The Breakfast Club – Episode Summary

Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Notable Guests: Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Lauren LaRosa (The Latest), Mimi Brown (news)

Main Theme & Purpose

This lively Friday episode of The Breakfast Club dives into the state of HBCUs following nationwide lockdown threats, reflections on the legacies and challenges of Black women in the music industry with legendary guests, the culture of online vs. retail shopping amid rising theft, hip-hop beef commentary, propelling positivity, and of course, their signature blend of open phone lines, community humor, and unfiltered commentary.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Front Page News & Current Events

[19:50 – 49:30, 1:36:25 – 2:06:56]

a. Charlie Kirk’s Assassination at Utah Valley University

• Details: Manhunt continues; suspect seen climbing down the roof where the shot was fired.
• Authorities have over 7,000 tips; reward of $100,000.
• Investigation: Suspect left shoe prints & palm prints, no one is in custody.
• Labels it as a “targeted political assassination.”
• Kirk’s prominence: Co-founder of Turning Point USA; defended gun rights, controversial on campuses.
• Body returned to Arizona; Trump orders flags at half staff, plans to award kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• Charlamagne [27:40]:

  “Please, please hurry up and catch the individual who murdered Charlie Kirk. The longer they’re free, the more conspiracy theories we get, and all conspiracy theories do is cause more division and can create more violence.”

• Listener calls for measured, non-political response, focusing on empathy for his family [3:52:10]:

  “A man died in front of his kids and his wife. We should be giving him a little bit of grace.”

b. HBCU Lockdown Threats:

• Multiple HBCUs (Alabama State, Virginia State, Hampton, Southern, Clark Atlanta, Bethune-Cookman, Spelman) received hoax bomb or shooter threats.
• FBI confirms “swatting,” but closures disrupt campus life.
• Congressional Black Caucus: Calls threats “vile and chilling reminder that racism continues.”
• Hampton (DJ Envy’s alma mater) shut down classes for Thurs/Fri, resume Monday.
• Hosts reflect on racial targeting and need for vigilance.

  Charlamagne [1:42:00]: “Black people don’t have anything to do with this, so folks need to misdirect that energy… And this is why you have to be careful with things you say and do. It’s Charlie Kirk today, but it could be someone you love tomorrow.”

c. Retail Theft & Locked Merchandise/Online Shopping Trend

• Retailers losing billions; 93% increase in shoplifting = 90% increase in retail losses.
• Over half of shoppers encounter locked items; a quarter say they just walk away.

  Jess [1:53:06]: “It’s whack we gotta pay for the sins of shoplifters… And when it’s something you want to buy discreetly, like Plan B, you gotta wait for the clerk and now your business is out in the open!”

2. Listener Call-Ins: “Get It Off Your Chest” & “People’s Donkey”

[49:30 - 1:22:05, 3:45:05 – 4:12:35]

• Range of Topics: Relationships, family challenges, venting about money, slamming hosts, or calling out political tribalism.
• Notable moment:
  Disabled vet describes a one-sided relationship; hosts advise self-preservation over “love at your own expense.”
• “People’s Donkey”: Listeners nominate anyone for “the credit they deserve for being stupid,” from family drama to government agencies.

3. Culture & Entertainment News (“Latest with Lauren”)

[1:22:05 – 1:42:00, 2:41:40 - 3:02:20]

a. Young Thug’s “Man I Miss My Dogs”

• The track addresses pain and isolation, lost connections with Drake, Lil Baby, Future, 21 Savage, Mariah The Scientist, etc.
• Discussion of the emotional fallout:

  Envy [1:28:41]: “He’s being so honest… You can tell he’s going through pain, he misses his friends, he wants it back how it was.” Charlamagne adds humor: “Thug need to add Gunna to that list too, because we know you miss him.”

• Debate on authentic apologies vs. public gestures, and how rap beefs sometimes escalate or heal through music.

b. Glorilla “Diss Track”

• Team debates if a track circulating is authentic or AI-made.

c. DJ Khaled on ‘Joe & Jada’ & Drake/Future vs. Ross Beef

• Khaled’s method of dealing with conflict: Stay positive, focus on love, “Everything is possible with God.”
• Khaled [2:46:49]: “I didn’t get in that energy. Hate? I don’t. When it comes down to DJ Khaled, I’m the one that’s gonna try to fix it at the end of the day.”
• Fat Joe and Jadakiss commended Khaled’s background as someone always focused on peace.

d. Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico Residency & U.S. Shows

• Avoids U.S. tours due to fears of ICE at shows; major economic impact in Puerto Rico.
• [2:52:11]: “He wanted to bring people to Puerto Rico… residency grossed $200 million and boosted the local economy.”

e. Lauren LaRosa Makes Ebony Power 100

• Celebration on set, playful jokes about her picture and the power of the Breakfast Club platform.

4. Icons Roundtable: Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan

[2:08:30 – 2:41:40]

a. Longevity & Industry Pressures

• Stephanie Mills:

  “I never did [think I’d last this long], because I was always told, you know, dark girls don’t… After a while, they were like, ‘People are not going to promote dark girls.’ So I was always working against that.” [2:09:55]

• Patti LaBelle:

  “Because I had an issue also with my being a black woman with a big nose. A friend of mine got her nose done. And I said, maybe I’ll get one gig… I did, and after I saw Stephanie, I had one!” [2:11:30]

• They recount issues of colorism, beauty standards, and pressure from management.
• Chaka Khan: Stands out for always rejecting beauty industry pressures.

  “I’m aware of the stigma Black women go through… But nobody ever said anything to me. I always had a reputation of not taking no.” [2:15:00]

• Conversation fosters solidarity, humor, and real talk, with hosts shocked at how pervasive these issues always were.

b. Criticisms of Music Industry Events

• Stephanie Mills called out Essence Festival for mismanagement—“lack of respect for artists,” asserts she’s earned the right to speak up.

  “At 68, I really don’t care what people think. I’m gonna stay and do what I want to do, I feel like I’ve earned that right.” [2:24:19]

• Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan back her up, amplifying the need for elders to speak out about conditions and accountability.

c. Current State of the Industry & New Music

• Modern artists praised: Jasmine Sullivan, Coco Jones, H.E.R.
• Interest in possible collaborations: Patti with Cardi B, Chaka with Sia and Snoop.
• All three agree they make more money now—“Independent, I know exactly what I want, what percentages I want.” [2:36:00]
• Emphasis on unity, love, peace as the concert/tour message.

d. Memorable, Candid Quotes:

• Stephanie Mills:

  “I’m not afraid when people say, ‘If you do this, you’re going to be blacklisted.’ I’m black already so you know what I’m saying?” [2:25:41]

• Patti LaBelle:

  “All money ain’t good money. You gotta know what you’re worth and be willing to say no.” [2:36:35]

• Chaka Khan:

  “I own everything of mine, get to come through me first.” [2:38:00]

5. Sports Highlights

[1:36:25 – 1:42:00, throughout]

• Packers defeat Commanders; Green Bay “going to Super Bowl” per Charlamagne’s not-quite-serious prediction.
• Canelo Alvarez v. Terence Crawford hyped as “the casual boxing match to watch”—streams live on Netflix.

6. Humor, Slander, and Friday Vibes

[Slander the Breakfast Club & Donkey of the Day, 4:12:35 – End]

• Listeners roast the hosts, complain about late arrivals (“I was never, ever late to a radio job”), and targets of “People’s Donkey.”
• The team routinely cracks jokes about each other’s appearance, timing, and more—with Lauren admonished for “looking at Charlamagne instead of focusing on her segment,” hair critiques, and members laughing at themselves.

  “We do Slander the Breakfast Club every now and then, man, when you get to call up here and slander us!” [4:20:00]

7. Music Breaks + “Pass the Aux” Recommendations

[5:04:15 – 5:20:30]

• Nyla Simone brings new tracks from Reuben Vincent & 9th Wonder, Suave, Jermaine Dupri/Bun B/Jaymont/Sean Paul (“Magic City Money”), and jazzy cuts by Vinna feat. Leon Thomas, plus a juicy Troop/B5/Jackson 5 sample debate.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• Charlamagne on conspiracy around Charlie Kirk ([27:40]):

  “Please hurry up and catch the individual who murdered Charlie Kirk. The longer they’re free, the more conspiracy theories we get… more division and more violence.”

• Stephanie Mills on Essence Fest & speaking out ([2:24:19]):

  “I could not sit and let them accuse people for being late. When it was them that was late and running late… I’m 68, I really don’t care what people think… I feel like I’ve earned that right.”

• Patti LaBelle on plastic surgery pressures ([2:11:30]):

  “I didn’t like my nose, and a manager told me to my face … He was just mean.”

• Envy on HBCU lockdowns ([1:42:00]):

  “They’re gonna shut down today as well… but sports activities and the student union will be open for kids to get food and see each other—classes resume Monday.”

• Charlamagne on retail theft hassles ([1:53:06]):

  “It’s whack that we gotta pay for the sins of shoplifters. And when it’s something you want to buy discreet, you have to wait and your whole business is public now.”

• DJ Khaled on drama ([2:46:49]):

  “There’s two energies I’m not going to get in: hate. When it comes to DJ Khaled, I’m the one that’s going to try to fix it at the end of the day. I love my brothers.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:30 | Show open, hosts’ banter, animal chaos at home (Envy)
• 19:50 | Front Page News: Charlie Kirk Assassination coverage
• 33:00 | HBCUs on lockdown; threats coverage
• 49:30 | Phone lines: “Get it Off Your Chest”
• 1:22:05 | The Latest with Lauren: Young Thug’s “Man I Miss My Dogs”
• 1:36:25 | Sports: Packers-Commanders, fight preview
• 1:42:00 | More on HBCUs, retail theft trend, Plan B quips
• 2:08:30 | Icon Roundtable: Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan
• 2:41:40 | More from The Latest with Lauren: DJ Khaled, Bad Bunny
• 3:45:05 | People’s Donkey: Listeners vent
• 4:12:35 | Slander the Breakfast Club: Listener roast sessions
• 5:04:15 | Pass the Aux: New music recommendations
• 5:22:00 | Show close, positive note

Tone & Style

• The hosts maintain the show’s signature raw, irreverent, and candid tone, blending gravitas when needed (political violence, racism) with warmth, humor, and playful insults.
• The icons segment is heartfelt, unvarnished, and inspiring—a highlight for intergenerational Black excellence and resilience.
• Listener participation is lively, personal, at times vulnerable, and often hilarious.

For New Listeners

• Core Takeaways:
  This episode captures The Breakfast Club’s unique blend of urgent culture and news analysis, cathartic humor, and openness about the challenges of Black communities—from music legacies to threats at HBCUs.
• Don’t Miss:
  — The candid icon discussion (2:08:30),
  — Cultural commentary around current events,
  — Lively banter and listener interactions.

Hosts and listeners keep it real—funny, honest, and always with an eye on community.