FULL SHOW: Beyoncé Returns To Met Gala After 10 Years, Taraji Calls Out Celebs Who Attend + Isaiah Rashad Rashad, Zuri Hall & Shan’t Das Interview

Summary

The Breakfast Club – May 5, 2026

Beyoncé's Met Gala Return, Taraji Calls Out Celebs, and Interviews with Isaiah Rashad, Zuri Hall, and Shanti Das

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Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club dives into the 2026 Met Gala, with Beyoncé's high-profile return after a ten-year hiatus, Taraji P. Henson’s outspoken criticism of celebrity attendance in the midst of controversy, and reflective interviews with artist Isaiah Rashad, red carpet correspondent Zuri Hall, and mental health advocate Shanti Das. Hosted by DJ Envy, Charlamagne tha God, and guest Lauren LaRosa, the show blends hot pop culture topics with deeper conversations about representation, mental health, protest, and personal growth.

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Major Discussion Points

1. Met Gala 2026: More than Fashion

[02:55–04:10, 25:16–34:28]

• Beyoncé’s return with Blue Ivy and Jay Z was a showstopper: her first Met Gala appearance in a decade.
• $42 million was raised for the Metropolitan Museum of Art — a record total, up from $31M the previous year.
• The show's hosts questioned why similar fundraising isn’t seen for Black history and community organizations. Charlamagne:
  “How can we raise that kind of money for, like, the International African American Museum...? $41 million... that’s what I be thinking about.” [04:05]

Celebrities & Designers

• Designers buy tables and invite celebrities (many of whom wear the designer’s creations).
• Discussion on the uneven support Black institutions receive from Black celebrities and designers.

Standout Outfits & Red Carpet Moments

• Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Kim Kardashian, Sza, Bad Bunny, and notably Beyoncé “shining head to toe.”
• Zuri Hall, reporting from the red carpet, praised Blue Ivy’s poise:
  "[Blue Ivy] has such a presence...her star power is so effortless." [85:31]

Critiques and Boycotts

• Taraji P. Henson publicly called out celebrities for attending, highlighting the event’s alignment with billionaire Jeff Bezos (an honorary co-chair).
• Discussion around performative protest: Are celebrities consistent in their ethics, or just selectively boycotting high-profile events?
• Reverend Al Sharpton defended his attendance, citing support for Black artists in the face of wealthy (and often MAGA-supportive) sponsors:
  "They don’t have enough money to keep me from talking to the artists I came to support." [29:19]

Protest Actions

• Labor leader Chris Smalls led protests outside the Met Gala, was arrested after a high-profile barricade breach. Activists projected messages onto major NYC buildings, including Bezos’ penthouse, highlighting Amazon labor struggles.
• A counter-event dubbed "Ball Without Billionaires" featured workers as models, driving home the “labor is art” theme.

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2. Front Page News and Current Events

[09:13–12:56, 40:14–41:57]

• Obama opened up about political pressures, frustration over perceptions, and the toll his schedule takes on his family (esp. Michelle Obama wanting him to slow down).
• Several schools in Philadelphia forced to close due to budget cuts, a move likely to hit Black students hardest and raise questions about educational priorities.

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3. Isaiah Rashad Interview: Artistry, Identity, and Healing

[43:19–65:37]

• New album: It’s Been Awful, reflecting on five turbulent years following a sex tape leak that outed him as sexually fluid.
• Candidly discusses:
  • Struggles with masculinity, addiction, and the pressure of public opinion.
  • The hurt of losing control over his own narrative:
    “Regardless of how much I love myself, I put myself in an irresponsible situation for anybody to be able to control my narrative.” [45:12]
  • On coming out and family reactions: talked more openly to friends than family, but has found increased honesty and open conversation as a result.
  • Hip hop’s slow movement on embracing emotional vulnerability and diverse identities.
  • “There’s no manual for being a bisexual Black dude.” [45:50]

Memorable Quotes

• Charlamagne: “Your personal life is yours to unpack when you want to unpack it.” [47:15]
• Isaiah: “There don’t make a manual for being a bisexual Black dude…or any of that type. They don’t have…you know…” [45:50]
• On empathy: “Nobody know a junkie like a junkie, bro. And I feel like that’s what I’m here for.” [54:11]
• On acceptance: “You are who you are…It’s gonna take up too much of my life besides just being okay with it.” [64:35]
• Album plug with humor: “Buy my album so I can take care of my family.” [64:58]

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4. Zuri Hall Interview: Behind the Red Carpet

[81:32–95:52]

• Prepping for Met Gala (glam starts 8:30AM, in place by 2PM); often pulling together looks last-minute.
• Social media has made celebrities risk-averse on red carpet interviews:
  “We live in a clip economy...People have become more cautious, more savvy.” [82:50]
• The importance of trust for candid interviews. Zuri discusses her professional path, including periods of feeling "underutilized" and tenacity in her career.
• Major career changes ahead with Access Hollywood's cancellation, embracing vulnerability and adaptation:
  “If I'm willing to be vulnerable about my show going away...that's a blessing in disguise.” [91:58]
• Advice: “Opportunity and success...or lack thereof, is not directly tied to my worth, truly.” [94:04]

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5. Shanti Das: Silence the Shame and Mental Health Advocacy

[105:22–114:48]

• Marks the 10th Silence the Shame Day. The organization suffered a recent $600,000 funding loss due to state/federal cutbacks.
• Calls for community support, donations, and continued dialogue about mental health in Black communities.
  “Most people know, I don’t impose my faith on anyone, but I’m trusting God through the storm.” [106:45] “We all have mental health. It’s how you think, how you act, how you feel.” [108:13]
• Shares that hotline 988 (the new National Suicide Lifeline) personally helped her when in crisis:
  “I called the national suicide lifeline the night that I was in crisis, and it helped me.” [112:53]

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Other Notable Segments & Moments

• Call-ins: Listeners share thoughts on co-parenting (Jess Hilarious’s book praised), New York food spots, and family support after loss (see [13:33–20:04]).
• Chris Brown Birthday Coverage: Birthday acknowledged, and a clarification around a shooting incident near his house was corrected. [70:25-71:56]
• Donkey of the Day: Charlamagne highlights the dangerous escalation of a Domino’s driver who ran over a customer for not tipping (reminding everyone to do their jail math before making bad decisions). “Is what you’re about to do worth the time that you will get for doing it? Always got to remember that.” [80:51]
• Sports: Knicks beat 76ers, Timberwolves beat Spurs. Obama’s interview in The New Yorker, and the struggles with political double standards. [08:09–13:00]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:55] Met Gala, celebrity cultural cachet, and supporting Black institutions
• [25:16] Met Gala fundraising and breakdown
• [26:24] Beyoncé and Blue Ivy soundbite from red carpet
• [28:27] Taraji’s protest and question of celebrity consistency
• [37:08] Chris Smalls/Amazon protest at the Met Gala
• [43:19] Isaiah Rashad interview begins
• [45:50] Isaiah on coming out and navigating masculinity
• [54:11] Isaiah discusses empathy and addiction
• [62:06] Hip hop/sexuality and the culture’s progress
• [81:32] Zuri Hall enters; red carpet and celebrity media conversation
• [91:51] Zuri on professional vulnerability and adapting to change
• [105:22] Shanti Das (Silence the Shame) on mental health, funding crisis, and community
• [112:53] Shanti on calling 988 during a personal suicide crisis

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Tone and Style

The tone through the episode is light, witty, and conversational—peppered with deeper honesty, especially in the interviews. The show balances celebrity gossip and humor (Charlamagne’s “Halloween costumes” line on Met Gala outfits [04:46]), frank socio-political critique, and heartfelt personal testimony (Shanti Das on suicide prevention and community healing).

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Notable Quotes

• Charlamagne tha God [04:05]:
  “$41 million is a lot of money. That’s what I be thinking about...Damn, they raised $41 million for that museum. I’m thinking about the business, the economics of it.”

• Taraji P. Henson via Lauren [28:27]:
  "What the f are we doing? People should not be [at the Gala] because Jeff Bezos..."*

• Isaiah Rashad [45:50]:
  "They don’t make a manual for being a bisexual Black dude.”

• Charlamagne tha God [47:15]:
  "Your personal life is yours to unpack when you want to unpack it."

• Zuri Hall [82:50]:
  "We live in a clip economy at this point...people have become more cautious, they've become more savvy..."

• Shanti Das [106:45]:
  "I'm in the middle of the storm and I'm just gonna soar like an eagle and figure it out, because it's money out there. And more importantly, we're saving lives."

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Summary

A dynamic and insightful episode capturing the glam (and politics) of the Met Gala, powerful testimony on mental health and community, and raw artistic journeys. Listeners are left with both light entertainment and memorable takeaways—from the importance of celebration and protest, to collective responsibility in supporting underfunded communities and being kind to yourself and others.

Transcript

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[Charlamagne tha God]

Wake you up.

Wake that ass up.

Program your Alarm to Power 105.1 on iHeartRadio.

Good morning, USA.

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

Jess is out. Lauren's here though. What's up, Lauren?

[DJ Envy]

Good Morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Charlamagne to God.

Peace to the planet. It's 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. Good morning.

Good morning. How you feeling, greeny? You all green?

[DJ Envy]

I feel good. This feels so good outside. I love warm weather.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, it's beautiful outside. Did you go out last night?

[DJ Envy]

I did not. I actually fell asleep, and it was. It was. That was all she wrote for me.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That was. It was a rap.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did you at least watch the Met Gala?

[DJ Envy]

You know, I did. I watched the full. Of course I did. I watched the full Met Gala and worked on some things. And, yeah, we want to have a good show.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Lots of fun. Did you feel bad that you didn't get invited?

[DJ Envy]

I did not feel bad. I didn't feel bad because I know if I'm not there this year, if it's meant to be, next year, it will be. You know what I mean? I'm walking into where I'm supposed to be gracefully, but I think we got enough that we'll be able to talk about it. And I got to go see Devil Wears Prada yesterday.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

How was that?

[DJ Envy]

It was amazing. I love that movie. We.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You want to be in the fashion industry so bad, one way or another. Can't get into the Met Galway product. Not really. If you can't get into the Met gal.

[DJ Envy]

Actually, first of all, right, I thought about you.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I thought about you last night because they had, like, a little fan cage where all the fans were screaming. I was like, laura could have slapped

the hell out you. Out of seeing you.

[DJ Envy]

Why would I be out there screaming?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Because you could have been out there with the fan. Like, you could have been with the mic.

It ain't never that serious.

[DJ Envy]

No. No, not at all. Envy loved y'. All. Both of y' all love to play with me. But Envy starting it off this morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm sorry.

It's never that serious.

I'm sorry.

I will say this, though, but I could give a dam. But, you know, I do like about the Met Gala, all the money they raised for that damn museum. Because I'd be sitting there thinking, like, damn, how can we raise that kind of money for, like, the International African American Museum, you know, in Charleston, South Carolina, and all the other museums that are preserving Black history. $41 million, I think they said they raised their method.

[DJ Envy]

Get a lot of the big black

[Charlamagne tha God]

celebrities, you know, they not gonna come. You know good and damn well they

barely come to the B tier walks.

You Know, when they come to supporting their own, you know, it's not the same level of validation. They always think white ice is cold.

[DJ Envy]

But, you know, it's a lot designers that are paying for those tables. So you got like the. The couture fashion houses and then they invite the business.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I know probably don't see the value in the African American museums all over the country. That's what I'm simply saying. No knock to nobody who was there. I'm just simply saying $41 million is a lot of money. That's what I'd be thinking about. I'm like, Damn, they raised $41 million for that museum. I'm thinking about the business, the economics of it.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I know.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, Halloween costumes they'd be wearing.

Yeah, I'm sure we'll break that down. We'll find out who was on the red carpet, who was there, whose outfit was the best, whose outfit wasn't the best. So we, we'll talk about all that,

like, even next Thursday, I. I'm being honored at the, the food bank. You know, here in New York City, they have a gala. I know they not about to raise no $41 million. You know, I'm just saying. That's my point.

[DJ Envy]

New York, all these celebrities are here.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's my point.

But I don't even know all the celebrities are here because so many people fly in just for that gala.

[DJ Envy]

I'm sure most of the people, like,

[Charlamagne tha God]

are not from New York that went to the Met gala last night. But we'll break down the Met gala.

Listen, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is cool, but, you know, you can't eat no paintings. Right, right. People can't eat no paintings. That's all I'm saying. And. And their under attack the way ours is.

That's right.

That's all I'm saying. Okay, we gotta help. We gotta support our own. Because I would love to know how much of that $41 million came from black people.

But do a gala. Let's do a gala and let's get people to come on in and raise some money.

Sure.

He said, sure. All right.

You know who does a good job of that too, though? The Reform Alliance. When they do their. And the thing they do in Atlantic City every year.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, the big.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Cause they raise a lot of money for criminal.

Yes, yes, they do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. With Jay and Mike Rubin. They raise a lot of money. Yes, they do.

100%.

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

They reform.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's called the Reform Gala, I think. I don't know what it's called.

Yeah, but, yeah, they do that. Atlantic City each and every year. They raise a lot of money as well. All right, well, let's get the show cracking. Isaiah Rashad will be joining us, man.

He's got a new album called It's Been Awful. And that title is very fitting because he's had a. A rough five years. You know, he had a wild five years, personally, because, you know, he's. He's a dope artist. But five years ago, somebody leaked a sex tape of him, and it was him with a bunch of guys.

A bunch of guys.

I think there was a few guys on there. Right.

[DJ Envy]

I just remember him. And one person. I don't know. I know there were guys there.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I do. There may be multiple. I haven't seen the tape in a while.

[DJ Envy]

I just know it was him. And a person of the.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay. I just said it was like a bunch of guys on the tape, but he was participating. Okay.

All right. All right. Now also, Shanti Doss will be joining us today. Is Silence the Shame.

Yes, it is.

So we'll be talking to her as well.

Silence the Shame is an amazing organization. They are dispelling the negative stigma surrounding mental health. And they talk to you about. Well, she talks to you. Shanti talks to you about why it's important to understand your mental health for your overall wellness.

That's right. And also, Zuri hall will be joining us. Of course. She was on the red carpet last night, so she's gonna be breaking down all the fits, all the behind the scenes footage and everything that happened at the Met Gala.

Had to get somebody that was at the Met Gala. You know, Zuri's been invited for years. Wow. She's always working on the red carpet.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

Wow.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Maybe you could be her assistant next year.

[DJ Envy]

That's not a knock at me. That's a knock at how they don't value this outlet.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's not true.

[DJ Envy]

It's all about the outlet.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You've never been invited.

[DJ Envy]

It's all about the outlet. TMZ would never invited.

[Charlamagne tha God]

When you were a 10.

[DJ Envy]

TMZ would never be invited to something like the Met Gala. TMZ would never, ever, ever, ever. Like, they would never allow a TMZ camera inside of a Met Gala carpet, Period.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I think it's you.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Well, no.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Let's get the show.

Girls, girls, girls, girls.

Today is Chris Brown's birthday. It's only right we start with some Chris Brown. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

Good 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, Mimi's having some technical difficulties. She'll be checking a second. But let's start off with some quick sports. Now, last night, Philly. What happened last night, Philly? The Knicks beat the 76ers last night 137 to 98.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Wow.

[Charlamagne tha God]

When I say they squashed crush.

It was.

It was. It was embarrassing. I wanted a more of a fight. Philly. Come on, Philly. Listen.

You say that now until they tie the series up and then they up 2 1. Now you like, man, the Knicks, man. Knicks don't be knowing, man. Jalen Brunson, man. I don't know, man. Like shut up. Don't you just enjoy the win?

I am enjoying the win.

I want more of a fight.

I want fight.

Yes, I did you want the Knicks to sweep Philadelphia?

Yes, absolutely. I didn't say I wanted to be. We wanted to lose.

I want to sweep more of a fight. Mean that they gonna go to game seven. How about that?

I don't want that much.

Exactly.

Much of a fight.

Hell is you talking about last night

the Timberwolves beat the Spurs104.102.

The Timberwolves beat the Spurs.

Yes.

That went to sleeps. I didn't know that.

Yes, that was at the. At the buzzer. At the buzzer.

Wow.

Yeah, I fell asleep for that one too. I ain't gonna lie. I fell asleep for the fourth quarter Knicks. When he was up so much, I fell asleep. Now also in a new interview with the New Yorker, Barack Obama is getting candid about says the pressure to speak out on today's political climate is creating tension at home while also revealing frustration behind the scenes, including concerns about double standards in politics. Now you. You dove into this interview, correct?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, a bit of it. So there's two separate things that he's talking about. So he's talking about the pressures that people put on him because he is Obama to react and to speak on everything. And the pressure of like, what else could you do? Because people believe that he should be doing more. So he says in order for him. Obama says in order for him to function like Jon Stewart at least once a week, just going off and responding to everything that happens. It would be. It would kind of devalue his. His voice and his opinion. He says the media environment is so difficult that people don't even know all the stuff that I'm doing right now. And I think when they do see me, they sense that all is well. Why Isn't he doing that every day instead of just doing a midterm election? So he's talking about when he goes and he speaks out during different rallies and stuff like that or during various campaigns. Now he is talking about the fact that when you talk about frustrations at home, he says that his political schedule is still frustrating. Michelle Obama, she wants Obama to slow down, but politics keep pulling him back. So he's telling the New Yorker that he's having a demanding schedule right now. And Michelle wants to see her husband easing up. Ms. Michelle Obama, excuse me, wants to see her husband easing up and spending more time with her, enjoying what remains of their lives, which has been a big conversation for them. Every time she talks about the White House, she talks about how much their lives were impacted and how much she couldn't wait until it's over. So it seems like that's still becoming an issue for them right now.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Do we ask more for President Obama because he's our first black president? Did we ask for all the presidents? Did all the presidents have this schedule? Like, did Clinton have the same schedule? We know Biden didn't, but did they all have those same schedules?

First of all, the pressure President Obama is because we are watching our democracy be threatened in ways we've never seen our democracy threatened before. Nothing that is coming from the Trump administration is normal. So we don't expect normalcy from anyone who has held that position before. I know presidents aren't supposed to speak on, you know, other presidents, but I think it's important for all the presidents who are still alive, they'll let them, they'll let the American people know what's going on is not normal. Right? Like, that's why, you know, it might feel like it's a little bit more pressure for President Obama. And he's the only president that seems like he's got a pulse that's still alive. He says he's just true, right? Like, he's the only one that seems like he's, he's still here with us.

[DJ Envy]

Obama says he feels like if he tried to combat every outrageous utterance in various policy from the Trump White House, he would quickly diminish his impact. That was the quote.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Why, why is he looking at this from a perception standpoint? You either do what's right or you don't. Either say what's right or you don't.

But also when you give your life to politics and you finally come out that office and you want to live a little, you want to see your kids a little you want to live life. Doesn't he get that right, too, as well? Fall back and just say, I'm Live my life and chill with my family for a little bit.

Sure. But if that's the case, then everybody should do that. Then nobody should care about what's going on. Like, no, like, absolutely. Like anybody with a voice, anybody with a platform. Nobody should care what's going on. If everybody could just kick their feet up and relax and enjoy their life and enjoy their money, then everybody should be able to do that. Like you. You should. You can't. You can't put that responsibility on nobody. You know what I mean? Yeah. Nobody should have to speak up then.

All right, well, that is why they

compare himself to Jon Stewart.

[DJ Envy]

I think they were just talking about.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's never been president.

[DJ Envy]

I think they were just talking about. Because they also get into him in the media landscape. So I think they were talking. He. He's talking about the expectation of everyone to always hear him respond to something when it happens or to say certain things more than the people. Just think he pops up when we need him for elections.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, the reality is your party needs a leader because your party doesn't have one. President Obama. So you were the last actual real leader of the party. That's. That's just the reality of the situation. It's not. It's not our fault. Democrats didn't build a bench. Wait, you know, what the hell? I said stop being stupid.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right. Well, that is front page news. All right, Like I said, Mimi was having some technical difficulties. We'll get it back on for the next hour.

I see our side partner.

Yeah, she's back. All right, everybody else, get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, call us up right now. Again, 800-585-1051 is the Breakfast Club. Good morning, Ray. Ray.

Ray. Yo, Charlamagne.

Envy. What up?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Are we live?

[Charlamagne tha God]

This is your time to get it off your chest.

I got an indoor pool, outdoor pool.

We want to hear from you on the breakfast club.

We can get on the phone right now. He'll tell you what it is.

Hello?

Who's this?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yeah, good morning. Breakfast club is J. A from Indy.

[Charlamagne tha God]

J.

Hey.

Hey, what's up, J. A?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Not much. Hey, real quick. Good morning, crew. Lauren London. I just missed you out in Italy. I was out there a week before Lauren LaRosa.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who the hell is Lauren London? We don't have a Lauren London network here. Lauren London does not work here.

[DJ Envy]

Good Morning.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

That's her. That's her nickname. What's up? Hey, I need that help.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What's up?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

I need your help. Trial of my ass. I need help. I'm coming to New York for a day trip. I'm flying in in the morning. I'm gonna fly out that night. I got one thing on my docket, which is a 1230 Yankee game. I need some more ideas, things to do. I couldn't get in the car, Bone. So what else can I do for a day?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, you coming. You got a 12:30 game. So the game will be over at 3:34. What time's your flight out?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yep. 9:00 clock that night.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You could go to Brooklyn Chop House.

Brooklyn Chop House is great. Love Brooklyn Shop House. And I'll tell you what else. Mario Carbone, he got other restaurants in New York other than Carbon. You got the ZZ Club. I like the Lobster Club.

[DJ Envy]

Person trustee, please. T R E. He can't get his easy clubs.

[Charlamagne tha God]

His membership.

You might get a lot of club, but Brooklyn Chop House is fire. I love Brooklyn Chop House. Is good one in Times Square and the one in downtown.

Yep.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

So y'. All. Y' all want me to fly in and get fat? What else y' all got for me that I can be active, though, or

[Charlamagne tha God]

you could also go cuts and slices. If you. If you're into, like, just pizza that's outside the box. Like the oxtail pizza. The. I mean, you name it. They. I mean, you could go there too. And that's right now. If you flying into jfk, that's right near jfk, so that'll be close to you.

Okay.

What else is there that. That you should definitely check out?

You say he in and out, and

he said he in and out that same day.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

I'm coming in town just for the game. I ain't never been to a Yankee game, so I'm just coming in and sliding and coming right back out.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The only thing is, the game is in the Bronx, so that's a little far from. From the city. With traffic, it'll take you an hour to get to the city during that time, hour and a half. So that's why I would say just. Just. Just play the. To go eat and then get back on that flight. So you ain't gonna have that much time. Cause traffic in the city during that time is rush hour.

But you're gonna need time to poop if you go to either any of them places. I just want you to know that.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

All right, well, I appreciate y' all I'll let y' all know how I did once I get back.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And next time you go for a longer time, you know, we. We can set out a better schedule. But you. You gonna be in for a little time. You don't wanna miss your flight back and the way the traffic is in the city. You gonna give yourself a little extra time, brother.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

All right, I appreciate that. We locked that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Peace, bro. The funniest thing in the world is when people ask me what to do in New York. I don't go out in New York. I have no idea. Okay. I couldn't tell you what the hell.

You go to dinner, you go to Broadway plays, but he's not there for that time.

Like, that's true. But so many things you got, I got. I go to Broadway.

Broadway's too late. He's leaving late.

I go eat every now and then. I don't be out in the city.

Yeah, I mean, that's pretty much it. Unless you just want to walk through Central park, but.

[Isaiah Rashad]

All right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051.

Central Park.

For a lot of people walk through Central Park. You never walk to Central Park.

[DJ Envy]

My mom loves going to Central Park.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, there's a zoo in Central Park. I used to ride my bike through Central Park.

[DJ Envy]

Probably you can't walk in Central park,

[Charlamagne tha God]

but I think I walked through Central park one time for a shoot I did with Apple. And I was.

[DJ Envy]

Of your whole time living in New York?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes. The hell would I be just walking through. Oh, you know what? And when I. And I also. Never mind. Never mind.

That was his old. You could tell that was his old days. Get it off your chest. Call us up right now. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

This is your time to get it off your chest.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Whether you're mad or blessed.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I hate the way that you walk,

the way that you talk. I hate the way that you dress. Everything with me is blessed.

Call up next, 800-585-1051.

Not just me, I'm with the culture feeling.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Hello?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who's this?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Hey, Angie, this is Audrey.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How are you?

What's up, Audrey?

How you feeling?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

I'm feeling pretty good. I'm feeling pretty good. I just want to send out some love and light to my family. We've suffered a tragic loss over the last two weeks.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

So I'm visiting from North Carolina. Came to support my Latin family.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

So I just want to let all my family know, from Jersey to South Carolina, that I love y' all, and we gotta Love on each other while we here.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Absolutely.

Sending you and your family healing energy, man.

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you, Charlotte. Hey, Charlotte.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hey, Jazz. Congratulations on the book. Just not here. But her book.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Is absolutely available everywhere. You buy books now?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to cop that

[DJ Envy]

because I need that advice.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, you having some co parenting issues?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yeah, sort of. Kind of. But yeah. But I still want to read it just to get some more, you know, some help.

[Charlamagne tha God]

We feel you.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Thank you for coming. Yes.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

But thank you. Y' all have a great one.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You too, now. Hello?

Who's this?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

This is Tamika. I'm calling from Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's Tameka. How are you?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

I'm good. How are you guys this morning?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Blessed, black, and highly favored.

Get it off your chest, Tamika.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

So I'm calling in reference to Justin's book I just ordered. I just finished listening to Justin's book. First of all, Jess, your book was amazing.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Dope.

We love to hear that.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

I love the book. I ordered the book thinking I was gonna be laughing through the whole book. There were some funny points to the book, but the book was really an eye opener. Unfortunately, I was married for, like, 27 years. I was recently divorced in the last five years, and I'm having a difficult co parent. I was hoping that my co parenting situation would be better than what it is, given that we are people of a certain age and it's just not. You know what I mean? And I was listening to some of the things that Jess was saying and identifying with the relationship with her and her relationship with Won't. And I was like, why is this so familiar? And it just is, even in our large age. You know what I mean? And in my new relationship, just the things that I deal with with my 17 year old, and I'm like, wow, these things are so familiar. So even in my large age, I can still learn from even my younger sister. So I want to commend Jess for her growth and the things that she teaching. So we're listening to you, sis. Man, that's incredible that she's sharing in her book. So shout out to her.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's incredible to hear. I wish she was here so she could actually hear you say that yourself. But her book, Tell Death, Do We Parent, is available everywhere. You buy books now courtesy of Black Privilege Publishing.

Have a good one, mama.

Yes, thank you.

We'll send it a message. And all the love, but you.

But you know, when I'm having conversations with Jess, that's the one thing that. That she's Receiving when she's out and about at these book signings. You know what I mean? And that is the. That is the impact of books. Like, it's just something about literature that hits people in a. A different way. And you get to show a side of yourself that people may not. May not necessarily see. So I'm glad she told her story. Until death do we parent?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, you can hit us up now. We got the latest with Lauren coming up.

[DJ Envy]

Yes. We're gonna be getting to a little bit of the Met Gala thing. Charlamagne mentioned the $42 million that was raised, so we breaking that down.

[Charlamagne tha God]

42?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. So Women's Wear Daily is quoting $42 million, according to one of the executive officers of the gala. And that's a record breaking number topped last year by some. Some much. Some much. So we'll get into that and break it up some Much like you want

[Charlamagne tha God]

to be a stud so bad, you say so much.

So much.

[DJ Envy]

I don't know where that came from,

[Charlamagne tha God]

but don't ever do that.

You see all them pretty women in them dresses, and now you're thinking about munching.

[DJ Envy]

I'm saying it topped that last year's number by so much is what I meant.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[DJ Envy]

Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right, well, we'll get into that next. It's the breakfast.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

You've been working in the garage with your dad every week, Monday to Sunday, trying to get the old school up and running. Today, after all the hard work, y' all finally finished it. So you have that feeling of accomplishment. You did it. Then your dad throws you the keys and says those three magic words. All yours, son. Yep. That same car belonged to your grandpa and that your dad helped him fix. It's yours. Three generations right there, keeping the tradition alive. But if you ask dad to really keep the tradition going, you need to get insurance. And you already know you need to get State Farm. Because your agent, well, he gets tradition, too. His dad was an agent, his grandpa, too. So he gets you generation to generation. Remember to choose the agents that your family counted on. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yo, what up, y'? All? It's DJ Envy from the Breakfast Club. Now check this out. The first phone call that ever happened happened over 150 years ago. 150 years. That's before any of this. Before radio, before social media, before all the ways we stay connected today. That one call really started everything. And fast forward to now. It's Springtime, the weather's breaking, people outside vibes are right again. Thank God. And it got me thinking. Who haven't you talked to in a minute? And you know, through all these years and all these conversations, AT&T has been there connecting people in meaningful ways. This is more than a story of technological innovation. It's really a story about human connection. Real people, real moments and real relationships. So we celebrate over 150 years of connection. Let this be your reminder. Don't wait. Make that call, send that text. Pull up on somebody you care about. Because at the end of the day, those connections, that's what really matters.

[Zuri Hall]

Connecting changes everything.

[Charlamagne tha God]

AT&T.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

Most mother's Day gifts end up in a drawer. But a song lives in the heart forever. This year, tryjoybox.com is giving away 1 million free custom songs to celebrate 1 million incredible moms. Just share a few memories and joy. Box produces an original track in greeting card just for her. Instantly, it's the most personal gift you'll ever give. And right now, it's completely free. Make mom the star of her own [e-mail] $1,000,000 $0 [e-mail] hey everyone, it's Kal Penn.

[Kal Penn]

I'm the host of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary, massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Book Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts club.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Good morning.

Yes, it's the world's most dangerous morning show. The Breakfast Club. Happy Tuesday. Happy Cinco de Mayo.

[DJ Envy]

Why are you so happy?

[Charlamagne tha God]

I don't know. I go by the Name of Charlemagne to God. DJ Envy. Why you not representing for your people this morning, man?

I am not Latino. Don't even stop that man.

Crazy that you don't even know today's your day.

I thought it was Juneteenth when you said my people.

I know you ain't that.

That's what I thought, you know?

[DJ Envy]

Black family reunion at American Dream Home.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Let's go to the latest with Lauren. I'm not even having this conversation. This guy's crazy.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I'm not dumbing myself down. I'm being myself.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Source is trust.

[DJ Envy]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything. And every little brown girls look at you and go, I want to be like you. Take me through that. Take me through that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The latest with Laurie knows on the break, Breakfast Club. LL Cool baby talk to me.

[DJ Envy]

Alrighty. Also, the Met Gala went down last night here in New York City. The gala, as an update, Port, according to Women's Wear Daily raised 400. I'm sorry, $42 million. This is a record breaking number. Last year, they raised $31 million.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's a lot of chicken, boy.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

A lot of money.

[DJ Envy]

The Met Gala has grown into the largest museum fundraiser in the world. And the money that they raise, they use this to preserve more than 33,000 objects, you know, that represent seven different centuries through fashion and different accessories for women, children from the 15th century to present day. Now, tickets generally cross $75,000, but designers buy these tables and invite the celebrities. That's why celebrities show up dressed in certain designers. Now let's get into who was there. So of course we talked about Beyonce making her big return to the carpet after a decade. And Lala, our girl Lala, she was hosting for Vogue. So at the top of the stairs, once you got to the top, before you went in the Met Gala, you would speak to Lala. So Beyonce, there she was on the carpet. We got to see Blue Ivy and Jay Z as well. And Beyonce shared some words about her attendance. Let's take a listen now, b.

[Zuri Hall]

It's been 10 years. 10 years. How does it feel being back? It feels surreal because my daughter's here. And Blue looks so beautiful. She looks so beautiful. This is incredible to be able to share it with her. And I think she looks so incredible. She looks so beautiful.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I'm like, we could learn some red carpet tips from Blue.

[Zuri Hall]

Absolutely. She's posing. I'm like, she was ready. She was ready. She is ready. Absolutely.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

So, Bea, what are you looking forward to most from tonight?

[Zuri Hall]

I Think it's really just experiencing this through the eyes of blue and being able to relax. And I think for me, I'm wearing Olivier Roustein, who is so good, someone that's been so loyal to me, and I've done so many incredible iconic looks with him. So it's really about representing him and celebrating bodies.

[DJ Envy]

Just celebrating bodies.

[Zuri Hall]

All the different bodies. Different, juicy, curvy, thin, tall, whatever. Just celebrating whoever. Whatever God gave you.

[DJ Envy]

Yes. So this year's theme was costume art, and the. The dress code was fashion is art, but they celebrated different bodies in the museum setup that they had. Now, Beyonce mentioned Oliver Rustein, who is. Who used to be one of the heads over at Balmain. Black designer, and he was like, one of the first black designers to lead a couture fashion house, which is really big deal. But, yeah, we have some photos of the Carter Family on the carpet. Kim Kardashian there as well, too. Sza. Bad Bunny. Cardi B.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What was Bad Bunny?

[DJ Envy]

So Bad Bunny, he was representing an aged body. He's like 52 years old. So there's like a. A lot of prosthetics and stuff like that as well, too. Now, some of the people who were not there, notably because they've been there previous years, but also this one person spoke out. Taraji P. Henson was not there, and she actually was very vocal about the celebrities who chose to show up, up at the carpet and ask, what the f are we doing? Because people should not be there. Because Jeff Bezos, it was one of the lead sponsors for the gala, and it was also reported that Zendaya, you know, wasn't coming. She did not show up, even though her stylist and the duo was known to show up together.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Came.

[DJ Envy]

And people believe, too, that potentially she may have not shown up because of the whole Jeff Bezos tie in.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's interesting. But, you know, that should kind of be consistent all across the board, right? Like, do you stop using Amazon to get your packages? Do you, you know, if you're an actor and actress, do you not.

Amazon Prime.

No, no. Yeah, Amazon Prime. But do you not do movies and stuff for Amazon Studios? Like, I'm just. I'm just saying, like, it should be consistent all across the board.

[DJ Envy]

I. I agree with that. And Reverend Al Sharpton was on the carpet, and he was asked by New York1 about the fact. Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[DJ Envy]

And he was asked by New York one about the fact that he even showed up in the midst of all the protests of Sickles.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm here tonight to say to these artists that we need to bring this world back to a level where we all exude what we have inside.

What about the Bezos chairs?

[DJ Envy]

How do you feel about that?

[Charlamagne tha God]

I think that every year I've come, they've had very wealthy people that supported maga, and it didn't stop me from coming. They don't have enough money to keep me from talking to the artists I came to support. And we fought for years for diversity. I'm here to support Venus and Beyonce. How do we fight and let a sponsor make us walk away from the people we fought for? And I salute Anna Winter for making them co chairs despite the controversy. My fashion sense is the ultimate African urban flavor. Unapologetic once again. It's interesting because we know they use black culture to get people to come to the Met. And I understand folks, folks making their stand against Jeff Bezos. But I just wonder, are you consistent with that in all aspects of your life? Like, once again, do you stop using, you know, Amazon to get your packages? Do you stop reading things like the Washington Post? Do you stop watching Amazon Prime? And if you are an actor or an actress, do you not do movies with Amazon studios?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It should be consistent across the board in all aspects of your life. Can't just be, you know, performative and grand.

I get what you're saying. Met gala, but some people pick their battles. They decide, I want to do this, but I don't want to do that.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Right, right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Because this. This will affect my money more. But this one, if I don't go

to the gala, then it's kind of one. You.

Kind of defeats the purpose.

I get you saying, yeah, you. You make one nuttling void, then I

get what you're saying.

[DJ Envy]

I also think, too, because, you know, those protests against the gala were. Were, like, bubbling until the night. And I was wondering specifically with Taraji, and I was. I reached out to try and like, you know, talk to her to get some audio for us today, but, you know, she's working. Why wait until the gala like that night to do it? Because those protesters have been putting things out the last.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Maybe Taraji's been saying it beforehand and we just haven't heard.

It's a huge night to do. It's a huge night.

[DJ Envy]

But that's what I'm saying, I think. And I was trying to, you know, respond to you, Charlotte. I was thinking maybe it's. You pick and choose your battles where you choose the bigger platform. So if I say, oh, I'm not doing a movie on Amazon, Unless I talk about it. Even if I do, maybe that's a fast.

[Charlamagne tha God]

If you get offered, if you're an actor, an actress and somebody off, especially somebody like Taraji, and they get offered to do a movie with Amazon Studios and she says, no, I'm not doing it because of Jeff Bezos, that would be huge.

[DJ Envy]

And we don't know what she maybe have, has recently turned down behind or what her plans are moving forward. I, I, this was my first time even hearing her be vocal, you know, in the basil space. But I could be wrong though. But yeah, she was one of the, you know, people stirring the conversation, you know, and it's her right to do so.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But question before, before we get up out of here. So when people go to this Met gala, are they performances? Is there a dj?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Is there food?

[DJ Envy]

Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Or are they just looking at each other?

[DJ Envy]

No. When you go inside, it's a gala.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm just asking, like, I've never heard like somebody so, like, somebody performed.

[DJ Envy]

It's a gala. Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So you performed last night.

[DJ Envy]

I believe her name was, I believe it was City Sweeney.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And then get up the stairs with that in crazy ass outfits. Like they can't walk around. Like people are not handling them the whole time.

[DJ Envy]

A lot of people change outfits. It was Sabrina Carpenter that performed last night. I said Sydney Sweeney. That's the actress. Sabrina Carpenter performed last night. Beyonce, Venus, Nicole Kidman. Who? Beyonce, Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman, who were co chairs. They host the gala. There's a bunch of money raised. You do eat as well. And then people leave and go to the after parties. Beyonce, notably, last night, changed her outfit into another outfit as well too. So it is a traditional gala issue.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Million dollars. That's what people need to keep in mind. This is a, it's an event that raises money. Right. For the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. And listen, salute to them. I think it's incredible whenever events like this can raise that type of money, but I really do wish we could do that for black history museums and organizations. Okay. If these designers have the money for this, well, all the celebrities, especially black ones, you need to be using your cultural cachet to make these designers drop a bag on these black history museums. What a statement that that would be. Because we know for a fact the Trump administration has terminated federal grants and funding for several black history museums and organizations. Why? Because they say it's a lack of alignment with administration policies and a push against, you know, DEI initiatives. They've literally withheld or terminated grants to museums that focus on Black history saying they do not serve the interest of the United States. So what a statement it would be if you made these black designers drop some bags on these black, black museums.

[DJ Envy]

As we wrap, I just want to say that the Met Museum does have things that they do and like collaborative exhibitions. They give loans and partnerships directly on like a larger scale to HBCUs various black.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Are they a black history museum and organization?

[DJ Envy]

They're not. But what I'm saying is they have

[Charlamagne tha God]

an administration cutting their funding in their grants.

[DJ Envy]

They use they. But what I'm saying is all these

[Charlamagne tha God]

people that are raising the money, they should also raise money for these other

[DJ Envy]

people, but why not take it out their pot and give it it to your people?

[Charlamagne tha God]

He's just saying that just like these celebrities come go to this Met Gala, they can go to other organizations and help our own out as well.

Especially when the black history museums and organizations are actually being attacked, when this administration has literally terminated federal grants and funding for them.

He's taking, taking away from the Met Gala, but all the celebrities that attended and all those designers,

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

the black people

[Charlamagne tha God]

that wear these designer outfits saying, spend some money on this side too.

Let's go to commercial.

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get back in some front page news. Start off with sports. Last night, the Knicks beat the 76ers 137.98. The Timberwolves beat the Spurs 104, 102.

I can't believe the Timberwolves beat dispersed.

Yeah, that's that. That was surprising.

I didn't even know Anthony Ellis was playing. I thought he was hurt.

Nah, that was the last minute call that he played. But yeah, nah, I think it was a game. When he shot, I didn't see. I fell in asleep. I fell asle. Like I said, even last night, the Knicks game, after third quarter, I'm like,

all right, we got this.

[DJ Envy]

Everybody was at the Knicks game. I caught one of my like NYPD sources. They were there.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Everybody's at the. Yes, yes, absolutely. What's up, Mimi? We got you back.

[Mimi Brown]

We got me back. Good morning, Envy. Lauren, Charlemagne. How y' all doing this morning?

[DJ Envy]

Good morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Good morning.

Good morning.

[Mimi Brown]

So, okay, so we start this hour, we're going to talk about the Met Gala. So at one, at one point, there was a protester who nearly broke through the barricades, getting close to photographers before being tackled by police and removed from the scene. We know him as Chris Smalls. So Chris Smalls, he was the leader of a well known labor activist. He started it back in 2020Amazon. They first fired him when he walked out over Covid safety conditions in a Staten island warehouse. Well, he was the one person that we know so far that was arrested. He was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction, disorderly conduct, blocking a vehicle with a sign, jumping over an NYPD vehicle. But he went on to found the Amazon labor Union and in 2022 he helped leaders there make the first successful Amazon union vote in history or take the post, take the first Amazon vote in history. So he was arrested. There was a lot of protesting going outside, going on outside. But the moment comes after this year event. It faces growing backlash because it was tied to the involvement of billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos. They were serving as honorary chairs. So they were outside, of course the people were had signs and they were really upset about all the corporate power that they said that was going on inside. But that wasn't the only disruption activists, they projected messages across majority buildings in Manhattan including directly onto Bezos his Manhattan penthouse. It started there and then it moved to the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building. And they projected a video testimony of a 72 year old Amazon worker struggling to make ends meet. Let's listen to what some of what she had to say.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, that was heartbreaking. When we struggle from paycheck to paycheck from wheat.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

So we.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Brittany angers me because if it weren't for every assumption in every Amazon facility, he wouldn't have all those zeros behind his name. Shame on you, Jeff Bezos. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met gala are the workers, people like me. We deserve that celebration.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

We deserve so much more than we're getting.

[Charlamagne tha God]

There's power in numbers. Enjoy your damn gala.

A worker's gala would be phenomenal. I mean, you know, imagine, I don't know how this would work, but imagine you did like a workers gala and you raised a whole bunch of money to give the workers like you know, much needed bonuses. Even though you already have the money.

You already have.

Even though you already have the money.

[DJ Envy]

He gave like $10 million at least $10 million for this gallon that would have gallon.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But the lady was, she looked like she was a 70 between 75 and 85 year old black woman, older woman and she was just, I mean you could see the pain in her face and how upset it was very disturbing.

[Mimi Brown]

It was very hard to watch. I think a lot of people to your point and people were talking about her age. She was 72 years old. And to be working in an Amazon warehouse at 72 years old, when you should be retired, I think that was the conversation that I saw online last night surrounding, you know, what she had to say. And just blocks away, salute to Chris Smalls.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Salute to Chris Smalls, man. You know what I mean? Because him being arrested last night bought a lot of attention to that situation. So salute to Chris definitely did.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. When I first started seeing them, because they've been doing things like putting up signs on the Met Museum and stuff like that, like the last, like, almost a month. And I was like, why is it so quiet? But last night, him doing it in real time, I feel like that was most effective.

[Mimi Brown]

Yeah. And also to your point, too, just blocks away, there was a counter event at labor groups. They hosted their own fashion show. It was called Ball Without Billionaires. So then they kind of flipped the message, and there were workers as models, and they had a new theme called labor is Art. Instead of Fashion is art. It was labor is art. And so those workers just, you know, there was all sort of protests happening at the same time. They really wanted to make their voices heard as that Met gala took place last night. And that kind of frustration, it wasn't just playing out in New York. Now this morning in Philadelphia, parents, teachers, and city leaders, they're voicing their own sort of outrage. So the City Board of Education, it has voted to close 17 schools there, despite protest disruption and fierce pushback from city leaders. So there was a vote, and it passed 6 to 3. It was part of a $3 billion plan to reshape the district, with officials saying it's about improving resources and opportunity for students. Now, this meeting itself, it was chaotic with protests inside the room. Lawmakers, they were threatening legal action. And the vote, it eventually moved online after officials were forced to take two recesses just to get through the agenda. Let's listen first to a city council member and then to a teacher about some of that back and forth that happened in that school board meeting.

[Zuri Hall]

For the community to be at the

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

table, they have not provided an opportunity

[DJ Envy]

for council to be at the table. And they're just trying to ram this down everybody's throat.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

We are not going to stand for it.

[DJ Envy]

They're going to lose good teachers.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

They're going to lose good students. They are going to lose a lot of support.

[DJ Envy]

I hope they're happy with this plan and what they decided on.

[Mimi Brown]

So critics say this is happening without a lot of transparency. It's going to hit black students. The Hardest. Forcing some lower. Some into lower performing schools. But when you have a school district and you're. You're closing 17 schools in that district, it's forcing kids who have been in that school or, you know, people who live in that area to have to now go to different schools. And so it's a really big issue. Parents, school board members, everyone really, really upset by this happening in Philadelphia.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And what's the reason?

Reason?

[Mimi Brown]

Budget cuts. They're trying to say it's budget cuts, but then on the other side of that, which I was trying to figure out, is they're trying to find the money to fund it. So they're trying to close schools to save money, but then figure out how to, you know, raise money or get money to. To, you know, formulate this entire program or see it through.

[DJ Envy]

So I don't know.

[Mimi Brown]

That's what I said. They're not. From what I understand, there isn't a lot of transparency behind why they're trying to collect. Close 17 schools.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah. I would never understand why it's so hard for people to find money for things we actually need, like institutions. We actually need things that actually benefit our communities. Can never get resources. Can never get funded. Yeah.

It makes no sense. It makes no sense.

It has been like this at the beginning of time. It's always a fight, you know, when you gotta provide resources for, you know, people, for people and things that actually need it.

And this, this goes back to what you were saying yesterday. You know, you understand why people get so mad and so upset when they see these billions and billions of dollars sent to other countries and sent to war. And then they're closing schools because they don't have the resources. You understand why people get mad. Could you imagine people in that district that already have, you know, 50, 60 kids per class? Like, can you imagine they already don't have the supplies? Yes. That's why people get so mad and upset.

I don't understand why that's such a hard concept for people to grasp.

[Mimi Brown]

Yeah, yeah. So we'll continue to watch that because that's a. It's a good, really big touch point. All right, y'.

[DJ Envy]

All.

[Mimi Brown]

Well, that is your front page news. I'm Mimi Brown. Follow me @mimi Brown TV. And for more stories, follow the Black Information Network.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right, thank you, Mimi.

[Mimi Brown]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right, now when we come back, Isaiah Rashad will be joining us.

And Isaiah has a very interesting story because he's got a new album out called It's Been Awful. He's also signed TDE Top Dog Entertainment. And, you know, if you remember, about five years ago, he got caught up because, you know, he got caught on a sex tape tape with another man and people didn't know he was, I guess, gay, bisexual.

I think he's fluid. I think that's the term.

[DJ Envy]

He said he was fluid.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm sure it was a lot of fluid.

You know what? We'll talk to Isaiah Rashad when we come back. Look at. He bricked up over there. Look at him.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

All right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

We talk about Isaiah Rashad when we come back. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Morning, everybody.

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lola Rose is here. And we got a special guest in the building.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Building.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Ladies and gentlemen, Isaiah Rashad.

He's got a new album out. It's been awful. How are you, sir?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Great, man.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How you feeling, man?

[Isaiah Rashad]

I feel good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Skin looking luxurious.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I'm trying to follow you.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, no, he had to go through too much for that.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Look, I'm on the same. I did a whole bunch of bad shaving in college and stuff. I've been having to do laser and all this other stuff.

[DJ Envy]

Can you get your eyebrows done? You get your eyebrows done? Because he does.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I do not get my eyes done.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I was born like this.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Me, too. The haters. Don't even listen to her.

[DJ Envy]

He goes through a lot.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And y' all act like men can't have. Do maintenance on themselves.

[DJ Envy]

You can, but you be not trying. You be running from it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who be running from what?

[DJ Envy]

You always tell you don't get ch. That's.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Don't get my eyebrows.

[DJ Envy]

Welcome the conversation.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Look pretty manicure.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

In no way, shape, or form.

[DJ Envy]

The arch at the end, right? Yeah, exactly.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay, well, to be honest. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. Back in the day, when I was in. I don't even think I was in high school. I think I was, like, early 20s, my 20s. Some girls told me that Tupac got his eyebrows arch. And so they convinced me to get my eyebrows arched. And I think when it grew back, it just had a permanent arch.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's what I believe.

[Isaiah Rashad]

That's a good way to look at it.

[DJ Envy]

It's the truth.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's been awful.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What's. What's been awful? Isaiah Rashad? I hear the album title and I listen to the album, but really, the album title, it sounds like a. A confession. Like. Like, what's been awful? The industry, your personal life.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I mean, an amalgamation of everything, you know, I'm just a human being. At the end of it, you know, I went through some to an extent, but it was, you know, between being an artist and the expectations of that. And I guess my deconstruction of my masculinity has been a lot of getting to know myself.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who had. Who deconstructed it, though? Did you deconstruct it or did you let the court of public opinion deconstructed? Because I wonder, did you. Did you face it before that became public or were you already dealing with it privately?

[Isaiah Rashad]

I was already dealing with a lot of my own stuff before. I guess it was. I'm blessed to how everything happened with me and the reception of everything because it allowed me to, like, step back and really re examine what I was doing. Because regardless of, you know, how much I love myself, I still had to be like, I put myself in a irresponsible situation for anybody to be able to control my narrative. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

But at the time, because listening to the project and then hearing you say that, like, you felt like it was like kind of like a blessing of how everything happened. When. When did you get to that point? Did you instantly feel like, okay, this is a blessing?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I mean, at some point in time, I accepted that. They don't make a manual for being like a bisection, sexual black dude, you know, or any of that type. They don't have a. You know.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

And it was less like hiding myself from anything or more so like not knowing how to not be ostracized. I mean.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So also, you got to control your hoes, regardless if they're men or women. Because who the hell was recording you?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Me. If you listen to the album. If you listen to the album, I go into a great amount of detail about where I was at and the. The influences I was under.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, you was on. You said you was on a lot of.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I was on Everything under the Sun. But that's no excuse for the behavior. But. And that's the main thing for me was like, I'm responsible for myself, responsible for my family and all that type. That's the only. If I have any regret of anything. It's just like, not being ahead of it. Cause I thought about talking about this stuff on my last album because all that tape happened before the last album

[Charlamagne tha God]

came out, before House of Burn.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. That's why, like, on this album, I talk about how I wasn't being honest with. I guess what I owe the most, like, is my audience because they. They seem to love me pretty genuinely.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, I don't like when Things like that happen to people, and I'll tell you why. Because I feel like, you know, your personal life is yours to unpack when you want to unpack it.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And I think sometimes when things like that happen, you know, publicly, you're forced to. To try to explain things when you may not be ready to explain them yet.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I feel like I've always been under some type of divine guidance. I grew up in a church, and, you know, I kind of grew out of wanting to go as much. But my life has definitely been led, like I put it. Like, I feel like it's purposeful. I don't feel like I'm an artist just to make money. Like, I'm here to affect change in some type of way. So I feel like, you know, it happened, it was supposed to happen, and my life is better for it. Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did that moment break you or free you or both?

[Isaiah Rashad]

It was a little bit of both at the same time. You know, when anytime you. You don't get to control how you want to, you know, how you want to introduce. Yeah, yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You be perceived.

[Isaiah Rashad]

And again, it was like, me understanding, again, like, what was for. The main thing was, like, what was masculinity. To me, it made me confront a lot of stuff that I was saying about women, and a lot of stuff. A lot of ways I was expressing myself that was really coming just from a place of insecurity. I mean, I feel like I've gotten to love myself a little better and my family, man, we way better open conversations. We were pretty open before, but now it's like, all on the table all the time.

[DJ Envy]

Had you had talked to your family, like, your mom and different people before all of this stuff? Because you said you were kind of dealing with it.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, I definitely like my homeboys more than my mom. I talked to my homeboys about everything I was going through. So they were the ones who released, like, they was like, what the are you doing? Like, why are you. You know. But they my homeboys, like, they know everything about me, my brothers. Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, so they knew beforehand?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. You know, you have conversations on tour just in life, and, like, especially when we was drinking all this type of stuff, you end up talking to your homeboys, like, bro, I gotta talk to you about. They be like, all right. And so when you like that, it's more so, you know, respecting my own privacy to my life. It was just being irresponsible with, you know, being under this, allowing things to go out.

[Charlamagne tha God]

My only thing was why you had to let Dr. Umar down though why they had to be white. Like why. What are you talking about? On the table. I saw.

How can I let.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I don't know. Dr. Umar probably will with me anyway.

[DJ Envy]

It's cool.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Respect to that, brother.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Right. Do you feel like the culture gave you grace or were you forced to heal in public whether you wanted to?

[Isaiah Rashad]

I feel like if you listen to my music on the back half of it, it's always been kind of fluid. You know, it's always been pretty emotionally emotion emotional and romantic and you know, and everything that rap usually isn't on the front. On the fresh. On the front side of it.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

So I feel like it was. Prepare for it. I live in a pretty whimsical life anyway how people perceive me, you know, So I feel like only people who are upset with people who viewed me just because I'm like. I don't know how to put it, like more feminine. That they were surprised. And that was the whole deconstruction thing of like, what does that mean to me?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did it make you realize that the Illuminati not real? Because, you know, they say when you get in the industry, you got to do strange things and then you blow up. They told me like Drake level. If that's the case.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I heard that I passed my own humiliation. They told me I got another 10 years off that. So, you know.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, I love the Act Normal record too. You know what I'm saying? Cuz you talk about how your whole family was sex addicts and I don't think we don't have enough.

[Isaiah Rashad]

You listen to this.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You think I'll just have you up here to talk to you about.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Hey, man, no, no, that's. That's cold. That's. That was important.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's important record for me because I feel like we don't have enough conversations about environment and how environment shapes us. Men don't have enough conversations about their formative years and how those formative years turn us into the people that we become. And sometimes we got to unlearn a lot of that, you know, that's been amazing.

[Isaiah Rashad]

It's been the heaviest thing like. And to do it without blaming. To do it and realize that the men that should. Would take me to go cheat on their wives or whatever they would. I would call, you know, my uncles or whomever and my. My dad or whatever they. When I look at their fathers and the lack in their lives, it's like I can't. I can only be so upset. You know what I'm saying? I Could take what happened to me in the past or what I saw, but I gotta be responsible for that and I gotta give him grace. Cause, you know, they don't. A lot of them don't have the same opportunities to see the world and experience it. As open as I am to have the growth. So, you know, it's my responsibility to at least give them that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, what's crazy is you talking to. You talk on the record about how when you were 12, you know, they said, you want to see some nasty? Your daddy kept his stash. So they basically were showing you things. A lot of times guys show the sons that.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Because they don't want their sons to end up.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. You end up hyper sexualizing your kid and a fearful preventative type of thing. Make them worse. Low key. Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did y' all have. So when you finally. When you came out, did you have a conversation with those men that introduced you to that they.

[Isaiah Rashad]

My uncle passed. My. I don't really talk to my dad, so no. But I talked to the men who's still in my life about it. Luckily, most of them are pretty positive influences. But it was good to just talk about what happened to. To people I look up to.

[DJ Envy]

Did they understand when you went back, like, having that conversation, Are they understanding or are they just positive?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Because they know me just knew. Like they.

[Charlamagne tha God]

They know.

Exactly.

[Isaiah Rashad]

But they were like, this isn't that surprising.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah.

What did this experience teach you about masculinity, Especially in a genre that rewards a certain image of what a man is supposed to be?

[Isaiah Rashad]

What did it teach me? Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Like,

[Isaiah Rashad]

most characteristics that are pushed are like, negative. You know, the promiscuous nature and how that's promoted. And being cold. Being a good dad isn't like, promoted. Being like, responsible isn't promoted. Being a leader of your community without having to. Without getting the accolades. Just being a leader via emotion and how you treat people. That's not really there. And real men cry. Real men. You know what I mean? Real men cry, real men feel things and real men question themselves. But to go through life is like just sure of yourself and. And being. And coming off invincible could just lead a kid down the wrong way, feeling like he gotta insulate himself from that type of character, you know, I mean, so.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah. So what are. What are your superpowers? That's another record I like on.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Oh, man. I got crazy empathy. And as a somebody who's in constant recovery, like I said, I mess up. I'm not perfect. Nobody know a junkie like a Junkie, bro. And I feel like that's what I'm here for.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You feel like you was a junkie. I know.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Now I go to AA and, bro. And I'm comfortable with being called a junkie from another junkie. Don't. You Don't. If you ain't never did drugs, don't talk to me about it. But if you're an alcoholic, like, just because I don't drink today, I'm still alcoholic. Like, you know what I mean? That's gonna stay with me for the rest of my life. And this is how I'm genetically built, too. You know what I mean?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Come from a family of them.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. I'm already, you know, pre. Predisposed to it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, my mom used to tell me that all the time. My mom used to always tell me and my brother, watch. Watch that alcohol. Because, you know, alcoholism runs in both sides of your family.

[DJ Envy]

You might be saying that to me too, Amber.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Grandma, it's real. You an alcoholic.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I can't handle my liquor.

[DJ Envy]

I try to be a lot more disciplined now. Like, I do challenge myself. Like, I'll fast. I'll set days and times just to make sure that I can control it a bit. Because you. You get to, like, socially doing it so much, and then you start depending on it for certain things. Like, oh, I gotta take a shot before I do this. And. And then once you get around people that will call it out, like, he be on me. And then I started to notice, like, all right, well, let me try and challenge myself to, like, not. Because I would come in here in the morning and be like, yo, I need, like, two shots before the show start.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Just to feel like. And wouldn't too, you know, but even, like, I'm thinking about college. Like, we would drink before we went to class.

[Isaiah Rashad]

That was a thing, too.

[DJ Envy]

And I thought it was regular because it's college. And then you get in real life

[Isaiah Rashad]

and you, like, the college ain't real.

[DJ Envy]

Real life, it's like a simulator.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. It's a bubble.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah. I felt the same way. Yeah.

[Zuri Hall]

On.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So what do you think you were trying to run from or escape when you was getting drunk? Like, what was you. Was you numbing yourself to something or.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, definitely, man. I got without. You know, I don't like going down my. The list of stuff, but, you know, I have unresolved parental stuff on both ends. Like, respect to my relationship with my mom. We still have stuff to work out and, you know, just my father's stuff. I feel I don't like, getting too heavy into it. In my 30s, I'm like, handle that versus complaining about that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I don't think it's complaining.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, but that, you know, and then just substance. Going from college, I immediately, like, I got signed when I was 21, so. And getting signed and. And getting thrust into this world, especially then during the blog era, was just. And partying was normal. Like, we used to. When in college, we used to drink Everclear and set it on fire.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Damn.

[Isaiah Rashad]

For fun.

[DJ Envy]

That was a challenge. When you first got to my college, like, if you could drink it and get through it, your first thirsty Thursday, like, you had. It was kind of like, almost like

[Charlamagne tha God]

a hazing just hearing the word Everclear.

[Isaiah Rashad]

He was doing that. We was doing that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And Cardi 151 Jaeger.

[DJ Envy]

What school you go to?

[Isaiah Rashad]

MTSU. Middle Tennessee State University.

[DJ Envy]

I was so off of that. Right. On superpower. I mean, not super power. On happy hour. That's the. You do, like, the radio skit. Yeah, right. So you do the radio skit. Then you talk about your addiction. You talk about your mom and how she's, like, crying and still not helping. And Are you. Tell me if I'm wrong. Are you comparing what you're experiencing in the entertainment industry, like, that being your escapism, but then also comparing that to, like, drug use being your escapism, too? And how both of them are kind of like, feeding the fire.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Oh, happy ass.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Because I thought I'm like, why bring in. Why start it with, like, the radio and, like, the. You know, unless you're signaling, like, oh,

[Isaiah Rashad]

I just be making.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, okay.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, I just be making stuff. A lot of stuff that I do isn't necessarily, like, planned. It just. I have patterns that I recognize, and I'm like, well, this will sound good on the same project together. But the radio theme was just something I wanted to do anyway. I've always been interested in radio because

[DJ Envy]

I heard that part and then I just. The name of it, I'm like, it's because.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Is not to cut you off, but it's because of the variety in the album.

[DJ Envy]

Got you.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Is like, to set it up thematically, because I don't really do concept albums, but it's like, it's an underground radio. It's a smorgasbord of different kinds of sounds. So it was like that gotcha. And it's just. It set me up pretty good. When I heard the beat doing that, you know, it's easy for me to come up.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, the biggest thing that we can do for each other as people stop acting like everything is so black and white. That's why I hate social media so much. Because we take. Take these complex things.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And try to make them A or B, right or wrong.

[Isaiah Rashad]

We try to debate it instead of understanding.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And it might not be meant to understood. It might just be meant to talk. Talk about. You might understand exactly what you're going through and it might not be up for nobody else to understand.

[DJ Envy]

But once it's online then. But the issue is though. But once it's online then people are debating and trying to fake understand.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Some people build up what public officials opinion.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Once you do that. And that's the gift of curse of the Internet.

[DJ Envy]

And that's too like when every time like when you said I signed up for this and he's like, no, you didn't. I feel like it's a difference in like the age groups as well because like for sure feel like. Yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Like I knew what I was getting into. Like I didn't know the possibilities of everything but I for sure knew, you know, we were on the same issue.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. I feel like you gotta take what comes with it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hold on, let's be clear. How old are you?

[Isaiah Rashad]

How are you?

[DJ Envy]

You 34.

[Isaiah Rashad]

You say M. Oh, okay.

[DJ Envy]

I thought you switch.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You not on.

[DJ Envy]

He's so, he's so mad. He's so mad it didn't work cuz he, you know, he predates the Internet.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm 47. Yes. I want to thank P.E.

[Isaiah Rashad]

him.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. That's kind of crazy, right?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, I've been, I grew up with him.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I appreciate that. Same same. But I. The reason I say that is because like he is so far in his career that like I feel like he doesn't. They have the privilege to be like I didn't sign up for that. I'm not going to do that. That today. And we can do that. But like it's so different for us sometimes they didn't have Wikipedia or people doing Tik Tok reviews and you be like, no, I'm good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But here's the thing. I. I don't care what your sexuality is. That's my point. So. So it don't. It really does not matter. Is the music jamming? If this album was whack, I would be saying how this album is whack. And it's not because of some sex.

[DJ Envy]

But you're, you're older and you're evolved and you have sense.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Turn your phone off then. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Like if everybody could be that, like, the rationale could be there. It would be so much less of a lot of things.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, you really. I'm not joking. You owe nobody no explanation if you choose to. Cool. But you really don't know.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I only do it for the two, man. Thanks, bro.

[DJ Envy]

Need to hear it.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, like, bro, I really. That's the only people I owe is the people, you know, in the ministry. That's really it.

[DJ Envy]

And that's the hard spot because it's like, when you're vulnerable like you are, people connect to you and they need it, but at the same time, you got the people on the other side. And it. Some people run away from being vulnerable because of that.

[Isaiah Rashad]

What's crazy is you won't see negativity unless you seek it out.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Turn your phone up.

And then.

[Isaiah Rashad]

And then if somebody is negative enough to hop in my comment section, they really just like me. You really like me a lot. So, like, just do. Just deal with your insecurities on your own, and I'll be here when you're. When you're done.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But as a young man, you gonna put that tape out. Entice them guys. They might have seen what you was doing.

[Isaiah Rashad]

That is not sexy. Is not sexy. That killed my stock. Like a.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Be honest. How many people was in your DMs, like, Yo, what's up?

[Isaiah Rashad]

It was a lot.

[Charlamagne tha God]

See what I'm saying?

[Isaiah Rashad]

It's like. It's like nobody. Nobody's that attractive when they coming at you on that end of your life,

[DJ Envy]

you know, they're like, it wasn't nobody that you like. Well, they sent their number, so let me at least just.

[Isaiah Rashad]

No,

[Charlamagne tha God]

you.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Maybe somebody.

[DJ Envy]

Yo, if you need something, hear my number.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, the p. A lot of makeup artists hit me up.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I'm like, okay,

[Charlamagne tha God]

listen.

[Isaiah Rashad]

It gave me an opportunity to expand my audience, though, musically, it's like, oh, you like this? So we everywhere with it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I wonder, because hip hop is gonna always struggle with conversations around sexuality, vulnerability, masculinity. Do you think what you went through moved the culture forward in any way?

[Isaiah Rashad]

I mean, I think it was predated a little bit when we was with Frank and Tyler did and all that kind of. And then I feel like you just gotta not go out, like, back in the day. I shouldn't have said that.

[DJ Envy]

Whoa.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I shouldn't have said that. But how the Internet did that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, yeah.

[Isaiah Rashad]

You know, that was. That looked crazy, but you.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, that's. You. You kind of had that same.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yeah, like, it was like we was 15 years past that. So, you know, I think I was. I just hit it in a nice little soft cushion.

[Charlamagne tha God]

When people look back at this chapter of your life, what do you hope they understand that headlines got wrong?

[Isaiah Rashad]

I don't think people will look back at this chapter like that after everything that's going on. Like, this is to be a book note. And I feel like it's not that surprising. If you know my music and you've seen me, I'm like, if I. If I wasn't already gay, I was hella affectionate, you know, like I'm hella

[Charlamagne tha God]

like, you know,

[Isaiah Rashad]

I am who I am. I'm here, you know, I don't know too many with just four projects who done been up here and been seeing you for the past 15 years. I'm here doing something for somebody I respect.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Anybody who's not afraid to be who they are. Yeah, that's just it. Like, I don't care. You know what I'm saying? And I'm sure there's a bunch of other people that feel that way too.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I think most people. We all got somebody in our family. Family, you know what I'm saying? On. On to. To some extent of who's bi, gay, or somewhere in between or transitioning or whatever.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yes. And it's like not even to make it a thing. It's like you're. I don't know, on a scientific level, you're very much predisposed if you come from a broken home to have some type of sexual curiosity. Sex paper. They might be wrong, but yeah, hella.

[DJ Envy]

Because you're searching for a need for something.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's just the.

[Isaiah Rashad]

The dynamics of relationships. I was like, you know, if you. If you only grew up around women, you know, some of your habits, or if you only grew up around men, some of your habits and how you view things. A girl, that group that was raised by men, you can't be surprised when she start liking girls.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I think it's just something. Yeah, like you said, predisp. I just think it's biological. I don't know if it's.

[Isaiah Rashad]

I think it's a common combination. Some people are some. Some nurture some, and some of it's a combination. And it's not up to me to determine. It's gonna take up too much of my life besides just being okay with it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You are who you are.

[Isaiah Rashad]

You are. You are.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So what's the moral of the story, man? From everything you've been through, Is it fame, exposure, healing, all of it? What is it?

[Isaiah Rashad]

Buy my album so I can take care of my family.

[DJ Envy]

Exactly.

[Isaiah Rashad]

It's been awful. It's been awful.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Awful.

[Isaiah Rashad]

The. The bills are high, the government's weird, they want to take parks away from people and a whole bunch of other that I don't have to get into because I don't get paid to do that. But definitely, just buy the album, man. Buy the album. It'll do something nice for you, do something positive for your mental. And either you gonna love it and feel seen, or you gonna put it up until you need it, but it's gonna come back around.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's been awful, man. Isaiah, Rashad, it's been a pleasure at least to talk to you.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Go get the album. It's been awful. Everywhere you buy music now. Fisky breakfast.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

You've been working in the garage with your dad every week, Monday to Sunday, trying to get the old school up and running. Today, after all the hard work, y' all finally finished it. So you have that feeling of accomplishment. You did it. Then your dad throws you the keys and says those three magic words. All yours, son. Yep. That same car belonged to your grandpa and that your dad helped him fix. It's yours. Three generations right there, keeping the tradition alive. But if you ask dad to really keep the tradition going, you need to get insurance. And you already know you need to get State Farm because you're able to. Well, he gets tradition, too. His dad was an agent, his grandpa too. So he gets you. Generation to generation. Remember to choose the agents that your family counted on. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

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[Kal Penn]

everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay the Audible and I Heart audiobook club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project Hail Mary, Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgence? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audio Radio Book Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jana Kramer]

This is Jana Kramer from Wind down with Jana Kramer. Every Mother's Day, I tell myself I'm going to be more thoughtful than flowers, because flowers are beautiful. But they don't last in my house. Everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Friends, family, the kids. And I love having things around that spark conversation and feel special. That's why I love the Lenox Spice Village. And your mom will take too. It's a set of 24 hand painted little houses that are actually spice jars. And I swear people notice it the second they walk in. It's charming, it's nostalgic, and it somehow makes even everyday cooking feel a little more fun. And here's the best part. It actually gets used every day. Whether you're starting the full set or helping her complete one she's loved for years. There's a whole world of Spice Village to explore this Mother's Day. Give her something she'll treasure. Treasure long after the card is put away. Trust me, once you see it, you'll want one too. Find the full [e-mail] SpiceVillage let's get

[Charlamagne tha God]

to the latest one.

Lauren.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I'm not dumbing myself down. I'm being myself. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everything. Little brown girls look at you and go.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I'm to be like you.

[DJ Envy]

Take me through that.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Take me through there.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The latest with Lauren.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Take me through there on the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Ll Talk to me.

[DJ Envy]

All right, guys, so we have been following this story of the reported shooting in the vicinity of celebrities homes. And one of the celebrities that people are trying to point to is Chris Brown. And we talked about yesterday how I spoke to police and they could not confirm anything about Chris Brown's home. They said it didn't speak to Chris Brown, that there's a bunch of celebrities that live on this block. Now, there's a new update here that is mentioning the man who was arrested, who I found out yesterday, was released on the $50,000 bond, was a part of Chris Brown's security team, and that as of the story breaking on Friday, he was relieved of his duties. Now, I did speak to LAPD again on this story, and they again pointed out the fact that this did not happen at Chris Brown's home, that they can confirm that it was in the vicinity, and they cannot confirm that this man was a part of Chris Brown's security team.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm so confused.

[DJ Envy]

Right? And. And what I will say is, because, you know, whenever you're talking to a PIO source or a law enforcement source on the record is much different than if you have a person inside of the agency, the police agency, who is willing to talk to you on background. And at this point, I think that that's what it is, that there. There's information coming from both sides of things. But on the record, police are not willing to mention any of the stories that are reporting now. But I did reach out on it because I knew that we'd have some questions in the follow up because of our story yesterday.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What about the person that got arrested? Whatever happened to him?

[DJ Envy]

He was arrested and then he was released on bond, and now he's gonna have to go to court.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did they say what happened? Why was he arrested? The shooting.

[DJ Envy]

Like, the shooting did hap. The shooting.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Was it a BB gun or not a BB gun?

[DJ Envy]

I told you guys yesterday. Police said that it was a BB gun. It did happen, but it was not in connection to Chris Brown. That. That police.

[Charlamagne tha God]

No, no. But who did he shoot at? Why did he get arrested?

[DJ Envy]

There was a woman in a car that called the police. There's a police. We talked about this yesterday.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So that. That.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Does it sound like a regular gun?

I don't know.

You shoot her in the ass. Like, what happened? Like, why? Like, what did he call the police?

[DJ Envy]

Like, she called the police because she was. I mean, she probably was scared, allegedly, right? Like, she's in a car.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The guy is allegedly calling the police on you. If you hit me with a BB gun.

[DJ Envy]

The guy is alleging that she ran over. They were in an argument, a verbal argument. She ran over his foot with the car, and then he shot what she thought was a weapon. But police are saying it's a. It was a CO2 style BB gun and the guy was arrested.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You didn't Say that yesterday.

[DJ Envy]

I did so.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That he ran over the guy's foot.

[DJ Envy]

I did. Did so.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I don't remember running over.

[DJ Envy]

You can go back and listen.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I remember her saying that he got shot with an official red rider carbon action 200 shot range model air rifle, but I don't remember.

It was a CO2 gun. Yeah, she said yesterday.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I said that yesterday. But the whole point in this was the whole security guards information. Police are not willing to go on record about that either. And Chris Brown again has spoke out and said he didn't know any of this was happening at all.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's the sad part. How did Chris Brown's name get attached to this?

[DJ Envy]

That's what I'm still.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Somebody just wanted to get some clicks, bro.

[DJ Envy]

I'm trying to figure that out. Like I'm really trying to figure that out. And I know I've tried to reach out to Chris Brown's team, but they aren't responding. He posted on Instagram, police are the only people that will talk to me and they are not attributing any of this to Chris Brown. So.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[DJ Envy]

Yes. And moving on. Yesterday we talked about young Miami Kisha. She was down in Miami for Formula one weekend and there was a party happening and she stopped the dj. Now we discussed that yesterday and she's had to come out and apologize since then. Let's take a listen. We was in Miami. I was in the spirit of the moment, you know, just trying to get lit, trying to turn the party up. Y' all know I'm a fun girl. I was just to trying, genuinely trying to have a good time. The video took place and I just want to send a publicly apology to DJ Sean, man. Shout out to DJ Shamac. It was never my intentions to publicly disrespect somebody and make somebody look crazy again. I was just trying to turn up, have fun, have a good time. And it happened publicly. So I'm sending my public publicly apology to DJ Sean, man. And there we have it and we can move. I saw people, you know, not accepting the apology, which I think is crazy. Like if you, if she's correcting it in real time, let her do that and then move on.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Cuz it sounds like she apologized because she got, you know, all the DJ started hitting her and I'm sure the label hit her. That's what it seemed like the apology came from.

[DJ Envy]

But before even because it just wasn't

[Charlamagne tha God]

like you, you're trash. You went on a little ramp like she said.

[DJ Envy]

But she mentioned in the. I saw her in the shade room comments also mentioning that, you know, she was a little drunk, she was having a good time, and she didn't mean any harm by it. So I think you got to take it at face value, right?

[Charlamagne tha God]

It is what it is.

I mean, she felt that way. If she felt that way, that's her opinion on that. I thought it was wrong, but, you know, if she felt that way, she felt that way. Don't. Don't change up now because. Because you get all that backlash and the label's mad at you. If you felt something was like that, just like if somebody doesn't like her record or somebody, they gonna say the record is ass.

Wait a minute.

[DJ Envy]

I think you upset just as a dj, and I'm understanding.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm just saying stand on it. If that's how you feel, that's how you feel. You can't take it back. Like we've said, records are trash. And not just her, but anybody's record that we don't like. And we don't take it back when we, like, we hurt the person's feelings.

But if she was a little intoxicated and she jumped on that microphone and she did something different. Regrets, she can apologize. She. You can't tell her, keep. Stand on it.

I'm not saying stand on it.

Might look back and be like, damn, I was messing.

Maybe the apology came from the right reason, then. Yes, absolutely. But if it became because she got on the backlash yesterday, I ain't really

see her getting no backlash.

[DJ Envy]

They was on her.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I mean, but they're. They're on her.

[DJ Envy]

A ton of people I saw DJs. A ton of people I saw DJs making videos. I saw Kid Capri make a video.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, that's different. Say that there was a bunch of DJs.

Chicago was on her ass. Kick a pre.

Okay, now you making. You got an album coming out, and you going to need your record.

[DJ Envy]

And that was the conversation.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Why can't you just say that? I just said that.

I said do it for the right reason, and she did it for the right reason.

Basically what you're saying is a bunch of DJs gave her backlash, and she's got an album coming out and she's going to want her records played and she don't need the DJs not playing her music because of what she did to DJ Shawn Mack in the.

That's what it sounds like to me.

Okay, all right, I get it now. Like, who the hell is day Twitter? Give a damn about Twitter. But them DJs.

Okay. Okay.

[DJ Envy]

All right, now, that's the latest for this hour. And the next hour, we'll be back with some more.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right, now, shout out. Man, who giving that donkey too?

Man 4 After the hour. As if y' all needed more reason to know why you should tip people. Okay, we need a guy named Zachary. What's his name? Zachary Nicholas Watson, to come to the front of the congregation. We would like to have a word with him, please.

All right, we'll get to that. Next, it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

I just want to know, so how

[Isaiah Rashad]

you came up with the donkey of the day.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Because you're mean.

[Zuri Hall]

I am not.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What did I do?

There's a bunch of donkeys out here in the streets. If we live a life where we bite our tongue based off who we may offend, we never would say anything.

[Isaiah Rashad]

On the Breakfast Club. In the words of Charlemagne, the God,

[Charlamagne tha God]

he's a donkey that was. Oh, man, Charlemagne. You giving Duncan data? Who now? Well, Busta Rhymes Donkey. Today for Tuesday, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo. Let's go invade Cinco de Mayo.

Hola. Go ahead, man.

Cinco de Mayo. Donkey today goes to 36 year old Zachary Nicholas Watson of Missouri. Now, Zachary was arrested and charged with armed criminal action, first degree assault. Result, our attempt and leaving the scene of an accident. Now, what caused Zachary to do all that? The answer is nothing, all right? There is absolutely zero reason to commit the crimes he's committed. But unfortunately, we live on a planet where economic strife is causing people amongst us to become nuts. Okay? Radicalized. And the reality is some folks are feeling so much economic pain that they are fed up and willing to risk it all. I don't know why I gotta keep having to tell y' all this, but it is the reality of the situation. Well, what Zachary do? Let's go to US Daily Crime for the report, please.

Zachary Nicholas Walton, a Domino's delivery driver, recently faced allegations in Missouri. Police alleged Walton intentionally struck a customer with his car. The incident occurred during a dispute. The dispute centered on the customer not providing a tip. Walton reportedly used his vehicle to hit the customer.

[Isaiah Rashad]

This occurred outside the customer's residence.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You can't even order pizza and breadsticks and wings no more without the threat of dying. Okay, Zachary, Big Z, you hit somebody with a car over a tip. Okay? A tip. And if you read the article. I was reading the article, not just listening to the news report. He said he only did it to scare him. I promise you, if you simply said to that man, next time Leave a tip. Or say, hey, are you really going to trust someone with your food that you don't on tip? That's just as scary as running to hit me with a car, by the way. Okay? I'll be thinking about that every time I order something and making sure I leave a tip. If somebody whispers that to me, by the way, that is actually the reason you should tip. I mean, people are going to be crazy regardless. But I feel like if you treat somebody right, put some good energy out there, give them the dignity of a tip, they might think a little differently about tampering with your food. And I know tipping culture is confusing, right? Because you constantly questioning yourself, should I tip? Or how much should I tip? What do you mean? I have to add gratuity because the person is breathing. But no way. Where in the tipping guidelines does it say, if I choose not to tip? Okay, if I don't tip, I'm gonna get run over by a 2008 Nissan Optima. All right? That doesn't even happen on GTA. Listen, I know not getting a tip is frustrating people. I get it. You're driving around gas, high as hell, people ordering $80 worth of food and giving you nothing. That hurts. But you know what hurts more? Anal sex. Okay? Being penetrated by a man doing 100 years in a prison. Prison. That is what you don't want, and that is the risk you run, sir. Okay? Because you didn't do your jail math. Your jail math is when you calculate if what you are about to do is worth the time. Okay, all right? Is what you are about to do worth the time that you will get for doing it? And this ain't it. Okay? You was completely in the wrong from the beginning. You started the argument, you escalated it. You used your vehicle as a weapon, then you left the scene because you didn't get a ticket tip. Now you're facing charges like first degree assault, armed criminal action, leaving the scene, all because somebody said, nah, I'm good on the tip. Zachary, did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, the person who ordered the food couldn't afford to tip you? What if that individual was spending his last to eat? Okay. What if that person would love to tip you but just couldn't afford to do so? Did you ever stop to think that you're not the only person out here dealing with financial issues? Issues? Okay, Zachary, if your emotional intelligence is so low that a missing temp, a missing tip, turns into attempted vehicular homicide, then you are the one who doesn't deserve the tip. I don't like when you laugh when I say that word.

[DJ Envy]

Okay?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Every time I say that word.

[Ray Porter]

Homicide.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Homicide.

You know, it's difficult.

Homicide.

Now, Zachary, you didn't just lose your tip. You lost your job, your freedom, and possibly your business. Bunkie, for $5, please. You see that? I'm trying to tell you. And that's just the tip. That was just the tip. Jesus, he ain't even put it all the way in yet. Please give Zachary Nicholas Watson the sweet sounds of the Hamiltones.

Of the day. You are the donkey of the day. He haul.

Always do your jail math, ladies and gentlemen. Okay, Your jail map is when you calculate if what you are about to do is worth the time that you will get for doing it. Always got to remember that.

All right, well, thank you for that. Donkey of the day.

Yes, indeed.

Now, when we come back, Zuri hall will be joining us.

My girl Zuri, she was on the

2026 MET Gala Red Carpet last night for E. So we're gonna talk to her when we come back. She woke up early for this. So Zuri hall, when we come back. Come back. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Morning everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lauren, the Rose is here as well. We have Zuri hall in the building. She covered the 2026 Met Gala red carpet last night for E. I know

she got to be tired. And also, sir, big up yourself.

That's right. Tell about the stuff.

[Zuri Hall]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. It was corseted. I've got the scars to prove it now. The necklace was so high. It's painful, but beauty is pain.

[DJ Envy]

How long does your prep take? Like how long are you like outsourcing, like looking for your dress? Throughout the year?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, you gotta o'.

Clock.

So you start at nine in the morning.

[Zuri Hall]

Do you hear me? The glam, genuinely, I think they pulled up to my hotel room around 8:30am we were in the chair by 8:45. And then, yeah, I was on my way to the Met by. You know, we do the rounds, we do the glam bot do all the pictures, all that stuff. But yeah, two o' clock, we're in position at the Met.

[DJ Envy]

How long it takes me.

[Zuri Hall]

Lauren, you'd be surprised how last minute the glam is for us. Cuz like really the fashion is important, but I'm also super focused on just like the job and like who's coming. What do I need to know? What do I Need to ask them my dress. This was the longest out I'd ever prepped. I think a week and a half, two weeks out. But sometimes I've had gowns that are getting the final touches, like the day before, two days before. Last year, I wore an incredible designer, Bishmi Cromartie, for the super fine black tailoring. He's incredible. Was on Project Runway out of Baltimore. So talented. And he did a custom look. So that was him just working up and until those final few days. So every year is different.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You've been doing this for like a decade. Zori, how has social media changed what celebrities are willing to say to you on the red car?

[Zuri Hall]

I love that question. It has changed a lot because that's part of the reason people didn't stop last night. I think it's just there's such a risk of things being taken out of context. We live in a clip economy at this point. Right. Like, it is not often that people are like, wow, that was an interesting 60 seconds. I have an idea about that. But I think I'm gonna go watch the full hour long conversation first before I post a hot take. Right. And so I think people have become more cautious, they've become more savvy, and I think they've. That's also why we're seeing more public figures and celebrities who traditionally would not be behind a mic in the way that we are getting behind the mics or going to their friends to have the conversations behind the mics, because they really need to try trust that they have what they believe is a safe space. Some might also argue a softball space.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Right.

[Zuri Hall]

Like you're not going to get asked the hard hitting questions if it's your bestie who's doing the podcast conversation with you. But that's just the, the world, the, the media landscape that I think we live in. And I'm sure y' all see it often, hear it often, probably experience it often with your interviews, but it definitely changes the level of transparency, you know? But I will say, after 11 years of doing this, you start to build the trust.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Right?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Right.

[Zuri Hall]

Where I take pride in people coming to me like the Rock. Last night, Dwayne was not really doing

[Charlamagne tha God]

a ton of press start not first name basis.

No.

[Zuri Hall]

Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Mr. Johnson, he stopped and we've got a great interview history. He met my dad in Maui when I covered the Moana 2 carpet. So over the years, you start to get that feeling of, okay, I can go to her, I can trust Pastor. She's gonna Ask me smart questions. They're gonna be fair, but I'm not gonna, you know, pull a gotcha or anything like that. Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So what were some of your favorite outfits for people that are listening and driving into work right now? Maybe didn't. They didn't see the Met Gala. What were some of your favorite outfits and why? For last night, Men and women.

[Zuri Hall]

I mean, I loved. It's so obvious. It's so on the. But Rihanna and asap, like, they're always worth the way. I love how, you know, they are always doing their own thing and yet somehow feel very cohesive. I believe Rihanna was in Mason Margiela. I loved seeing Damson Idris. I just. I loved the hair. I loved the pop of red. I thought it was understated. Outside of.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Was that diamonds Beyonce was wearing? Was that all diamonds? I've seen a report that said it was all diamonds, but I can't imagine

[Zuri Hall]

it'd be anything less. I mean, Swarovski crystal, perhaps?

[Charlamagne tha God]

I don't know. When they say diamonds, I'm like, that's about $20 million.

[Zuri Hall]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, she looked incredible. I mean, she was shining head to toe. Blue Ivy was a vibe for that to be her first Met gal. Carpet.

[DJ Envy]

I mean, she's so cool. It's.

[Zuri Hall]

She's so cool. She's got such a presence, and you can tell that she. Like, I'm so excited to see her evolution. Like, her star power that she oozes is so effortless. The shades, it was so sweet when I asked Beyonce, like, how are you feeling tonight? And she said, I feel so good. My baby's here. She pointed to Blue, and it was like Blue was just doing her thing solo on the carpet. Jay's watching like a proud dad, and it's like we've all kind of watched her grow up. So to see her in a moment like that, completely cool under pressure. Pressure. She was really fun to see.

[Charlamagne tha God]

One of the. One other question. One of the Jenna girls had, like, a. A bodysuit. Then it was like a dress off of a bodysuit. Did I see something? I thought I seen people.

[DJ Envy]

Kylie.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I don't know the names.

[DJ Envy]

She had blonde eyebrows.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

You're talking about Kylie.

[Zuri Hall]

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who?

What?

[DJ Envy]

I'll show you with the body.

[Zuri Hall]

Yeah, yeah. That was Kylie Jenner. I don't know what. I don't know what design that was. She didn't stop and talk. And honestly, honestly, so much of my job, like, in the moment, if I am not getting the information directly from them, I Don't know until later.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Right.

[Zuri Hall]

Because in my ear, they're mostly like, so and so's on the carpet. Try to get them. And we're talking about the moment, and then our guys in the studio are covering the actual fashion details. So I'm getting the. How are you feeling? Who are you with? What was the prep like?

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Talk to the.

[Zuri Hall]

Talk to me about the road to the gala, and then we'll toss back to the studio. And they've actually got the details being fed to them in real time time. So unless someone comes up to me and says, I'm with Michael Kors and I'm wearing Michael Kors, I'm finding out, honestly, a lot of the time, like,

[DJ Envy]

the rest of y', all, like, right after Schipperelli.

[Zuri Hall]

Schiaparelli, yeah. Oh, that looks Schiaparelli, too. I mean, so structural.

[DJ Envy]

It's. Yeah, she was gorgeous.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I want to ask about you, Zuri. What's the moment in your career where you felt underestimated? And how did you flip that?

[Zuri Hall]

I think you know this one. Charlemagne. I think in New York, like. Like when I was. And I don't know if it was underestimated so much as underutilized through no fault of, like, the networks, but, you know, I was at mtv. I had signed this overall deal. I was super excited about it. I thought, this is, like, my big break. I've actually been talking about it on my Instagram, like, this plot twist series, because there's some changes coming my way with my career soon, too, that I'm actually excited about. But I felt underestimated because it's like, put me in coach. Like, I know what I can do if I'm just given the right opportunities. And I just think it was a lack of opportunity. It wasn't a time where there was a ton of development. You were a blessing.

[DJ Envy]

Right.

[Zuri Hall]

Those opportunities with MTV and MTV2, with everything that you had going on, really helped shape me in that moment and sort of give me a confidence that I was kind of losing in that moment, quite frankly. But I think I've always been kind of underestimated. I'm traditionally. I've been shyer than people. People expect. And so growing up, the most you would hear me talk is if I was on stage or on screen. I think that's probably why I pursued this career. It was kind of like permission to take up space. And so because of that, when I would come into a room, I would always be underestimated. Like, oh, she gonna talk now. What's she gonna Say once the mic.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Come on.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I never understood that though, because I never understood why MTV just didn't use you the way he was using you. You could have been doing the same thing. The red carpets.

[Zuri Hall]

That's.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

That's true.

[Zuri Hall]

But you know, like, did we have shows like that at MTV at the time time. Because I know the MTV that I, you know, we all. That's true. That's very true.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The music awards, the movie awards. Yeah, plenty of award shows.

[Zuri Hall]

I know. The irony is as soon as I moved to LA and got the job at E News, I got flown to New York to go cover like the MTV movies and all this stuff. Yeah. So there, there was some irony there. But it all works out how it was supposed to work out, you know.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How do you handle rejection in an industry where, where everything is so public facing? I guess.

[Zuri Hall]

I think I have always been so used to. No, like, I just don't know is. Not yet. For me, my senior year of high school, you know, our. One of our English teachers gave everybody a word and mine was tenacious Tenacity. I don't even think I knew. I had to Google it later.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Like, wait, what?

[Zuri Hall]

What, what makes me ten. Tenacious?

[Jamilia Adams]

Tenacious.

[Zuri Hall]

I don't even say it. But then I was like, yeah, no, that checks out. I think I've just always been someone who was raised with this almost. Almost like a healthy delusion. Right. My dad is always like, you can do whatever you want. You can be whatever you want. And not in like a generic cliche way. Like that man really had me thinking, if I woke up at 18 and ran for president, like they could figure it out. They move some things around, you know. Exactly. He spoke that sort of life into me at such an early age. That no is something I never took personally. I'm like, oh, they just don't know me yet. They don't see me yet. So I never took that personally. It's. You just. Just haven't been able to experience what it is. I know I can show you if you give me the opportunity. So does it suck that it's a no? Yeah, but I'm gonna go get it somewhere else. Make it a yes somewhere else.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How do you feel now? Because I know Access Hollywood just got canceled. Yeah. How do you take that?

[Zuri Hall]

You know, it's bittersweet. It's the end of an era. I think it's the chan. The changing landscape.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Right.

[Zuri Hall]

Like it's been 30 years that access Hollywood's been on the air. The syndication studio is shutting down. So that's affecting all of the shows that traditionally have relied on syndication occasion. Karamo, the Steve Wilko show, etc. I think I don't want to say the writing was on the wall with this show specifically. I think just with that model, I am hopeful that, you know, there will be some new iteration of the brand. I think a lot of things are just moving to digital, but I am also excited about what's next for me. And there's still so many other opportunities. I still work with E. Right. When I'm on these big award show records, carpets, when I'm in those hosting positions, that's live for me. When I'm doing fandango, big ticket interviews, one on one exclusives, that's an entirely different property. American Injury warriors coming back this summer on NBC. So, yeah, we've still got that stuff. But I'm excited to have more time to actually build and focus on IP and ownership. You know, I launched my show not about sports earlier this year and so I'm just excited to embrace the changes. I always roll with the punches. I love it. Honestly. The only thing constant is change. So you just got to rock with it.

[DJ Envy]

I know you, I know you interviewed the Devil Wears product cast.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Right.

[DJ Envy]

For the second movie. Yeah. And Stanley in the, in the second movie. It's very reminiscent about. I feel like what you talk a lot about in your plot twist series, about how things have to move and adapt and change.

[Mimi Brown]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

What is. What has been your decision to share as those things are happening intentionally? Right. Like we read about you, but you're deciding to give us your voice on it as it happens.

[Zuri Hall]

Yeah. I think it's because of that, like people may read about about it or they may experience me as a host.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Zuri Hall]

I think I got so comfortable being seen without really being seen. Right. Showing up, hosting the show, being impressive and focusing on accomplishment only. Like that's always been kind of a safe space to exist. Like when I'm struggling or when I'm confused or when I'm not sure. It's easier to like be in hiding for that and then pop back out when I have something impressive and interesting to say. And the older I get, the more comfortable and confident I gave, which is who I am and like where I am in any given moment. The more I am willing to embrace vulnerability publicly. And I think we're all in a really interesting time. You know, there are a lot of women, especially in transition, black women, particularly in the workforce right now, who at a disproportionate rate are losing Their jobs. Right. It's tough right now for everyone, but I think especially for us. And as I see the comments and I talk with my followers, I was like, this is honestly a blessing in disguise because if I'm willing to be vulnerable about my show going away and I'm willing to do it in real time and be like, I'm not figuring it out totally yet, but I've been here before. I've had to ride the waves before. I've had to navigate the plot twist before. I've always come out on the other side. And the reason that I can do this in a steady way is because of what I've learned. So let's let me share that with you. Let me share why my life didn't collapse. Let me share why I'm excited about a not entirely known future. Like, that came through a lot of work, a lot of therapy, a lot of figuring out who I am and what my identity is outside of my job. So when I lose a job, I don't. I don't lose myself because I've done a lot of work to figure out who Zuri hall is when she's not on air. And so being transparent with the plot twist series, it's just something that I wanted to share, share in case it helped anybody else who's also like, what am I doing with my life? This is not what I saw for myself. This is not what I expected. I did everything right. And still. And the feedback's been great. So I'm gonna just keep telling my business in small doses, what's something you

[Charlamagne tha God]

had to unlearn to grow in this business?

[Zuri Hall]

Something I had to unlearn. Oh, that's a good one, Char. Something that I had to unlearn. And this business was. Yeah, that opportunity sometimes. And success and. Or lack thereof is not directly tied to my worth, truly. Because as someone who growing up, my career, my ambitions, my accomplishments was my identity when I was passed over for something, when it was, was, okay, maybe next time, but not now. I really. I used to take it personally sometimes just in. In small moments. And I've realized there's such a political game to. To a lot of this, you know, and so often the reason that it's someone else versus you has nothing to do with you. And there's also something beautiful about being able to say that is for them. Like, what is for them is for them. What's for me is for me me. And I'm not going to tell myself a lie about who I am or what I deserve just because someone else in this moment thought that that wasn't who I was or what I deserved. And so, yeah, just embracing my worth outside of my job. And who decided that I deserved an opportunity. Yeah, I just had to unlearn my worthiness, being attached to my output, my creation, my. My achievement.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That is so dope, because I remember, you know, 10 years ago when they did not know what to do with Zuri hall at mtv, and she was just, you know, up there every day, you know, and I'm just like, yeah, she's just doing what she should be doing.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Thank you for joining us this morning.

[Zuri Hall]

Thank you for having me, y'.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

All.

[Zuri Hall]

I appreciate it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And, you know, like I said, I'm gonna put you in touch, like, if you need to intern for next year's red carpet, somebody carry your bag.

[Zuri Hall]

Make a bag.

[DJ Envy]

He's really good at carrying things. He used to do it for DJ Clue.

[Mimi Brown]

Really?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That was a good stab.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

That was a good stab.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I like that.

[DJ Envy]

That was crazy.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

You've been working in the garage with your dad every week, Monday to Sunday, trying to get the old school up and running. Today, after all the hard work, y' all finally finished it. So you have that feeling of accomplishment. You did it. Then your dad throws you the keys. He says those three magic words. All yours, son. Yep. Same car that belonged to your grandpa and that your dad helped him fix. It's yours. Three generations right there, keeping the tradition alive. But if you ask dad to really keep the tradition going, you need to get insurance. You already know you need to get State Farm, because your agent, well, he gets tradition, too. His dad was an agent, his grandpa, too. So he gets you. Generation to generation. Remember to choose the agents that your family counted on. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

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[Kal Penn]

everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Eerie The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project Hail Mary Massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get tears as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, no, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jana Kramer]

This is Jana Kramer from Wind down with Jana Kramer. Every Mother's Day, I tell myself I'm going to be more thoughtful than flowers, because flowers are beautiful, but they don't last. In my house. Everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Friends, family, the kids. And I love having things around that spark conversation and feel special.

[Zuri Hall]

Special.

[Jana Kramer]

That's why I love the Lenox Spice Village. And your mom will too. It's a set of 24 hand painted little houses that are actually spice jars. And I swear people notice it the second they walk in. It's charming, it's nostalgic, and it somehow makes even everyday cooking feel a little more fun. And here's the best part. It actually gets used every day. Whether you're starting the full set or helping her complete one she's loved for years. There's a whole world of Spice Village to explore this Mother's Day. Give her something she'll treasure long after the card is put away. Trust me, once you see it, you'll want one too. Find the full [e-mail] Spice Village okay,

[DJ Envy]

so yesterday, guys, Stefan Diggs was in court with his old chef. Now, this is the woman who is accusing him of assaulting her back in December of 2025 and not paying her. Her name is Jamilia Adams, and yesterday she had to take the stand in the courtroom and detail some of the allegations. Let's take a listen to the chef on the details of the alleged assault.

[Jamilia Adams]

I was in the bedroom. He missed the d. Came into my room with La Cross.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

When you were in the bedroom, was the door closed?

[Jamilia Adams]

Yes, the door was closed.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So when he came in, did he open the.

He opened the door?

[Jamilia Adams]

Yes, he opened the door. He came in and he. With intent to hurt me.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

No, no, no.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What? No, not his intimidating.

What actually happened?

[Jamilia Adams]

He was leaning against the dresser. He asked me to get up to come here. I got up off the bed and I came across to him. Like I stood on the side of him. He was like, what was all that?

[DJ Envy]

He was talking.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And then what happened?

[Jamilia Adams]

And I was beginning to say, you said. And I couldn't finish my statement. And he smacked me. He smacked me with an open hand.

[Joybox Advertisement Announcer]

So you say you pushed out and you made a motion of your hand. So does that mean you pushed with your hands? Yes, around like his stomach, his chest,

[Jamilia Adams]

his shoulders, up to block his hands. And then he took his arm and he like came around my neck with. And he began to choke me. Pressure on my neck.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So what's the story now?

[DJ Envy]

So the story is that. And I want to say that Stefan Diggs denies all of those allegations, but the story is that Stefan Diggs has this chef that. That was previously living with him. Now they met about.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So she was a living chef?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, she was a living chef. They met about four years ago once they started communicating, dating via Instagram dm. And their relationship blossomed in from friends to her being the living chef. She was working with them during the recovery year. And then she said their relationship got complicated because they did have sexual interactions. She alleges. Right. So basically she was alleging that after they got into this big argument over another person that was working in Stefan Diggs home, a woman that she alleges that he had another sexual relationship with, that he had stopped paying her and stopped inviting her to things. She talks about an Art Basel trip to Miami, but her issue was that she's saying that when she confronted him about the. The non invite and the money that he put his hands on her. So now she is in court and she's alleging these things. And he was actually charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault. But again, he pled not guilty. He's denying all of the allegations and his team is saying that she made all of the. This up and in court yesterday it was. Things were not on her side yesterday whatsoever it did, it began to look like from the picture that the prosecution. I'm sorry, the defense was painting. They were painting this picture like she was upset about the fact that he was in relationships with other women and nothing to do with what she's claiming now she actually talked about the Time when she was upset about not going to Miami with because her and Cardi B had some plans, let's say take a listen.

[Jamilia Adams]

He asked me what was I doing for the week and I asked him, oh, so you weren't going to tell me that I wasn't able to come to Art Basel. He explained why and it was because of the situation with me and the other co worker, Lindsey Bolin. I was upset with him, not upset at the fact I couldn't go to Art Basel. Me and him have a relationship for over four and a half years. He could have told me weeks ahead of time because me and his girlfriend Cardi B, we were talking about having like outfits and stuff. It was like a whole thing being planned and he just waited to the last day. So I was more upset with him not letting me know I wasn't going to come like at an earlier time.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. And they're calling, his team is calling BS on this. And they also brought the fact that like there were text messages that were deleted. In one of the text message read something to the effect of I want to ruin that bees life. So he's in court right now fighting to clear himself of all of this. So that started yesterday and it will be continuous. So we'll keep you guys updated. Now in other news. So we talked a bit about Chris Brown at the top of the show but I wanted to bring it back because what we did not talk about was the music. You guys know that Chris Brown has a new album that is coming out. So he actually announced yesterday, it was like late yesterday. He announced some of the features that will be on his project. So I thought that it was fair to bring that back in. He announced that Sexy Red will be on the project. He also has Leon Thomas on the project. I know that that song has been moving a bit. I saw Lucky Day there as well. And he's, you know, this project which is called Brown. A lot of people are excited about a new music video that he released that is in the theme of Sinners. So just wanted to make sure that we gave that some light too because I think a lot of what Chris Brown says is when he is doing something, he's dropping the music. All people talk about it are the other things.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And today's his birthday.

Your people.

[DJ Envy]

Well, I'm doing in real time. I'm trying to, you know, do Happy birthday. Do the best of both worlds.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Happy born day Breezy.

And also Natina. Today is Natina's birthday too.

Happy birthday. Sorry Natina, I'm sitting there texting Natina this morning about other things and you

didn't say Happy birthday. No, that's Natina's birthday too.

What you mean not at all?

[DJ Envy]

Because I hate when people do that. Like when they're talking to you about one thing and it's something else is happening and then they don't know, Then they find out and be like, oh, my God, my bad.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Have you texted Natina this morning?

[DJ Envy]

I. I'm not in text with Natina, but happy birthday, Natina. If she's watching, definitely. Happy birthday.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, that's the latest.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Happy birthday, Natina.

That's Natina's birthday.

I knew I was just warming you up with the other conversation.

All right, now. But Top, you're going to say Top Dog.

[DJ Envy]

Yes. It's brought to you by Top Dog Law. So any accident, big or small, call Top Dog Law.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All right, everybody else, the people's choice mixes up next, you want to get your request in 800-585-1051. Let's start off with some Chris Brown. It's the Breakfast Club.

Good morning.

Morning, everybody.

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Jess. Hilarious Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

Yes, indeed.

Today is Silence the Shame day. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Shanti Das. Welcome. And hey, how you feeling?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I'm feeling good.

[Zuri Hall]

Feeling good.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I got a lot to talk about though. But first I just want to say this is my ninth time recording the Breakfast Club for Silence of Shane. The 10th time because y' all had me on to talk about my grief guide two years ago. So it's like my 10 year anniversary too, for being on the Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

So thank y'.

[Zuri Hall]

All.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Now, how are you feeling? You kind of stuttered for a second, so you. I.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

And you know, I'm at a point, especially from a mental health perspective, where I keep it real even. I saw you at the Accelerate her conference and congratulations. But, you know, ladies were coming up to me saying, how are you doing? And I'm like, it's tough right now. And so what should be celebratory for 10 years of doing this work, being on the front lines. We lost $600,000 of funding two weeks ago.

[Caller J.A. from Indy]

Wow.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What happened?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

We lost state funding and we weren't really given a reason. We were just told it was cutbacks. And so we know that some of the state funding comes from federal, but then it trickles down. But to do that to us when we were in the middle of programs, we just graduated our third cohort for our Silence to Shame University initiative, which is our college leadership program. We now have over 70ambassadors. Like, y', all, we doing the work. Like, how can y' all cut us off a program? We've already, like, we're six months in, and you're telling us you're not gonna, like, reimburse us for it because it was a contract, you know, with the state government.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So a Trump thing or.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I don't know. I can't say specifically, but I do think it's probably an effect of what's going on with the administration. Silence to Shame is not the only organization that has lost funding. I was talking to Dr. Spirit. 75% of her funding is gone. You know, we see mental health organizations merging together. It's a lot easier to merge for profit companies than nonprofit companies. But one thing I am standing on, y', all, is my faith. And so most people know, I don't impose my faith on anyone, but I'm trusting God through the storm. And I recently heard this lady talk about eagles and how eagles are in the midst of the storm, but they use the wind shear to propel them up. And I feel like I'm in the middle of the storm and I'm just gonna soar like an eagle and figure it out, because it's money out there. And more importantly, we're saving lives. You know, we've impacted millions of people virtually through resources, but just physically. Tens of thousands of people that we've touched through our programs, whether that's our Youth Cope Clinic, we have a youth advisory council, a parent cafe, parent advisory council, the Silence of Shame University. Like, you know, we doing the work.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah. What I don't understand is if you're already hurting people economically.

[Isaiah Rashad]

Right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Where do they. Where do they think people are going to, you know, go to get. Get, get help?

[DJ Envy]

Exactly.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Like, you know what I mean?

Like that.

That economic strife is. Causes mental strife, emotional strife, spiritual script, in a lot of ways.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely. And what I tell people, y', all,

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

people still look at mental health sometimes like it's a bad word. I'm like, we all have mental health. It's how you think, how you act and how you feel. And to your point, if your mental health is not right, your finances won't be right, your health won't be right, you won't be able to get married and have children and sustain your family, household. Like, it starts with our wellness in the brain. And if we just change this concept, that's why we continue to fight so hard to erase that stigma. Around it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm glad you even said that, because I didn't. I. I didn't even. I mean, I know you told me that, but I didn't know. I don't think a lot of people know that that type of funding is being cut.

[Zuri Hall]

Oh, gosh.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah.

Yeah.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

And so, you know, we've been rallying the troops, so we're just trying to find more family foundations, you know, more grant opportunities. The other thing is, it's May, y'. All. Most of the Grant Cycles for 2026 are done. They're 2027. So I'm like, y' all just out here. Got us, you know, out here looking crazy. But again, I serve a good God. We have great followers, great support, supporters. And I do want to celebrate the good work that Silence of Shame has done over the last 10 years.

[DJ Envy]

But that's what's so crazy about, like, grief, right? Is like, things. Because you're probably grieving what you're not able to do.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

But when. Even when I saw you at Accelerate her, like, we could barely talk to each other because people coming up to you and telling you, like, they're so happy to see you, they're proud of you and all these things that you're doing. And internally, you're like, you're literally physically going through something. Right.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

I had an ugly cry at Accelerate her shout out to Kim Blackwell, but. And I told her. I was like, I didn't even know that I was gonna make it here. But it was just that strength to persevere and to keep going. Knowing that when I'm getting emails and texts from people like, my son is alive because of the work that you do or by you even sharing your stories, you know? Cause this started. Sounds to Shame started, as, you know, from me almost taking my own life in 2015. So we've come too far. We've partnered with national groups like Sony Music Publishing, the NFL Players Association, Jack and Gia. We just did a partnership that we launched with the Home Depot backyard in Atlanta. So I'm hoping that some private donor or even just, you know, everyday people who love and support the work that we do or might have a family member that's suffering, you know, might want to support our organization.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You know, one thing I really want to focus on, me and my good sister Debbie Brown was talking about it, especially at the Mental Health Expo this year, is we're talking about mental health and we're having all these conversations. Right. But are people actually healing?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

100%. I'm so glad you said that because I feel, I feel like the conversation, especially even with Gen Z, and I know Gen Alpha is too young to really talk about it, but even though some young kids are starting to talk about it, people are discussing it, but I don't think they're getting the help that they need. That is why organizations, you know, like Silence of Shame and even the work that the Mental Health Coalition does with bringing all the mental health groups together is so super important. Because it's about repetition. It's about you. You gotta keep telling people, people to check in with your friends, check in with your mental health. We have to get a checkup.

[Zuri Hall]

Every year you go, you get your

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

physical or even this thing, y', all, our cell phone. If you don't charge this puppy at night, what's going to happen? It's going to be died, it's going to be depleted. So if we don't continue to pour back into our health and wellness on a daily basis, then, no, we're not healing. And I think that's what's happening. We're pacifying ourselves. We're putting band aids on things. So shout out to all the great therapists, psychiatrists, social workers is out there on the front lines. But people. And I talk to people at some companies, they're like, oh, yeah, we have all those resources, but I don't use them.

[DJ Envy]

Why?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Well, how can people donate if they need to donate?

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Yes. So again, today is national silence ashamed a 10 years in. So we're doing just a grassroots campaign asking people to donate $10 and then challenge 10 of your friends to give $10. You can text the word silence to 707070 or you can visit silenceashame.com and I would be remiss if I didn't shout out my, my amazing small team. Jewel Gooding, Tamir, Megan, Nick and Sonia. We are small but mighty. And y', all, we are saving lives. So please, if you have anything, if you don't have it, just post for us. Encourage your friends and families, celebrities, everyday people, therapists, everybody, just please help us to keep continuing doing this great work.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And in this suicide and crisis, Lifeline calling 988, you got to talk about that.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

And so 988 is a national resource. It has replaced what we knew as a National Suicide Lifeline. 1-800-273-TALK. All y' all gotta do now, literally is pick up the phone, y', all, and dial 988. You'll be connected to a trained crisis counselor that'll answer the phone. Talk to you try to understand what you're going through and push you to resources. And if the local crisis counseling center is not available in your state, guess what? It automatically pushes you to a national number. It worked for me. I called the national suicide lifeline the night that I was in crisis, and it helped me. Help me. They talked to me for 20 minutes and talked me off.

[DJ Envy]

I always wonder if that actually helped.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Actually sat in my car and talked to them, and I'm. They saved my life that night and my sister and my pastor, who happens to be Senator Warnock. It helps y'.

[Mimi Brown]

All. It works.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Don't be afraid to get help. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. I don't know why I'm getting emotional, but it's okay. 10 years of fighting this good fight. I did not almost take my own life and start this. To end the work that we're doing. I don't want anybody else to think that suicide is an option. You know, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland who took his own life and his wife's life. Wife's life. I just. My heart goes out to the kids, to everybody that's going through anything. Y' all help is available. I don't care if you're 10 or 70 or 50. Where's the camera? I just want to look straight in the camera and tell people it's okay to get.

[Zuri Hall]

Get help.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

Silence the shame around your emotions, y'.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

It's people out here hurting high achievers, hurting students, hurting family members, hurting y'.

[Charlamagne tha God]

All.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

We gotta erase the stigma. Mental health is no different than physical health. So please, please, please continue to silence the shame and support our organization. And if you want to get my grief guide, you can go to Shantidas Vis because it's a lot of people out there grieving as well. I love y' all so much. I just want to thank y' all for always having me joining us.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Shanti Dodge, Silence the Shame day. Make sure you donate if you can.

Now, the good sister, Shanti Dos. Man, make sure you go out there and support everything she's doing with Silence the Shame. It is one of my favorite mental health organizations out there. They really do the work on the ground, especially in Atlanta, Georgia.

All right, well, you got a positive note.

I do. Never blame another person for your personal choices. Okay? You are still the one who must live out the consequences of your choices. Have a great day. Breakfast club. Wake you up. Wake you up.

Wake that ass up.

Program your Alarm to Power 105.1 on

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[Charlamagne tha God]

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episode is brought to you by Choiceology, an original podcast from Charles Schwab hosted by Katie Milkman, behavioral scientist and author of the best selling book how to Change. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind our decisions. Each episode shares the latest research in behavioral science and dives into themes like the power of self control control shaping your mindset for success, navigating new beginnings and why starting over can feel so hard. Katie talks to authors, athletes, Nobel laureates and everyday people about why we make irrational choices and how we can make better ones to help avoid costly mistakes. Listen to [e-mail] podcast or wherever you'll a listen.

[State Farm Insurance Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.