The Breakfast Club Podcast: Michael Jackson Estate Is NOT Feeling Sexyy Red's 'Beat It' Cover + Carl Anthony Payne Interview

February 12, 2026 | Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious (out, Lauren LaRosa filling in), Charlamagne Tha God | Guest: Carl Anthony Payne II

Episode Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club dives into trending cultural moments, including the backlash from Michael Jackson's estate against rapper Sexyy Red's Beat It cover, and features a rich, insightful interview with actor and comedian Carl Anthony Payne II, known for his roles on The Cosby Show and Martin. The hosts also break down current headlines—ranging from Capitol Hill hearings to OnlyFans state-by-state spending—engage with callers on love, life, and struggles, and deliver an unfiltered exploration of celebrity, legacy, humor, and Black culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Check-in & Banter [02:30–05:45]

• Hosts reflect on gratitude and spirituality.
  • Charlamagne: “Every day you wake up, you have choices... some people submit their will to their lower nature, instead of submitting their will to their higher nature, which is God.” [03:12]
• Lively teasing about physical appearance and playful shade between hosts.

2. News Headlines: Capitol Hill, Voting Rights, Child Support & OnlyFans [06:25–38:42]

A. DOJ & the Epstein Files [06:25–10:01]

• Jemmi Brown reports on AG Pam Bondi's contentious congressional hearing over Epstein files.
  • “She defended the department’s actions, rejected accusations of a cover up, and repeatedly sparred… At times, the exchanges, they were very, very heated and turned personal.” [06:25]
• Heated moment: Rep. Ted Lieu accused Bondi of lying under oath about evidence in the files. [07:19]

B. The SAVE Act and Voter Registration [10:01–12:58]

• House passes the SAVE Act, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
  • “You have to have proof of citizenship before you register to vote in federal elections… what we added... is a very common sense requirement that you have a photo ID if you’re going to vote.” – Speaker Mike Johnson, as summarized by Mimi Brown [10:01]
• Hosts criticize the act as voter suppression, causing major obstacles for seniors, married women, and low-income citizens.

C. Child Support & Passports [34:15–35:04]

• State Department considering revoking passports for those with large unpaid child support.
  • Charlamagne: “No more Dubai, no more Tulum, no more Turks and Caicos until you take care of your kids.” [34:16]

D. OnlyFans Spending by State [35:04–38:34]

• Top states for OnlyFans spending: CA, TX, NY, FL, IL—over $300 million spent in CA in 2025.
  • Lauren jokes: “I guess this is a great time to tell everybody I’m launching Envy Feats.” [36:20]

3. Trending Topics & Celebrity News

A. Michael Jackson Estate vs. Sexyy Red [25:25–26:33]

• DJ Envy details call from MJ’s estate: “We were totally unaware of this. The use of this music is unauthorized—and unauthorized was stressed to me very, very heavily.” [25:30]
• Lauren: “They want videos and everything taken offline, which at this point is so viral… how do you go get every video?” [26:19]
• Charlamagne: “You can’t put the toothpaste back into YouTube.” [26:30]

B. The “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame” vs. Black Music [67:32–73:54]

• Debate over Gene Simmons’ comments that “rap doesn’t belong in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.”
  • Gene Simmons: “Hip hop does not belong in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Nor does opera, symphony orchestras.” [68:57]
• Charlamagne: “I don’t know why they continue to call it the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but, you know, put all these other genres into it. It is confusing.” [69:42]
• DJs agree: black artists are original architects of “rock & roll.”

4. Carl Anthony Payne II - In-depth Interview [39:09–65:30]

A. Experiencing 80s/90s Black Fame

• Carl recounts the moment he realized he was famous: “I was at a New Edition concert... all these girls and all these people started coming down, and it was pointing in my direction… and I was like, chaos, but it was me.” [40:34]
• Charlamagne: “80s and 90s fame. Nobody will ever achieve that level… ever again.” [41:12]

B. Cultural Shifts in TV & Celebrity

• On the decline of Black-led TV: “Social media killed the celebrity, in my opinion. Now anybody can… and then there’s no mystery.” [42:06]
• “It used to be a very special club that you had to have talent to be a part of… and you had to really have something.” [43:00]

C. Legacy & Influence

• Calls out Cosby/‘Martin’ era impact: “The 80s, the 90s… it was positive. It was Black people depicted in a right light.”
• Martin’s ‘Cole’ character: “I felt like he and I were very close, Martin and I in terms of, like, characters… so I gotta do something to kind of separate us.” [47:34]

D. On Loss and Grief

• On losing co-star Thomas Mikal Ford (Tommy): “He was my best friend in real life… It was rough. It was really rough… I had to keep all of my stuff together… but what it did teach me was how random and how short life is.” [53:08–55:01]
• “You gotta call your people. You got to check them. You got to just say, what’s up?” [56:00]

E. Navigating Fame & Stereotypes

• On being forever “Cole” or “Cockroach”: “It happens every day. It happened in a parking lot across the street… I’m never offended by it… God put me in a position to make an impact.” [59:06]
• Discusses getting fired from The Cosby Show (myth-busting): “It’s not true… I never spoke on it. I let people run wild with all kind of stories… that’s the stupidest thing ever.” [61:47]

F. Relationship with Cast & Legacy

• Despite rumored tensions, says of Malcolm-Jamal Warner: “We’re cooler as adults than we were during that time… we were kids, man.” [63:11]

G. Influence on Others

• Jess Hilarious, emotional: “I grew up watching you… I never thought… I would grow up and meet them one day… and you watched me and you laughed because I’m funny.” [65:11]
• Carl: “Congrats. You’re right where you’re supposed to be. You’re on your way.” [65:22]

5. Donkey of the Day [75:03–82:11]

• Charlamagne spotlights HGTV’s Nicole Curtis, whose show Rehab Addict was canceled after she used a racial slur in a bizarre on-camera outburst.
  • Charlamagne: “White people is having secret meetings, and they got secret languages and secret terms that we know nothing about. And they are involving some of our greatest colloquial… terms.” [74:41]
• Extended riff on how “fart n—” is apparently a recognized meme insult per ChatGPT—deeply surreal.

6. Relationship & Advice Segment [83:00–93:50]

• Caller Shannon: Dilemma—partner won’t celebrate Valentine’s Day due to grief; hosts advise communication but also empathy and acceptance. [83:20–86:28]
• Roxanne: Two-year relationship, boyfriend says he’ll never fall in love due to past heartbreaks. Lauren: “He don’t look at you as, you know, a wifey material… just a good piece of ass.” Charlamagne: “Tell him you can’t buy the cow, he ain’t getting no milk.” [87:23–88:33]
• Britney: Lost expensive perfume gift, seeks advice; Charlamagne offers to chip in for a replacement. [90:30–92:38]

7. Black History Month Segment [101:37–105:55]

• B Dot presents the story of George Crum, Black/Native American chef who invented the potato chip (via petty to an annoying customer).
  • “George Crumb, space ain’t on none of the bags. But again, that’s infrastructure. A moment of creativity that becomes a permanent feature of daily life.” [103:44]

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with timestamps)

• On gratitude and faith:
  “Every day you wake up, you have choices... some people submit their will to their lower nature, instead of submitting their will to their higher nature, which is God.” – Charlamagne [03:12]

• On the SAVE Act (Voter ID):
  “So basically they just made it more difficult to vote.” – Charlamagne [11:28]

• On OnlyFans money:
  “I guess this is a great time to tell everybody I’m launching Envy Feats.” – Lauren LaRosa [36:20]

• MJ Estate vs. Sexyy Red:
  “We were totally unaware of this. The use of this music is unauthorized—and unauthorized was stressed to me very, very heavily.” – DJ Envy, quoting estate [25:30]

• Legend status:
  “80s and 90s fame. Nobody will ever achieve that level of fame ever again. The world is just too different.” – Charlamagne [41:12]

• Culture representation:
  “The 80s, the 90s… it was positive. It was Black people depicted in a right light. Like, I don’t know what happened.” – Charlamagne [41:41]

• On Cosby firing rumors:
  “It’s not true… I never spoke on it. I let people run wild with all kind of stories… that’s the stupidest thing ever.” – Carl Anthony Payne II [61:47]

• On loss and life:
  “It was rough… what it did teach me was how random and how short life is, man. You can’t take nothing for granted.” – Carl Anthony Payne II [55:01]

• On relationship expectations:
  “Tell him you can’t buy the cow, he ain’t getting no milk.” – Charlamagne [88:25]

• Black History Note:
  “Every bag you open is a tribute to a man most people never learned about… George Crum.” – B Dot [104:14]

Final Thoughts / Tone

The episode was vibrant, irreverent, and emotionally resonant—blending sincere homage to Black media legacies with the hosts' trademark humor and no-holds-barred takes. The extended interview with Carl Anthony Payne stood out both for nostalgia and its insights on culture, fame, and resilience.

For listeners who missed the episode:
Expect laughter, deep takes on Black culture and legacy, real-world headlines, unfiltered advice, and an honest celebration of Black comedians and actors. Key moments—especially the Carl Anthony Payne interview—offer heart and history well beyond the viral headlines.