FULL SHOW: Ari Lennox Criticizes Martin & Bernie Mac, Sha’Carri Richardson Speaks After DV Arrest + Katrina Brownlee & D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Interview

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – August 12, 2025

Host/Authors: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Special Guests: Katrina Brownlee (Retired NYPD Detective), Muriel Bowser (Mayor of D.C.)

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1. Front Page News

A. President Trump's Intervention in Washington D.C.

• Overview: President Donald Trump announced the invocation of Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control and activating the National Guard to address rising crime rates in the nation's capital.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Trump's Statement ([04:51]): “Under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States, I am officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control.”
  • Charlamagne Tha God's Commentary ([05:29]): “They say violent crime is down 26% from the same time last year... How could you make claims about a city being worse than those other countries if the numbers don't add up?”

B. Mayor Muriel Bowser Responds

• Overview: Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the recent federal takeover, asserting that crime rates in D.C. have significantly decreased and criticizing Trump's rationale.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Muriel Bowser ([06:37]): “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals...” (Note: This appears to be a misattribution in the transcript. Correctly, Bowser counters Trump's claims.)
  • Bowser on Statehood ([07:06]): “That's why you have heard me and many, many Washingtonians before me advocate for full statehood for the District of Columbia.”

C. Texas House Quorum Crisis

• Overview: The Texas House failed to achieve a quorum as Democratic members left to obstruct a Republican-led redistricting effort. Governor Greg Abbott sought assistance from federal authorities to locate the absent Democrats.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Governor Greg Abbott ([28:15]): “We are looking for 12 Democrats to make sure we're going to be able to vote on these maps as well as to address very important things such as helping the flood victims.”
  • House Speaker Dustin Burroughs ([28:47]): “Another time zone, but you cannot escape your responsibility to the people of Texas.”

D. Illinois Governor Pritzker's Remarks

• Overview: Governor JB Pritzker praised Texas Democrats for their stand against redistricting, framing their actions as protective of American democracy.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Governor Pritzker ([29:51]): “Their action is actually protecting Americans. What Greg Abbott is doing... violates the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.”

E. Marijuana Reclassification Efforts

• Overview: President Trump indicated plans to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, aligning partially with the Biden administration's initiatives.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Jess Hilarious ([08:15]): “That's a step towards legalization. But just legalize it.”

F. NYPD Incident at WNBA Game

• Overview: The NYPD is searching for a man accused of throwing a sex toy onto the court during a WNBA game, resulting in it hitting a preteen girl.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Charlamagne Tha God ([03:55]): “NYPD is looking for a man they say threw a sex toy at a WNBA game and hit a preteen girl with it.”
  • Jess Hilarious ([03:57]): “That's a sex crime? Damn.”

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2. Special Interview: Katrina Brownlee

A. Introduction to Katrina Brownlee

• Overview: Katrina Brownlee, a retired NYPD detective and domestic violence survivor, discusses her harrowing experiences, including surviving being shot ten times while five months pregnant by her ex-fiancé, a former correctional officer.
• Key Points:
  • Background ([02:10]-[03:07]): Katrina's memoir, "And Then Came the Blues: My Story of Survival on Both Sides of the Badge", details her ordeal and subsequent career in law enforcement.
  • Impact of Abuse ([35:03]-[37:07]): Katrina shares how her abusive relationship influenced her decision to join the NYPD, aiming to change the system that failed her.

B. Interview Highlights

• Motivation to Serve and Change the System ([36:44]-[37:26]):

  • Katrina ([36:44]): “Because of all the pain that I had went through, everything that I had endured... I just tried to save myself.”
  • Jess Hilarious ([36:57]): “I wouldn't want to be no cop because... the system ain't geared to help us like that.”

• Challenges Within the NYPD ([46:27]-[48:23]):

  • Katrina ([46:23]): Discusses systemic issues like racial disparities within police units and the inadequate response from superiors when addressing misconduct.
  • Morgan Wood ([48:22]): “They need mandatory mental health training for police officers to ensure they're in a good mental state to serve.”

• Healing and Advocacy ([52:34]-[59:00]):

  • Katrina ([52:34]): Shares emotional turning points in writing her book and finding peace through faith and therapy.
  • Forgiveness and Moving Forward ([41:37]-[42:36]):
    • Katrina ([41:37]): “I had to forgive because I did not want to become a product of my bitterness.”
    • Morgan Wood ([42:36]): “I was finally getting everything out now. It felt so good to speak my truth.”

• Establishing Support Organizations ([57:34]-[59:00]):

  • Katrina ([57:17]): Founded "Our Young Ladies of Our Future" and "Can't Be Silenced" to empower young women and address domestic violence.

• Conclusion of Interview ([59:35]-[60:00]):

  • Katrina ([59:35]): “Dreams do come true and don't ever give up on yourself. If God can do it for me, He can do it for you.”

C. Notable Quotes from Katrina Brownlee:

• On Survival ([40:34]): “That was like I'm finally getting everything out now... It was like being constipated for so many years.”
• On Police Accountability ([48:23]): “We have to have that honest conversation... police officers need integrity to really show up for someone.”

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3. Ari Lennox's Critique on Martin & Bernie Mac Shows

Overview: Ari Lennox expresses her discomfort with the humor portrayed in Martin Lawrence's and Bernie Mac's shows, highlighting their offensive jokes and the impact they had on her.

Notable Quotes:

• Ari Lennox ([19:56]-[20:43]): “If I had ill intent, I would have come on here with a PowerPoint presentation that backs my claims on the types of jokes Martin used on Pam. Being wildly offensive... I never was a fan of roasting.”

Discussion:

• The hosts dissect Ari's statements, debating the balance between free speech and offensive content. Jess Hilarious questions the depth of Ari's critiques, while Charlamagne Tha God emphasizes the importance of allowing public discourse on such matters.

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4. Sha’Carri Richardson’s Accountability Statement

Overview: Sha’Carri Richardson addresses her recent domestic violence arrest, expressing self-reflection and a commitment to personal growth.

Transcript Excerpt:

• Sha’Carri Richardson ([60:05]-[61:23]): “More than anything, definitely a lot of self-reflection... I refuse to run away but face everything that comes to me head on because everything on the other side is greater but you got to go through in order to get there.”

Discussion:

• Jess Hilarious acknowledges Sha'Carri's accountability but points out perceived double standards in societal reactions to similar incidents involving men versus women.
• Jess ([61:56]-[62:30]): Criticizes the leniency shown to Sha’Carri compared to how male counterparts would be treated, highlighting a perceived gender bias.

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5. Anthony Smith’s Arrest and Double Standards

Overview: The hosts discuss the arrest of Anthony Smith, a Florida man charged with indecent exposure for his flamboyant behavior in a park. They criticize the societal double standards in reactions to similar behaviors displayed by different genders.

Notable Quotes:

• Jess Hilarious ([67:49]-[71:01]): Describes Anthony's actions in detail, emphasizing the invasive nature of his behavior and questioning the empathy extended to him despite his repeated offenses.
• Charlamagne Tha God ([75:00]-[78:00]): Engages in humorous banter while highlighting the absurdity of Anthony's actions.

Key Points:

• Double Standards: Jess Hilarious and other hosts argue that similar actions by men would lead to harsher judgments compared to women like Sha’Carri Richardson, who receive understanding and redemption narratives.
• Call for Empathy vs. Accountability: While acknowledging mental health issues, the hosts stress the need for personal responsibility and appropriate consequences.

---

6. Sean "SeaWorld" and Taylor Swift Announcements

Overview: The hosts transition to lighter topics, discussing Taylor Swift's surprise album release and her upcoming podcast appearance with Travis Kelce.

Notable Quotes:

• Katrina Brownlee ([64:46]-[66:59]): Excitedly shares details about Taylor Swift's new album, "The Life of a Showgirl", and her podcast with Travis Kelce.
• Jess Hilarious ([74:18]-[75:58]): Engages in playful banter about Cardi B's new single and critiques Anthony Smith's behavior humorously.

Discussion:

• The conversation veers into fan interactions, social media reactions, and humorous predictions about upcoming music releases and collaborations.

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7. Closing Remarks and Segue to Future Topics

Overview: The hosts wrap up the episode by promoting their guest, Katrina Brownlee's book, and upcoming events, while maintaining their signature blend of serious discussion and lighthearted banter.

Notable Quotes:

• Jess Hilarious ([100:13]-[101:14]): Encourages listeners to read Katrina's memoir and acknowledges the importance of her story in helping others.
• Charlamagne Tha God ([101:19]-[104:00]): Promotes local events and upcoming discussions with Mayor Muriel Bowser.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Breakfast Club delved into significant national issues, including President Trump's federal intervention in D.C., state-level political maneuvers in Texas and Illinois, and the personal resilience of Katrina Brownlee in overcoming domestic violence. The hosts balanced these heavy topics with discussions on public figures like Ari Lennox and Sha’Carri Richardson, highlighting societal double standards. Additionally, lighter segments on celebrity news provided a well-rounded and engaging listening experience.

For a deeper understanding and emotional impact, listening to the full episode is highly recommended.

Transcript

[DJ Envy]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Just Hilarious]

Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Building a career isn't just about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations. Whether you're starting out or making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way. Because, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out [e-mail] Good morning, USA.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, Yo.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jess. Hilarious. Good morning, Charlemagne. The guy pizza.

[Jess Hilarious]

The Planet is Tuesday. How y' all feel out there? I feel blessed, black and highly favored. Happy to be here another day to serve our beautiful listeners. What's happening, Envy?

[Morgan Wood]

Don't be a clown.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I see you looking at me.

[Morgan Wood]

It's too early in the morning. All right. I have on iPads. These are called topicals.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay.

[Morgan Wood]

Coloration and tightening the skin of the eyes. Don't play with me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You look like Nelly. Remember when Nelly used to wear the band aid? That's what you look like.

[Jess Hilarious]

A little bit.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, good morning, everybody. What up, guys? How y' all feeling? How you feeling, Jess?

[Jess Hilarious]

I feel good.

[Morgan Wood]

I feel good. I got to be home this weekend, although it was a lot of work because I'm getting my house prepared for my daughter's first birthday party.

[Jess Hilarious]

August 23rd.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes.

[Jess Hilarious]

Beautiful.

[Morgan Wood]

Big Leo season. So, yeah, it's a big Marley.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Not the little one, but yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

But, yeah, I. I had fun.

[Morgan Wood]

I didn't get to relax much, but it felt good being home. I swam in my pool and Stu.

[Katrina Brownlee]

So it was.

[Jess Hilarious]

It was really good.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nice. And then tonight and tomorrow, you're going to be in the Bronx performing.

[Morgan Wood]

Yes, tonight and tomorrow we'll be at Salsa con Fuego. People say I say it wrong. I got to say it like I'm Spanish. Salsa con fuego.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's why you're getting your face right.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, okay, I am. And just because in life, period, I got to look good. But I got a show tonight at 7:15 there, and then tomorrow at 7:15 as well. I will not be doing meet and greet, but get your tickets if you have.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Not yet.

[Morgan Wood]

Just hilarious. Official.com or salsaconfuego.com.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, now, Charlamagne, what's going on with you? How you feeling?

[Jess Hilarious]

I am blessed, black and highly favored man. I want y' all to know right now that this morning on Breakfast Club, we have a young lady named Katrina Brownlee.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm telling you, I missed this yesterday.

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm telling y' all right now. This story is heavy. I'm telling you right now that you probably will be triggered by this story in some way, shape or form. But she has a book out called and Then Came the Blues, My story of survival on both sides of the badge. I'm give you a quick summary. She was. Her ex fiance was a co. Yep. Who used to abuse her and used to basically just use his power as a police officer to get away with abusing her. And then he ultimately shot her 10 times while she was five months pregnant. And she survived.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And she never told the story.

[Jess Hilarious]

She never told the story until recently. And then she decided to become NYPD police officer. And she was NYPD police officer for the last 20 years here in New York.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Here in New York, yes.

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm just letting y' all know. Her story is heavy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I heard about her story. I wasn't here yesterday, of course, because I was in Houston, but I've heard so much about her story and I would have loved to meet her. So salute to Katrina Brownlee.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yes. We'll be talking to her next hour.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Jess Hilarious]

All right. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I also got a call last night. My phone rang last night at 12 o' clock midnight and it was the mayor of D.C. she wanted to check in with everything that's going on with Trump and Trump's taking over and using his force to quote, unquote, clean up D.C. okay, so she's gonna be checking in a little bit, so we gonna chop it up with her and talk to her with everything that's going on.

[Morgan Wood]

What's up?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right. And we got front page news next. More going to be joining us, so don't go anywhere. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get in some front page news now. Just some quick sports and I'm tired of talking about it, but the NYPD is looking for a man they say threw a sex toy at a WNBA game and hit a preteen girl with it.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's a sex crime?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes.

[Jess Hilarious]

I don't know if it is or not, but it sounds like one. God damn it. You said you throw a dildo and hit a preteen. That's a sex crime. Damn.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's pretty crazy.

[Jess Hilarious]

So. But he throw that at the game?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I guess he Threw it at the game. That's. That's the only information that they're giving me. It says, additional stories. NYPD is looking for a man they say through a sex toy here to preteen.

[Jess Hilarious]

Stupid that is. Couldn't even reach the court. Terrible ass seats. He's stupid.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's up, Morgan?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Hey, y'.

[Jess Hilarious]

All.

[DJ Envy]

Hey, how we feeling? On the Tuesday.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's going on?

[DJ Envy]

All right, let's get into it. So first on front page, of course, if you missed it. President Trump is cracking down on crime in the nation's capital of Washington D.C. he activated the National Guard to so called help local law enforcement as part of his plan and went on, on to say that it that they will be allowed to do their job properly. The President went on to claim crime numbers in D.C. are worse than places like Baghdad and Colombia. Bogota or Bogota, Colombia. Excuse me. And he made those comments while speaking from the White House press briefing room. Let's take a listen.

[Jess Hilarious]

Under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States, I'm.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

[Jess Hilarious]

You know what that is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And placing the D.C. metropolitan Police Department.

[Jess Hilarious]

Under direct federal control.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals. Roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out.

[Jess Hilarious]

Maniacs and homeless people. You know, I'm not really a stat guy because I feel like sometimes numbers lie, but how could you make claims about a city being worse than those other countries if the numbers don't add up?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, the thing is, it's not true. They saying violent crime is down 26 from the same time last year, down 51 from this time in 2023 and down 35 from 2019. They say car jackins are down 37 compared to last year and down 69 compared to 2023.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, I, I'm not, I'm not disagreeing with any of that. I'm just saying, you know, we had those same discussions here in New York. They was trying to tell us the numbers that were down. That's what I'm saying. So I'm wondering is how can you make those claims, you know, about other countries with, with when people just dismiss the numbers? I guess is what I'm saying.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely. So meanwhile, DC's mayor, who, you know, you mentioned envy, has called you. She's reacting to the news of President Trump's crimes numbers. Democratic Mayor Mario Bowser spoke out after Trump placed the DC under federal control and activated the National Guard as part of his Major crackdown on crime. Now, Bowser thinks Trump's current view on crime in D.C. is shaped by rising crime rates during his first term, but she says crime has dropped since. Since then, since his first term. She also took the opportunity to advocate for D.C. statehood. Let's take a listen to her comments.

[Muriel Bowser]

And while this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised. That is why you have heard me and many, many Washingtonians before me advocate for full statehood for the District of Columbia. Chief Pamela Smith is the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yeah. She went on to reiterate also that Chief Police Chief Pamela Smith is in charge, but she also said that she is cooperating with the Trump administration. So hopefully we'll get a chance to speak to her and see how she actually feels about all of this, since things are starting to sett in it and just switching gears. Actually, it's still related to the president, but it's not so much along D.C. but the Trump administration also said that they are looking at reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. President Trump said this during his news conference yesterday as well, that he estimates his administration will make the determination over the next few weeks. Marijuana has been a Schedule 1 drug since 1971. You know, along the lines with other drugs like fence and, and, and heroin. But the Trump, Trump's potential, potential reclassified reclassification would continue efforts started by the Biden administration to make marijuana a Schedule 3 drug, which basically means there are some health benefits to it. A Schedule 3 designation wouldn't legalize marijuana, but it would make, it would lessen the criminal penalties surrounding it. If it's not legal for recreational use in your state dates, that's better.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's a step towards legalization. But just legalize it.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

On the federal level, it's so confusing. What states are legal, what, what states is not legal. And it's, it's, it's so many states that you can do it and you can do it medicinal in all states. So like you said, just legalize it.

[Jess Hilarious]

Legalize it on a federal level because you know what happens. You cause people to practice bad habits because if you're from like a New York or New Jersey or California and you used to it being legal, you'll be in one of these states down south where it's not legal, not even thinking about it, get your ass locked. Next thing you know, you locked the hell up.

[Morgan Wood]

That's me.

[Jess Hilarious]

Sorry. All right.

[DJ Envy]

Y', all, that's your front page news. And y' all can follow me on socials at Morgan Media. Make sure you check out the Black Information Network at Black Information Network. Download the free iHeartRadio app and visit [e-mail].

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right. Thank you, Morgan. Everybody else, get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, phone lines are wide open. Again, 800-585-1051 is the breakfast Club. Good morning, the Breakfast Club.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's a new day. This is your time to get it off your chest. Wake. Wake up. Whether you're mad or blessed, it's time to get up and get something.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Call up now, 800-585-1051. We want to hear from you on the Breakfast Club. Hey, Kelly. Good morning.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Good morning, everybody.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Happy birthday, Kelly.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Thank you. Thank you, Jess. I love you. I love you. Happy birthday. Yes. I need you to come to New Brunswick, though. Like, I need you to do your comedy show in New Brunswick. I know, New Jersey, right? You were just there last year.

[Morgan Wood]

I was just there last year. They want me to. I just got an offer for New Brunswick, so I should be coming there before this year ends.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I can't wait. I'm gonna be there.

[Morgan Wood]

Okay.

[Jess Hilarious]

Good.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Charlamagne. Could you stop talking about people that climbed up Mount Manjaro? Because I did. And I lost almost over £100 and.

[Jess Hilarious]

I look good, period. Congratulations to you. How was the diarrhea that came with it? Oh, what was it? Don't lie.

[Katrina Brownlee]

It was gas. But you know, my husband don't mind, so guess what?

[Jess Hilarious]

Guess what? I'm good. I'm happy for you. Done got sexy on these hoes. Congratulations. Sexy.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I sure did. Okay, but DJ envy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, ma'.

[Jess Hilarious]

Am.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I just want you to play Level on top, the remix. I forgot who the DJ was, but I need you to play that song for me for my birthday.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Two Face do remember. Yeah, that was Tess Move. He did the remix of Love on Top.

[Jess Hilarious]

I got you this morning. He lying.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I got you this morning.

[Jess Hilarious]

He lying his ass off. But I need you to play it.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Before 8:30 because I got to go in the office today on my birthday and he lying.

[Jess Hilarious]

But God watching them, though.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nah, I got you.

[Katrina Brownlee]

What's that?

[Jess Hilarious]

That.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That. That restaurant in New Brunswick. Soul food spot. They got the live music. Black Delta. Yes. Salute to Delta. Every time I go out to. To New Brunswick, I go there and I. When my daughters have dance, I go get some food from there. So salute to Deltas.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes. They got some good food.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you, Mama.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Thank you. Thank you, guys.

[Jess Hilarious]

Love you.

[Morgan Wood]

Love you.

[Jess Hilarious]

I stop calling everybody mama, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's just my thing.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's a Dominican stupid thing. Yeah. You know what else is a New York thing? Calling men Daddy. But he that do it. He know how not to do that.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Popping.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who? What?

[Jess Hilarious]

Who calls Diddy Drake.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Drake is not from New York.

[Jess Hilarious]

He got it from Diddy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, he did not get it from.

[Jess Hilarious]

Scrambling and scraping like that, Daddy. We like the way you do it like that, Daddy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He was in LA too long.

[Jess Hilarious]

Is that right? That's New York. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hello? Who's this?

[Jess Hilarious]

This is Josh.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Josh, what's up? Get it off your chest.

[Morgan Wood]

Hi, Josh.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, I just want to know how come we can't, like, we don't have to be pro Trump, but we also want to be anti Trump. Everything. How come we can't support W's and then, you know, call out the L's? Because, I mean. I mean, maybe mom and Iran might not have been great. More crime in dc. Sounds like a W to me. No, you said support the. What?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You said support the W's.

[Jess Hilarious]

Oh, I see. I thought you talking about the lgbt. I feel like every time we talk about Trump, it's always a negative. I feel like we can. We can support some of the things it does. It doesn't have to be all those. It's all Ls. Listen, I give credit when credit is due. It's just been a lot of Ls lately, bro. The economy is a L. Not releasing the Epstein files is a L, L releasing. You know, deploying the feds on D.C. when. When it don'. It's not necessary as a L. But you don't think. You don't think reducing the. Like, it doesn't matter how it's done, but you don't. You don't think reducing the crime in D.C. one way or the other is not a W. The crime is already. Was already being reduced.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Most definitely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Percentages.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's not a zero. I just don't think that the Feds and the National Guard need to be deployed on dc. I could be wrong. I don't live there. But crime anywhere.

[Morgan Wood]

Cuz then what?

[Jess Hilarious]

What? I live in Virginia. I live. I live two hours away. Yeah, man. We frequently visit. But I'm. But I'm just saying that that's what the National Guard is for. To protect our nation.

[Morgan Wood]

You're not even from DC. You live in Virginia. Tabo DC.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's never going to be 02 hours away. He said he's two hours.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, two hours away. Like, he's not in DC though.

[Jess Hilarious]

You gotta. You gotta understand, DC is where, like, our country's, like, represented. So all the foreign people, they all want to go visit D.C. because that's where the President lives. Well, listen, we got even. We got even. When Trump's out of office, you have the next president and you want to make it safe for the all, you know, everyone who's important, who visits there. That's where a lot of business. We got the mayor of D.C. checking in 8 o' clock this morning. So we're gonna talk to her all about this because I don't live in D.C. so I don't know what the hell's going on. Neither does he.

[Morgan Wood]

He lives in Virginia.

[Jess Hilarious]

That is true.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So he might work. No, he doesn't. Because he would have said I work there.

[Morgan Wood]

He looking at what he see on TV.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You're right. Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, hit us up now. It's the Breakfast Club of morning. The Breakfast Club. This is your time to get it off your chest. Keep calling 800-585-1051. We want to hear from you on the Breakfast Club. Hello? Who's this?

[Katrina Brownlee]

This Tay calling from out of New Jersey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's up?

[Jess Hilarious]

He's Tay. What's up, Tay?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Tay is pissed because y' all never answered the phone when I'm trying to win them Chris Brown tickets.

[Jess Hilarious]

Chris Brown? Chris Brown performing?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, we gave. Yeah, he's gonna be in MetLife.

[Jess Hilarious]

You know Chris Brown performing?

[Morgan Wood]

He know it.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, you know it. He performing tonight and tomorrow night.

[Jess Hilarious]

Man, you called up here to scratch me out this morning? What's up, man? What else going on?

[Morgan Wood]

That.

[Katrina Brownlee]

That's, that's what's going on. I've been trying to win them tickets. I never answered the phone, but now y' all had the audacity to answer the phone.

[Jess Hilarious]

Now, do we have any tickets for her? For Chris Brown? Anybody in here?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No.

[Jess Hilarious]

Damn. Everybody's shaking their head. Boy, this is a poor ass radio station.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sorry.

[Morgan Wood]

But you know what?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Don't even worry.

[Morgan Wood]

You ain't got goosey Chris Brown. You can come to Salsa Confuego and see Jess.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Hilarious.

[Morgan Wood]

Tonight or tomorrow, I see you, Jess in Florida.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You was lit too dam.

[Jess Hilarious]

I seen you. I bet she done seen Chris Brown before, too. She want to go see Chris.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was going to say you can come to my car show, but she.

[Jess Hilarious]

She seemed like she.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's close to MetLife. If you come to the car show, it's close. Like, you might be able to smell Chris, maybe.

[Morgan Wood]

And I could dance.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You said you could dance. I see you do the challenge, too.

[Morgan Wood]

Yes, but.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah. What is car show at?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's at the. It's at the Meadowlands Expo Center. It's this Saturday from 12 to 5. You got kids? Bring your kids.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Oh, yeah, I got kids.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How many kids?

[Katrina Brownlee]

But they got some tickets for me to go there, too. I got two.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, I'll give you tickets, too. Yes, I'll give you tickets to go.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Okay, well, we in here.

[Morgan Wood]

You can bring your kids a salsa confuego, too. Next door. They got a little kid parking lot next door.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hold on. We gonna put you on hold. All right?

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

All right.

[Jess Hilarious]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What. What just happened to her voice?

[Morgan Wood]

That was another person.

[Jess Hilarious]

You. Are you all right? Y' all better leave people alone in what they identify with.

[Katrina Brownlee]

That was another person.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's always another person when they transition. That's why they changed their name.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I bring the whole family.

[Jess Hilarious]

All right, I'm done.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. Now we have the latest with Lauren coming up. What's up, Lauren?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Good morning. Yes, we do, y'.

[Just Hilarious]

All.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We gotta get into some numbers, cuz. Cristiano Ronaldo proposed to his girlfriend.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who's that?

[Katrina Brownlee]

He's a soccer player. Huge soccer player. One of the most followed people on Instagram.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

One of the best.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Let me tell you something. When you see this ring, the ring is given at least two to $3 million, baby. Bigger than my head.

[Jess Hilarious]

Why do I care about that when I barely can pay rent this month?

[Katrina Brownlee]

It's something to look forward to. It's something to look forward for everybody. Y'.

[Jess Hilarious]

All. Love is fake.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Did you see the ring?

[Jess Hilarious]

No.

[Katrina Brownlee]

That's exactly why you're talking like that. We'll talk about.

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm talking like that because of the listeners that's riding in their car that can't even afford chickfila this morning. But we'll discuss us.

[Katrina Brownlee]

They can't afford Chris Brown tickets either. Y' all ain't answering the phone.

[Jess Hilarious]

She coming for free.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We a cross your tickets. We try to give us something. All right, ladies, With Lauren's up next is the Breakfast Club. Good morning, The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get to the latest with Lauren.

[Morgan Wood]

Lauren becoming a straight thing.

[Jess Hilarious]

She gets them from somebody that knows Somebody, she gets the details.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about every. Everything.

[Jess Hilarious]

She'd be having the latest on you. The Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes you have facts, sometimes you have details. Sometimes you have a little bit of everything. Well, it's the latest on the Breakfast Club.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Alrighty, guys. So Cristiano Ronaldo and his longtime girlfriend, they've been together for a little over eight years, are now engaged. Now. Congratulations to them. But the real story here is the ring. So the photo of the ring has been going viral. People comment on the ring. I saw the game post and say, this could be us. But your. Your homegirls have a birthday trip every weekend. The ring is huge. Is being valued, or people are estimating that it's anywhere from 2 million to $5 million. Cristiano Ronaldo is a huge soccer player.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This net worth is a billion dollars.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes. Yes.

[Jess Hilarious]

So you're lying when you say this could be us. No, not be you.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah. I mean, just the rock on her hand alone, though. I think the. The picture of it is. With it is what's making people feel aspirational of, like, maybe one day he's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Worth a billion dollars.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You never know who you run into in Trader Joe's. You never know.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, sure. Yeah. Seriously, that's what. What makes people care about stories like that. Like, I like. I like minding other people's business, too. But what about that story excites you? Like, you really think you gonna meet a billionaire one day and they gonna give you a $5 million ring?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Seriously, people believe that it's a love story.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, I think it's that. But I also think they've been together for some time. They have kids together. You see pictures of them.

[Jess Hilarious]

They got five kids together.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes. Okay. That.

[Jess Hilarious]

You see, that's the real story. The real story. He finally proposed to her after five kids. Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like, what took so long?

[Jess Hilarious]

They be calling him ghetto and saying about times, about time.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Eight, nine years, too. Five kids. Eight, nine years. But, yeah, I think people just date into his business because he's one of the most famous people in the soccer world. Like him. What is it Messi after him?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, probably Messi.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah. I think people just interested because it's him. But also I think it is the kids, the time, and the crazy huge ring. I think that's what got the people going.

[Jess Hilarious]

We don't know that.

[Morgan Wood]

What else we got?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Y' all hate him.

[Jess Hilarious]

No, we don't.

[Morgan Wood]

I don't even know him.

[Jess Hilarious]

I don't know Him.

[Morgan Wood]

I do know Messi. When you mentioned Messi. I do know him, but. Okay, congratulations.

[Jess Hilarious]

I just don't care.

[Morgan Wood]

No, Yeah. I don't.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He's worth a billion dollars. So you're saying it's inspiration? Like, it's.

[Jess Hilarious]

No, it's not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When's the last time you met a billionaire?

[Jess Hilarious]

You act like that. You act like it's a bunch of those just walking. I know, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And Trader Joe's.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I don't think it's that. I think people. It's the same reason why people care about celebrities in general. We do know billionaires.

[Jess Hilarious]

The earn your legion.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We know them.

[Jess Hilarious]

Shut up, man. Yeah, Rashad and Troy. Yeah, right? Yes, we do. I love Eyl, but no.

[Katrina Brownlee]

All right.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, not yet anyway.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Switching gears is something that you guys will probably care a lot more about. Ari Lennox. So I wanted to get into the story yesterday, but we ran out of time in the latest. So Ari Lennox, remember we talked about her and her feelings on Martin? Baby girl came back out to stand on business to tell people she doesn't care what y' all think. Let's take a listen to Ari Lennox responding to all of the Martin hate. If I had ill intent, I would have came on here with a PowerPoint presentation that backs my claims on the types of jokes Martin used on Pam. Being wildly offensive. That will never be my intent or motive. But I will stand on business forever knowing them. Jokes was wild. And I don't say any of this with any desire to rewrite history. Those actors and actresses are legends, and I meant no harm to them. I don't need any army of people defending me or agreeing with me. That has always been a rare occurrence for me. But I feel amazing and knowing that I will validate myself and my feelings before I look to you for yours. I never was a fan of roasting, period, as I am a very sensitive. And I will for sure drag somebody.

[Muriel Bowser]

To hell every time.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's a contradiction.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, basically.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, I think what she's trying to say is, is that. Well, I watched she went live on Instagram.

[Jess Hilarious]

If you say you a fan of roasting, but no, if you say you're not a fan of roasting, but then say you will drag somebody to hell, that's a contradiction.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, but what she was trying to say was because in the beginning, she talked about, like, just people coming for her because she has an opinion, and she said everybody follows what the masses are saying online. So she's always going to defend herself because she feels like she's A sheep. She has her own opinion. People are always mad at her.

[Jess Hilarious]

She feels like she's a sheep.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Like basically she's outside of, like a unicorn. She's outside of just follow.

[Morgan Wood]

But when you.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I mean, she's not a sheep. Sorry, she said that everybody else online were sheep.

[Morgan Wood]

She's not.

[Katrina Brownlee]

And she said that basically, like, she's, it's getting to the point where she's getting used to having to do this, like defend herself and go back at people because she's not going to stop saying how she feels because other people.

[Jess Hilarious]

Don'T believe she's sheep.

[Katrina Brownlee]

But that's the thing, right?

[Morgan Wood]

But when you say it online, you have to be prepared for different people to agree and disagree and drag you.

[Jess Hilarious]

To hell for it.

[Morgan Wood]

And then you gotta prepare to drag them back. You know what I mean? So you are ultimately doing the same thing that you hate.

[Jess Hilarious]

Simple as that. When you express your opinion publicly, we the public have the right to disagree. We the public have the right to say, you tripping, it's okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what I never understand. You can give your opinion. That could.

[Just Hilarious]

Hey, fam, if you're like me, you're thinking about how to level up in your career. Maybe you're fresh out of college, just started in your field, or even looking to switch things up and find your true college. Whatever stage you're in, remember that this is your time to grow, to learn, and to build something that lasts. State Farm understands that early career development is key to long term success. They've been a steady presence in our communities and they know that having the right support early on can make all the difference. State Farm is there to help you make smart moves and to help you get the coverage you need. We all know the journey to success is a marathon, not a sprint.

[Morgan Wood]

Grant.

[Just Hilarious]

It's about staying focused, staying grounded, and making sure you're protected every step of the way. Let's build our careers with confidence knowing that State Farm is there to support us, just like they've always been. Because like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out [e-mail] Traumatize you, Martin Ken.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But we have our opinion on what you said. Yeah, like, you know, I mean, if. As long as nobody's being disrespectful, I mean, I'm sure a lot of people were, but if nobody's being disrespectful, who cares? Opinions like. Ls everybody got.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah. I just didn't think the Martin Pam thing was that deep until she started having conversations about it, but she also.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's not that deep.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, she also mentioned in there, too. I don't. Do we have this yet? No, I don't think so. Right. No. Yeah, she also mentioned in there, too. It was a part of this. It was like a line that she had been watching the Bernie Mac show as well, and she didn't appreciate that either. What she did. I think it's just. She's not a fan of people being made fun of, is her point.

[Morgan Wood]

Who is making fun of who?

[Jess Hilarious]

So how you drag somebody to hell if you're not making fun of. Of them?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think she was saying she'll drag them to hell if they come at her. But obviously she doesn't like people being made fun of because she's been made fun of for a long time in the industry, and that's probably the way that she feels.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, I get it. But calling out the. The greatest black shows that we have. Right. Like, is. That's wild to me.

[Jess Hilarious]

What. But what.

[Morgan Wood]

What was happening in the Bernie Mac show? Who was. Who was roasting people in the Bernie Mac show? Martin was a show like that, but Bernie Mac show was more of a family setting. He was taking care of his nieces and nephews.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, he's the real kids, but. Yeah, but in a fun uncle way.

[Morgan Wood]

It wasn't even like Martin, though. It was, you know what I mean, that bad either.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, yeah, I think it's just her thing. Like, this is just how she feels about some of the jokes from that era. Let me. Let's take a listen. I want to make sure we get her words in.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Morgan Wood]

Hell, I just watched the Burning stand.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Up a few years back.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jess Hilarious]

All I know is this. Y' all lives must be really great if this. What the hell y' all sitting around arguing about? If y' all sitting around complaining about the Bernie Mac show in March and y' all got time to get online and express to people how y' all can have y' all opinions about these shows. Life must really not be that bad.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Oh, she said hers isn't. Because people said that she always does this when she ain't got nothing to do because she on the music out and she said, no, my life is good. She loves her pickup truck. She loves her new music. She got Vacancy coming out in the fall, and she's good.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And she'd be outside, too. I've seen a couple times outside. She'd be enjoying life as she should.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She also said the next time she gets back on this live and have to clear something up.

[Morgan Wood]

She.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She wants to address everything that happened with Dream. So that'll be the next episode of Ari Lennox. Oh, why the hell she ain't do that?

[Morgan Wood]

Had to take it the road of.

[Jess Hilarious]

Martin and Bernie Mac. I like Ari. I like Ari music, but I don't I rather your opinion on Dreamville than Bernie Mac showing. Mom.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She said she's gonna gather herself and her thoughts and she'll come back. So we'll be back with that when she comes back.

[Jess Hilarious]

Salute to ar. She.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She from dc, right?

[Morgan Wood]

Ain't she from dc?

[Katrina Brownlee]

I know she lives like in that Maryland area that I know of. I don't know where she's from.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's why Trump sent the national guy to these opinions. He like Martin is like Donald Trump's like, hell no, I like Martin. Send it to the National Guard.

[Katrina Brownlee]

He is from dc, definitely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, that is the latest with Lauren. And the mayor of D.C. will be checking in in about an hour or so.

[Jess Hilarious]

Muriel Bowser.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jess Hilarious]

Something going on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Something like that.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

This is too many words about Trump.

[Jess Hilarious]

Something is off. Something is off. When we come back, we got front.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Page news and something's off.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Pray for Lauren. It's a Breakfast Club. Good morning. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Now, on my notes, it just says additional stories in sports, it says the NYPD is looking for a man that they said threw a sex toy at a WNBA game. It didn't make it to the court, but it hit a preteen girl with it.

[Jess Hilarious]

So that's a sex crime. Crazy. And he throw like a girl. Either that or he had the wacky seats in the building. He must have been in the nosebleed. How your dildo can't reach the court.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That sounds crazy.

[Jess Hilarious]

Everybody else dildo reached the court. His dildo ain't even reach the court. End up hitting a little preteen girl. Now you'll get charged with a sex crime. That's crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's amazing. Imagine you're a dad at the game and then a dildo smack your door. And they're like, you gotta. You gotta. Oh, my goodness.

[Jess Hilarious]

By the way, that should be a free fade that whoever. If I'm sitting there with my child at the game and she a preteen and she get hit with a dildo. So I should be able to be able to go up there and get a free fave with whoever. Do absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Dildo sticking out my daughter. Like, come on, man.

[Jess Hilarious]

Have you seen that video, that old man that was in the diner and somebody was, the little boy was throwing food at his wife. He wasn't a little boy. He probably was a preteen, too, or maybe, maybe a teenager. He was showing off with some girls, throwing food at the old man's wife. Oh, man. That old man got up and beat the hell out. And then somebody came and broke it up. And then when somebody else came over and found out what the little boy did, he smack.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's up, Morgan?

[Morgan Wood]

Hey.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah.

[Morgan Wood]

Hey.

[DJ Envy]

All right, let's get into it. So President Trump is signing an executive order to extend a tariff truce with China for another 90 days. The truce struck in June during talks between US and Chinese officials keep US tariffs on most Chinese goods at 55%. The US is in asking is is in asking Beijing for a commitment to boost exports of rare earths to the US So we'll continue to follow that and see what happens as a result over the next 90 days. Elsewhere, Texas state House has once again failed to reach a quorum after Democrats left the state House to stop a Republican led redistricting effort. The House has been trying to reach that quorum since last week. Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott says DPS officers are searching in state for Democrats and working with out of state authorities to see if they can help bring back those Democrats to the state. Let's take a listen to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's comments.

[Jess Hilarious]

So we're looking for 12 Democrats to make sure we're going to be able to be able to vote on these maps as well as to address very important things such as helping the flood victims. And we are working with law enforcement and taking other actions in other parts of the country to see if we can uncover any Democrat who can be brought back to the state.

[DJ Envy]

So Texas House Speaker Dustin Burroughs, he also addressed the missing Democrats yesterday afternoon, adding that disaster bills will be brought to the floo today with or without Democrats present. Let's take a listen to Texas House Speaker Dustin Burroughs.

[Jess Hilarious]

You can go to another city, another.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

State, even another time zone, but you cannot escape your responsibility to the people of Texas.

[Jess Hilarious]

Eventually you will be here tomorrow when the gavel drops. The question is simple. Will you be in that chair to vote for these critical disaster recovery bills or will you be remembered as one who did not show up? The choice is yours.

[Morgan Wood]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

As previously mentioned, the House has been trying to reach a quorum since last week. The new maps pushed by President Trump could give the GOP as many as five more U.S. house seats. Governor Abbott has asked the Supreme Court, the state Supreme Court, to declare the seat of the House Democratic Caucus chairman as vacant as Gene Wu also left the state to Chicago with a number of other Democrats. So speaking of Chicago, Illinois Governor J.B. pritzker, excuse me, is praising Texas Democrats who have fled the state in protest of redistricting efforts. In an interview over the weekend with NBC's Meet the Press, the Democratic governor said their action, the action that they're taking is actually protecting Americans. Let's take a listen to Illinois Governor.

[Jess Hilarious]

JP Fritz standing up not just for their own constituents and for the people of Texas and their rights, but also for the rights of people all across the country. Because what Greg Abbott is doing and what Donald Trump is attempting to do is to cheat the map that they put together is it violates the Voting Rights act and it violates the Constitution.

[DJ Envy]

So the FBI has reportedly agreed to help track down those Democrats as governor, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has requested, and he's also called for their arrest. Now, Also Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, he's also spoke about a 2028 presidential run or the possibility of one. And here's what he had to say when asked about it.

[Jess Hilarious]

No matter what decisions I make, and I mean in particular about what I do here in the state of Illinois, is about the people of Illinois. Indeed, any future decisions of mine will always be guided by that.

[DJ Envy]

So the governor also responded to a question about whether he was being hypocritical for criticizing Texas's redistricting plan when the vast majority of Illinois's congressional districts are Democratic. What Pritzker said that they held public and legislative hearings before a map was passed at the end of the census, which is what happens every 10 years while Texas Republicans are changing the rules mid decade at the request of President Trump. On, at the request, basically at the request of President Trump. So, again, the census changes these maps every 10 years because, you know, once you guys do the census, conduct the census, some of these congressional districts and maps will change over every 10 years. But they're saying that, you know, the fact that they're doing it middle decade Texas Republicans is that's, you know, so that they can have that advantage in that 2026 midterms. So anyways, that's front page news. I'm Morgan Wood. Y' all can follow me on socials at morganmedia. That's M O R G Y N M E D I A and for more news coverage, follow at Black Information Network, Download the free iHeartRadio app and visit [e-mail] Thank y'.

[Katrina Brownlee]

All.

[Morgan Wood]

Thank y'.

[Jess Hilarious]

All.

[Morgan Wood]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you, Morgan. Now, when we come back, Katrina Brownlee will be joining us. She's a retired NYPD detective.

[Jess Hilarious]

Let me tell you something. I'm letting y' all know right now. Now, this story is heavy, and this story may trigger you, especially if you have been a victim of domestic violence. But Katrina Brownlee has a book out called in and Then Came the Blues, My story of survival on both sides of the badge. She was being abused by a former correctional officer who used to use his badge and his power to basically get away with it. The police would never believe her. She got shot 10 times by this guy while she was five months pregnant, but she lived to tell the story. Then she became a NYPD cop. Cop and retired, you know, recently after serving 20 years. So I'm just letting y' all know now, this story is heavy and triggering for anybody who's been a victim of domestic violence.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, and we'll get to that next. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, the Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody.

[Morgan Wood]

It's DJ Envy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lauren laros is here as well, and we got a special guest in the building. She's a retired NYPD detective, domestic violence survivor, and a motivational speaker. She has a new book, and Then Came the Blues, My story of survival on both sides of the badge. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Katrina Brownlee.

[Jess Hilarious]

How are you? I am blessed. Black and holly food. You have a hell of a story. Where do you want to begin? Wherever you want to go. Well, the memoir tells the story of you being shot, shot 10 times, and overcoming the domestic violence. What helped you find the courage to not only write this book, but just to keep fighting for your life and, I guess, for your future as well?

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, gosh. The first thing I'll say, it was God, faith, God, therapy, and my children. That's what kept me fighting. That's all I had was nothing else to. To. To even look at, to say, you know what? I want to fight. Like, when you in survival mode, it's survival. You out there in the wilderness all by yourself, and you just trying to figure it out as you go along.

[Katrina Brownlee]

The tagline of the book is my story of survival on both sides of the badge. Talk about, you know, just the choice to make, that the tagline. Because there was one point where you were keeping what you were going through personally, the violence you were experiencing in your work as a police officer, separate.

[Morgan Wood]

Badge on both sides. Mean, my life of me being abused. I wasn't just abused in, in terms of a domestic violence relationship. In the book, it also speaks about how I was a child abuse. Child abuse, sexual abused. So I speak about that and then I speak about the fact of me being a detective, being a police officer. So, so it's, it's badges on both sides.

[Jess Hilarious]

And your ex fiance was a CEO.

[Morgan Wood]

Correct.

[Jess Hilarious]

And so he basically used to abuse his power.

[Morgan Wood]

Correct.

[Jess Hilarious]

Put his hands on you.

[Morgan Wood]

Correct.

[Jess Hilarious]

Flash his badge.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Right.

[Jess Hilarious]

And threaten you, you know, on, on speaking out.

[Morgan Wood]

Right. I was the inmate and he was the correction officer at home. That's how I was.

[Jess Hilarious]

Damn.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, that's pretty tough. What was it like for you day to day at work? You know, just with everything that you were experiencing, being able to then deal with other people's issues and showing up for other people. Like, what was that like mentally for you?

[Morgan Wood]

It was so heavy for so many years because every day that you go to work, you never know that if somebody is going to recognize you or remember your story. Because a few people did know my story. It did make the news because at the time he was a correction officer. Right. So my name was Katrina Cook at that time. And so it's Brownlee. So a lot of people didn't put two and two together. And then when my story came out, a lot of people began to like, reach out to me. So it was just like a real difficult time just to work and especially work in the police department. And for. With. How can I say it? Not for, but, you know, work for an organization that had failed me.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Right.

[Morgan Wood]

So I, I went in with the mindset of that I was gonna change this department and I was going to be this good cop. But then when you go in, you realize that this is bigger than you. You ain't changing this. You're gonna follow the rules or deal with the consequences.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I guess that was my question. Like, just in everything that you had dealt with, then deciding to go and be a part of a force, it's like, it's, it's so much that you can't change, but you get there to change it. Like, but you're also still dealing with your own stuff mentally. I just, maybe my question is why, like, why did you think that you could break that system down?

[Morgan Wood]

Because of all the pain that I had went through, everything that I had endured. Like, who was going to save me? They couldn't. They couldn't save me. So I just tried to save myself.

[Jess Hilarious]

Himself.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Got you.

[Jess Hilarious]

When you, when you would call the police and, you know, he would flash his badge and then the officers would. Would leave. Did that just make you feel hopeless? Like, what. How did you think he was going to get out that situation?

[Morgan Wood]

To be honest with you, it was going to either be me or him. That's how bad it was getting. And the only reason what kept me from either killing myself, killing him, was my children, because I was, like, my kids gonna be motherless.

[Jess Hilarious]

And I guess, you know, Lauren was. Was. Was getting at this. But I guess what I want to ask, how did that betrayal from the police.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah.

[Jess Hilarious]

Shape your decision to enter law enforcement yourself?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Because I'd be mad.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to. I wouldn't want to be no cop. Like, because you. You call it a blue wall of silence. We all call it a blue wall. But now you. Another brick on that wall wall.

[Morgan Wood]

To. To try to answer your question. Like I said, like, for me, I. I needed to be able to be protected. So in order for me to be protected, I had to. That was one of the ways to be protected. Like, I'm gonna go in and I'm gonna. Because if I'm a cop, he. They didn't give him a long sentence. So he's coming out. So is he going to come out and finish the job? But if I'm a cop, what is he. He not going to do that. He's not going to behave that way. Right. And then my thing was, I want to go in, and I want to be able to shape. I want to clean this place up. Like, I had this mindset because I. I just believe that I can go in there, I can change because I want it change. Because I could not believe that you would see me with a black eye, you would see me with a busted lip, and you would just say, work it out. Or you wouldn't even. You wouldn't even even address me. And I'm standing there. You don't say anything to me. But because he showed his shield, he got. He had the right to do what he did.

[Katrina Brownlee]

What's it like? Because we hear a lot about, like, when women are in these situations, there's this pattern of almost feeling, like, sorry for the person that is abusing you or like just some sort of, like, savior. Like, you want to save them from, like, whatever the consequence may be, because you're trying to figure out, like, why it's happening or whatever the case may be. I know he had tried to call it and reach out to you to have you say he didn't do certain Things. Was there ever a moment where you thought, like, it would be best for me to just be quiet about this?

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, absolutely. Because I. Because he was a sole provider for our household. So I thought about it. I was like, now he in jail. Like, I'm gonna take care of myself. So I became homeless. So I thought about it, but then I just said to myself, nah, I'm not doing that. Like, I'm not gonna do that. Like, it's gonna be. It's whatever at this point. And so, you know, and I speak about it in the book. You know, how his mom had written a letter and signed my name and said that I had shot myself 10 times.

[Jess Hilarious]

What. How difficult is it to have these conversations? I mean, because, you know, when I. When I see your story and, you know, there's certain things I want to ask, I don't want to trigger you. So how difficult is it to have these conversations?

[Morgan Wood]

You can ask me whatever.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah. If this is. If this is a safe space, you can ask me whatever.

[Jess Hilarious]

Absolutely.

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, yeah.

[Jess Hilarious]

I mean, just talking about it, I know, you know, you got to relive it because you had to rewrite, you know, you had to write the book. And then, you know, now you ask being asked questions. But know, you were shot 10 times and you were left for dead while you was five months pregnant. And they said it went. It went on for an hour and a half.

[Morgan Wood]

I don't. I don't know how long it went on, honestly, because I was in and out, out of consciences. I. I don't know. I just. You know, that part was told to me by the. By the ADA who now is one of my good friends.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We're still kicking it with Katrina Brownlee, her new book. And then came the Blues, My story of survival on both sides of the badge. Charlamagne.

[Jess Hilarious]

How did you rebuild your identity after all of this happened? After being homeless, after, you know, having to break down, after, you know, being shot and left for dead? Like, how did you just rebuild your. Your identity to even become the detective that you became? And you were part of the mayor's security detail.

[Morgan Wood]

A lot. A lot. A lot of therapy. A lot of therapy and a lot of God. That. That. That is what helped me, and just the will that God had given me to just want to live. And when you get the will to live, then it's. It's that light on the wall right there up in the ceiling, and you follow that light and you allow that light to continue to go, and that's your strength. And that's your power. And then you get your power back. And so that's what it was for me because that's. That's all I had.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you truly forgive somebody when they do something that heinous to you?

[Morgan Wood]

I had to because I was angry. I was so bitter. I was bitter. And when you bitter at that level.

[Jess Hilarious]

Go get some tissue, Brandon.

[Morgan Wood]

When you bitter at that level. Thank you. If you do not forgive, you become a product of that. And I just did not want to be that. I was broken long enough. And in order to. For you to get into a situation like that, it had to be a story that happened. We don't wake up and get into these relationships. So I came from transgenerational trauma and that's how I wind up in a situation where a man shoots me 10 times and abuse me.

[Jess Hilarious]

Me.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Talk a bit about the chapter until we meet again. We talked talk about your mom and you talk about just, you know, how everything you went through made you treat. Just being able to wake up and live every single day. Why was it important for you to include that chapter in the book?

[Morgan Wood]

I did not have a relationship with my mother. So when she died, it was like. Like I'm. I. I got robbed. Like totally robbed. And I will never know what it feels like to have a mother. So I just felt that it was important to. To just speak about that because I know that I'm not the only one that's out there. And this book is not just for me. It's for all people that can be able to relate to my story. And I just hope that it inspire people. I hope it can change people life. And I just hope that even for people that are abusers, that they can go get help because abuses, they're broken and mental health is real.

[Jess Hilarious]

What was the emotional turning point in the writing process of this book that just made you feel like a little lighter.

[Morgan Wood]

Because I wasn't able to really tell the story. I wasn't it. So it was. This was so. It was like I'm finally getting everything out now. Like it was like, I'm be honest, like being constipated, like for so many years.

[Jess Hilarious]

Gotta get that out.

[Morgan Wood]

There you go, right there. There you go, right there, that part. And so that's what I'm telling you. That's exactly how I felt. And it felt so good. And it feels good to be able to now be able to speak my truth and be able to tell the story even. I had friends that I had been friends with for so many Years that didn't even know my story. So you sit out with your girlfriends, you hang out with them, you travel with them, and they don't even know who you really are. And you living in. In this bubble, this world, because you can't. You can't really tell because if I would have told and somebody told the police department, they would have fired me because they wouldn't have. Want that stigma.

[Jess Hilarious]

When you became an officer, did you have more empathy for law enforcement? Like, did you realize why they were the way they were?

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, absolutely. Okay, let me tell you something. Something that people don't know. The cops, they get abused by the, the higher ups there. They could. I'm telling you, they get abused. So if you. That's just like if you abuse your child, right. A lot of times your child becomes an abuser. So that's what. That's all it is. They don't get treated well there. So now if I'm not getting treated well, I'm gonna go out here and protect and serve. How I'm gonna go out there and protect and be kind to people when I Even being kind at home, the police, that's your home, right. You there to protect and serve you there and to, To. To go out there and do your job. But if you, If. If you're being beat down and you're being told you're a loser, and you're being told that you ain't right enough summonses or you ain't lock enough people.

[Jess Hilarious]

Up.

[Morgan Wood]

And then you get in trouble, and if you tell and if you snitch, the consequences. So how can you go out there and really be effective?

[Katrina Brownlee]

What about the stuff that you were saying aside, like you talked about, like the chocolate team and the vanilla team.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

And the different neighborhoods they would go to.

[Morgan Wood]

That's right. And it's.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, I guess you should explain it for people, the difference between the teams. And then I wanted to ask you about you going to your boss and saying, hey, they're doing illegal searches. You need to figure that out. And the boss was like, I'm cool.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, the chocolate team, but the black team and the vanilla team was the. The Caucasian team and they went to.

[Katrina Brownlee]

So, like, y' all are in different neighborhoods or whatever. You decide to. You see something that you know is not right. You decide to go to your higher up. Your higher up says, I'm not disturbing my pension to correct a bad cop.

[Morgan Wood]

Right. Because a lot of times if you would tell it's consequences. It's real. It is really real. And and this is your life you're talking about. Cops kill they self all the time. What do you think they killing they self for? Ain't killing theyself because. Because they ain't getting enough money or enough love. They killing theyself because it's real in there. A lot of guilt. And they can't be who they want to be. They can't be their authentic self there, so they got to be somebody else. And sometimes people can't handle that. That everybody. Mental health level is different. Yeah, yeah.

[Jess Hilarious]

I've been having that conversation a lot lately. Like, you know, I feel like police officers should have. Should have to deal with mental health professionals like literally every. Every year, every week. Like they should be sitting down with mental health professionals.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. They. They have some hotline called Papa. But I don't even think that those are. Those are people that are actually equipped to be able to deal with the trauma that police officers face every day that should. You. You make sure that it's mandatory training for all these other different things that don't really matter. But why you don't have mandatory mental health training for your police officer so they can be suited and booted and in a. In a good mental state to be out there to, to go out there to fight and be able to really protect himself. Serve.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's right.

[Morgan Wood]

Right. So if you want to have a great police department, you got to have a great police department and they got to be able to have integrity. You got to be able to have police and police officers be able to just really show up for someone. That's why I didn't want to be a domestic violence officer. I was like, I'm not going there and, and, and go to a call and it's a domestic violence officer. And what I'm going to really do for her or what I'm going to really do for you. Him. Come on. It ain't. It ain't. It ain't. The system ain't geared to help us like that, especially people that look like us.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Do you even now and sharing your story. In the book, you talked about switching units because of like, just fear of the things that were happening or whatever.

[Morgan Wood]

And what part are you talking about?

[Katrina Brownlee]

We talked about the, the.

[Jess Hilarious]

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[Katrina Brownlee]

You said y' all arrested? I think it was like 145, 147 people. There was like buses of people. And you were saying that like being in narcotics was getting a little like you were fearing for your safety.

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Do you feel for your safety now because you're talking about all this stuff?

[Morgan Wood]

No, absolutely not. I. I trust God, you know, I believe that he has me on an assignment and whatever it's going to be, it's going to be I'm telling the truth. I'm telling the truth and I am here on whatever platform to be able to speak the truth. And so we got to stop lying to people. You know, we got to stop lying like we not we not we not being real with people. Let's stop lying. Let's start telling the truth and let's start really showing up. And if we not showing up, then shut up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I was still kicking it with Katrina Brownlee, her new book. And then came the Blues. My story of survival on both sides of the badge. Charlamagne.

[Jess Hilarious]

You spoke about how, you know, you forgave your ex fiance cause you didn't want to have that bitterness in you. Did you also have surprised some, maybe some empathy for him because you know how he became that way.

[Morgan Wood]

Maybe I have empathy for him because he a broken man in pieces. He ain't made. He has. He was never made up of anything. No substance to him as a man. Any man that can put his hands on a woman and you shoot her and you beat her and you murder your child. What is he made of? Absolutely nothing. You have to have empathy for him.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you think abusers need rehabilitation or jail time?

[Morgan Wood]

I think both. I think both. While you in there, you should be able to get your help, your healing, whatever it is that you need. Because if you put them in prison. Prison. And you don't do nothing with them, or they come out and be a worse savage than they already was.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I was gonna ask, how do you deal with your day to day now? Because, like, where is he? Like, what is he?

[Morgan Wood]

I have no idea. I have no idea.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you still live in fear of him?

[Morgan Wood]

Absolutely not.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay.

[Morgan Wood]

Absolutely not. I fear no one but God.

[Jess Hilarious]

You know, the title of your book alludes to the blues, right? And you think of blues, you think of, like the. The music. The music, right? What does blues mean and how does it reflect, you know, your journey from trauma to healing?

[Morgan Wood]

And then, King, the blues is my life. And then the NYPD life. Those are the blues.

[Jess Hilarious]

Gotcha.

[Morgan Wood]

And then the blues of my life. My life was blues on top of blues.

[Jess Hilarious]

What color is it now?

[Morgan Wood]

White. That's right.

[Jess Hilarious]

You feel like you. You definitely came out on the other side.

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, let me tell you something. I've never been in a better place. I have finally found peace. And when you get peace, you will never allow anybody else to disrupt that peace. I'm walking peace. I live peace.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you remember the exact moment, like, you felt it? Like, oh, man, I feel free. I feel like, what.

[Morgan Wood]

When I. When I left city hall that day and I retired.

[Jess Hilarious]

Wow.

[Morgan Wood]

I'm telling you, it was like a light just came over on me.

[Jess Hilarious]

Wow.

[Morgan Wood]

And my. The ADA that was on my case at the time, she was there at my walkout and we were leaving, and she said, I've been waiting to send this post. Do I have your approval to now tell the world what happened to you? And I said, absolutely. And when she pressed in, it was. It.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Was there ever a moment of, like, when you had to testify in court, Right. Or decided to. Was there ever a moment for you where you thought you felt that piece that you're talking about? But then later on, I guess you realize, like, you're finally here, like. Because I would think maybe that would bring you some sort of closure or peace as well, too. Or. No.

[Morgan Wood]

You mean testifying with my.

[Katrina Brownlee]

With your ex fiance?

[Morgan Wood]

I never got a chance to testify.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Oh, so when you showed up the court, they didn't put you on the stand?

[Morgan Wood]

When I showed up in the court, when I showed up in the courtroom, he turned around and saw me because he thought that he had, like, intimidated me enough that I would not come.

[Jess Hilarious]

And he was threatening you from jail, Right.

[Morgan Wood]

To come to court. And when I walked in and he saw me, he whispered to his attorney, and the next thing I know, they Took me back out of the. The courtroom, and the next thing I knew, had pled guilty.

[Jess Hilarious]

Because you came to the. You. You first. You told the DA you was going to disappear, right?

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, I told her I was disappearing.

[Jess Hilarious]

And then you came later in the trial.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, because she told me that she was gonna hunt me down or something like a dog. I can't remember what she told me.

[Jess Hilarious]

She.

[Morgan Wood]

She had. She had told me. She was like, that is not.

[Jess Hilarious]

You're.

[Morgan Wood]

You're gonna show. And I'm like, for what? Nothing's going to happen to him. And everything that I said was going to happen, it happened.

[Jess Hilarious]

Wow.

[Morgan Wood]

And that's when people read the book. You will see every single thing. How does a man shoot someone 10 times times, kill their child, and all you give them is 5 to 15? Tell me how that works.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, because you're a black woman, right? Number one. Number two, because he was part of the law enforcement. Yeah. So they was protecting their own. That's right. Yeah, that part.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Have any of the officers that showed up those times when you did reach out to police come back and been like, we should have done more?

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm sorry.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm sorry. Anyway, anything.

[Morgan Wood]

Let me tell you. When, When. When the story first dropped, anonymous caller caught me. A lot of anonymous police officers were calling me and saying, you're a hero. I wish that I had the strength to do what you're doing. Thank you for being a voice. But I had one call me and he said, I'm not sure if I'm the officer that responded to you because I worked at the 8:1 at that time. He said, but I want to say to you that I apologize if I am. He said, I'm not going to tell you my name. I believe he told me he was either a captain or an inspector at the time that he retired. And he retired and he had moved to Florida. And he said, I just want to tell you that I apologize to you, and hung up the phone.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Did that do anything for you?

[Morgan Wood]

I just broke down in tears because I said, maybe had you did something, maybe this wouldn't have happened to my life. But he never gave me a chance to say anything.

[Jess Hilarious]

You know, they say everybody gotta have a testimony. Right. Because if you didn't have that testimony, you wouldn't be where you are now. But damn.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you have to go through all of that? You have the organization Our Young Ladies of Our Future, which is a nonprofit organization that serves at radio Young Women. And you have can't be Silenced, an organization working on Solutions to the urgent domestic violence crisis. What made you want to start both those organizations?

[Morgan Wood]

Well, young ladies of our future. I wanted to start that because I never wanted any young girl, young lady to ever have to endure what I have endured. So if I could just be able to pour into them and be able to change their lives and make a difference in their life, I just wanted to be able to do that. So that was the purpose of that. And I teach workshops just about self esteem, self awareness, a whole leap of things. And the can't be silenced piece was because I had to be silenced for so long. And now I have a voice. And I am the voice for the voice. Restless and the hope for the hopeless.

[Katrina Brownlee]

So that is why ending your story in the book. I turned to the last page in your book.

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, yeah. I want that to be a surprise.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Okay.

[Jess Hilarious]

Because I thought only Lauren would give away the ending of the book.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Because it's saying you don't.

[Jess Hilarious]

Come on.

[Katrina Brownlee]

No, because it's so sweet. Give away the whole ending. Well, okay, you're right. But I think for most people, because they hear all of this and then they're wondering, like, what is your personal life?

[Morgan Wood]

I want people to know that dreams do come true and that don't ever give up on your dream. Don't ever give up on yourself. Because look what happened for me. And if God can do it for me, he can do it for you.

[Jess Hilarious]

If people want to sign up for your. Your seminars or, you know, be a part of the young ladies of our future or can't be silenced, where do.

[Morgan Wood]

They reach Ms. Katrina 456 and Katrina Brownlee on. On Facebook, all my social media platforms.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, I'm glad that you survived and I'm glad that you're here to tell your story because this is going to help somebody, so. And then came the blues. My story of survival on both sides of the badge. A memoir from Katrina Brownlee is available everywhere. Now my last question. One word that describes your journey.

[Morgan Wood]

God, I made it. I made it.

[Jess Hilarious]

It. It's Katrina Br? Le. It's the Breakfast Club. Thank you for coming.

[Morgan Wood]

Thank you. Thank you for having me. Hi.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hi. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess. Hilarious Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get to the latest with Lauren.

[Morgan Wood]

Lauren becoming a straight F. She gets.

[Jess Hilarious]

Them from somebody that knows somebody some details.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm the home girl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Jess Hilarious]

She be having the latest on.

[Morgan Wood]

The.

[Jess Hilarious]

Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes you have facts, sometimes you have details. Sometimes you have a little bit everything. Oh. It's the latest on the Breakfast Club.

[Katrina Brownlee]

So Sha' Carri Richardson has come out and she spoke on the domestic violence arrests that we saw go down last week and took some accountability for different things. Let's take a listen to Shakari. Hey, y', all, it's Sha'. Carri. And more than anything, definitely a lot of self reflection, a lot of understanding of not only putting myself in a compromised situation, but somebody that I have a deep care and appreciation for as well is something that holding myself accountable. I'm taking this time to not only see myself, but get myself a certain level of help that overall is going to reflect who I truly am in my heart and my spirit. I want to be more, not even just for myself, for my family, for my fans and overly appreciate y' all supporting me and showing up and even holding me accountable to being my best self. I refuse to run away but face everything that comes to me head on because everything on the other side is greater but you got to go through in order to get there. I appreciate y' all and y' all be blessed. My bad girl, Sha'. Carrie, I know she hates when people get her name wrong.

[Jess Hilarious]

She corrected.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I love that. But yes, so she spoke out. I thought that this was very admirable of her because when the story broke, of course she's at the top. Everybody knows her. She's a huge world famous athlete. People, you know, when something, a story like this breaks, it spreads so fast. And a lot of times, you know, teams and the organizations, they don't comment and they tell the athletes to say nothing and just let it go away. So when she posted this video last night, I was like, oh, wow, is she's so human. I feel like we've been growing with her throughout her career and this is one of those moments where we're growing with her through something that we saw happen in real time.

[Jess Hilarious]

I respect the fact that she acknowledged her behavior, but I just want the record to show it is a double standard because if a man did something like that airport and then turned around and just did a little video like that, y' all would be dragging him to hell. Crazy right now. You wouldn't be on this radio sounding so understanding. You'd have lost everything about the situation. Oh, please. Oh, gone.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We don't know what she might have lost behind the scenes. We have no idea. There was a video that came out. You saw it on video. We don't know.

[Jess Hilarious]

If Lauren don't know, then somebody lying. Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You gotta point that out.

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm just.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Sponsorship would have jumped out the window and said, we are no longer working.

[Jess Hilarious]

But can we acknowledge that there is a double standard?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Okay, there is a double standard. Because I will say, when I saw the headline last weekend, for those of you guys who don't know what happened, just really quickly.

[Jess Hilarious]

And it was a video.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes. So Shakari sha' Carri and her boyfriend, Christian Coleman, who's a sprinter, they were in an airport, and the authorities in the airport were called because there was a. They said, oh, there's a disturbance between these two people in the video that was released after the story came out. You see sha', Carri, he's trying to, like, get around her and almost, like, walk away from her, but she's like. She shoves them into a wall, then, like, she throws something. They said that it was headphones that she threw. So of course the police report was taken and, you know, she was detained, she was arrested and all the things. But, yeah, I thought we were going to hear, you know, sponsorship conversations and all that stuff as well. And then the next thing I saw was this video. I do acknowledge the double standard.

[Jess Hilarious]

There's definitely a double standard. Because y', all, I'm telling you. So Guy would have did that. It had been World War III on social media.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Jess Hilarious]

And then if they. To put out an apology like that, y' all wouldn't even be accepted.

[Morgan Wood]

And then, to be honest with you. Listen, I'm gonna tell you something.

[Katrina Brownlee]

What?

[Morgan Wood]

That used to be me, not in the airport, but fighting them.

[Jess Hilarious]

What's up?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you've grown, like, what?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Just the moral of the story.

[Jess Hilarious]

Oh, we doing a moral?

[DJ Envy]

No, I'm just saying, like, I want.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You to say you've grown, and I've definitely grown.

[Jess Hilarious]

I'm reformed.

[Morgan Wood]

But I used to be boxing them up, too.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yo, Chris, blink twice if you need help, man. I don't know. I'm not.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Chris is her piece. I've been there. I feel you. I've been there. Yep.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She's very feminine with Chris. Like, oh, my gosh.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Chris, can you open the door?

[Jess Hilarious]

Contrary to popular belief, Jess is a feminine person. Okay, so it's not. I'm just saying. Yo, he makes like. It's just with Chris, she's a woman. At the end of the day, she has feelings and emotions. Don't let the tough hysteria fool you.

[Morgan Wood]

Absolutely. So I throw in that scarf and go live. Well, I do admire her for that. That apology.

[Katrina Brownlee]

He didn't even want her to get in trouble.

[Morgan Wood]

Either her boyfriend stepped up, like, look, nah, yo, it's not that, you know, yes, she. It's just. Okay, I'm okay.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm not hurt.

[Morgan Wood]

She's all right, you know.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, he said that, you know, there were two. They're learning through this. Give them basically give her some grace.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A young couple.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes, young couple. Now, in other news. I am really excited about this one. I think you guys will be too. Okay, so last night I was up until 1am Can y' all guess why?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Fixing your wig documentaries?

[Katrina Brownlee]

No, Taylor Swift has new. No, I don't do cocaine. Taylor Swift has new music coming out. And yes.

[Morgan Wood]

I'm a sociation.

[Jess Hilarious]

Gonna lie.

[Morgan Wood]

I love me some Taylor.

[Katrina Brownlee]

So did you see all of the. I wasn't up at one o'.

[Jess Hilarious]

Clock.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You know, she's the queen of Easter eggs. So last night Taylor Swift posted this like countdown. And the countdown was like, oh, two hours until. And it didn't even tell you until it just said it expires at August 12, 12:12am Eastern Standard Time. And then at 12:12am you know what happened? They let us know. She is dropping a new album. Surprise to her fans. The album is called the Life of a Showgirl. Now she is going to do a podcast today with her boo, Travis Kelce that airs tonight at 7:00pm Eastern Standard Time. I am going to tune in because I'm very curious to see just how they interact.

[Morgan Wood]

And this is his podcast or does she have a podcast?

[Katrina Brownlee]

No, it's his podcast.

[Morgan Wood]

She's going on his podcast?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yes, the. The New Height show. She's going to be on his podcast, you know, and. Yeah, just all the things. Aren't you guys excited?

[Jess Hilarious]

She already did the new. I thought she did it last night.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, they posted clips from it, but it airs today at some point.

[Morgan Wood]

7.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They get this excited for Jid's album this weekend.

[Jess Hilarious]

She sure didn't. Oh my God.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Don't know my life.

[Jess Hilarious]

Our gunner last week.

[Katrina Brownlee]

First of all, I've been bumping. I've been trying to get gun.

[Jess Hilarious]

She just rushed by Ari Linux when she was talking about Ari Lin. All right, got new music out. But she hates Martin. I can't stand it cuz she hates Martin and she hates the money, Max. But she gets so excited over that white girl. I mean, when she hit that mayonnaise. That mayonnaise just. I mean, just wait. I mean, she just couldn't wait to put it on her sandwich.

[Morgan Wood]

Stop. Hey, yo. No, I do love.

[Jess Hilarious]

I appreciate the TMZ in you though.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can you Name three.

[Jess Hilarious]

Tell us.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't Google it.

[Katrina Brownlee]

No, no. I was looking at my text. Make sure I missed nothing.

[Jess Hilarious]

Fake excitement. That's sad. It's sad how fake excited you got.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You can only.

[Jess Hilarious]

But you got so fake excited. Why? Because I get the point of that.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm a fan of the way that she rolls out things. I love her Easter eggs. I follow the Easter eggs. I'm fake Swifty.

[Morgan Wood]

All right, can we catch.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You are too low key. You be wearing the friendship bracelets. Yes, you do.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can we get a J?

[Jess Hilarious]

I wear my friendship bracelets because Don Staley we bracelet. She actually made me this one that's hanging up right here that says Charlemagne.

[Katrina Brownlee]

That's a necklace.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's a damn shame that you gave all the credit for friendship bracelets to Don Stanley. I mean the Taylor Swift.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You don't know about the bracelets at the concert.

[Morgan Wood]

I do, but damn fans of Taylor Swift.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yo. She's not. Because she can't name three songs.

[Katrina Brownlee]

It's not about the music you have to hear. And you be like, oh, I know that one.

[Jess Hilarious]

No, not for white people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who you giving your donkey to, sir?

[Jess Hilarious]

For after the hour, man. We need. First of all, you just Google now.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We got video.

[Jess Hilarious]

Sad. This is sad. I don't care, by the way.

[Katrina Brownlee]

And then what's the one about the ex? They all about the ex.

[Jess Hilarious]

All of them. Anthony Smith, okay. He's a party wedding dj. He needs to come to the front of the conversation. We like to have a word with him. You going to get bricked up when you hear this story end. You probably already did some events friends with him.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can I get. Can we get a jid joint on?

[Jess Hilarious]

Yes. Let's play skate, man. Play skate man with Sierra. Okay. Drop on the clues. Bombs.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I like all of those people. I like all of those people.

[Jess Hilarious]

Make sure you tell them to watch.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Out for Florida, man.

[Jess Hilarious]

The craziest people in America come from the Bronx. And all of Florida. Yes, you are. Are a donkey. The Florida man attacked an ATM for.

[Morgan Wood]

A very strange reason. It gave him too much money.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Florida man is arrested after deputies say he rigged the door to his home in an attempt to electrocute his pregnant wife. Police arrested an Orlando man for attacking a flamingo.

[Jess Hilarious]

The Breakfast Club donkey of the day with Charlemagne, the guy. I don't know why y' all get y' all like this donkey. Today for Tuesday, August 12th goes to a 32 year old man named Anthony Smith. Now, Anthony Anthony Smith is a party wedding DJ from Florida. Have you heard of him?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Envy I have not.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay, well, what does your uncle Charlotte always say about the great state of Florida? The craziest people in America come from the Bronx and all of Florida and today is no exception. Now, let me give you some background story on Anthony. Anthony, ladies and gentlemen, according to him, suffers from some sort of sexual addiction and engaging in lewd behavior arouses him. He was convicted in 2017 of indecent exposure and resisting arrest after he was spotted naked in pleasuring himself in public. Anthony says he does this because pornographic materials do not suffice his sexual desires. And this is important for all you religious folks. Okay, Christians, I need to listen. Need you to listen up. He says he does not want to violate his morals by having sexual relations before marriage or by using a female solely for sexual purposes. I think it's pretty immoral to be butt naked in public shaking hands with the Mick the milkman. But we love listen, okay? We don't judge. Anthony Smith was sentenced to six months in jail, okay, in 2017, and he's been arrested twice in the past for debugging his hard drive in public. Well, Anthony just got arrested again for indecent exposure. Okay. The actual charge was exposure of sexual organs and resisting arrest in Florida, both from misdemeanors. Would you like to know what Anthony Smith did now? I can't wait to tell you. Well, on last Thursday, Florida police found Anthony Smith walking around a Florida park. Park wearing women's lingerie, the bottoms of which were of the thong variety. In Anthony's genitals, his manaconda, his trouser snake, his D. Wayne Rock Johnson was fully exposed. He also was wearing fake breasts. He also had on a wig of long black hair. He had a black mask around his face, and he had a penis ring that is used for arousal purposes as well as to maintain erection. He had on a black foxtail. He thought he was the fantastic Mr. Fox. Well, the black foxtail, according to the police report, was protruding from his posterior, meaning it was hanging out of his ass. Okay? But upon further examination. And I would love to have a discussion with whoever did that examination. But upon further examination, the bushy tail turned out to be attached to a rectal plane plug that was inserted in his anus.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He had a butt.

[Jess Hilarious]

Now, we all know foxes. We all know foxes are very challenging to catch. So Anthony did try to get away, but he got caught. Okay. They discovered him in inside Indian Riverside park, and he was eventually caught near a children's museum. Now, thankfully, no children were present to witness this freaky Fox. But that doesn't make what he did any less egregious. Okay? Now clearly this man is dealing with some type of mental issues. But the reason my empathy doesn't get activated for this guy guy is because of how he described his situation to the police. I told you earlier. He told police he suffers from some sort of sexual addiction. He acknowledges all of his previous run ins with the law because of the sexual addiction. He knows that regular porn doesn't satisfy his sexual desires. And he said he doesn't want to violate his morals by having sex before marriage or by using a female solely for sexual purposes. Well, Anthony, if you are aware of all that, then you are also aware of your behavior.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay?

[Jess Hilarious]

Your moral compass is clearly broke if you think sex before marriage and not wanting to use a woman just for sex are morally incorrect. But putting a foxtail between your cheeks and buffing your vampire slayer in public is morally correct. Okay? If you are aware of what your problems are and you do nothing to even attempt to correct them them. I don't have empathy for you. Okay? If you can afford anal plugs and penis rings and foxtails and thongs, then you can afford some type of therapy for your sex addiction. Not to mention it's so many kinky ass sex clubs you can join where you can dress like that and just parade all around the club like that. I would have googled some for you myself this morning, but I don't want that in my searches. Okay? All I'm saying is a man who has listened me being a man who has listened to years of horrible decisions with Mandy and Wheezy, now decisions, decisions. As well as reading their New York Times best selling book no Holds Barred. I know that there is a lot of ways to express your freaky safely and legally in America. You wasn't looking for a safe space to let your freak flag fly because you enjoy letting your freak flag fly in public. You know exactly what you're doing and why you're doing it. Because if you simply wanted to be outside wearing a foxtail like Sza at the opening of the grand national tour, I guarantee you there is a resort for that. Once again, I'm not Googling it because I don't want it in my search history. Anthony, you've been arrested more than three times. And I bet you tell that story about having a sex addiction all the time. Well, let me tell you something, sir. If you have to talk to more than three people about the same same problem and you don't want help, you want attention and what you need to get is help. Help. Please give Anthony Smith the biggest. He haw. Stand up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, no.

[Jess Hilarious]

Stand up.

[Morgan Wood]

No, no.

[Jess Hilarious]

He wants to see if I'm bricked up. I know you bricked up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm not bricked up, but I'm not standing.

[Jess Hilarious]

I bet you stand up right now. You're here. No.

[Morgan Wood]

When he was going through the details, you did say.

[Jess Hilarious]

This is good.

[Morgan Wood]

You did say.

[Jess Hilarious]

I bet you Google because it's interesting. Show me your phone. Just turn your phone around like this. Just do it. Show your phone. Anthony Smith.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No.

[Jess Hilarious]

Is that. No.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Anthony Smith.

[Jess Hilarious]

He googled.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But I did. I did think the reason I said it was good. Could you imagine the cops having to chase him?

[Morgan Wood]

Yes.

[Jess Hilarious]

Grab him. Hilarious.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Take him down and then arrest them. I'd love to see a butt plugging out your genitals, hanging out your thong. Could you imagine? Then you gotta put him in the back of your squad car.

[Jess Hilarious]

I would love to see it. I don't wanna. I'd pay for it on somebody Patreon right now. I would pay for it to watch on somebody's Patreon.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That would be hilarious.

[Katrina Brownlee]

On somebody's Patreon.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yes, Right now.

[Morgan Wood]

Tell Ray J. Put it on Tronics. You have a whole show getting chased with butt plugs. That's right. Make it happen.

[Jess Hilarious]

Call it Crazy like a fox.

[Morgan Wood]

You got the gauge.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Freaky like a fox.

[Morgan Wood]

Freaky fox.

[Jess Hilarious]

Freaky, freaky, freaky fox. The gay agency would love that. Freaky like a fox.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But y' all don't want to play a game?

[Jess Hilarious]

Nope. Yeah, I want to know what he is. All right, well, let's play a game of guess what racist My music.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You got to find it.

[Morgan Wood]

Hell no.

[Jess Hilarious]

That's God. He don't want us to do it. Oh, my God.

[Morgan Wood]

What's his name again?

[Jess Hilarious]

Anthony Smith.

[Morgan Wood]

Anthony Smith.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yes. Okay. Anthony Smith. He was walking around a Florida park, fully exposed. He was wearing fake breasts. He had a wig of long black hair, a black mask around his face, a penis ring that is used for arousal purposes to maintain erections. He had a black fox tail and.

[Just Hilarious]

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[Jess Hilarious]

Guess what racy is Jess.

[Katrina Brownlee]

White?

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay, why do you think that?

[Morgan Wood]

I mean, because I don't want to put that on all people. I really don't.

[Jess Hilarious]

Okay.

[Morgan Wood]

Although I. I can imagine it. But no, I. I don't want to put that on our people.

[Jess Hilarious]

Envy, what about you? Anthony Smith was walking around a Florida park, genital fully exposed. Okay? Black fox tail hanging out his anus. All right. Long black hair, a black mask around his face, and fake breasts with a penis ring. Guess what racy is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't know.

[Jess Hilarious]

Anthony.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Anthony could be white or black.

[Morgan Wood]

I know, but Anthony Smith, A long black bust down. Yeah, he had a bust down. What?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was he?

[Morgan Wood]

What was he?

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, I want to tell both of you racist sleaze bags, one of y' all is correct and one of y' all is right. So that just hilarious is absolutely, positively wrong. And DJ Envy is absolutely, positively correct. Anthony Smith is Caucasian. Well, I mean, he's black, actually. He's not black, though. He's not black.

[Morgan Wood]

What is he?

[Jess Hilarious]

He's a freaky ass.

[Morgan Wood]

I didn't want it to be black, so I didn't want him.

[Jess Hilarious]

He's not black. He's the. He's the nw. No, he's black.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay, but he's black. But I see. Bust down.

[Jess Hilarious]

Come on. Hit my nword drop.

[Morgan Wood]

Damn, damn, damn it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Best show in the world.

[Jess Hilarious]

It's the best show in the world. I'm sure it says powerful trick at work in there. It's not hard to find it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Some powerful n going on here.

[Jess Hilarious]

Here we go. Just waiting on n words. They always late. All right, never mind. All right, move on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm individuals.

[Jess Hilarious]

All right, I'm over it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, now when we come back, we have the mayor of D.C. joining us, Muriel Bowser.

[Jess Hilarious]

Great segway. President Trump is listening like great segue.

[Morgan Wood]

Crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, my goodness. Well, yes, we're talking to the mayor of D.C. you know what Trump is doing in D.C? trying to take all the power away from her and trying to put the feds out there to, quote, unquote, clean up DC and we're going to talk to her next. All right? So don't go anywhere. It's the Breakfast Club. Come on. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's Dej Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a spot. Special guest in the building. We have the mayor of D.C. muriel Bowser. Welcome.

[Muriel Bowser]

Thank you. Thanks for having me on the Breakfast Club.

[Jess Hilarious]

Thank you for calling in. I want to set the stage real quick so people know why you calling in Mayor Bowser? You know, on Monday, President Trump announced he'd be invoking Section 740 of the D.C. home Rule act of 1973, which is basically giving him temporary control over the nation's capital. And he's also activated the National Guard because he said the crime rate is just through the roof right in D.C. why do you think this is happening, man? Bowser?

[Muriel Bowser]

Well, I mean, Trump had, the president has had a long fascination with D.C. he left D.C. during the height of COVID and I think he had a picture of homelessness that has, that has struck with him. You heard him on the campaign trail talking about DC and in a lot of ways, DC Is a of proxy for American cities. And his, his administration has taken a very aggressive stance against American cities. He thinks that people in cities don't support him. He's very aware of the number of people that voted for him in D.C. and so he, he has taken an aggressive stance. I heard some of what you've said, said the numbers just don't justify the action. We have seen a precipitous lessening of crime in the city, violent crime, especially after a post Covid spike that we acknowledge. And we got after and we drove down the numbers in 2023. We reported last year the lowest level of violent crime in 30 years. So we're not taking our foot off the gas. We're continuing to work. But we think that this action kind of plays into his narrative about cities, about using force, about being tough on crime. And I can say a little bit more about why D.C. is different. But it's times like this when America needs to know why your nation's capital, a place where 700,000 taxpaying American Americans live, should be the 51st state.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, Mayor, you know, a lot of we're talking to Mayor Muriel Bowser from the mayor of D.C. now, a lot of people say, well, you know, well, maybe it's needed. You know, when they look at different cities, it does look beat up sometimes it does look dirty. And I see Trump made an analogy or something about he was like, when I go to a restaurant with my dad and when my dad says, sees that the door of the restaurant is dirty, we know not to go there. And that's how people look at DC So what do you say to those people that said, well, maybe it is needed, maybe we do need to clean it up a little bit. What do you say to those individuals?

[Jess Hilarious]

That's not crime.

[Muriel Bowser]

And it's also not how people look at D.C. when people come to D.C. elected officials, leaders of nations that he likes to point to, they meet with me as well, and they tell me how beautiful the city is, how green the city is, how they were surprised at how many parks and wide avenues that the city. Keep in mind, this is the nation's capital, built on l' Enfant's plan. That is magnificent and beautiful city. So this idea that D.C. is dirty is, is obviously there are places where people litter and we clean up. We have some of the best city services of any city in America. Our Department of Public Works is on top of cleanliness. And our partnership with the federal government is always welcome on issues that we share. Keep in mind that the Fed's own, own more property in D.C. than they own in most places, including the national parks, the pocket parks, the circle parks, where we have seen some of the homeless problem and where they're responsible for cleaning up, dumping the trash and cutting the grass. Some things that they haven't been on top of in recent months. So the feds have a really outsized role in D.C. when it comes to. Comes to keeping federal parks clean. Now, we want to work with them on that, and we have the teams to do that, but it's just not, it's not right to say that D.C. is dirty.

[Jess Hilarious]

Listen, but you also don't deploy the FBI in the National Guard just because something is not clean. I don't understand that logic. That sounds crazy, but I do want to ask you something, Mayor Bowser. Do you believe President Trump had the legal authority to deploy the FBI and national guard into D.C. without the, the city's consent?

[Muriel Bowser]

Well, this is, this is the primer on DC that I like to give in times like this when we're in the national news.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We are unique.

[Muriel Bowser]

We are not a state. And so when you hear D.C. residents talk about, we gotta become a state, we gotta become a state, it's not, you know, it's not just a easy topic, because what it says is that we don't have full autonomy. We have limited home rules rule. And our home rule charter gives the president the ability to declare an emergency, a public safety emergency, for almost any reason. And that doesn't really give him the right to take over the police department. And if you read his executive order closely, what it says is, what the charter allows him to do is direct me, the mayor, to make MPD services available. And that's what it says. Our organization chart, our chief of police, our reporting structure for our police officers has not changed.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Episode kicking in with Muriel Bowser, the mayor of D.C. charlemagne, I was going to ask, so what is required for this takeover to end, to make sure that you remain in control? And that he does.

[Muriel Bowser]

A good question. Because we're in unprecedented territory. The law says he has 30 days unless the Congress passes a joint resolution to extend it because there is no real predicate, in our view, for a crime surge that, that caused the emergency having. The reasons to end the emergency are also unclear. So that's the conversation that I will have with the person that he has designated as, as his proxy to, to request these services. And that's the Attorney General Bondi.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, you mentioned, you mentioned this in 2020. So you seen this coming.

[Muriel Bowser]

He's been talking about it for a while. He tried in 2020 to when you will remember, when there were protests around the killing of George Floyd and that's when he first intimated that he wanted to, to take over the police. We pushed back real hard and just explained to him that, that at that time, especially at that time where the city was a tinderbox, would, would be a bad move.

[Jess Hilarious]

Do you think this is a trial run for a police state from President Trump?

[Muriel Bowser]

Listen, I think that what we have to see, nobody should be a lot of the coverage I've heard, just like one of the, the callers I heard is making the argument that DC's crime issues are out of control. That's not true. Our police department, best in the business, partners with the federal government, supports the President, supports diplomatic visits to the city, are driving down crime in partnership with the community and tougher policies, quite frankly, that I have supported over the last several years to help us hold people who use guns in our city accountable. And we have to have that honest conversation, too. We can't have a system where a juvenile or an adult can use guns, hurt people and not face any accountability. So the city has, has really stepped aggressively in that direction and it was warranted. But we cannot, you cannot suggest that the MPD is not, is not getting the job done.

[Jess Hilarious]

We have a young lady, Morgan wood, she's from D.C. she's from the Black Information Network. She wants to ask you a question, too, Mayor Bowser.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, thank you, Mayor Bowser, appreciate you taking the time. As a DMV resident, someone who frequents D.C. a lot, how do you, how do, what do you think the presence of this federal law enforcement, how do you think it stands to impact residents? Those of us that are coming from Maryland and Virginia to hang out, support local businesses, even businesses that may be struggling from the pandemic. How do you, what do you, what is your take on how this presence of federal law enforcement stands to impact not only the residents, but also, you know, you economically in the District.

[Muriel Bowser]

Well, Morgan, what I'm really concerned about is the rhetoric coming from the president. Already the federal government's decisions are having a completely negative impact on our economy. By firing federal worker, closing federal buildings, continuing this telework policy that they said they wouldn't continue is having a negative impact on our economy. The Congress limited our own local spending by almost a billion dollars this year that cost us to cut services in the District. Already having an impact on our economy and spreading lies about how, how safe the city is will impact our ability to replace that economic activity with private activity like you're mentioning, just wanting to come to restaurants or clubs. So I feel very confident that our city is safe and you should go about your daily activities and that we are going to work very, very hard to make sure that the federal presence doesn't impact anybody's ability to come to the city, whether they're our residents, people from the region, or people who are coming to visit us. Now, having said that, yesterday, last week and the week before that, everybody who comes here should follow the law. And that remains true. Everybody who comes here should follow the law. And that includes the police.

[Jess Hilarious]

Oh, I have one more question about it because I know you got to go. Like the caller caught up here this morning and said he does think it's a good thing that President Trump wants to reduce the crime rate in D.C. but in your opinion as mayor, why is this the wrong way to do it?

[Muriel Bowser]

The wrong is the wrong way to do it because federal law enforcement does a different job. We work with the FBI, ATF and DEA all the time. But, but we work with them on high level criminal organizations bringing drugs and guns to the city. FBI agents don't go out on patrol. That's not what they're trained to do. And that's not what they are good at. It's also not a good idea for our own Metropolitan Police Department, who's worked so hard to gain the trust of community, communities, for communities to now be scared of the police because when they are, they don't call when they need help, when they are, they don't cooperate when there's been a crime committed and we need the public support. And so that that in itself makes cities less safe. So that's not the way to do it. And more than that, it's not right to trample on democratic processes. And while our kind of autonomy is limited and our grip on democracy is tenuous in a city that doesn't. That is not a state and does not have two senators, we do have local elected government. And we, our own residents know how to make their voices heard.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, Maya, we appreciate you for checking in and checking in anytime you need to, please.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's the mayor of D.C. muriel Bowser. And thank you again. And please let us know what. What's going on and keep us updated.

[Muriel Bowser]

Will do.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, now when we come back, we have the latest with Lauren. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Thank you so much, Mayor. The Breakfast Club, just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy.

[Jess Hilarious]

We are the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yo, what's up with SeaWorld? Yo, why SeaWorld don't want to book me? They booking everybody at SeaWorld.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We outside. What? Yes. Like this SE World has not gotten.

[Jess Hilarious]

The memo that people need to cancel their DEI initiatives. Okay, that's clearly what's going on.

[Morgan Wood]

They just asked me to do res. The residency there.

[Katrina Brownlee]

No, with me World.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, you better do it.

[Morgan Wood]

I. I am going to do it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Telling y' all from tell the jokes.

[Jess Hilarious]

I haven't seen nobody rock the crowd like Trina. I didn't seen Fat Joe before they went crazy for Trina. I ain't see Flocka.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah, they.

[Katrina Brownlee]

They.

[Morgan Wood]

He was there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right. All right. Well, let's get to the latest with Lauren.

[Morgan Wood]

Lauren becoming a straight face.

[Jess Hilarious]

She gets them from somebody that knows somebody. She gets the details.

[Katrina Brownlee]

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

[Jess Hilarious]

She be having the latest on the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes you have facts. Sometimes you have details. Sometimes you have a little bit everything. Well, it's the latest on the Breakfast Club.

[Katrina Brownlee]

All right, y', all, so Cardi B, y' all know she has her album coming in by the drama on September 19, period. So she just posted last night a photo cover art of a song that she's Gonna be dropping this Friday called Imaginary Players. Now, there's no audio, but the fans were quick, quick to be like, this has to be a sample of Jay Z's Imaginary Players. And Cardi went live to talk about what the song would be, given what the vibes would be. Let's take a listen to Cardi. This single is really how I talk.

[Jess Hilarious]

All day, every day, but in a song.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Like, it's like reflection, real complex type.

[Morgan Wood]

You know what I'm saying? Like, if only y' all knew the.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Story for what I had to go through with this single and to do something else. But when the song come out, I'm gonna tell y' all more about the song story. Yeah. So the people are, the fans are really excited for this to be that sample. And I haven't confirmed that it is a sample. I've tried, but no one wants to give me anything on the rollout.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But it does sound like it. And that's. And for people that know B in her click, her girl click, they all are like that. Like driving Ferraris and some rich bags and some rich ish and issing on chicks like that is bing of her team. And they do it 24, seven, seven days a week.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah, but I mean, just because the song is called Imaginary Players don't mean she's gonna sample jt. It just means that she's probably playing off the title because an imaginary player is a person who pretends like they got it. You're a player in your own mind because you might. That's probably the concept of the song.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, the fans are really sticking to this narrative that it may be a sample of the song. They even went over to Jay Z's YouTube channel, found the song Imaginary Players. And for a lot of Cardi's fans, their first time hearing it was yesterday when she announced announced her song. So they're in the comments of Jay Z.

[Jess Hilarious]

Get all these punk ass kids out the pool.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Somebody said in the comments, I'm here after Cardi B announced her new single called Imaginary Players. It's Friday that another person said the Cardi B announcement took me here. Another person said, if you've been missing out, do yourself the favor and lock into the goats catalog. Greatest hip hop storyline of all time. We need to get rid of ready for Cardi B's release. Then someone else said, never heard this before, but I know Cardi B will be sliding.

[Jess Hilarious]

I highly, highly doubt Cardi B is gonna be rapping over imaginary play.

[Morgan Wood]

You highly doubt that Maybe some type.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Of sample cuz they said she said. It took a minute to sample that. And that's also a sample from.

[Jess Hilarious]

Was a sample from. No, it's not the Ay Brothers, Renee and Angela. Imaginary Playmates.

[Morgan Wood]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So maybe it's some type of sample sampled based off of that.

[Jess Hilarious]

Maybe.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I can't wait to hear it.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, after I am.

[Morgan Wood]

The best thing I like to happen is for people to. Not that this is what any of y' all are doing, but the best thing I like is for when people doubt Cardi. And she come out, like, swinging and sliding and scratching. Daddy, like on the.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

On the track, Scratchy.

[Morgan Wood]

I love when she. Like when she make the naysayers eat their words.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah. I just don't. I just don't think. Because I don't hit when I listen to the samples. Not that I can't hear Cardi rapping on that. It's just. I don't hear why they. That would be a single. It wasn't even a single project, but.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That'S what I'm saying. Maybe they cut it up and chopped it in a way that it is a single. Can we play a little bit of it for people?

[Jess Hilarious]

See how to do it? Check. Yo, I spit that up. That was nice. Follow me around Deep cover you bear money I'm all year money I'm popping you ain't got to count it's all air money I never change money. Cause got strange money knocked up marked. No, you can't hear on that. Not as a single.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I think because you. You're used to like, like, records. Like, outside being her single tempo, she's more swinging.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's laid back. But maybe Baldy got it.

[Katrina Brownlee]

She could.

[Morgan Wood]

I can't wait to never know.

[Jess Hilarious]

I think she's playing off the concept of imaginary players, because we all know imaginary players have imaginary haters. They just. They just. They're in their own delusional world, which actually, for this era, makes a lot of. Of sense.

[Morgan Wood]

And then Envy just played the music video for me. I ain't never see the. The Imaginary Players music video. He just played it for me. But where Cardi from the Bronx.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Damn.

[Morgan Wood]

So y' all know what y' all should do, right? Y' all should pull up to the salsa confuego tonight. Yo, I got a show tonight and the show tomorrow there. Cardi said come, she might come.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They could kind of shoot the video and you can.

[Morgan Wood]

Coming through my show.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right. They got a section over there. They got bottles and then the mask. Imaginary Players ain't got no bottles. Exactly. What's the Difference between a 4.0 and a 4.6?

[Jess Hilarious]

The imaginary players have bottles. They just. They just didn't pay for them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They didn't pay for them.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, it's gonna be me tonight. Cause envy buying all the bottles.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yep.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I'm coming.

[Morgan Wood]

So get the [e-mail].

[Jess Hilarious]

See you the Bronx.

[Morgan Wood]

See you in the Bronx.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Well, yeah, so we'll wait for that. That is releasing this Friday cardi B song. And actually, as we wrap up real quick, look, there is right now. Remember we talked about the T app?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

So absolutely.

[Katrina Brownlee]

There is a app in the app store right now called the T on her app. So y' all were talking about if the guys did this and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, the guys are attempting to. I don't know how successful it will be. We saw what happened with the T app and the data breach and all.

[Morgan Wood]

The guys got.

[Katrina Brownlee]

For the girls.

[Morgan Wood]

Like, they trying to find out the tea on the girls.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah. This has been floating around for some. Some time like a coup. People have been talking about this being in the app store, but it just raised. I think it's like number three or number four and downloads wise in the app store as far as, like, dating and advice. But I have, you know, people I know that have tried to download it, and the guys are trying to get in there. I think, honestly, we should just all leave these apps alone.

[Jess Hilarious]

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Please drop and just. Just please send. Send your two uncs up here. What they say after you put her.

[Morgan Wood]

Picture, you don't want nobody see your car fix, huh?

[Katrina Brownlee]

Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that.

[Morgan Wood]

Oh, whoa.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yeah, I didn't mean it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Please post Lauren's picture on that T app.

[Katrina Brownlee]

You're not gonna get nothing. I don't be doing it. The reason why I was saying that is because after that data breach, there was a story that the Washington Post did of this woman that sued the T app for the data breach or whatever. And, like, I don't know, it just seems a little messy now. I was down in the beginning.

[Morgan Wood]

Let the guys have it, because I.

[Jess Hilarious]

Want to see some things. Oh.

[Morgan Wood]

I want to see what they find. Because to be honest, a real conversation is women are way sneakier than men.

[Katrina Brownlee]

We're not sneaky. We're smarter.

[Jess Hilarious]

Got you. Women are cats. Women are cats. Men are dogs. Because, you know, you all, you always see, like, you can drive by and see dogs, you know, having sex with each other. They be stuck looking dumb. But you ain't never seen two cats having sex. But you see the kittens.

[Morgan Wood]

Never yet that's all you see is the result. You ain't never see it.

[Jess Hilarious]

And I got two videos of you stuck Lord, so don't even talk about right. Also, I just got a text. Cardi's Imaginary Players does sample the Jay Z Classic.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Hey, you confirmed the news. It is.

[Jess Hilarious]

Period.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Thank you.

[Jess Hilarious]

I didn't confirm. I just got a text.

[Katrina Brownlee]

I mean, if nobody knew that for sure. So you just confirmed the news. Thank you.

[Jess Hilarious]

I didn't come. This person might be lying to me. I don't know. I can't say it's confirmed. I just. All I said was I got a text.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who sent you the text?

[Jess Hilarious]

It don't matter who sent it to me, but I can't even say this is a reliable source. I'm just telling you that the person who text text me said that she does sample the Jay Z Classic. And I asked, did they hear it? And they said, yes, I have.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Oh, period.

[Jess Hilarious]

They could just be lying. I don't just. I'm just putting it out there. I don't know if that's true.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So he confirmed it. All right.

[Jess Hilarious]

The person heard it. If they heard it, they heard it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Not gonna say it if somebody's lying.

[Jess Hilarious]

We know you. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is the latest with Lauren. Jesus mixes up next to Scott. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious Charlamagne. The guy we are the Breakfast Club. We got a salute to Katrina Brownlee for joining us this morning.

[Jess Hilarious]

Man, Katrina Brownlee. She has a new book out called the Blues, My Story of Survival on Both sides of the Badge. I told y' all before we played the interview, and I'm telling y' all again now. It is a very triggering interview, especially for anybody who's had to deal with domestic violence. But we're glad that Katrina Brownlee chose, you know, I mean, not only did she survive, but she chose to, you know, make, I guess, the best out of that situation or the best she could by becoming a police officer, so. Which is crazy, because that traumatized her, too. Just. Just read the book, okay? Read the book. It's called the Blues My Story of Survival on Both sides of the Badge. Sending healing energy to Katrina Brownlee. Always, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And also salute to the mayor of D.C. for checking in today, Muriel Bowser.

[Jess Hilarious]

So, yes, Mayor Bowser, she called in to talk about, you know, Trump because, you know, he had President Trump announced that he's invoking the Section 740 of the D.C. home Run act of 1973, and it gives him temporary control over the nation's capital. And he's also activated the National Guard. So she called in to talk about why that is not a good idea. None of it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Salute to everybody coming out to see Jess tonight. And tomorrow night, she's gonna be at Salsa Confuego.

[Jess Hilarious]

What is that? I don't know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm actually coming tomorrow. I'm gonna go see Jess tomorrow.

[Morgan Wood]

Yes.

[Katrina Brownlee]

Yo. All right.

[Jess Hilarious]

No.

[Morgan Wood]

First of all, I know you lying, because this is your car show week, and you got got a lot to do, buddy.

[Jess Hilarious]

So don't even.

[Morgan Wood]

Just promise me it's all right. If you pop up, you're gonna be there. But if not, I will be in the building with Desi Alexander. We got a show tonight in the show tomorrow at Salsa Confuego. Get the tickets at my website, desolarius official.com or salsa confuego.com. they're almost sold out for tonight and they're almost sold out for tomorrow, so.

[DJ Envy]

Get your tickets, y'.

[Jess Hilarious]

All.

[Morgan Wood]

Can't wait to see you in the Bronx.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right.

[Jess Hilarious]

And listen, I want to salute to Cheryl McKissick. Daniel, man, her book, the Black Family who Built America is available everywhere. You buy books today. Okay. The book is about the family run construction business, McKissack and McKissack. I mean, they have contributed to the creation of some of the nation's most significant landmarks, like the National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee, Atlantic Yards, Pacific park, the Long Island Railroad Yard Relocation, the Barclays center, the new Terminal 1 at JFK Airport, Lincoln Field Field in Philadelphia. They have contributed to all of those places, man. So if you're interested in that story, if you're interested in the history of the McKissacks, please go get Cheryl McKissack Daniels new book, the Black Family who Built Them, who built America? The McKissacks. Two centuries of daring pioneers. Available everywhere you buy books today, courtesy of my book imprint, Black Privilege Publishing. Simon Issues.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right. And you got a pioneer positive note.

[Jess Hilarious]

I do. I just want to tell people that success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. It's the little things that add up to that one big thing that you're trying to acquire. Have a great day at Breakfast Club, bitches. You don't finish or y' all done?

[Just Hilarious]

Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Building a career isn't just about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community. And future generations. Whether you're starting out or making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way. Because like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out [e-mail] this is an iHeart podcast.