them topics, I'm always trying to think of what are things that they'll have, like really good conversations about, but also really good personal experiences with. Because I know that that stuff does so well. Because. Because radio is so like, people get attached to you. And then there's a whole podcast audience down. Then there's a whole, whole social media audience now. Then there's all. It's. There's so many avenues of which people digest the Breakfast Club. There's so many ways to think about how the content that they're putting out can live and recreate conversation. Some of the stuff just is like, I know it's going to be funny in the room. And some things are just hard truths. I've always been told that there are certain men who don't watch really get into their, you know, their private areas when they watch. Because they were always taught that, like, men are not supposed to be touched certain places, right? So I saw Eric Benet post this video. Let's take a listen.
[25:25]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
Look, if you are one of those men who feel like if you wash your ass with soap and water and get up in that, make sure it's clean, if you're one of those men who feel like that simple hygiene act makes you gay, then you. You very well are probably closeted gay male. You should wash your ass expeditiously.
[26:00]
Lauren LaRosa
And when I saw the video post, I'm like, okay, this would be great on the show because I know they'll make it funny and I know it'll be a conversation because people love acting like they don't know that men are like that when it comes to cleaning their bodies and their behinds. But also, I had no idea that Envy had his own personal experience with it. Let's take a listen to what Envy said.
[26:21]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
So, yes, I used to be the type of guy that didn't quote, unquote, get up all in there. See what I'm saying? But I'm gonna tell you why. You don't know what the hell going on. But I never thought about it. That's not a conversation I had with the fellas at the bar, barbershop, or when we out in the Balboa, hey, fellas, did you wash your ass? But let me tell you so you know, one day, me and gear this a long time ago, you know, we take showers with each other, we wash each other. And one day she got up all in there. And I'm like, whoa. And then I realized I'm supposed to wash my ass thoroughly incorrectly. So ever since that I'm like, I wash my ass, but you should get up all in there. You don't want Stinky ass. That's what I'm saying. So what was on the rag when
[26:54]
Guest/Commentator
she washed your ass?
[26:55]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
You didn't know all that was all up in there, all them little dingleberries and all the butt crusts all up in there. And she really went up in there and had to detail your ass and you didn't think about it the whole time? Detailing your ass, your boxes, your briefs wasn't crunchy at the end of the night, they're not crunchy anymore. But that was when I was younger. But she did it and I was like, oh, I have to get up. I wasn't thinking, I was just like, wang. You know, keep it moving. But now I imagine how long before that happened, she was really thinking about, like really probably breaking up with you. Or probably, you know, that's probably why she didn't orgasm either. Y' all all right, enough little stinky ass. But detailing your ass is funny. I like that y'.
[27:33]
Essie Cupp
All.
[27:33]
Lauren LaRosa
When I tell y', all, this clip right here is so viral right now. Audio is the gift that keeps on giving across podcasts. Cuz the Breakfast Club is a podcast, right? So you have tons of podcasts that
[27:45]
Guest/Commentator
are talking about it.
[27:46]
Lauren LaRosa
Then it's been recreated, reacted to, reposted across social media insanely. Like today I was literally. I'm scrolling down my timeline and I see so many people still reacting to it and commenting on it. You have.com's covering it because we have the video aspect and the radio aspect and a lot of outlets listen to our radio show. Like the Breakfast Club alone as a podcast is its own vehicle and it's under the Black Effect podcast network. Like the system that Charlemagne has built. People out here doing real business, like big business.
[28:19]
Essie Cupp
My loyalties lie with no party, only with what I think is good and right and fair. So when Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Scupp, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. Sometimes I still can't believe we keep electing men to run the country. Yeah, here we are. Each week you'll get my hot takes on the news and insider knowledge and insights from my smart friends and colleagues.
[28:58]
Michael Rapaport
I think our politics has shifted away from left versus right. The new paradigm that drives our politics is front versus back. People who feel like they're stuck at the back of the line versus everyone they see in front of them. Keeping them at the back of the line.
[29:13]
Essie Cupp
Come find some sanity in the weekly news. Listen to off the cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[29:23]
Jake Brennan
I'm Jake Brennan, and on my podcast Hollywoodland, I revisit some of the biggest stories from Hollywood history. Separating the myths people want to believe from the reality under underneath them. Like how the story of Marilyn Monroe isn't just the story of a Hollywood icon. Marilyn Monroe has become so iconic that her death can only be explained through conspiracy theories. And for some fans who can't let go, these stories have metastasized from conjecture to accepted fact. So on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe died. Then the rumors started and she died again. And now we're going to set the record straight and learn about the way Marilyn Monroe actually died. The third way. Learn more about what happens when fame, media obsession, and conspiracy collide. Listen to Hollywoodland on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[30:23]
Gary Valenciano
We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano, and on my podcast Unshaken with Gary Vee, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them, the lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.
[30:58]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[31:06]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[31:13]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[31:15]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[31:23]
Betrayal Weekly Host
New voices, each with the courage to tell their own story.
[31:27]
Guest/Commentator
He said, I have been kidnapped.
[31:30]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Okay, just try and act normal.
[31:32]
Essie Cupp
He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.
[31:37]
Guest/Commentator
The rug had been pulled from underneath me.
[31:40]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Oh, my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.
[31:47]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[31:57]
Lauren LaRosa
Number 11, you have Dax Shepard with Armchair Expert. Amy Pollard is at number 12. Jay Shetty is at number 14. Joe Budden is at number 15. Let's see what they say about Joe Budden. I'll just read what I can see. It's like kind of cut off because I have like a PDF version of the actual write up because the write up was behind a paywall. So it mentions them being the biggest paywall on Patreon, where fans pay directly to hear Joe Budden discuss hip hop culture with his panel guests. With business partner Ian Schwartzman, they have built out a fully independent network and are currently working on a technology platform with community building tools they hope to license to other creators. And in August, the network adds two new shows. Schwartzman will host an executive interview show with Yahoo. Finance and Budding is. And Joe Budden is launching a true crime podcast in partnership with Law and Order creator Dick Wolf. That is major. That is major. Shout out to Joe Budden for that. A true true crime is another huge podcast genre that I learned about recently. Like when I was doing a lot of the, the, the, the Diddy show coverage. Not show coverage, but the, the trial coverage during the show, during the Breakfast Club. And then here on the latest with Lauren, the rules of the podcast. I had so many other true crime podcasts reaching out to me because they were covering the Diddy trial and they wanted someone who was on the ground and in the room. And by collaborating with those podcasts, like when I tell y', all, my audience went crazy on the audio side, I'm sure, but completely went crazy on the social media side as well. Like, people are like addicted od to those true crime podcasts. So for him to be working with Dick Wolf because the way that people are like Law and Order, this opening sound of the show, like everything about it, has become such a staple in our television, on our televisions and in our homes. So bringing that to a podcast world and then it's gonna be somewhat for us because it's Joe Budding. Genius. Tucker Carlson's at number 16. Number 17 is Scott Galloway. I don't know who. I don't know this podcast, the Proof G pod. Who else do I know on this list? I don't know anybody else. Number 20 is Hannah Burner and Paige Desorbedo with Giggly Squad.
[34:24]
Envy (Breakfast Club)
Wow.
[34:24]
Lauren LaRosa
It's no black women on this podcast list. I am, I'm like, these are the type of lists that I am aiming to be on that I want to get to. You know what I need to do, though? I need to diversify the business around the pod. Like right now we are doing great. We're, you know, we're new. We're building, we're building our family with y' all the lowriders. But like, we, we gotta run it up all of these podcasts I just mentioned have, like I said, there's so many different lanes in which people are then funneling back to what is the core of the podcast, which is the audio, whether it's social media content or whatever the case may be. Yeah. Or videos, partnerships with YouTube to be. Yeah. This is dope. This is inspiring. I love seeing stuff like this and reading stuff like this. Charlamagne always sends me these lists and it's like, yo, this is what you, you know, should be paying attention to. And one of the things too, that I thought was so fire by. And I'mma close with this, that I thought was so fire about this write up was when they talk about how, like, the mega deals and the money is impressive. But what's really impressive is that unlike people who make movies or TV or any other forms of entertainment, podcasters retain a lot of ownership when it comes to their ip. So that means, like, the networks and the platforms that are paying out all this money to the podcasters are most of the time just paying to license it as a distributor and, like, the actual ownership of, like, the audio and all that stuff, like, you keep a huge percentage of that and you're just paying somebody to be a house where people know to go to this house to get that podcast. And then you talk about ad sales. I. I'm really excited about this podcast journey and where we are and where we're going and just how everything is changing and turning. Like, I knew that when daytime television started going away and this was before it even started, like, a while ago when I was like, okay, what across the spectrum do we need? Like, we need, like, even right now, I'm trying to figure out, like, I think my goal when I was leaving TMZ was like, okay, we need a solidified news source and voice across social media because it gets. It gets a little gray area there. Like, it gets a little blurry there. It gets a little, you know, anybody saying anything there. And I feel like I'm. I'm really working hard to do that. One of the things I want to learn, you know, now that the Breakfast Club, like, I'm there full time, is the balance of the schedule in and, like, making sure I'm able to still be present. Like, there are some weeks where, like, it is so hard for me to get an exclusive. And I'm like, like I said this week, I'm like, yo, I need an exclusive. Like, I need to land something that puts us in the conversation as, like, the leader of the conversation. But now, like, in addition to me knowing I need to do that and I'm working on things, I'm also thinking, like, okay, where else can I position myself and how can I do it in a way where I see where this is going and no one's doing it like that yet. And I have an idea, and we about to start doing it, and I'm really excited for it. Not gonna put it out there yet. Y' all will see it when it happens. Literally, you will see it. But, yes. Congratulations to, you know, Char Making a list. Congratulations to Joe Budden. I don't know. Oh, Mel Robbins. I'm a big fan of Jay Shetty's podcast. There is a true business in this, guys. Like, I know people be joking, like, yo, defund podcast mics. I get it. But, like, if the podcast mic is in the right hand and the business is businessing and the purpose is purposing, I think that's the biggest thing here is, like, I don't know everybody across this list, but I know, you know, like, I've been watching Joe Buttons content for a time. I, you know, working with Charlotte. Like, I see that these shows and these networks that they're building and all this media stuff that they're doing, it's not just about having a voice and being first and all of that. It's actually about, like, building real, you know, platforms and services that, like, actually, like, help people, like, employ people and be of service to people. But also, you know, like, what is the why? Like, I always get the critique from the guys, like, did happen this week on the show. They got on me, y', all, this week, because I didn't prioritize a print story over, like, just another breaking news story that was happening, which I understood, okay, but my whole thing was. It's like, you know, I gotta do a little bit of both sometimes. Like, But Charlemagne said something to me, and I hate when he's right, but he said something to me that I was like, okay. He was like, there wasn't even a purpose to you doing that story, like, sometimes.
[39:09]
Essie Cupp
And.
[39:09]
Lauren LaRosa
And for me, I feel like there won't always be a purpose. And I. I will stand 10 toes down, and I will always argue that back. Sometimes there isn't always a purpose. Sometimes the purpose is. Is to just update into, you know, tell the news and to do it in a way that, you know, people expect it and can trust it. But sometimes there's deeper conversation that can come from things as well, too. And I do try and lean more toward that. In those things. And I mean, that's not just all, like, positive stuff. Sometimes that stuff can be salacious as well, but it can lead to a more, you know, deeper subs, like, you know, conversation full of substance. But, like, when I look at people making like, money and doing deals like these people are doing on this list, I'm like, that's because they figured out that, that, that perfect spot of like, here's my passion, here's my purpose, here's my niche, here's the content, here's what the people like. Not even hears what's trending. I don't think that these people even chase was trending. I think they just know. They know what they know their audience, but also they know where it's more about themselves and not it's like it's more about themselves and what they want to put out into the world and how they want to do it and not about what the world is asking of people to do. And I think that's why some of them come in early in the like, I know, you know, Charlemagne was early in this space from transitioning to radio and having an iHeart partner in a podcast space. Joe Button was screaming about being independent in the hip hop podcasting space and people thought he was crazy, right? But even if you're not early, like a Jay Shetty, it's about what is the purpose of it, what is the why. So I'm trying to marry all of the and once I do, you know, we will be honeymoon. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, y'.
[40:49]
Michael Rapaport
All.
[40:49]
Lauren LaRosa
I tell y' all every single episode. Y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all of the things, but y' all choose to be right here with me, my low riders. I appreciate you and I'll catch you in the next one.
[41:04]
Essie Cupp
When Democrats are messing up, I say it. When Republicans are messing up, I say it. I'm Essie Cup, a journalist and political commentator, and on my podcast, off the Cup, I help you make sense of the often nonsensical news. I do this on cable news, too, but on my podcast, I can really let loose and be my honest, unfiltered self. I just want to talk about something that happened this week because it's so bonkers, so stupid, such incredibly bad politics. We have to talk about it. Come for the hot takes. Stay for the sanity. Listen to a fake cup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[41:41]
Michael Rapaport
This is Michael Rapaport and My podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike any one you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rapoport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[42:11]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.
[42:18]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
It was from an unknown number. Who else is getting these messages? Why did it start with us?
[42:25]
Betrayal Weekly Host
To long cons and stolen identities.
[42:28]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.
[42:34]
Betrayal Weekly Host
Listen to Betrayal Weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
[42:41]
Guest/Commentator
Can superstars even exist the way they used to?
[42:43]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
2016 was sort of that last era
[42:47]
Lauren LaRosa
of monoculture where we still consumed things in community. Everybody wanted to be Beyonce that I
[42:55]
Betrayal Weekly Participant
don't think we'll ever see another Rihanna.
[42:57]
Lauren LaRosa
What does it mean to be black and eat in America? You will never make me feel bad for being a black girl for being
[43:03]
Guest/Commentator
a black American girl ever. From music to food to the conversations shaping black culture, right now, therapy for Black girls is bringing it all to the mic. Listen to therapy for Black Girls on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
[43:17]
Lauren LaRosa
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.