FULL SHOW: Shannon Sharpe’s $10M Settlement Plan, Ms. Tina Knowles on Cancer & Mathew’s Infidelity + Devi Brown & Alencia Johnson Interview

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club | April 23, 2025

Title: FULL SHOW: Shannon Sharpe’s $10M Settlement Plan, Ms. Tina Knowles on Cancer & Mathew’s Infidelity + Devi Brown & Alencia Johnson Interview
Host/Authors: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Description: The Breakfast Club is renowned as "The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show," featuring candid discussions on pressing social issues, personal anecdotes, and exclusive interviews with influential guests.

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Introduction

The episode begins with brief advertisements, which are subsequently skipped to focus on the core content as per the listener's request. The hosts—DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Charlamagne Tha God—open the show with personal anecdotes and segue into the main topics of discussion.

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Segment 1: Personal Anecdotes

[00:00 - 02:03]

• DJ Envy shares a humorous experience about being stuck behind a garbage truck alongside Charlamagne Tha God, setting a light-hearted tone for the show.
• Lauren LaRosa talks about her enjoyable night out, emphasizing the importance of networking and maintaining work-life balance.

Notable Quote:
"Sometimes I be late too. It don't matter. No, it don't matter."
— Just Hilarious (@00:16)

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Segment 2: Front Page News

A. Student Loan Debt Collection Resumes

[06:02 - 15:35]

• Mimi Brown reports on the Trump administration's decision to resume debt collection for federal student loans starting May 5th, affecting millions of borrowers in default.
• Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy express frustration over the policy, highlighting the financial strain it imposes on individuals already struggling with expenses like rent, car payments, and childcare.
• Callers share personal stories, reinforcing the widespread impact of the policy.

Notable Quotes:
"Borrowers will now be clearly expected to repay their loans. And those who default on their loan obligations will face involuntary collections."
— Caroline Leavitt, Press Secretary (@06:58)

"I'm gonna play these cool loans only fans selling ass."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@08:57)

"It's either my rent or it's gonna pay these cool loans. And if you got kids, I gotta put food on the table."
— DJ Envy (@08:46)

Listener Call-In:

• Caller (Ebony) [10:00]:
  "I'm a single mom... I graduated from college not even using anything for my degree."
• Alencia Johnson [10:08]:
  "By the way, I'm driving trucks now."

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Segment 3: Author Interviews

A. Debbie Brown on "Living in Wisdom"

[37:42 - 45:44]

• Debbie Brown discusses her new book, "Living in Wisdom: A Path to Embodying Your Authentic Self, Embracing Grief, and Developing Self Mastery."
• She delves into themes of healing, self-awareness, and the importance of embracing both grief and joy as integral parts of the human experience.
• Charlamagne Tha God highlights the book's focus on practical exercises for personal growth and self-mastery.

Notable Quote:
"Healing is about accepting that the past can't change... it's about changing the way you relate to them."
— Debbie Brown (@43:41)

B. Alencia Johnson on "Flip the Tables"

[79:20 - 95:16]

• Alencia Johnson introduces her book, "Flip the Tables: The Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change," which emphasizes the power of individual actions in driving societal change.
• She shares her journey from working in political campaigns to becoming a leader advocating for systemic change through everyday acts of disruption.
• Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy commend her for inspiring grassroots activism and personal responsibility in fostering community improvement.

Notable Quote:
"When we find the courage to really be ourselves and to live in our truth and to speak up in rooms and do these small acts of disruption every single day, it propels our communities forward."
— Alencia Johnson (@80:21)

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Segment 4: Shannon Sharpe’s $10M Settlement Plan

[19:56 - 30:34]

• The episode covers the controversial allegations against former NFL player Shannon Sharpe, including leaked audio recordings and text messages.

• Lauren LaRosa presents excerpts from the alleged phone call between Sharpe and his accuser, revealing distressing statements.

  Excerpts from Phone Call:

  "I don't know anything I say you're just gonna, like, get mad at and you're just gonna hang up on me."
  "So I feel like I'm not gonna."
  "Don't manipulate me."

• Shannon Sharpe’s Attorney claims the situation is a "shakedown" orchestrated by Tony Busby to defame Sharpe, arguing that the settlement is a strategic move rather than an admission of guilt.

  Sharpe’s Statement (At [21:19]):

  "This is a shakedown. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzby, who has targeted Jay Z. Tony Busby targets black men."

• Hosts’ Reactions:
  Charlamagne Tha God criticizes Sharpe’s handling of the allegations and expresses doubts about the settlement's implications on his innocence.
  DJ Envy urges listeners to allow the legal process to unfold without jumping to conclusions.

Notable Quotes:
"I'm not here to speak to Shannon's guilt or innocence because I don't know."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@26:51)

"Nothing incredibly right when it comes to having charity and policies."
— DJ Envy (@11:15)

Conclusion of Segment:
The hosts advocate for patience and caution, emphasizing the importance of judicial proceedings in determining the truth of the allegations.

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Segment 5: Ms. Tina Knowles on Cancer

[64:42 - 67:16]

• Lauren LaRosa shares exclusive insights from People magazine about Ms. Tina Knowles battling and overcoming stage one breast cancer.

• Ms. Knowles discusses her private journey, the significance of regular mammograms, and the emotional toll the diagnosis had on her and her family.

  Notable Quote:

  "You have to go get your mammogram. Mammograms because you can catch cancer at stage one or even stage zero."
  — DJ Envy on Ms. Knowles' Experience (@65:43)

• Hosts’ Encouragement:
  The hosts stress the importance of early detection and regular health check-ups, sharing personal anecdotes about missed screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notable Quotes:
"It's one of the most painful things for me to know that people could just be that disgusting."
— DJ Envy on Public's Reaction (@22:10)

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Segment 6: Matthew Knowles's Infidelity

[73:51 - 86:00]

• Lauren LaRosa highlights Matthew Knowles's infidelity, as detailed in Ms. Tina Knowles' new book, "Matriarch." The discussion centers around the impact of his actions on the family and public perception.

• The hosts critique Sharpe's settlement by drawing parallels to high-profile cases where settlements were perceived as admissions of guilt without leading to criminal charges.

  Notable Quote:

  "You have to stop pushing this, this non taking accountability."
  — Charlamagne Tha God (@15:35)

• Hosts’ Perspectives:
  Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy debate the implications of settlements in high-profile cases, advocating for accountability and transparency in public figures' actions.

Notable Quotes:
"Holding balls during this morning... but sometimes we are the ones getting in our own way."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@82:46)

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Segment 7: Additional Discussions

A. Political Commentary

[31:16 - 97:56]

• Mimi Brown reports on GOP Rep. Byron Donalds' contentious town hall in Florida, focusing on the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
• Alencia Johnson and Lauren LaRosa discuss the challenges within the Democratic Party, the impact of Elon Musk's policies on Tesla, and broader political frustrations.
• Hosts express disillusionment with both political parties' handling of economic and social issues, emphasizing the need for systemic change and grassroots activism.

Notable Quotes:
"If you voted for Trump because he was going to put more money in your pockets, you got to be rethinking that decision at this point."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@08:13)

"It's dangerous people using certain mental health language that haven't done the work."
— Debbie Brown (@47:58)

B. Industry Updates

• Lauren LaRosa covers Ryan Coogler's recent achievements, including his first dollar gross deal for the film "Sinners," and highlights his contributions to black cinema.

Notable Quote:
"Debt cannot be wiped away. It’s about revenge."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@74:41)

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with promotional segments highlighting Debbie Brown's and Alencia Johnson's new books, upcoming events like the Black Effect Podcast Festival, and personal shout-outs among the hosts. The overarching theme reinforces the show's commitment to addressing critical social issues, personal growth, and community empowerment.

Final Notable Quote:
"Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being."
— Charlamagne Tha God (@36:27)

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Resources Mentioned:

• Books:
  • Living in Wisdom: A Path to Embodying Your Authentic Self, Embracing Grief, and Developing Self Mastery by Debbie Brown
  • Flip the Tables: The Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change by Alencia Johnson
• Podcasts:
  • Debbie Brown's podcast: Deeply Well on the Black Effect Network

Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to engage with the hosts through phone lines, attend upcoming events, and support the authors by purchasing their books.

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Disclaimer: This summary is based on the provided transcript of The Breakfast Club podcast episode released on April 23, 2025, and aims to capture the essential discussions and insights shared during the show.

Transcript

[DJ Envy]

Meetings, deadlines, emails. Don't you wish you could escape the chaos? That's where the all new Nissan Murano comes in. With available features like the relaxing, massaging seats to ease stress and the beautiful skyline views that bring in natural light. It's like cruising in your personal oasis. And if you need to set a vibe, 64 colors of personalized lighting and a Bose premium sound system have you covered. Hands down, the all new Nissan Murano is your stress free getaway. Sometimes the greatest rush isn't rushing at all. Drive the all new Nissan Murano today.

[Just Hilarious]

Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, Bose and massaging leather appointed seats are optional features.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Taking control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Just kidding. I am the boss. This is Carlos Miller from the 85 South Show. And building a career isn't just about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations. Whether you're starting out or even making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way. Because like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Find out more@state farm.com 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, yo, yo, yo, yo.

[Just Hilarious]

Just hilarious.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, yo, what's up?

[Just Hilarious]

Lauren LaRosa.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Good morning, y'all.

[Just Hilarious]

Charlamagne and Envy is stuck behind a dump truck somewhere and they should have left home like 10 minutes earlier, but it's okay because sometimes I be late too. It don't matter. No, it don't matter. How was your night last night?

[Lauren LaRosa]

My night was great. Shout out to 63 auto spot. They took me out to dinner.

[Just Hilarious]

Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Of course. And you know, having some great conversations and some great food.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh, okay. So that's all.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, that's what I can say right now.

[Just Hilarious]

It wasn't a date.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, no, no, no. It wasn't a date.

[DJ Envy]

I was gonna say, cuz you sound like me.

[Just Hilarious]

I'm talking. They took me out on the date.

[Alencia Johnson]

Like what?

[Just Hilarious]

Okay, how many of them was it?

[Lauren LaRosa]

It was four. It's like. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It was. It was just. It was like more of like a business dinner thing.

[Just Hilarious]

Okay, so networking.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm about to do some car stuff, you know, work wise.

[Just Hilarious]

So that's what's up. Be a mechanic.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Too.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Girl, you know I can't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What y'all do with these nails?

[Just Hilarious]

I'm just saying my wig gonna get caught with a mechanic outfit. You look nice giving set it off.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You know, Frankie, I'm about to be, you know, just doing brand work. Look at Eli. He's so hyped. He be telling me I look like set it off every time I wear this Milano outfit every single time.

[Just Hilarious]

But he said he gave you Queen Latifah. He shouldn't have did that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And my wig is on. And it is. And I didn't have the braids.

[Just Hilarious]

He can't even see it. Braids. Yeah. Well, yesterday, you know, the weather was nice. Me and my man took our daughter out for the time. Well, not the first time any. Like, Shane never been out, but to the farmer's market. Like, we had her in the stroller, strolling around, and she was like, looking out the stroller. She was chilling and. And it was. It was a whole dope time. We got some fruits and vegetables. You know, that is very much on brand for my man. Yo, like, he. He loved doing it. He loved planting and growing and all that type of stuff. So, yeah, it was a nice little. And then we, of course, had to have a drink somewhere. We went to local. I love Local Eatery. It's a spot in Jersey City. It's lit. You gotta go.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, yeah, I gotta figure that out. I never. I never been there before. I'm cracking up. You talking about. She was looking around the shoulder like she ain't been nowhere.

[Just Hilarious]

No, I know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We.

[Just Hilarious]

This the first time us actually having her at a farmer's market. Like, people close to her can see her walk up on it and stuff like that. So it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was.

[Just Hilarious]

It was a nice experience.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Not you trying to hide her from ice.

[Just Hilarious]

You know what? I. I already deal with that from these two up here. Yo, do not be in on the ice. That f my daughter. Cuz they not.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We open the show together.

[Just Hilarious]

I know, right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[Just Hilarious]

Ain't it crazy over here sweating bullets? Because I don't know what to say next.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Anyway.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh, yeah, it is Wednesday. It's Wednesday, so it's hump day. Yeah, Hump day. What Charlamagne do his mouth be open real wide.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And.

[Just Hilarious]

And joining us today we got Debbie Brown. She has a new book, Living in wisdom. A path to embodying your authentic self, Embracing grief and developing self mastery. It's out now. Debbie Brown also has a. A podcast with the Black Effect Network. You know, something, something, something. Also, late in the show we got Alencia Johnson, also with a new book. Oh, these authors, I tell you, it's called Flip the Tables. The Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change. And it's out now as well. And we got front page news cracking off. And Mimi Brown is here because Morgan is out. So we're gonna get the show cracking and we'll be right back after this.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Morning, everybody.

[DJ Envy]

It's TJ envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne. The God we are. The Breakfast Club. We are here.

[Just Hilarious]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you.

[Just Hilarious]

Going.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. I'm telling on the garbage trucks this morning. You know, I mean, there's nothing you can do when things are out of your control. But you know, if you're in New York City, where we broadcast from NYC311 is the number to report the garbage trucks.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, my God.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Anytime you get stuck behind the garbage trucks and they just disrespectful like that. I know everybody start blowing their horn. I don't. Because there's nothing you can do in that situation. But if they don't have no regard for people that got to get to go where they got to go and they taking a nice little time, report.

[DJ Envy]

Them a couple minutes, I understand, but 10, literally Charlemagne and I were between 10 and 15 minutes. We were behind the truck.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you two blocks away from.

[DJ Envy]

We two blocks away from work.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come on, man.

[DJ Envy]

15 minutes we're stuck.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come on, man. NYC 311, you don't know people in emergencies and they sick, trying to get to the hospital. You don't know what it is. Report them garbage trucks that do that.

[DJ Envy]

And they was taking their sweet time. I'm sitting there. Yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

Wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'd have called ice on them if I, if I, I would.

[Just Hilarious]

First of all, a lot of dump truck workers are black. They're not Mexican, don't have a D.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But I just was thinking about somebody I could call in that moment. That's what made me Google and find out about NYC311. Because in that moment I was just.

[Just Hilarious]

Like, yo, you liter googled who to call on the desk.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We were there for 15 minutes. It was nothing to do. Disrespectful. I wasn't even thinking about me. I was just thinking, what about anybody else that might be sick or trying to get to the hospital? Trying to get. It was just bad. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Well, all right, well, let's get in some front page news. Let's start off with some quick sports. Now, last night the Lakers tied the series. They beat the Timberwolves 94.85. Thunder beat the Grizzlies 118. 99. They lead the series two nothing. And the Paces beat the Bucks 123. 115. They lead that series in the playoffs. What's up, Mimi?

[Mimi Brown]

What's up, y'all?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[Mimi Brown]

How y'all doing?

[DJ Envy]

Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Peace, Mimi. Good morning.

[Mimi Brown]

Good morning.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right.

[Mimi Brown]

Well, let's start with something that is about to hit people in their pockets. The Trump administration says it will resume debt collection for people who have defaulted on their federal student loans starting May 5th. Now, student loan goes into default if you hadn't made a payment in about 270 days or approximately around nine months. The Department of Education says this will apply to all federal loan types, including Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, Federal family education loans. So right now, more than 5 million people are already in default and another 4 million people are close to it. That means nearly 9 million borrowers could soon face really serious consequences. In a press conference, press secretary Caroline Leavitt Levitt, excuse me, explained how the administration plans to move forward with collections. Let's hear what she had to say.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Borrowers will now be clearly expected to repay their loans. And those who default on their loan.

[Debbie Brown]

Obligations will face involuntary collections.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The government can and will collect defaulted federal student loan debt by withholding money from borrowers, tax refunds, federal pensions, and even their wages.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I thought they already did that. I know for a fact when I had school loans and I got a tax refund, they automatically took that to pay the school loans. I thought that was already done.

[Mimi Brown]

Well, you know what, they started it. They put it back into session, like right around Covid. So they haven't pressed or went after student loan borrowers since before the COVID 19 crisis. And so now the Trump administration says it will start sending out notices later this summer informing those who have defaulted on their student loans about their wage garnishment. They can take up to 15% of your check. Again, all this starts on May 5th. And if you, if you think you might be in default, the administration, they recommend you contacting the Student Aid Default Resolution Group. You may be able to get back on track by making a monthly payment, enrolling in an income driven repayment plan, or applying for a loan rehabilitation. But this is about to hit millions of people in about a week and a half.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

If you voted for Trump because of the economy, if you voted for Trump because he was going to put more money in your pockets, you got to be rethinking that decision at this point.

[DJ Envy]

Of course. Of course.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But when you have been 100 days. Lord have mercy.

[DJ Envy]

But you're right. But when we have school loans, right? And when you graduate, you have to look for a job. And then it gives you a certain amount of time to find a job. And then nine times out of 10, that job can't pay for your rent. If you have a car, you're eating. And then to pay that school loan, there's no possible way. You can't afford to pay all those things.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, and if inflation is high, if people are losing their jobs, if tariffs got the cost of goods high, where people gonna get this money from?

[Mimi Brown]

Exactly.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What wages you gonna garnish? I ain't got nothing.

[DJ Envy]

And then you're going, you just gonna mess up my credit. But I can't pay you because it's either my rent or it's gonna pay these cool loans. And which one are you gonna pay? And if you got kids, I gotta put food on the table.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm gonna play these cool loans only fans selling ass.

[DJ Envy]

25 a cheat.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

25,000 a cheat.

[Just Hilarious]

God damn. Not only work if you wait.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, all right. Well, that is front page news, Mimi. We'll see you next hour. All right, everybody else, get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to venture. Phone lines are wide open. 800-585-1051. Maybe you were driving to work. You were about 15 minutes, 20 minutes from working, and you got stuck behind a.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We was not no 15, 20 minutes from work. We was three minutes from work. I know, but we was two blocks away.

[DJ Envy]

I know. Damn it, man. Whatever it is, get it off your chest. Call us up right now. Phone lines are wide open. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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

[DJ Envy]

Call up now, 800-585-1051.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We want to hear from you on the Breakfast Club. Hello?

[DJ Envy]

Who's this?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Ebony.

[DJ Envy]

Ebony, good morning. Get it off your Ebony.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning. What's up?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay, so I'm calling from thin, North Carolina.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm calling to get off my chest in reference to what y'all was talking.

[Just Hilarious]

Through this about this morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The student loans.

[Just Hilarious]

I'm one of.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yes, I'm one of those people that is, like, feeling the stress.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm a single mom. I graduated from college not even using anything for my degree.

[Alencia Johnson]

By the way, I'm driving trucks now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I went Out.

[Lauren LaRosa]

My CEO probably made more money in.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The last four years doing this than.

[Alencia Johnson]

I ever would have made with that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Piece of paper, period. I love that. But the student loans is about to kill me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, I'm struggling taking care of the two that I got by myself. Daycare is stupid high. I moved my cousin from New York to come stay with me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Just help me with that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And I'm working 60 hours a week to maintain the bills that I got. Like you said, I got a car, I got rent. Still trying to buy a house, and now they're about to garnish weight just for student loans or something that I'm not even using.

[DJ Envy]

And that's what I was saying. It's like they got to come up with a better way because you. I. I could barely pay my rent, barely pay my car. No. Barely put food on the table. If I have a child, got to pay daycare. And then you going to garnish 15%. That's impossible. You can't. You can't do that to people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It's crazy. I don't even know how we want to make it.

[DJ Envy]

Like, I'm.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm scraping for gas every week, so I drive an hour to work at.

[Alencia Johnson]

A bed, and now I gotta pay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I gotta worry about you taking 15% for school that we're not even. Oh, my God.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

In a lot of countries, school is free, education is free.

[DJ Envy]

You're right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That is very true. Well, I. You know what, man? I really do hope that people realize elections have consequences. And, you know, I'm not sitting here saying that, you know, the economy was any better when the Biden administration was in, but it was. It was a little bit better than this.

[DJ Envy]

And I don't know if people know that if you get married to somebody and they have school loans, their school loans are not your school loans. So if you get married to somebody and you get some money back on taxes, they take that money to pay your partner's school loan. Ask me how I know. Because when I got married, Gia had school loans. I did my taxes, and I thought I was getting money back. Nah. Right to the school loans. Her school loans? Yes, absolutely.

[Just Hilarious]

Well, I need to see if Chris finished how he was sleep, because I don't know. I only went for, like, one. I only went for, like, one semester, but I ain't got paid that back. If you only went for one semester.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, you do.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

If you went. You got to pay.

[Just Hilarious]

Maybe it's one semester.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, I sold crack.

[DJ Envy]

But you ain't got to Pay nothing. Hello? Who's this?

[Debbie Brown]

This is Anonymous, New Jersey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't know who's listening. So what you mean millions of people, but you can give a fake name? It's like nobody can see you, man.

[DJ Envy]

You're Melissa.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Tasha. Tasha. Hey, Tasha.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, Tasha. What's up, Tasha?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So I'm mad because I am tired.

[Debbie Brown]

I work three jobs. I'm not a single parent, but I'm tired.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And student loan crap is going to affect me. Mm, yeah.

[DJ Envy]

You right, Tasha.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm good.

[Debbie Brown]

I just need some background.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, Tasha, I am praying for you.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you know, there's nothing anybody can do about this situation at the current moment. And the gap between the haves and the have nots is so wide in this country, man. And people just trying to make it every day. And it feels like these people that are in positions of power, these rich folks, these elected officials, they do not care about, you know, people that are not in the same tax bracket is there.

[DJ Envy]

It doesn't even make sense. But between this and even the late fees with credit cards, right? People are usually late. It's cuz they're trying to figure it out or they're waiting for their next check. They're gonna bring back the high rates for. For being late, which affects nobody. Like you said to have nice. It makes no sense.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, no, it doesn't. And Jeff, I can't never get through for you to fix my mask.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh, man, oh, man. If this is the mess.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you know, it's just my husband and my.

[Lauren LaRosa]

My mother be like bumping heads because.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We all live together and I do.

[Debbie Brown]

Not know what to do.

[DJ Envy]

Like. Well, hold on, hold on, Tasha. Hold on, Tasha. Hold on, hold on, hold on. We're gonna put you on hold. We're gonna just hold you down in a second, okay?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I just want the record to show it. Not to make this political, man, but, you know, Trump promised to make the economy better on day one. Like, if you run on things like groceries, which he said. He said he won the election because of groceries. If you ran on that, then you have to come in and immediately try to bring some type of relief. He's come in and just immediately hurt people even more, right?

[DJ Envy]

Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, hit us up now. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Get it up. This is your time to get it off your chest.

[DJ Envy]

800-585-1051.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We want to hear from you on the Breakfast Club. Hello?

[DJ Envy]

Who's this?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yo, City life.

[DJ Envy]

What's up, brother? Get it off your chest.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, I just, I mean, honestly, I want to talk about this whole student loan thing.

[DJ Envy]

Go ahead, talk to us, brother.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I just, I don't understand how y'all be on the radio. Specifically Charlemagne and he's. Y'all are telling these people, y'all have people scared out here about what's really going on. I just don't appreciate it. If you borrow money, why shouldn't you have to pay it back? I don't understand that.

[DJ Envy]

Nobody's saying you don't have to pay it back, but if, if we're getting a loan from the government and times are hard and times are. Nobody's saying they're not going to pay it back. But if you're going to start garnish my wages and I can't pay for my rent, you're going to start garnishing my wages and I can't put food on the table if you're going to garnish my wages and I can't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hold on. Not, not, not, not just wages, but not just wages. That's not the taxpayer's fault that we decided to get a loan and we can't afford to pay it back. We got to stop pushing this, this non taking accountability.

[DJ Envy]

No, nobody's, nobody's doing. Non taking accountability on the radio.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Y'all have to stop.

[DJ Envy]

Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you a question.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because it's his administration doing it. It's his Department of Education.

[DJ Envy]

When the automotive industry was going down and the automotive industry couldn't pay anybody and was, was defaulting on their loans, the government helped them out. Right? When the airlines were messed up and they couldn't pay their loans back and they were messed up, the government helped them out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right?

[DJ Envy]

When all these billion dollar companies are messed up, the government helps them out. All we asking for is a little help. Nobody's saying nobody gonna pay him back, but just help out. Just look people when they know things.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Are effed up and. Brother, can I ask you a simple question? You told me not to blame Trump, but the Trump administration announced Monday they're the ones who are resuming the debt collections for federal student loan borrowers. So who else am I supposed to blame? Absolutely. Absolutely. Because again, we have to start taking accountability for the choices that we make. We have to stop. Like, we can't sit here and take out federal funds and then not expect to have to pay you back. That's why Americans. Yeah, but did you did you hear people's ass talking about. Did you hear what Envy just said? When these big corporations need bailouts, when they take out big loans and they get. We can't keep looking at corporations. We have to make our own. Our own decisions and our own choices. You're not making no sense. You're one of those people who care more. You care more about the rich than you do everyday working class people. You can't. You care more about the rich than you do everyday working class people. You're rich. Stop telling people you're not rich. You're rich. What I get on here and say completely different things than what you say on the brilliant. Idiots. Stop it. You know why? You, you know, you know, you, you know. Listen. I care about everyday working class people because those are the people that listen to the radio every day.

[Just Hilarious]

You said you wasn't rich.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you say you wasn't rich? I'm doing okay. I don't talk no different than. Than on. On Brilliant than I do on Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

But this is what you don't understand.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

City like strong. You know it. That's a damn lie. You ain't never heard me think I. I will always be here for the working class, bro. You can get on here and cap all you want to. I'm City lights from Florida. All right. I'm out of here, bro.

[Debbie Brown]

Bye.

[DJ Envy]

And this is what people. This is what he doesn't understand. Yes, I might be okay now, but I was in the same situation that all these people were years ago. I was the one that was working. My dad, I say, is a retired police officer. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, but every little bit mattered. And for all these people out there, every little bit matters. Like you cannot do this to people where people are hurt. They' struggling. They can't. They gotta make a decision to pay rent or to pay school loans. They gotta make a decision to buy eggs or to pay school loans or daycare. It ain't right when the government helps so many people and helps so many nations. Help home helping people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you know what's so crazy? It's not even that they just doing garnishing wages. They're doing that to pensions and tax refunds. So how can any person ever get a freaking a step forward in this country?

[DJ Envy]

They just raised the late fees for the credit cards again like it's crazy. You can't do that to people that are struggling.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You just can't. You can't.

[Just Hilarious]

Go ahead.

[DJ Envy]

You gotta have a heart.

[Just Hilarious]

Biggie Smalls did. He was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He just didn't make no sense.

[Just Hilarious]

No, he didn't. He said, I'm blaming.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And that's why I don't even like to be. I don't even like to say politics.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because people think you on the side. The Trump administration is the one who's doing this. So who else we supposed to blame?

[DJ Envy]

Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. When we come back, we got the latest with Lauren. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess, Hilarious Charlamagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's happening?

[DJ Envy]

And let's get to the latest with Lauren.

[Just Hilarious]

Lauren becoming a straight face.

[DJ Envy]

She gets them from somebody that knows somebody.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She gets the details.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She be having the latest on the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes she has facts. Sometimes she have details. Sometimes she have a little bit of everything. What was the latest on the Breakfast Club? Talk to me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, we now know that Shannon Sharpe did try to settle with his accuser for at least $10 million. This was revealed yesterday by his attorney in a phone call that they had with a bunch of different media outlets. But prior to this phone call, and I believe what sparked the phone call was the fact that there was this audio released by tmz. But in the audio is a phone call between the accuser and Shannon Sharpe. Let's take a listen to the phone call.

[Alencia Johnson]

I don't know anything I say you're just gonna, like, get mad at and you're just gonna hang up on me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So I feel like I'm not gonna.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hang up on you. Here's what it is.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What?

[Alencia Johnson]

What does that even mean?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nothing. Yeah, you want to be a to me now?

[Alencia Johnson]

So I don't want to be.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Don't manipulate me. Oh, Lord have mercy. If you said that one one more.

[DJ Envy]

Time, I'm gonna choke the out of you when I see you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you. Well, I don't.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You know what?

[Alencia Johnson]

Well, I don't want to be choked.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, you do. I don't think you have a choice in the matter. How old is that girl?

[Lauren LaRosa]

You said what?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How old is she?

[Lauren LaRosa]

She's in her early 20s now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So, like, what, 21, right? 21.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, she was in 20. 23. She was 19.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So, like 21. 22.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, she looks like she's like 12, 13.

[Just Hilarious]

I need to see. I have not seen the picture show just her. Oh, wow.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Show another Photo.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh my God. You're gonna have to call lights in a minute.

[Just Hilarious]

She on her way to class.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Does she does look like a. A young college student get detained on the way.

[DJ Envy]

She looks like a college student.

[Just Hilarious]

Wow.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So what happened was after this audio was released at the same time, literally like moments apart. Shannon Sharp then released a. A video statement. And in the video statement he is addressing.

[DJ Envy]

And she's 22, by the way.

[Lauren LaRosa]

22. Now he's addressing what he believes is about to happen, but he doesn't address the audio. Let's take a listen to his video that he posted. Shannon Sharp.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This is a shakedown. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzby, who has targeted Jay Z. Tony Busby targets black men. And I believe he's going to release a 30 second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty.

[Just Hilarious]

Hey, what up, y'all?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. The first few months of 2025 have been quite a work deadlines, group chats you can't escape, and your weird cousin's latest overshare. It's a lot. But here's some good news. You don't have to bring that stress into your car. The all new Nissan Murano is your piece on wheels, thanks to its available features. Imagine sliding into the relaxing, massaging seats that feel like they were made to melt your attention. Take in the skyline views that let sunlight pour in and watch as your day brightens. I have a special playlist that always gets me right. And with the Bose premium sound system, you too can vibe like you're at your own private concert. Plus, with your 64 color personalized lighting option, you can set the mood any way you want. Be it romantic, chill, or in a straight up do not disturb mode. Let the Nissan Murano be your oasis in a chaotic world. Because sometimes the greatest rush isn't rushing at all. Drive the all new Nissan Murano today.

[Just Hilarious]

Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hey fam, if you're like me, you're thinking about how to level up in your career. Maybe you're fresh out of college, just started in your field, or even looking to switch things up and find your true calling. Whatever stage you're in, remember that this is your time to grow, to learn, and to build something that lasts. State Farm understands that early career development is key to long term success. They've been a steady presence in our communities and they know that having the right support early on can make all the difference. State Farm is there to help you make smart moves and to help you get the coverage you need. We all know the journey to success is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about staying focused, staying grounded, and making sure you're protected every step of the way. Let's build our careers with confidence, knowing that State Farm is there to support us, just like they've always been. Because like a good neighbor, State forum is there. Find out [e-mail] and play into every stereotype you could possibly imagine. That video should actually be 10 minutes or so. Hey, Tony, instead of releasing your edit, put the whole video out. I don't have it or I would myself. You know what happened and you're trying to manipulate the media. The encounter in question took place during the day at her invitation. And now that appears to be a deliberate setup coordinated by Gabby, also known as Carly on OnlyFans. Gabby and Tony Busby want $50 million. What they're getting is sued for defamation and trying to take me down. My career is all about real talk and honesty. And I'm going to be out there telling you whatever I need to say, just like I always do. I love all you guys. You know, it is a shakedown. It is a targeted attack. But Shannon needs to have some accountability because he gave them something to shake down. He gave them something to target by making poor choices.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah. And when he. So basically when he mentioned her name and the fact that she's an only fans girl, people went and looked and looked her up. So that's how her photos begin to surface. Now, on this phone call that his attorney had with the, the media, the phone call, the attorney, Shannon Sharp's attorney, addresses that audio that we heard first. And what he says is that Shannon spoke in the heat of the moment and did not literally mean the words. Then they start having conversations about, you know, the, like different text messages that have been released. And I printed out the text messages for you guys. Now one of the things that I want to point out here because basically what Shannon is saying is that there's this video that's about to come out. They ask people on this phone call with the media to not judge because it's going to be in an edited format, allegedly. And so you won't get the full context. But Shannon had said earlier in his statement, the first statement he released, that there were things that he was doing almost like role play that was at. He says that this was at the woman's request and from the look of these text messages, so there's Two sets of them. The first text message that was, that came out Gabby, who's a woman, the accuser. This is from January 2, 2025. And this is when she says that she was sexually assaulted. So she's texting him and she's saying that she had cried when he left because she had asked him to put on a condom and she had begged him to not put it in her behind, but he didn't listen. And she says that she doesn't care what their history is. No means no, right? Then she's like, I don't know how to process this. And then they're like, you know, can I call you later? I guess, can they talk later? But then in other text messages, you see the conversation. It. It goes from that to her sending text messages that say, I want to be abused, daddy. I want like some hardcore BDSM action though, so. And then she says, I want you to tie me up like this and abuse me, daddy. And you can see when these text messages were released, you can see it says, like, from Gabby to owner. So it's painting a picture that their relationship was.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Giving that, you know, there was role playing, everything that were happening.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now, it was a very unfortunate situation. But let me ask Sharpen, his lawyer have handled this whole situation terribly. First of all, if you're saying this shop, you shouldn't be saying anything. This young woman got audio, video and text messages. If you know all of those things are out there, you should shut the F up and continue to allow your lawyer to do his job. And your lawyer said out of his own mouth that she was close to a 10 million dollar settlement with that girl. That right there is all the more reason to shut the F up. I'm not here to speak to Shannon's guilt or innocence because I don't know. But I do know attempting to settle looks like an admission of guilt because I'm not settling.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, he's just scared.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

Honestly, just probably scared.

[DJ Envy]

I'm. I'm with you, Charlamagne. I feel, I feel like he's being advised wrong. Right. And you know, when people go through this, they go to an attorney because the attorney usually knows what's best for them. They usually know what to do and situation. Like any attorney would say, shut the F up and let's deal with it in court. Let's deal with facts. Because you can't change public opinion unless it's in court with facts. Now, but one thing I would say if somebody said this, but I cried when you left because I Begged you to put a condom on and you put it in my beep and you didn't listen. I don't care what our history is. If that didn't happen, I'm going to be like, what the hell are you talking about?

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Nah, we agreed on this. I'm not going to be like, I'll call you later. Cuz I. I'm feeling like this is a setup right here.

[Just Hilarious]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

As soon as you text me this, I'm going feel a little. Nobody's just gonna respond, I'll call you later. You're like, what the hell are you talking about? We both agreed to this. You know, like, this is part of the game. Like, nobody's gonna respond with that, which scares me. But like Charlemagne said, shut the F up. Let it. Let the facts play out in court. Because right now all this talking is doing too much audio and it's making it worse.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, even audio. You're manipulating me. Like, even that would have been like, oh, no. Okay, I see what this is. You know what I'm saying? Unless they were role playing.

[DJ Envy]

But wouldn't you have changed that, right? Right from the door? What are you talking about? Like, no, no, no. Like, let's not play this game. Are you taping me? Because last night we was good, in my opinion.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, his attorney is saying that these text messages all only show that the woman in question likes and asks for fantasy role playing and other forms of unusual sexual behavior. And they shut down the idea that, you know, they're still denying any sexual assault allegations or anything of that nature. I did reach out to attorney Busby, though, because that audio we listened to, it wasn't in full. It was like a minute, a little bit over a minute. I'm like, yo, why would you only release that? And he said to me, he said, I'm not trying this case in the press. We released this only because Shannon Sharp's lawyer chose to attempt to discredit and dox Jane Doe by releasing multiple texts with no context. Did they release the entirety of the text surrounding the ones from yesterday, which were the original text in his In Shannon Sharp statement? The audio is very clear of the situation. It speaks for itself.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So I know one thing. If you're 54, you have no reason to be talking to a 19 year old. She's 22 now. Shannon is 56. I'm so glad that audio of Monique went viral yesterday because it's true. Sit your old ass down and go find somebody your age and build a family with them. As I said, Yesterday. Men, we need stability and we need the discipline. Right. You gotta have d. Discipline.

[DJ Envy]

But see, but if he does not want. Because some people don't want families. They're not built for that. But just find somebody in your age bracket.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, that's it.

[Just Hilarious]

Because he, apparently he already tried that. You know what I mean? The family thing or whatever. But yeah, he just needs somebody his age.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Has she seen all seasons of the Wire?

[Just Hilarious]

Excuse me? No, she didn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Does she know any Scarface albums?

[Just Hilarious]

She don't even know what the hell it is. What it is, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She said. What does that even mean?

[Just Hilarious]

Like, she said that like what? That would have made me head up and block.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

10 years older than me. I got a 16 year old daughter. I can't even imagine having that conversation.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know what I'm saying?

[DJ Envy]

But I have a 23 year old daughter.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, like that's crazy. And this girl looks. Looks young. She looks young. She looks like she's on campus at University of Miami or like she looks young, young, young.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, we gotta wrap up. We did have the Monique audio, but we do have to wrap up. So, I mean, yeah, this is all the updates so far in this situation. And I will say too, they said that they were surprised that they were in the middle of the mediation and then the lawsuit dropped. So I don't know if that's why they're responding so frantically and not making sense about their responses.

[Just Hilarious]

It definitely seems scared.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So in middle of mediation to put out a press release that you're looking to sign a deal for $100 million was not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That was so silly.

[DJ Envy]

Because if I'm in the middle of mediation, I hear you're about to sign a 100 million dollar deal. What are you going to do? Oh, I'm gonna pull out and wait for you get that deal and I'm gonna ask for more money if that's the case.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I have not seen a team handle something so poorly in a long time. The way Shannon and his team are handling it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Crazy.

[DJ Envy]

All right, all right. Well, thank you for the ladies with Laura. Now, when we come back, we got front page news. Mimi will be joining us. Morgan is out. And then we have Devi Brown joining us. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You're checking out the Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get in some front page news. Start off with some quick sports. Lakers beat the Timberwolves. They tied the series last night 94 85. The Thunder beat the Grizzlies, won 1899. They lead the series to nothing. And the Pacers beat the Bucs. They lead that series to nothing. What's up, Mimi?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's up, y'all?

[Mimi Brown]

All right, well, let's start in Florida, where GOP Rep. Byron Donalds got an earful at a town hall earlier this week. The crowd wasn't shy about pressing him on the Trump administration and its controversial plans for the Department of Government Efficiency. He was asked as a member of the Oversight Committee, what oversight was he proposing on Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Let's hear what he had to say.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I like how everybody's shouting at me. The black guy on the stage with a microphone on his hand saying, have you read this book? Read this book. Read this book. Book. Write this book. Don't marginalize my life and what I've done. Don't do that. Don't marginalize the lives of other black people in this country about. Don't do that. We should celebrate the successes of our country, not push them down because you have to have de.

[Mimi Brown]

So that was his response to. He. The crowd asked him about DEI and about his pushback. So he pushed back and told the crowd that as a black man, don't talk to him about diversity, equity, and inclusion. But then when he was, he was talking about Elon Musk and Donald Trump. The crowd had some boos and some other things. So let's hear what he had to say about that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What they are doing is under the directions of the President of the United States. If you're going to talk about what oversight is doing, we actually let the Doge Committee, the Doge Department actually finishes work. What they are examining right now is inefficiency in the federal system. This is something that President Obama wanted to do when President Obama was making president.

[Mimi Brown]

So therefore, he was not. The crowd wasn't happy during this town hall. They were trying to get Byron to answer questions about Doge, about the Trump administration. And the crowd in Florida, of all places, they really gave him a hard time. Dozens of people left after voicing their frustration with his answer. Now Donald is also running for governor of Florida in next year's election.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Listen, Mimi, people are out here hurting. So if the economy, if the economy is bad, people gonna be mad. And if you voted for Trump or you endorse Trump like, you know, Byron Donald did, people are going to hold you accountable. Like that pain they're feeling in their pockets, they're going to project that pain onto you, so you got to, you know, Byron got to stand 10 toes now on his decision and he's the.

[Mimi Brown]

Face of it right now. So if you're holding a town meeting, you are the face of their frustration.

[Alencia Johnson]

That's right.

[Mimi Brown]

So. And speaking of Doge and Elon Musk. Elon Musk said he will take a step back from his work as leader of the Department of Government Efficiency. He made the announcement on a call with investors yesterday. He said he will continue to spend a day or two per week on government issues for as long as the President will have him. But this announcement comes after a tough year for Tesla. The company's Stock is down 40% this year. And earlier this month it warned investors about the biggest drop in sales history. Revenue for the first quarter, it fell 71% compared to the same time of last year.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I wonder if that's going. I don't think that's going to work for Elon. And the reason I don't think that's going to work for Elon is because he has chosen aside, he's chosen a political worldview. So the only thing, only way I think it's gonna work for Tesla is if he steps down, period.

[DJ Envy]

Definitely. He's definitely have to step down because people don't want to drive Teslas anymore. And not necessarily because it's not a good car, because it's actually a really.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good vehicle, because the Elon in his politics.

[DJ Envy]

But not only that, but when I'm driving around the city and people are smearing dog poop on your car or that's because of Elon politics, they're giving you middle fingers, they're flattening your tires. Do you want to deal with because.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Of Elon and his politics?

[DJ Envy]

So it's like, no, I don't want to deal with it. So I'm not gonna buy a Tesla. When you got people that's, that's protesting outside of Teslas, I don't want to pull up there if I drive one, I know I'm going to face consequences if I leave it on the street.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

People who've lost their job because of Elon Musk. Elon Musk went in there and slashed all those federal jobs. So when they see those Teslas, the same thing with Byron Donald's, that Tesla represents Elon Musk.

[DJ Envy]

Correct.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So, yes, the Elon Musk in his politics. The only way things gonna bounce back for Tesla is if Elon Musk steps down as CEO. I agree with Terry.

[Mimi Brown]

All right, so President Trump's his approval rating, it is dipping. It is at 42% which is the lowest since he has returned. Now this is according to a new Reuters poll. The drop comes after more Americans expressed concern over his efforts to expand his presidential power. And the poll found discomfort with Trump's push to punish liberal universities, his attempt to appoint himself board of the chair of the Kennedy senator. Now a large majority. 83% said the President must follow federal court rulings even if he disagrees with them. 57% said it's not okay to withhold federal funding based on political views, including that includes one third of Republicans. Now, his approval rating was underwater nearly in every issue, including immigration, inflation and the rule of law. Three out of four respondents said Trump should not seek a third term. Something that is that the Constitution bars. But he's been floating anyway. And Even among Republicans, 53% say no to a third term. And 59% of Americans say that we are losing credibility on the global under global. Under his leadership on the global economy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And it hasn't been 100 days. Listen, you can't have a bad economy and authoritarian rule, okay. If the economy was booming, people might let you get the authoritarian rule off. Okay? But you can't have both.

[Mimi Brown]

Yeah. So that is your front page news. I'm Mimi Brown. Follow me on social @mimi Brown TV. And for more news coverage, follow the Black Information network or Download the free iHeartRadio app and visit bin news.com I.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Saw you on T or something, Mimi. What you was doing, you was on somebody TV network.

[Just Hilarious]

Hey, I was.

[Mimi Brown]

Thank you, Charlotte. I have been promoting my my docu series to Aladina with love. It just documents the Eaton fire and how it displaced a historically black neighborhood in Altadena, California.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Where can people watch that at?

[Mimi Brown]

It is on the iHeart. You can go to iHearts on the iHeartradio podcast network. Just put in two Altadena with love and it'll pop right up.

[Alencia Johnson]

Up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay, thank you. Me you back tomorrow.

[Mimi Brown]

I'm back on Friday. I'll be back Friday.

[Debbie Brown]

Okay, I'll see y'all then.

[DJ Envy]

Everybody else, Debbie Brown will be joining us. She has a new book, Living in wisdom.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A path to embodying your authentic self. Embracing grief and developing self mastery. Out right now.

[DJ Envy]

So, Debbie Brown, when we come back, it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody.

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guests in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

My good sister, longtime friend Debbie Brown is back here.

[DJ Envy]

Good morning.

[Debbie Brown]

Good morning. Y'all oh my God.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How you feeling on book publishing day? I feel free.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah. I feel so free. I've had a lot of anxiety about it for the last few weeks.

[Just Hilarious]

Why?

[Debbie Brown]

You know, well, it's like, you know, that creative birthing and like, there's a lot of like vulnerable stories in it. And you're like, did I do that? Should I have done this? But yeah, now I just feel free. It's here, it's done. I'm proud of it. I feel great.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Living in wisdom, A path to embodying your authentic self, Embracing grief and developing self mastery. Tell us about that title.

[Debbie Brown]

Being a healer, being someone that has been on their own spiritual journey for decades, and being a teacher, I found that, you know, those are the three things that really give you a feeling of a well lived life. Life, you know, when we're looking for healing or when we're looking for self actualization or self awareness, all the things, whatever we're looking for, when it comes time to grow, it's like ultimately we're looking to be the embodiment of our authentic self. To get past the performance of like who we say we are and actually get to the core. And then all of being alive is to have grief a part of that. You know, every day there is grief. And whether it's losing someone, which I'm sure all of us have, or will, because that's what it is to be here, or it's, you know, the daily grief of bearing witness to everything that's happening, finding a way to embrace that grief is a part of what it is to be human, is, I think, a really powerful shift in our growth. And then walking a path of self mastery, like looking to always, not necessarily like be better or prove things, but to just deepen in what you already are. Like mastery is perfection. Mastery is like the slow process of excellence of self, you know, and only we kind of know what that process is inside.

[DJ Envy]

I want to go back. For people that don't know, Debbie's been here a long time ago. But for people that don't know who Debbie Brown is, I want to start from the beginning. If you don't know. Devi was a successful radio personality, one of the best media personalities, and at the top of her game, decided she didn't want to do it anymore. It wasn't like she was pushed out. It wasn't like she had bad ratings. She just said, you know what? I don't want to do it anymore. Top of her game. And then she started going on this healing journey. Debbie Was out in the clubs. She might have got into a brawl or two, but we're not gonna go there.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A brawl? I don't remember.

[DJ Envy]

Debbie knows what I'm talking about.

[Debbie Brown]

No idea what's happening.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What brawl was Debbie Brown in? I don't know.

[DJ Envy]

It was done. This is a healing journey. So I wanna her rebirth. A rebirth I wanna go to for people that don't know what made you say, you know what? This industry is not for me. I wanna give this up. You were doing radio, you were doing different markets. You just had a baby and just said, it's not for me.

[Just Hilarious]

At the top of your game, how did you go from a woman of radio to just like, no, I'm done with it.

[Debbie Brown]

First of all, I just have to say, and y'all know this. Like, to me, radio is one of the most incredible, sacred ways to broadcast. Because, like, you're really in someone's head and body when you talk, right? Like, they connect you with their whole being. It's. I've always found it to be, like, a sacred responsibility that makes you good at, like, everything else. I realized that. That my purpose was evolving. And I realized that a lot of the skills that I was amassing, like communication, connecting with people, building community, I just kept getting very, very clear direction from God, that I was meant to do it differently and use it differently. And I felt like I personally was going through so much, like, while I was still on the radio for many years, I was, like, kind of secretly, quietly getting some certifications and, like, meditation and breath work and spiritual psychology. Like, it was such a huge part of my off the air life. And I felt like, at least at that time, because I left the industry maybe almost 10 years ago, at that time, there was no blending of the two, you know, And I was having situations where I was having. Wanting to have these deeper layered conversations. And, you know, I was being told by the people I worked with, like, no one wants to hear that. That, like, now we can't run that on the air. Like, ask more questions about dating, ask questions about beef, ask, you know, and for whatever reasons, it's like what I had to give and what I felt God wanted me to give. It was not valued at the time.

[DJ Envy]

But you're so ahead of your time, and now it's okay. Now people are vulnerable. Would you see yourself coming back to doing radio?

[Debbie Brown]

I love radio because you were so.

[DJ Envy]

Ahead of your time. Now we have those conversations and it's not even a thing we talk about that people are vulnerable. It seems Normal, almost.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You got the Deeply well Apart podcast.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah. Black Effect Network through. Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you know, the interesting thing about Dev, and I want people to know this, like, I met dev in, I think, 070-708-07. The person dev is now, she's always been. This is just, to me, an evolution of who you always been. You've always been the same one in the room, the one in the room that people can go to for sound advice. The leader in the room saying, hey, let's go do this. We should be doing this. I've always, always felt that in you. I've always seen that in you.

[Just Hilarious]

Why you don't work here if you, if you have order.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When she was in New York. Yeah. She was Sway's co host for a while.

[Just Hilarious]

No, I'm saying why she don't work here at Fair east side. We got a leader. Good, y'all.

[Debbie Brown]

When it comes to healing the way y'all have been healing in this room, I am just so impressed and inspired.

[Just Hilarious]

Thank you.

[Debbie Brown]

There have been some beautiful, transparent conversations.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you. I love the chapter 15 because we're talking about that in a way. Heal and accept.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Talk to us why that's important, that you have to heal and then accept.

[Debbie Brown]

You know, this is the thing about healing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[Debbie Brown]

And I've. I've worked in wellness and well being for over a decade now, and I work with clients directly. I. I do workshops, I run retreats. I've had a lot of access to studies and data all around healing, around trauma, around all of it.

[Alencia Johnson]

It.

[Debbie Brown]

And I found, you know, from my own journey and with others, it's like there is this misconception that you work on yourself to eventually be rid of everything that's ever happened to you and that then your life will be perfect, that you'll go to therapy, that you'll do somatic exercises, that you'll meditate. And then one day you're going to just like everything in life is going to feel so happy. That's not God's design. Right. Like, no feeling is more holy than the other. God wants us to know and experience and feel in real time everything that crosses our path. And that means grief, that means joy, that means, you know, jealousy, sometimes anger, that means fear. It's like all of it is part of the human experience. And so when it comes to healing, a huge part of it is also accepting that the past can't change. For some of us, that. That can feel heartbreaking. Right. Like, a lot of things have happened to. To so Many of us. So hundreds of millions in your life that didn't get your consent, maybe, that you've never uttered aloud. You know, sometimes we carry things and we're thinking about and ruminating in thought our whole life about the things that have hurt us. And I think it's important for people to know it doesn't mean you're broken or deficient or not healed because you still remember those things. It's really about changing the way you relate, relate to them. Some things will absolutely never change. But when you heal, it really gets transmuted into wisdom, where it doesn't feel like this hard, full, painful charge inside of your body. Every time that memory comes up, you're able to kind of look at it from an observer standpoint and be like, that happened, and that really hurt. And, God, that was hard. And I have respect for what I've been through. I have self respect for who I am and what I've moved myself, yourself through.

[DJ Envy]

All right, we got more with Debbie Brown when we come back. Her new book, Living in wisdom, A path to embodying your authentic self, Embracing grief and developing self mastery, is out right now. We have more with home when we come back. It's the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We're still kicking it with Debbie Brown. Now, when you talk about working on yourself, what does that mean for people? Right? When people say, I need to work on myself, and then they come back 10 hours later, I worked on myself.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm healed. So.

[DJ Envy]

So what is so for somebody out there that says, you know, I need to work on. On myself, what does that mean?

[Debbie Brown]

God, that's such a good question. And, like, that I'm healed thing is so funny to me because people will go to one therapy session and be.

[Just Hilarious]

Like, microwavable, I did it.

[Debbie Brown]

And it's like, actually, it takes eight to 12 therapy sessions to have like, a real, you know, cognitive breakthrough. Or, you know, you read one book and it's like, yeah, yeah, I do this because this happened to me, and that's who I am. I think that's self awareness. But when you're looking to work on yourself to transcend your experiences, there's a difference. Like, Instagram has given us so much language. A lot of people are using it to manipulate now.

[DJ Envy]

I hate the language when it's used the wrong way.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hate it.

[DJ Envy]

I know. Like, it bothers the ish out of me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Debbie Brown]

It drives me nuts because it's dangerous. Like, to be clear, it's dangerous people using certain mental health language that haven't done the work, that don't know the work. It's a manipulation to tactic. It can be very harmful for people, can be very narcissistic. None of those things are like devoid in the spiritual or the mental health space. All that same stuff still exists. But when it comes to like working on yourself, I think at the base level it's noticing how do you feel when it's just you with you? If there is anything inside of you that feels unmet, unexpressed, unheard, if there's anything inside of you where you feel anxiety, there is a charge in your chest, or there is a rejection or a cringe, those are things to notice because it's information that maybe something wants to rise to the surface for your review. And I think when we're working on ourselves, it's really about being willing to look at the truth of what is. It doesn't have to be perceived as positive or negative. It's just what is true right now and then being honest with yourself about it.

[DJ Envy]

We'll talk about some of the, the, the mental health and mental health things that you've been talking about that I feel have been commercialized to a point where people are using these terms but they don't really mean it. Right? Yeah, so, so talk about that a.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Little bit to make Dev go off now.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, no, I, I want to talk about. No, because it really bothers me because I hear people using these terms and I'm sure they don't even know what these terms mean. Right. Like you say somebody, you just gaslit me. And I feel like sometimes it actually stops a conversation because sometimes when people hear those words they automatically say, oh, I ain't that. I'm not talking about that. Especially in a workplace where you can't have a normal conversation if somebody says something. Because now when you hear those terms, that also comes after human resources, you.

[Debbie Brown]

Know, I mean, absolutely.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah.

[Debbie Brown]

I mean there's just so much and, and I think people should really do like a lot of deeper layers of research. Right. Like, I think the Internet is phenomenal in that the last five years, our consciousness has raised so much since the pandemic because we have had access to understand. Understand, hey, a lot of people have experienced trauma or a lot of people have experienced life frictions or you know, deeply challenging relationships. But everyone is stopping at like one graphic, right? Like they're stopping at reading one thing or asking chat GPT one question and then they leave it there, you know, and it's like, so I think a lot of terms like understanding, like a lot of people are overusing the term like narcissist, narcissist or narcissism, right? Not getting your way with someone or someone kind of even being self focused. Like every single person alive has some layer of narcissistic behavior that's part of like the human expression too. It's some self focus. But narcissistic abuse is something entirely different. And those that have experienced understand like you get CPTSD from it, you get PTSD from it, you have, have changes in your body, your health decreases. Like it is a psychological warfare that is insidious and can dramatically change the trajectory of your life. Now if that level of feeling isn't really happening to you, it may not be narcissistic abuse, you know. And so I think we just need to go deeper into the layers of the things that we're learning. And I will say people that misuse language or use it as tools of avoidance, typically those are the people that usually are on the other side and fit the other kind of definitions for those things.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

One thing you told me one time that you know, makes so much sense and I love the fact that you give so many actual examples of how to do it in the book you told me that when it comes to the language, you can have the language and know what it is you're dealing with. But a lot of people avoid the actual healing, the healing work. So if you, if you read the book, there's a lot of different exercises that can walk you you through that actual healing process. Why do you think, you know, people forget the healing part once they go to therapy?

[Debbie Brown]

Because it's hard, you know, and I think it, and that's the thing that I, I really speak to very clearly in, in my book. It's like all of this is hard. There is no tip or trick to heal from challenging experiences. Right? Like I'm not going to tell you, all right, do this five minutes every day. Yes, five minutes every day will build your capacity. But you need to stretch past the 5 minutes minutes to devote actual real time to the changes you want to see in your life. And so, you know, something I, I talk about in the book is like there's a huge difference between having self awareness and having higher consciousness or being embodied in your self awareness. Self awareness is having the terms, it's going to a couple therapy sessions perhaps or reading a bunch of self help books and saying like this is what happened and this is why I act like this. And this is why this is this. But it doesn't mean you're changing any of it, right? Like, it doesn't mean you're taking it to the next step to behave differently or to invite in different experiences with people. And that comes through practice. That comes through process. And so in this book, I talk about a lot, like, how to get out of your way. A lot of people have a lot of sophisticated language around avoiding themselves. You can avoid yourself with. With anything. You can avoid yourself with therapy. You're seeing the same therapist for 10 years, and nothing in your life changes what's going on in there, you know, or you know, I see a lot of people avoid themselves with religion. You can be a part of a church, you can go there on Sundays, and you can still not know God. You can still not make better choices. Right? It is daily practice. It is showing up in your interpersonal relationships. It is having the hard conversations in real time as they come up and just being present with all of it without expectation, you know, without trying to control it or make it go your way. And so in the book, we have a lot of practices, like I teach meditation in the book. We work with mudras in the book, which are hand positions that can really elevate your meditation practice because your hand positions open different energy channels in your body. There is breath work that can be done in the book, and every single one of those practices anchors in the changes that you want to experience, because it shows you how to regulate when you do get triggered, when you do have charge. And so both are needed. You have to have the cognitive and you have to have the somatic, you have to have the spiritual, you have to have the physical. All of it kind of beautifully goes together.

[DJ Envy]

All right, we have more with Devi Brown when we come back. Her new book, Living in Wisdom, A path to embodying your authentic self, embracing grief and developing self mastery, is out right now. We'll be back. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Good morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy Jess. Hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We're still kicking it with Devi Brown. Charlamagne.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why is meditation so important?

[Debbie Brown]

Oh, my God. You know, and I think in some other, maybe wisdom traditions, some people might relate to it, if you call it reflection or if you call it moments for contemplation. But meditation is the master healer because it gets you out of your identity. And our identity is almost a hundred percent made from, like, all of the culturally created beliefs that we have or our beliefs from our family of origin or, you know, the things that we're influenced by, by society. And so when you're able to get out of all those extra layers of, like, what your titles are, you know, what the role you play, I'm a husband, I'm a wife, I'm a someone's child, brother, sister, friend. When you take yourself out of all of that, you actually get to glimpse, like, what am I designed to be? What was God's intention for me of me before I fit into anybody's box or any relationship? And so the thing about meditation and I, I really want to share this. You know, I believe in trauma, informed practice. And it's a little bit different to hold that space within the healing community than if you're not. It's recognizing that a lot of people will have barriers to almost every healing modality that comes up because of some of the things that they may have experienced. So in meditation, you're going through so many layers. And the first time you try, the first several times you try, it could be so hard and frustrating and anger inducing and irritating.

[DJ Envy]

Hey, what up, y'all? It's DJ Envy. The first few months of 2025 have been quite a year. Work deadlines, group chats you can't escape, and your weird cousin's latest overshare. It's a lot, but here's some good news. You don't have to bring that stress into your car. Car. The all new Nissan Murano is your piece on wheels, thanks to its available features. Imagine sliding into the relaxing, massaging seats that feel like they were made to melt your tensions. Take in the skyline views that let sunlight pour in and watch as your day brightens. I have a special playlist that always gets me right. And with the Bose premium sound system, you too can vibe like you're at your own private concert. Plus, with your 64 color personalized lighting option, you can set the mood any way you want, be it romantic, chill, or in a straight up do not disturb mode. Let the Nissan Murano be your oasis in a chaotic world. Because sometimes the greatest rush isn't rushing at all. Drive the all new Nissan Murano today.

[Just Hilarious]

Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Debbie Brown]

Sit down and be still. And it could bring up everything and make you feel like you're failing at it, and then you want to stop and then let me go do things I'm actually good at.

[Just Hilarious]

You know, that is literally me, me.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah, that is.

[Just Hilarious]

I feel like I'm missing out on doing something. Or I could. I could be doing this with this time, or it's not working. It's like. So I grow to be frustrated when I try to.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

Meditate, man. So I just be smoking and that.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah, well, I mean that too. Smoking and meditate is like a great little collaboration and yoga and stretching. But I'm so glad you said that, because I think that is almost everyone's response, but especially if you have been through. Through hard things. And what I want everyone to know is that phase passes, and that's part of what doing the work is. Right? It's being patient with yourself and witnessing yourself, especially when you don't want to do it. And it's saying like, God, I'm sitting here and I hate this. This is stupid. I don't want to do this. Breathe, Breathe. Okay. Okay. Wiggle, release. Open your body. Like you start meeting those feelings with things that harmonize that experience for you. But eventually, the level you're aiming for is like, higher and higher consciousness. Higher consciousness means a greater ability to be what you are designed to be on Earth and to also extend love and goodwill and compassion and power and influence to others for the higher good of. Of all concerned.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You also. You dedicated your book. And I'm probably gonna pronounce her name wrong, to my Haskell.

[Debbie Brown]

May Haskell.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

May Haskell. And I didn't know who that was until I went to go look it up, and she was a Young woman who was dismembered and Encino. What made you want to dedicate the book to her? And you said, I pray you are free.

[Debbie Brown]

I have to be really careful talking about this because the trial hasn't begun yet.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yet.

[Debbie Brown]

Gotcha. She was a beautiful woman I had the privilege and the pleasure of meeting when my son started kindergarten and our boys were friends. And so my son is in first grade. So this just happened last year. And you know, I'm sure the parents listening, like when your kids are in kinder, like you're still very connected to the other families, right? Because the kids can't communicate on their own. So you're creating the play date dates you guys are getting together for all the birthday parties. Like you are seeing each other almost seven days a week. She was the mother of this sweet, beautiful little boy that was in class with my son and two other sons. And her husband is currently incarcerated for allegedly murdering her and her parents. And her body was completely dismembered. Her head was taken, her limbs were taken and not recovered. Her parents were dismembered and then their bodies were dispersed in the trash cans. In my neighborhood, there are horrors in this world. You know, I dedicated my book to her for so many reasons. But it's really just like if someone takes your whole family who remembers you, you know, like I wanted to just, just honor the fact that she was here, that she was alive and that I will be thinking about her every day of my life.

[DJ Envy]

Living in wisdom, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah, Debbie Brown is out today.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I got a lot more questions. I just don't know. I do. Well, okay. Woosa.

[Debbie Brown]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Does everybody need to have a purpose?

[Debbie Brown]

I think everybody does have a purpose. I think what we get wrong is that purpose has to be quantified by something or that it has to make money. You know, I think just like so many words are being appropriated right now within mental health, I think other words are being used for performance, for really self validation sometimes or ego.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right.

[Debbie Brown]

Like you hear people, well, my purpose is this or you know, what's my purpose? And it's just another thing that you are kind of mis, pouring yourself into. Purpose in my belief is simply your lived experience and the wisdom you've gleaned from it. It's the skills you've amassed in any and everything you could have ever done. It's your innate gifts, you know, the things that you have that God gave you. And it's then using it to serve, putting it back into service for others. And so, you know, it's like I could say my purpose is talking, right? Because I was a broadcaster for years, I lead meditation, I communicate all the things. But really, like, I look at my purpose as like being able to be in darkness with people. You know, I think my life's greatest purpose is the fact that like, I'm not afraid of the dark and I can be in darker moments and not recoil with other people, that I can hold space for that. And I think, you know, that may not be the most glorious purpose. It's not the thing that's maybe going to land me on a billboard, but it's the thing that like God trained me for. It's the thing that my life has bloomed into and I love it.

[Just Hilarious]

I love that. I love how you break that down. And also you spoke to how people overuse words because half the time people don't even know how to answer that question. Well, what is your purpose? Like me, I still don't know what my purpose is. I mean, I'm grateful for the woman that I'm becoming in my spiritual growth and everything, but I still don't know what my purpose is. And what if it's not just one thing? You know what I mean?

[Debbie Brown]

Exactly. And that's the thing. It's not. Yeah, it's not. You know, and like it's okay if finding your purpose takes your whole life. It's the point of being alive. Like, why do we think we have to move so quickly through everything? That's the validation piece, right? Like, that's the wanting to be seen in it or celebrated for it. But like if it's your life's work, it is supposed to take your whole life.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, that's right. Because my mother in law, my husband's mother, he, she literally just told me she just found out what her purpose is and that is to take care of like to oversee her granddaughter. I just gave her a beautiful granddaughter, her very first grandchild. And that's what she said holding a baby like a few months ago. Oh, I know. What my purpose is now is to be here with my family and to take care of my family because she was living out the country for decades. Please.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, that was him. That's him.

[Debbie Brown]

He started what just happened.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He started it.

[DJ Envy]

Why you asked me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Anything.

[Just Hilarious]

Don't they trying to say because of ice being no a got nothing, do no ice talking. She came back.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, it don't. It don't have nothing to do.

[Just Hilarious]

She came back over here to take.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Care of my child.

[Just Hilarious]

And they every day they joke about her being sent back.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I don't know what it is. Yes.

[Just Hilarious]

Literally. So you know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, man.

[Debbie Brown]

I mean, I have understand the friction in this room. I. I get why.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Debbie Brown. Living in Wisdom, A path to embodying your authentic self, Embracing grief and developing self mastery. Available everywhere. You buy books now go pick it up. That's right. If you love the sound of Deb's voice. If you miss her on the radio, you can go get the audio version as well. And make sure you subscribe to her podcast, the Deeply well podcast on the black effect. IHeartRadio podcast network. Dev, you already know I love you to death.

[Debbie Brown]

Thank you three. I love you. Big fan.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't remember her knocking nobody out. That never happened.

[Debbie Brown]

Do we have to get back to that?

[DJ Envy]

Give each other grace. Even the oldies. It's the breakfast. All the versions.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Shout out to Debbie Brown, man. Make sure you go pick up her new book, Living in wisdom, A path to embodying your authentic self, Embracing grief and developing self mastery, man.

[Just Hilarious]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

Salute to Debbie. All right, we are the Breakfast Club. Let's get to the latest with Lark.

[Just Hilarious]

Lauren becoming a straight face.

[DJ Envy]

She gets them from somebody that knows somebody.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She gets the details.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She be having the latest on this, the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes you have facts, sometimes you have details. Sometimes she have a little bit of everything. Oh, it's the latest on the Breakfast Club. Talk to me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So Ms. Tina Knowles revealed in a sit down exclusively with People magazine that she'd actually been battling and she's now cancer free. Stage one breast cancer. Let's take a look.

[DJ Envy]

I'm doing great.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Cancer free, feeling great, and just feeling.

[DJ Envy]

Very incredibly blessed that, you know, God allowed me to find that early.

[Just Hilarious]

Well, I struggle with whether I would.

[DJ Envy]

Share that journey because I'm very private.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But I decided to share it because I think it's a lot of lessons.

[DJ Envy]

In it for other women.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I wanted to make sure that they.

[DJ Envy]

Knew how important it is not to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Slack on your mammograms because you don't have to let this.

[DJ Envy]

I mean, we can catch cancer at stage one or even stage zero.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I didn't know that there was a stage zero. I could have caught this at stage.

[DJ Envy]

Zero if I had not missed my mammogram. But I did because of COVID and as a result, it was stage one.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It could have been stage zero.

[DJ Envy]

So you have to go get your mammogram. Mammograms.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, God bless her. I'm glad she was able to catch it early, man.

[DJ Envy]

And I love to hear when people talk about their journey.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right.

[DJ Envy]

Because sometimes people forget or they don't talk about it enough. Like, Gia missed hers, but she was able to catch us four years later, even with Charlemagne myself talking about colonoscopies. People need to go to the doctor. You need to get checked out.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

Because you need to catch it before it gets worse, you know?

[Just Hilarious]

And I remember there used to be, like, an age requirement for you used to have to wait till you're 40 to get a mammogram. Now you can get it, like, in your 20s.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sure if you got a history in your family, they probably encourage you to go get it earlier.

[Just Hilarious]

So I definitely encourage. And there's young women to get them, too.

[DJ Envy]

Is there another way? I. I thought there was another way of doing a mammogram. I know there's one way.

[Just Hilarious]

The women actually smash down.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

But then there's another.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You don't have to show us Envy. You don't even have.

[Just Hilarious]

I wish there was another way, though. Like, they didn't have to.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, they had to do all the stuff.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Envy was holding him.

[Just Hilarious]

Delicate with awkward.

[DJ Envy]

Like, you know, just want to put it in the machine. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Or they keep you all awake when they do that. So it's not, like, cold. Yes.

[DJ Envy]

They say it hurts. It's painful, right?

[Just Hilarious]

Yes, it is painful.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Colon could be cold enough to me. They knock you out. Envy.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like to be awake, but, like, they, like, put pressure.

[Just Hilarious]

They knock you out for the colon.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. They put you to sleep.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. Unless you. Unless you want to be awake.

[DJ Envy]

No, they have to put you asleep.

[Just Hilarious]

I thought the colonoscopy, he was quick.

[DJ Envy]

You don't know. You put. They put you to sleep. You knocked out.

[Just Hilarious]

Wow.

[DJ Envy]

I'm over my physical today.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, you're definitely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You cannot say that. I can say that.

[DJ Envy]

You can know I'm talking about prostate.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Exams, but you can't say the F for. That's ridiculous.

[Just Hilarious]

If y'all believe that doctors do not be.

[DJ Envy]

But I'm going today.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I know. You don't even have an appointment. You don't even got no appointment.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You just want to be detect. Well, she's. So Ms. Cena knows is promoting her book Matriarch. So she has been talking or releasing a lot of the, you know, different excerpts from the book. And in one of the. The passages, she actually talks about Beyonce and Jay Z and how Beyonce chose to be with Jay Z because she says at the time time Beyonce was actually dating another guy, and it was, like, really serious. But at the same time, she had started dating Jay Z and Beyonce came Houston player. She was dating. She wasn't in a relationship. She was just dating. And she came to Miss Tina and was like, I don't know what to do. Because at this point, like, they. I think both the guys that came into Houston at one point, she was like, I need to make a decision. So Messina was like, well, how do you feel? And she was like, I already knew it was Jay Z for her, and when they talked about it, it was him. And that's where she decided to go. And she was like, you know, they were young, just talking on the phone, barely getting to spend time with each other. He would come and do dinner at her house because they couldn't go anywhere for real. And that's how their relationship developed. Early on, she also talked about. Y'all remember back in 2011 when Beyonce got pregnant with Blue Ivy, People were saying that she didn't deliver the baby.

[DJ Envy]

Yes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Ms. Tina for the first time, talked publicly about how she felt going through all of that, because she was told not to say anything. Let's take a listen.

[Debbie Brown]

I want to talk about fame and.

[Alencia Johnson]

The impact that has on a family. You say it's specifically about just the room.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was that like to hear people.

[DJ Envy]

Say the most horrendous things and to call my whole family a lie, you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Know, because we would all have to.

[DJ Envy]

Be part of that conspiracy and lie.

[Just Hilarious]

About something so sacred.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was.

[DJ Envy]

It was one of the worst times of my life because I couldn't say anything. My daughter was saying, no, because you're.

[Just Hilarious]

Just going to make the story bigger.

[DJ Envy]

So don't say anything is going to go away. But it didn't go away for a long. And it's one of the most painful things for me to know that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That people could just be that disgusting.

[DJ Envy]

And people just get to lie and they don't have to suffer any consequences.

[Just Hilarious]

I knew Beyonce was. Would be telling Ms. Tanner, like, don't say nothing, but just imagine being the mother, having to shut up and sit back and see. Because like she said, they will all have to be a part of that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right. And it's what we see.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah. Like, and this is what this girl wanted. This is what she wanted for a while, a long time. And y'all talking about this fake.

[Lauren LaRosa]

She. She also got into details of, like, Beyonce and Jay Z's wedding and talked about how they had to do it so private because, again, they didn't want it to get out, so they literally had to do it inside of a house. And her, Ms. Tina and Jay's mom cooked the food. Like, everything had to be so. So private, so sacred. She also, for the first time in this book, talks about her split from Mr. Matthew knows. Let me make sure I get Mr. In there. Yeah. So she. She says that they were married in 1980, divorced in 2011, but it was because he was a really, really horrible cheater. He actually had a baby within their marriage, and that was, like, the last straw for her.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

She said that, like, in 2009 is when he had the baby on her. But before that, he would do some crazy things when it came to cheating, and she would take him back every time because she kind of just couldn't let it go.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And then when that happened, she was like, no, I can't do this. And they had actually thought about getting together at some point, but she was. Was like. She knew that the girls would be upset at him.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

Where's the baby?

[DJ Envy]

Where's the family?

[Lauren LaRosa]

She. He has other kids outside of Beyonce and Solange.

[Just Hilarious]

I don't know where that baby.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The baby that he had. Yeah, it's a. It's his.

[Just Hilarious]

It's his boy.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I think it's his son. Let me look this up. He has. So outside of Beyonce in Salon, she has Nixon. Alexander knows. And Coy. Michael knows. So two kids. Yes. Yep. Two sons.

[Just Hilarious]

All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's how, you know, Tina named Beyonce and Solange. Because them names sound regular. Names sound too regular.

[Alencia Johnson]

Right.

[Just Hilarious]

Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is that book out?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes, the matriarch is now out. It's cool now. Yep. And it's all about Ms. Tina's life, and not just Beyonce and Solange and that, but really about her life, her upbringing. She talks about, you know, watching her brother almost get killed by the cops at one point, and just. Yeah, it's a lot that you learned about her. And. And watching her talk throughout the interviews, too.

[DJ Envy]

Matthew knows Mr. Matthew Knowles is not doing any interviews anymore because he doesn't like when people talk about his personal life. Like, they put questions not to ask. And how can you not ask these questions when, you know, Tina Knowles talks about it, Ms. Tina Knowles talks about it.

[Just Hilarious]

And then what else is we going to ask you?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I interviewed Mr. Matthew Knowles about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He has a cancer company that he works with that helps people find, like, help and aid when you're going through, like, cancer and different things. And we had a very great conversation. Beyonce never came up and he was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Super nice at it, but he wasn't.

[DJ Envy]

Allowed to ask about it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I didn't want to.

[Just Hilarious]

Okay, good.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I didn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, I wanted to. He told your ass not to.

[DJ Envy]

He told your ass not to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ass not to. That's what happened.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I was waiting.

[Just Hilarious]

I'm like, y'all gonna.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Let me just say I didn't want. Y'all know I wanted to. But he was. He was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Bragged about it. Like, it didn't come up once.

[DJ Envy]

You better not.

[Just Hilarious]

Well, happy birthday, John Cena.

[DJ Envy]

Where you get that from?

[Lauren LaRosa]

It's.

[Just Hilarious]

It's John Cena birthday.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He just broke the record, too. He's. I think he's the. He's been WWE Champion 17 times. Broke Ric Flair's record. Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm so happy he follows me on Twitter. Isn't that random?

[Alencia Johnson]

Really?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

John Cena.

[Just Hilarious]

Hey, yo, I know. That's right. You'll be having some of the most random, like, potential.

[Alencia Johnson]

No, no, not like that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like what?

[Just Hilarious]

What?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Donkey? Today's up next, right?

[DJ Envy]

Yes, it is. Who you give me donkey to me before.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

After the hour, we need the U. S. Department of Education to come to the front of the congregation. We'd like to have a word with them, please.

[DJ Envy]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wake up, wake up. You're locked into the Breakfast Club. Your execution on the donkey of the day is something to behold.

[DJ Envy]

We'll get a ring.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He gave me donkey of the day.

[Just Hilarious]

And I deserve it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You don't even know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, you need to tell them.

[Alencia Johnson]

I am.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You have divorced.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Tell them it's time for donkey of the day.

[Just Hilarious]

It's a read, but you're so good.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

At it, you're trying to be a fake ass. Charlamagne. There's only one Charlemagne involved.

[Alencia Johnson]

Damn Charlemagne.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who you giving Ducky of the day to now? Well, sexy red donkey today for Wednesday, April 23, goes to the U.S. department of Education, who, under the Trump administration, announced on Monday that it will resume debt collections for federal student loan borrowers who have defaulted on their debt. So millions of borrowers are at risk of having federal payments or portions of their salaries withheld in the coming months because the White House said it can and will take borrowers wages, pensions, and tax refunds. Let's go to KOA NBC 5 for the report, please.

[Debbie Brown]

Major whiplash for millions of federal student loan holders. For the first time in five years, the department of Education will start collecting. Restart collecting, that is federal student loans in default. Student loans go into default after 270 days without any payment. The Trump administration said in a statement, quote, there will not be any mass loan forgiveness.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Trump administration has announced we will put an end to Joe Biden's illegal.

[Debbie Brown]

Student loan bailout attempts. Loans have been on pause since March of 2020 because of COVID 19. The Biden and Harris administration even tried to cancel the debts of millions of borrowers. Now, the Trump administration says the previous administration did not have authority to cancel that debt and it will start collections as soon as May 5.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Debt cannot be wiped away.

[Debbie Brown]

It just ends up getting transferred to other.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So why should Americans who didn't go.

[Debbie Brown]

To college or went to college and.

[Alencia Johnson]

Responsibly paid back their loans pay for.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The student loans of other Americans? I didn't go to college, so I don't have student loan debt, so this won't impact me. But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna care about this, okay? The reason I care about this is because I care about people, all right? Period. It doesn't matter what your financial situation is. If you live in a country where people are barely getting by, that is not gonna make for a pleasant society. Not to mention working class people are a benefit to our business. Business, okay? Working class people who are listening to this, they're the ones who listen to this show every day, okay? They're the people who buy books, they come to the comedy shows, they'll spend their hard earned money to be at the Black Effect Podcast Festival this Saturday in Atlanta. And every working class person in this country should be able to pay their bills and have a little leftover for recreation, okay? They should have some money for leisure activities. And if you voted for Donald Trump because he promised to make the economy better, you gotta be scratching your head right now, okay? Donald Trump said he was gonna make the economy better on day one, but all he's done so far is cut federal programs that benefit working class people, Put Elon Musk in charge to fire a bunch of federal federal workers. This half assed trade war that's going on, that's hurting our wallets and 401k plans. And now the White House is bringing more pain to millions of Americans by restarting debt collection for student loan borrowers who have fallen into default. I hope that you all realize this is just politicians playing with the lie lives of people again. Right? I was reading an op ed that Linda McMahon wrote in the Wall Street Journal and she blamed the Biden administration and universities for making empty promises to students while pocketing their Loan dollars. She said greedy colleges have profited massively from Biden era forgiveness measures. When I read that, I said to myself, oh, the American people once again have to suffer because of this pissing contest between Democrats and Republicans. See, I hate when political parties do that. If Republicans do something that's good and benefit people, people Dem should let it stand. If Democrats do something that's good that benefits people, Republicans should let it stand. Linda McMahon said colleges profit massively from Biden era forgiveness loans. Well, Linda, there are plenty of corporations, institutions and people in the Trump administration who profit massively from things y'all do too. I honestly don't care as long as the working class people are getting some relief. When the rich get richer and the poor don't get a devil damn thing, that's not gonna good. But if the rich get richer and people are able to get some money in their pocket too so they can live, that's a beautiful society, okay? And I don't want to hear you idiots say no, they got to pay these loans back. You can't get a loan and not pay it back. Sure, but how come there is never that sense of urgency to pay loans back when it comes to these corporations? Okay. 2008, financial crisis. U.S. government bailed out banks. AIG got 182 billion. Citigroup got 45 billion in TARP funds and hundreds of billions in loan guarantees. Bank of America got 45 billion through the tar program. Those were loans. 2009, auto industry. GM got 50 billion in federal aid. Chrysler got 12 billion. GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and had over 30 billion in debt wiped out. What about during COVID Airlines? Delta, United, American Airlines. Oh, got billions in payroll supporting loans. My point is, I don't ever hear or see about these corporations getting pressured to pay money back the way we are so quick to do. American citizens. Yes, I'm glad all these, these institutions were able to stay afloat. We need those institutions. We need the airlines, we need the banks. But don't we need the American people too? Is it really going to hurt us as a country if we don't garnish the wages of student loan borrowers? If we don't take from their pensions, their tax refunds? Is it really going to make or break us as a society if we choose to simply let those folks be for the time being? Why at a time like this would the Department of Education and the Trump administration be doing this? Because it's not about what's right. Right. It's about revenge. I'm Not a Joe Biden fan. I think his legacy is trash. But the student loan forgiveness that he provided was great. Okay. One of the better things on his resume. But Donald Trump is hell bent on wiping his ass with Joe Biden's resume. It's that simple. And we the people have to suffer because folks have political scores to settle. Please let Rema give the US Department of Education the biggest Hee haw. Hee haw.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hee haw.

[Just Hilarious]

You stupid mother.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Are you dumb.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Y.

[DJ Envy]

That's what we said earlier. Makes no sense.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

None whatsoever.

[Just Hilarious]

They deserve that.

[DJ Envy]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, ma'am.

[DJ Envy]

Now, when we come back, Alencia Johnson will be joining us. She has a new book called Flip the Tables. And we're gonna talk to her next, so don't go anywhere.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's the whole.

[Just Hilarious]

No, what's the whole book name? Flip the Tables Now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What? Flip the Tables.

[DJ Envy]

Because the Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change.

[Just Hilarious]

I know. That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Your book title better be short then, the way you be coming at these people long.

[Just Hilarious]

It sure is. I'm going back and forth with them right now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Talk about.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh, you need a subtitle. And why.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what it should be called. And why.

[DJ Envy]

It's the Breakfast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lauren Laros is here as well, and we got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, indeed.

[DJ Envy]

Her new book, Flip the Tables is out. Right now. We have Alencia Johnson.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Welcome.

[Alencia Johnson]

Thank you. I'm glad to be here.

[DJ Envy]

How you feeling?

[Alencia Johnson]

I feel good. Interesting to say that in the midst of everything going on, but I feel good taking care of myself and getting this message out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, we find joy what we can, right? Right.

[Alencia Johnson]

We have to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You got to. That's the only way to survive it.

[Alencia Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I love the title of your book because I think that, you know, people don't ever expound on that part of Jesus enough. You know what I mean?

[Alencia Johnson]

That crunk Jesus.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Flip the Tables. The Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change. Break that title down.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah. You know, I'm glad you mentioned that reference. I'm a pastor's daughter. I love that story of Jesus. And in all of my work, I've worked on a lot of presidential campaigns. I've worked for Planned Parenthood. People constantly ask me, oh, my goodness, how can I make change? And they think it has to be at this massive scale. But what I realized is that when we find the courage to really be ourselves and to live in our truth and to speak up in rooms and do these small acts of disruption every single day. It doesn't actually require folks to quit their jobs and run for office. I don't think a lot of people should do that. It doesn't require us to be like Dr. King or, you know, having these massive platforms, which are really important. But there are things that folks can do every single day. And I found that getting connected to your individual purpose and having the courage to be who you are is directly connected to being an everyday disruptor that propels our communities forward. And I think it's kind of divine that it's such a time as this that it came out, out when I started writing this book five years ago, and who knew that it would come out three months after, A few months after Donald Trump was elected again, you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Worked on the VP's campaign, right? And you. Did you work. You worked with Barack Obama?

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah, I worked on. I worked Obama's campaign, Joe Biden's campaign, Elizabeth Warren's campaign, and Vice President Harris campaign.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What bothers me is I know people like you exist and people like you work for these individuals. Why aren't they disruptive enough? Why don't they flip tables? Why do they keep. Why do they. Don't. Why don't. Why don't they have the courage to disrupt the status quo?

[DJ Envy]

You talking about Barack, Kamala?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All of them.

[Alencia Johnson]

All of them, yeah. Well, you know, it's interesting because I don't, I don't want to say I look at. Well, I don't think I look at all of them, in essence, the same in Democratic politics. In politics in general, elected officials, I think, tend to follow a certain path. Right. And sometimes it seems as though making sure that the status quo remains. I do think if we step back a little bit, Barack Obama was a bit of a disruptor because.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because of him, though. Because of his identity. Because of him.

[Alencia Johnson]

His identity.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But.

[Alencia Johnson]

And, and because he, you know, folks told him he shouldn't have ran, and he. And he did. Right now there's a whole system at play that folks, you know, when you become the president of the United States or the nominee, nominee for the president, United States, you know, you uphold this party platform. But the reality is I don't look at them to disrupt what our country needs politically. I actually look at us as the people on the groundswell, which is why it's just as important. Yes, I work for a lot of presidential campaigns, but it's just as important To. To work for these local races, to work for these primary races, to work for these governors races, all of these people who are actually trying to challenge the system and get more reflective folks in position to actually push forward the policies we care about, like universal health care and. And racial justice and access to abortion and all of those things. And so it takes a lot of courage to shake the table, and it takes a lot of courage to concede that if you're gonna shake the table, you actually might lose in the short term, but you're going to create a path for other people to push forward that change, and it'll be a little bit easier because you were there and you started something.

[DJ Envy]

How did you get into politics? What got you into politics in that part of the game?

[Alencia Johnson]

I think it was always in me. I talk about my late grandmother in the book often. I actually dedicate the book to her, Miss Elizabeth. And she was one of those people who, much like a lot of our ancestors, their names aren't in history books, but they were foot soldiers. My grandmother was in the church. I'm the daughter of a pastor, so I grew up in the black church. And there's a lot of politics there, right? A lot of social justice there, and just this understanding that where much is given, much is required, that my gifts are not my own and that they are actually on loan and that I actually have to get those out and help the world around me. And my grandmother, no matter how much she had or what she didn't have, she always felt like she. You had to stand in the gap. And voting for me is just all. I mean, I would go with my parents to the voting booth. I had that little sticker, but that was just, like, one part of it. I had to be an active participant in the world that I wanted to create. And so for me, it was just kind of natural that it would be a part of my life. Now, how I got to my position, I talk about it in the book. I didn't know anybody in Democratic politics when I moved to D.C. i was working a corporate job. I just had a dream. I was like, oh, this black man is president. I think I kind of want to work for his reelection campaign and figured out how to network with folks and ended up taking a job that I wasn't even qualified for. But they took a chance on me, and I figured it out from there. And I can't just sit on the sidelines and critique something and not be a part of it. And I also understand how engaging, if so many More of us engaged in the process. The outcomes will look different, our communities will look different. But for whatever reason, there are so many barriers for us to engage. And that's another reason why I wanted to be part of this, because I felt like, well, if I can do this and people can identify with me, maybe it won't feel as hard for me to engage in politics. Maybe, you know, I won't feel ashamed that I don't know every single term that they're using or every single way that a policy is developed. I'll be honest with you, sometimes I have to go and see an msnbt, MSNBC and talk about something. I gotta research what I'm talking about, because government class was in high school, I'm 37 years old, I don't remember everything. And so if I can't remember all these things, right, if I have to continue to inform myself, imagine all the other people who are just scared to participate because they don't know. It's not that they don't want to. And so. So I know that I have to be a representative of that, but I also, again, it's this calling where much is given, much is required, and I'm required to make my communities better.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I think right now with politics and, like, how we're seeing people get messages out through like, TikTok and stuff like that, things are changing.

[Alencia Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And I saw an interview that you did where you talked about you weren't the most qualified, but you were the most recommended when it came to working for the Obamas. And then I saw another interview where you talked about your red flag is you chapter in your book.

[Alencia Johnson]

Oh, girl.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And putting both of those together, I think that there's like a renaissance of, like, new political leaders. But they're afraid that they don't know enough or that they can't challenge the Trumps of the world. You know what I mean? So how do you speak to those leaders that are coming up in this book? Because they're there. They just need to figure out how to do what you did.

[Alencia Johnson]

No, they literally are there. Which is why I start the book with disruption of self.

[Just Hilarious]

Hey, what up, y'all?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. The first few months of 2025 have been quite a year. Work deadlines, group chats you can't escape, and your weird cousin's latest overshare. It's a lot. But here's some good news. You don't have to bring that stress into your car. The all new Nissan Murano is your piece on wheels. Thanks to its available features. Imagine sliding into the relaxing, massaging seats that feel like they were made to melt your tensions. Take in the skyline views that let sunlight pour in and watch as your day brightens. I have a special playlist that always gets me right. And with the Bose premium sound system, you too can vibe like you're at your own private concert. Plus, with your 64 color personalized lighting option, you can set the mood any way you want want. Be it romantic, chill or in a straight up do not disturb mode. Let the Nissan Murano be your oasis in a chaotic world. Because sometimes the greatest rush isn't rushing at all. Drive the all new Nissan Murano today.

[Just Hilarious]

Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Alencia Johnson]

We actually have to look in the mirror and that's the hardest thing to do. One thing that I've realized, and working in advocacy spaces and political space, I'm gonna get in trouble for saying this, but we're telling the world to treat us well and to vote for us to enact these policies that see us as worthy for humanity and all of these things and fighting for justice. And yet we're not treating each other well, right? And a lot of that is because we are not healthy. We're not dealing with the things that are that are holding us back from being who we are. We're not dealing with this trauma. And we are, we're doing this interpersonal harm that is actually not allowing us to do the work that needs to be done for Communities. And so I put that chapter, the red flag is you and the disruption of self section of the book. Because so many times we are the ones that are getting in our own way. And that's why, you know, the only thing stopping us sometimes, yes, there's the system. Right. Like, there's all of that. And yet at the same time, sometimes it's. It's us getting in our own way.

[DJ Envy]

All right, we have more with Alencia Johnson when we come back. Her new book, Flip the Tables is out now. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlo, the guy. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRosa is here as well. We're still kicking with Alencia Johnson. Her new book, Flip the Tables is out right now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Lauren, what about your. Because I know you did a lot of work with Planned Parenthood, and now a lot of what you were doing is they ain't supporting that.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So when you do all this work, you stop taking the rest to fight, to make, to break this ground. And then you see this new administration come in who is completely against it, and it's stripping all of that. You feel defeated or like, what happens now? Because, yeah, you're not there anymore.

[Alencia Johnson]

No, I mean, and then they have the audacity to talk about. They want to put policies in place for people to have more babies and give people $5,000. I'm like, but y'all voted against the child tax credit. So what's interesting about working at Planned Parenthood, I worked there for six years at the national office. And talk about disruptive. Being the daughter of a pastor, lover of Jesus, and advocating for abortion rights. People are like, how do you reconcile that? I was like, I just ignored. Exist. Literally, I just exist. And the teachings of Jesus, the red text in the Bible tells me a lot of ways in which I should show up in the world. When I look at. When I was working at Planned Parenthood, President Obama was still in office. And I was like, oh, we good. You know, he believes in reproductive freedom. This is great. And they're like, oh, no. Let's look at these state policies and these states that are overturning the right to access to abortion, and not only access to abortion, but sex education, contraception, all of these things. And just gutting health care systems and health centers that are helping people who have nowhere else to go. When I look at what's happening now at the federal level, and, you know, the Trump administration is literally going after organizations like Planned Parenthood. It reminds Me that these people do not care about people at the margins. They do not care about low income folks who have nowhere else to go. And if you actually wanted people to have more children in this country, you would actually support and bolster the healthcare system instead of gutting it. Last week was Black Maternal Health Week and black maternal mortality is on the rise. Maternal mortality across the country, across demographics is on the rise. And the wealthiest nation. And so it's challenging, it's frustrating. There's this Alice Walker quote I put at the beginning of the book, and I'm paraphrasing it. You have to keep a healthy soul in the face of constant oppression, which reminds you that at the end of the day, there's going to continuously be something that you're fighting for. So how do you maintain your spirit in order to keep going? And that is through the joy and the rest. And all of those things can coexist together. While you're also still fighting for the ability to have agency over my body. The one thing I will say of everything being burned down, from abortion access to everything that's happening in our country, it gives us the opportunity to build something better and something new. I don't want to rebuild the old because the old was clearly, it was able to be dismantled. I actually now want to be able to imagine something even better that's actually going to work. And how do we build that? And that's actually what gets me up at night. I'm like, I'm not fighting these people to rebuild what didn't work. I have this vision that excites me to build something even better. Better even on the days that are hard.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And that's too simple even, you know, I'm going back to the urgency. And now when people ask us, now, they like, they'll tell us all of these different things that Trump is doing every single day. And they're like, what is, what do you think of that? And I'm like, I don't know what to think. Because I'm like, what am I even supposed to do? Because it always seems like the urgency is put on we the people, right? But then when these elected officials that we voted for from 2020 to 2024, when they were in the White House House, they didn't govern with a sense of urgency. That's what always gets me about Democrats, whenever it's election time, it's a sense of urgency. It's on y'all. It's a threat to democracy. And, you know, you're going to lose all your Rights and everything else, but you don't govern like that when you get in office.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah. You know, it is frustrating, I will say. I don't pay attention to what that man is doing all day, every day, because then I'll just sit in this place where I'm immobile. Right. But I do look for. For small pockets of hope. And to your point, it does end up being us that have to save our own communities. But I think that's in general a nature of who we are as a people, and that is community. I mean, look at our friends who started State of the People, which I was a part of. You all broadcast it, and now it's going. Now there's a whole tour shout out to Angela Rai and Joy Reid and so many folks who are just building something beautiful, reminding us of our power as community. And I think out of that births people who will govern with urgency of now. So I write about Ayanna Pressley in the book, but I also write about Shirley Chisholm, who was just fed up and was like, oh, I'm going to actually be the one that changes. You know, David Hogg, who was the vice chair of the DNC but was survivor of the Parkland shooting. It's done all of this activism and now he's challenging. He's getting a lot of heat.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That man is.

[Alencia Johnson]

He's getting a lot of heat.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I have said that. I said that two months ago. Anybody who's not willing to fight in the Democratic Party should be primary. Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, y'all should resign. If y'all not the people that can meet this moment, I really feel that way. And anybody else in the Democratic Party who's not willing to fight should be primary. I'm all for what David Hawkins, knowing I said that much months ago, and.

[Alencia Johnson]

And listen, you know, there are some people who disagree with it, but he said, listen, change has that. We can't just keep talking about change.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's right.

[Alencia Johnson]

You gotta actually go after it. And whether or not you believe in what he's doing, whether or not you believe that there needs to be new leadership, whatever it is, like, change doesn't just happen when we sit around and wish for it. We actually have to do something about it. And sometimes in order to get these folks to operate with some urgency, you gotta put some pressure and some heat under them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's why everybody in the party should have had a copy of this book. Flip your. Flip the table.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I don't know if the earth, if they gonna do it, though.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They have no choice now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

They never. We never don't have. When do we ever have a choice?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, there's really no choice now.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I feel like it's always fight or fight. Like, do what you got to do to get out of the situation.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

For us, it's different. I could be wrong.

[Alencia Johnson]

I can hear you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But it. I feel like it is different, but I don't feel like anything has changed about the way that people are handling it. I don't feel really feel the sense of urgency. There was an interview that you talked about dei. You're like, these companies are folding. It was a Glamour magazine, and you said, these companies are folding. They don't understand that the proximity to the president isn't power. Power is showing him that he needs you. People are not going to do that. Everything that we're talking about, people just don't do it.

[Alencia Johnson]

You know? But I think what I hear you. And I do have to remind us all that this man has only. He hasn't even been in office 100 days.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Lord have mercy.

[Alencia Johnson]

But because we are in such an information overload, it does. Like, you open Instagram and I'm seeing restaurants I want to go to, and then I'm seeing what this man is doing in the White House, right? So, like, we're in this information overload. And yet. And at the same time, I think about at the State of the Union, shout out to Congressman Green, and y'all had him up here. And I was like, oh, my gosh, every single Democrat should have gotten up right after him and disrupted the entire speech, Right? And then when, you know, Senator Booker did his filibuster, people were saying, yes, this is what we need more of. And now you're seeing more people in the streets. And I think people are. Some of our elected officials are understanding that there's more that they can do now. And then there are still going to be some who don't. And we have midterm elections and special elections. And I am all about getting people in office who are going to be effective and also us participating in that. If you. You, whether you agree with them or disagree with them, if they represent you, you have the power and the right to show up and tell them what is working and what isn't working. And I want more of us to. I want our elected officials to be scared. I want our elected officials to be like, my constituents aren't going for this, or my constituents told me I have to do this. And that's why I'm doing It.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely. Well, Flip the Tables is out right now.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Valencia Johnson, the Everyday Disruptors Guide to Finding Courage and Making Change. And this isn't a book, you know, just for people who are into politics. Just in life, if you want to learn how to flip some damn tables like Jesus did.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yes. More of that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Alencia Johnson]

Like, can you imagine, like, Jesus flipping over tables? I. I was angry.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, I think you should. I think you should find a table to flip.

[Alencia Johnson]

Listen. Okay, That's a whole another conversation for us to have, that j.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's it.

[DJ Envy]

Lyncia Johnson. This the Breakfast Club.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Good morning, y'all.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody.

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy we are. The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You just reminded me. Salute to my guy, Mr. Show me the money.

[DJ Envy]

Mr. Show money is his name.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Mr. Show money. I was in Newark, New Jersey, over the weekend, and he gave some gifts for Jess and Lauren and you as well. But he told me to give you this sombrero.

[DJ Envy]

What's that for?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He said. He said, get at the cowboy. I said, who is Cowboy? He said, anything Envy. And I said, why you call him cowboy? He said, you know what I'm talking about.

[DJ Envy]

I don't know what he's talking about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I'm just passing you to somebody. That's a sombrero, though.

[DJ Envy]

That's. I'm not Mexican and I'm not Latino.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

This is. Well, you Dominican.

[DJ Envy]

I'm not Dominican. Why do you get me a sombrero?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I bet you know how to wear it. You look at you. You put it on your head. You know exactly how to wear it.

[Just Hilarious]

That is so cute. Your head too big for that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They all over Jeff in law's house. Listen, they look, you know. Exactly. Look at you. Oh, there you go. There you go. What? That's good.

[DJ Envy]

What? What did I say with this umbrella?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like, what now? You don't know.

[DJ Envy]

I don't.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, right. Well, speaking of legal immigrants, take a shot right now.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, she always looks like she's about.

[Lauren LaRosa]

To take a shot.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Good morning.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Good morning.

[DJ Envy]

I'm actually DJing Tequila Fest in Atlanta next week, so this definitely. I'm gonna take my sombre Loretta with me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

There you go.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That happened this weekend. So we could do the Black Effect Festival and then go drink tequila.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Shut up, you alcoholic.

[DJ Envy]

Let's get to the list. She gets them from somebody that knows somebody.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She be having the latest on the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes she has facts, sometimes she have details. Sometimes she have a little bit of everything. Oh, it's the latest on the Breakfast Club. Talk to me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Ryan Coogler has posted a thank you letter to his ex account and it is the sweetest thing ever. Do it another time, Red. He deserves two of them. Can you do two in a row? Is that okay? Thank you. So he posted this letter to his ex account and he's just talking about how grateful he is and how his heart is bursting with gratitude because of everybody that came out and supported over its opening weekend, over Easter weekend. He says he wants to thank everybody who went and brought a ticket, go see it. You know, people who carpooled, who you know, got babysitters, made a new friend while they were there. You know, he talks about how he believes so much in cinema and a theatrical experience and he doesn't get to do what he does if people don't come out and see it.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Sinners was a spiritual experience. They mixed black music, black magic, the black church to create a black masterpiece. Man.

[Just Hilarious]

That I kept hearing about was the soundtrack. Like I kept hearing.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The music was fire. Everything was fire. Like the music, the way that it looked, the coloring, the storyline, the acting.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I'm going this week. I was supposed to go last night, but I couldn't make it. I'm going this week though.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm going to go again. I'm going to go for a third time just because I.

[Just Hilarious]

So you seen the movie three times? I know, that's right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, I'm going to go again for a third time. Just be. First of all, it's one of the movies.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You went with different dudes too, didn't you? And what's that with?

[Just Hilarious]

What's wrong with that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what, that's why I want to go see. Remember I told you she got three dudes that day on Valentine's, three people sent her flowers up there.

[Just Hilarious]

Okay, Beyonce, you go to your mother. Like I don't know what to do first. What should I do first?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I went by myself first of all.

[DJ Envy]

Liar.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I swear I went by myself the first time I watched it. I watched parts I watched up until a certain point because we were in.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every time you lie, you stutter.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Second time I was by myself. And then the third time I'm going to go by Mattel. What you back there laughing at?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Cuz they know you lying.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay, any. Anyway, back to Ryan Coogler. Not enough about me. I thought he did something that was really sweet. At the end of the letter though, he ended the Letter. Then he said P S. And he talked about the fact that people are making a big deal about him and Michael B. Jordan's relationship. Him and his wife's relate. Or they're married or they. I believe. Yeah, they're him and his wife's relationship and you know, other relationships that he's had that you know, spanned across all of these years and helped him be the creator that he is. But he said he wanted to take a second to shock out Michael Shawver who is their picture editor, who he's been working with for over 15 years. And if you see any of the photos from the film and just like how cinematic. And then like the photography, like the stills or whatever from the film.

[Alencia Johnson]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Fire as well too. Wow. But I thought that that was so fire that he took the time to do that to make sure this man got his shot. He said that this guy missed the press tour because he was spending time with his family. So he wanted to make sure he got some love as well too. But Ryan Coogler been. He been out here doing the thing.

[DJ Envy]

Great individual.

[Just Hilarious]

I love Ryan Coogan's mustache girl. Well, for real, that's. That's the first time I actually seen a mustache like that. That actually looks good. Cuz, you know that's Steve Harvey mustache. But when you put it on Ryan with the straight backs and nothing else on his face. Okay, I can see, I can see that little raspberry dazzle.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And he got an unprecedented deal for. For centers.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He did. So he actually did a deal with Warner Brothers where he will retain the rights to the film centers in 25 years.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He gets the ownership price back up.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yep. And that has been the source of a lot of the conversation as. And people are talking about how.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, one more thing. Till he secured a first dollar gross deal.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yes. Talk about what that is and why that's important.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It means that he receives a portion of box office revenue before the studio even begins recouping its production costs.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh wow.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Which is a big deal. And deals like this don't happen often. I think the last time that people keep pointing back to that things like this have happened was Quentin Tarantino. And he. He mentions Quentin Tarantino in his letter as one of his inspirational for what he does as well too. But as of today, he has grossed $45.6 million domestically and $71 million globally at. During his open weekend opening weekend.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, we got to keep supporting Congr.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And that's original IP Man. That's an original story written by Ryan Coogler. Like drop on the clues bomb for Ryan. All of the original IP that Hollywood is looking for exist in the South. Love the black folklore from the South.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He includes family photos in his letter as well too because he talks about how it stems from his ancestry, which he talked about up here as well too.

[Just Hilarious]

And Ryan's pretty young, right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, he is young. How old is he? I'll look it up. I want to real quick before we get out of here, go back to Shannon Sharp.

[DJ Envy]

Back to Shannon Sharp.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Back to Shannon. Well, nothing new happened.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Not nothing crazy as of yet. I can check my emails. But Stephen A. Smith did go on his show and talk about the situation and he had a really good point about the career stuff and where Disney is right now with everything. Let's take a listen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All I can speak to about is what I know based on the reports and I can speak about ESPN and Disney. To be clear, even though this op, this, this podcast, this YouTube show is.

[DJ Envy]

Owned and operated by me solely, it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Doesn'T mean that I'm going to be dismissive of ESPN in who employs me in my daytime job on first take. With that being said, it's important to point out a couple of things. Number one, I was not there.

[DJ Envy]

I am not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I can provide no eyewitness account. And even though I got love and respect for Shannon Sharp and I'm sincerely hopeful and prayerful that he is completely innocent of the allegations that have been levied against him, I can't sit here and speak to his innocence or guilt from, from a knowledgeable place because I.

[DJ Envy]

Have nothing to do with this. I haven't seen anything.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't know anything.

[DJ Envy]

I don't even know this person.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, so I, I mean people wanted to update from the, the career side, espn, Disney, see where that was going to go. And I guess this is the close you're gonna get to it. Before this happened though, I think a lot of people were saying the obvious, that normally with a company like a Disney, they don't want to get in the mud of the mess at all. They normally take a step back. They haven't said anything official really yet.

[DJ Envy]

But let me ask you a question. What did, what did Dr. Umar say though?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh baby. Let's take a listen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm standing with Uncle Shannon because I don't like when black men get taken down. I gotta stand by him. Yes, he's a lifetime snow bunny Hopper. Yes, he's a lifetime snow bunny Hopper. But that's my brother. Uncle Shannon Sharp is my brother. I'm Standing with Uncle Shannon Sharp until the facts prove otherwise.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Just Hilarious]

All right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. I don't like seeing brothers get taken down either, especially when it's self inflicted. But we got to remember, destiny's not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice. And all of this is happening because it seems like Shannon Sharp made some poor choices. And being 54 at the time, hollering at a 19 year old is a very poor choice. Okay? It is what it is, you know, yes, it is a shakedown, but you know, people can't shake you down unless you give them something to shake.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, well, we don't know what it is yet. Let the facts play out in court.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, it's definitely a shakedown.

[DJ Envy]

Well, we don't know if, I mean, we don't know if it's true or not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

$50 million, Dallas.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, what does that even mean?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What do you mean?

[DJ Envy]

Because if there was, if there was.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A violation, if it wasn't a shakedown, then she'd be pressing criminal charges.

[DJ Envy]

That might be coming next. I don't know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But you did.

[DJ Envy]

That's why I asked you yesterday, I asked could they still press charges on them criminally?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I mean, some of this stuff is as recent, according to the victim as January 2025. So I, I mean I don't know every law in the world, but that's very, that's like a couple months ago. I don't see why not. Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And just I would have to look.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Up the laws in Nevada though, and I. And talk to the attorney.

[DJ Envy]

Nevada says it's a 20 year statute when it comes to sexual assault.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And just hearing the lawyer say out of his own mouth that they was close to a $10 million settlement. Why you don't like when you, when you settle, it looks like an admission of guilt, like innocent. Why would you settle?

[DJ Envy]

Or if he does settle it, it doesn't have other people come out, right? They always say Michael Jackson settled out that one case so other people wouldn't come out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, that's not what they said. Johnny Cochrane fuckin actually told Michael not to settle because as soon as you settle, you become a piggy bank. But everybody and their mama gonna be coming out with their hand out. Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And accusations, people coming out regardless if that's what they want to do at this point in our day and age.

[Just Hilarious]

But yeah, because remember when women. Remember the Cassie, he settled. Did he settle with her? And then Aubrey O'Day came, like, oh, I want my.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Everybody.

[Just Hilarious]

Mama came, she got 300 and she was like, excuse me, RB. No, she then gave her $300. That's what the damn Masters was worth.

[Alencia Johnson]

It was.

[Just Hilarious]

I think it was like three. Yeah, it was $300.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm about to look it up. But.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But that. But that. To your point, did he settle with Cassie? And then what happened?

[DJ Envy]

Everybody came running y.

[Just Hilarious]

Like, I want my payday.

[DJ Envy]

But if he was going to settle, he should have settled before it was a lawsuit came out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, behind the scenes.

[DJ Envy]

Behind the scenes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's why it don't make no sense. That's why none of this makes any sense to me.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So Jess. It was. Jess is correct. It was $300.30 for the.

[DJ Envy]

Forgot the 30 cent, Jess.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But that was. Was the. Because she didn't sign that whole deal with the NDA and the Masters and all that stuff. But yes, yes. 330.

[Just Hilarious]

Do all that for 300.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And Ryan Coogler is 38 years old. Oh, okay.

[Alencia Johnson]

Okay.

[Just Hilarious]

And happy birthday, George Lopez.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, we'll be back with more.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah, because he had on the sombrero a couple minutes. I got to know the Mexican's birthday now.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, my God. All right, well, that is the latest with Lauren. Now, Lauren, you also talked about out earlier that John Cena follows you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, Envy, don't do that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nothing, nothing say John Cena follows everybody. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Follows a million people.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He follows me. He follows Charlie.

[DJ Envy]

Follows.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

A million people.

[DJ Envy]

She was so happy.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He follows everybody. So excited. Why you can't just, you know. You know what else? He just recently talked about getting hair plugs and getting. Bringing back hair. So you follow him. Maybe, you know, he follows you. Maybe you should die, Emma.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[DJ Envy]

Envy, you got see what happen when they put them ts on them wigs. What? Your wig don't look like.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You'Re locked into the Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the God we are the Breakfast Club. Salute to Debbie Brown for joining us today, man.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Salute to my good sister Debbie Brown. Her new book, living in wisdom. A path to embodying your authentic self. Embracing grief and developing self mastery. Mastery is out now. Make sure you subscribe to her podcast, the Deeply well podcast on the Black Effect I Heart Radio Podcast network. And Debbie will also be at the third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival happening this Saturday in Atlanta. We have a mental health and mindfulness panel that she will be. She will be sitting on, man. So join us, you know, go to black effect.com podcast festival to get your tickets. Okay. Sarah, Jake Roberts will be on that podcast stage. Cam Newton will be on that podcast stage stage. Carrie Champion with the Naked Podcast and a host of others, man. So go to black effect.com podcast festival to get your tickets and we'll see you Saturday.

[Just Hilarious]

And Wheezy is hosting.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, Wheezy. And Mandy from Decision, Wheezy is hosting.

[Just Hilarious]

Love that.

[DJ Envy]

Also salute to Alencia Johnson for joining us this morning as well.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes. Her new book, flip the Tables, the Everyday Disruptive Guide to Finding Courage in Making Change. A book that jessilaris does not need to read. Read. She's already a disruptor, period.

[Just Hilarious]

And listen, y'all can catch me. May 10th, it's a pre Mother's Day comedy day. We got three shows in Detroit at One Mic Comedy Club. Make sure you get your tickets atjust hilarious official dot com. Yes, I'm doing three shows because I'm only gonna be there for one day. We got the 11am brunch, the. The early evening show at 7pm and then the late night show at 9:30pm so make sure y'all bring your mothers, your aunts, your grandma, grandmothers, brothers, bring your sisters, whatever, whatever, whatever. Just get your tickets. And I will be doing meet and greet at the last show. Jessalariusofficial.com can't wait to see you, Detroit.

[DJ Envy]

Now it's time to get up out of here. You guys have a great day and salute to Atlanta. I'll be in Atlanta next week, all next week, still promoting my book that's out right now. Real life, real family. And then, of course, Tequila Festival. All right, Charlemagne, you got a positive note.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I do. I just want to tell everybody, man, gratitude, man, gratitude should always be your attitude. Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being. It shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life, which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality. So always be grateful. Let gratitude be your attitude. Have a great day. Breakfast Club.