INTERVIEW: Jason Lee Talks Sobriety, Political Moves, Rihanna's Friendship + More

Summary

The Breakfast Club: INTERVIEW: Jason Lee Talks Sobriety, Political Moves, Rihanna's Friendship + More

Release Date: December 18, 2024
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Title: INTERVIEW: Jason Lee Talks Sobriety, Political Moves, Rihanna's Friendship + More

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In this compelling episode of The Breakfast Club, hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God engage in an in-depth conversation with Councilman Jason Lee, delving into his journey toward sobriety, his recent political endeavors, his relationship with global superstar Rihanna, and his perspectives on media and society. The discussion offers listeners a nuanced look into Lee's transformation from an entertainment figure to a dedicated public servant committed to community upliftment.

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1. Introduction and Political Ascension

The episode kicks off with DJ Envy warmly welcoming Charlamagne Tha God and introducing their special guest, Councilman Jason Lee.

[02:37] DJ Envy: "We got a special guest in the building. Charlamagne Tha God: Councilman Jason Lee."

Jason Lee shares insights into his unexpected transition into politics, emphasizing his longstanding commitment to community service and healthcare advocacy.

[03:35] Jason Lee: "I just wanted to give that back to my community. We flew in, we met with the kids, and that was the beginning of me saying, you know what? I now have all this money, platform, relationships. I gotta do something to help my hometown."

Lee attributes his success in the political arena to strategic partnerships and support from influential figures like Kevin Hart, Floyd Mayweather, Babyface, and Rihanna.

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2. The Sobriety Journey

A significant portion of the interview centers on Lee's personal battle with substance abuse and his path to sobriety. Lee candidly recounts a pivotal moment that propelled him to seek help.

[05:32] Jason Lee: "I've been sober now, 15 months, 47 gone. So, I mean, I'm evolving, but I'm not gonna change. I'm gonna always, always just stay true to who I am."

He describes a harrowing experience at a birthday party where excessive drinking led to dangerous situations, highlighting the necessity of recognizing warning signs.

[05:38] Jason Lee: "I woke up in the morning, and there were people in my house that I didn't know... I thought, like, if I would have woken up and found these people in my house, how I would have shot them all."

This moment of clarity led Lee to embrace sobriety, supported by therapy and a redefined support system.

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3. Relationship with Rihanna and Celebrity Influence

Lee discusses his profound friendship with Rihanna, underscoring how their relationship transcends typical celebrity interactions.

[10:07] Charlamagne Tha God: "I was gonna ask, you had the nonprofit dinner that you had Rihanna host. Do you save those types of favors for moments like that?"

[10:12] DJ Envy: "Rihanna, she gave me the photos of her first kid that we put out. She just believes in what we're doing... Now, as a new mom, she really is in love with, like, you know, making sure that kids are taken care of."

Their bond is characterized by mutual respect and a shared commitment to community initiatives, with Rihanna playing an instrumental role in supporting Lee's political campaigns and nonprofit endeavors.

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4. Navigating Media Controversies

The conversation takes a candid turn as Lee addresses past media controversies, including his off-the-cuff remarks about Jennifer Hudson and misinformation regarding the death of the "queen."

[12:14] DJ Envy: "I did made that off the cuff comment about Jennifer Hudson. You said she was illiterate and a terrible host."

Lee reflects on the challenges of maintaining authenticity while managing public perceptions, emphasizing the importance of accountability.

[22:14] DJ Envy: "We have to watch what we say because people are suing us. We have insurance and stuff too. But sometimes you make a mistake."

He underscores the delicate balance between free expression and responsible reporting, particularly in the age of cancel culture.

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5. Vision and Plans as Councilman

Looking ahead, Lee outlines his strategic plans to revitalize Stockton through financial audits, investment in nonprofits led by women and people of color, and addressing homelessness.

[26:23] DJ Envy: "The first thing on January 7th, I'm ordering an audit, and I'm on the budget committee of all the money."

He emphasizes transparency and accountability, promising to scrutinize municipal finances to ensure funds are utilized effectively for community betterment.

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6. Building and Maintaining Relationships in the Entertainment Industry

Lee elaborates on his approach to maintaining meaningful relationships within the entertainment sector while steering clear of superficial connections.

[15:45] DJ Envy: "You can not like me or hate me or hate on what I do or whatever. I still have a relationship with you, with everybody in the industry."

He advocates for purpose-driven collaborations, leveraging his platform to support initiatives that align with his values and community goals.

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7. Addressing Personal Challenges and Growth

In a heartfelt segment, Lee opens up about his emotional struggles stemming from his mother's battle with addiction and his journey through therapy.

[28:21] DJ Envy: "I respect you so much for encouraging me to go to therapy, but I also don't like that you encouraged me to go to therapy."

He discusses overcoming abandonment issues and learning to compartmentalize his relationship with Queen Latifah, recognizing the importance of personal growth and healing.

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8. Impact Awards and Celebrating Redemption

Lee highlights the significance of the Impact Awards, an event dedicated to honoring individuals like Jonathan Majors who exemplify resilience and redemption in the face of adversity.

[24:21] DJ Envy: "Jonathan was an easy one. When I looked at what he went through... it's about moments of impact throughout the year, opportunities to create impactful conversation."

The awards aim to foster dialogue around forgiveness and the possibility of personal transformation, challenging societal tendencies toward unforgiving judgments.

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9. Closing Thoughts and Future Endeavors

As the interview draws to a close, Lee expresses his dedication to community service and his excitement for future projects, including expanding his award show and reinforcing his commitment to Stockton.

[27:38] Charlamagne Tha God: "I tell him I'm very jealous of that. Your relationship."

[28:10] DJ Envy: "I'm really in love with my show. But outside of that and my dogs, I really don't wanna go nowhere."

Lee reiterates his focus on leveraging his platform for meaningful change, emphasizing that his priorities lie in nurturing his community and fostering positive societal impacts.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jason Lee on Sobriety:
  [05:33] "I'm sober now. 15 months, 47 gone. So, I mean, I'm evolving, but I'm not gonna change. I'm gonna always, always just stay true to who I am."

• On Political Motivation:
  [03:35] "I just wanted to give that back to my community. We flew in, we met with the kids, and that was the beginning of me saying, you know what? I now have all this money, platform, relationships. I gotta do something to help my hometown."

• Regarding Media Responsibility:
  [22:14] "We have to watch what we say because people are suing us. We have insurance and stuff too. But sometimes you make a mistake."

• On Building Relationships:
  [15:45] "You can not like me or hate me or hate on what I do or whatever. I still have a relationship with you, with everybody in the industry."

• On Redemption and Impact:
  [24:21] "It's about moments of impact throughout the year, opportunities to create impactful conversation."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Breakfast Club offers a profound glimpse into Jason Lee's multifaceted life, showcasing his resilience, dedication to public service, and the intricate dynamics of maintaining personal and professional relationships in the public eye. Lee's candid revelations about his struggles with addiction, his strategic political moves, and his unwavering commitment to his community provide inspiration and insight for listeners navigating their own paths toward growth and societal contribution.

Transcript

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[DJ Envy]

Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

[Jason Lee]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Councilman.

[Jason Lee]

Councilman Jason Lee.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, it's good to be back.

[Jason Lee]

How you feeling, sir?

[DJ Envy]

I'm feeling good. You know, I'm out here dodging these murderers on the streets of New York.

[Jason Lee]

Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes that happens.

[DJ Envy]

And I ain't talking about the hood. I'm talking about, you know, the healthcare. Yeah.

[Jason Lee]

Well, congratulations, first and foremost.

[DJ Envy]

Thank you.

[Jason Lee]

Does that change anything with Jason Lee?

[DJ Envy]

No, it doesn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It should.

[Jason Lee]

It's still gonna be the same.

[DJ Envy]

No, it doesn't. You know, I was laughing when y'all did the Megan Thee Stallion story. He's having the messiest councilman. You know, the reality is politics are messy. You look at Trump. Trump has been able to win the highest office in the country, the leader of the free world, with what he's done. And so, no, I mean, I'm evolving as a person. I'm in therapy, thanks to you, of course. Sober now. 15 months, 47, grown. So, I mean, I'm evolving, but I'm not gonna change. I'm gonna always, always just stay true to who I am.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You, what was the health Hollywood? Was it Hollywood? Health.

[DJ Envy]

Healthcare Unlock.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Healthcare unlock.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So you already. I'm not. Not ahead of the curve. But you were already peeping the injustices that were helping in the health care system and you decided to do something about it.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, before entertainment, I worked in the Labor Movement for 11 years as the staff director for one of the largest healthcare unions in the world. So I was already doing the work. And then, you know, part of just being active in my community, I always felt like once you build your platform, you have the influence, you have the relationships you should be doing something with that. And just the evolution of my world in the entertainment industry. I just kind of felt like I was falling out of love with entertainment. Cause it wasn't what I thought it was on the outside. And I just felt like my purpose wasn't being used. So I just, you know, found something else to do with my time, went back home and ran in one.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So how did you feel when you saw the United Healthcare CEO get gunned down?

[DJ Envy]

You know, it's kind of crazy because with healthcare unlocked, you know, we help low income families get access to healthcare. We came up here with the CEO of The company that I partnered with, and they're one of our providers. So to see that happen.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

United Healthcare.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, they're one of our providers. But, I mean, the craziest part was, if you. If you're the CEO of a $450 billion company, why you don't have no security.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. And I saw a lot of people upset about that. They were saying that he had been getting so many threats that he should have known that he shouldn't have been in New York City without any security.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. And on top of that, I mean, just the other day, I had this bad sinus infection, went to the doctor. It was $1,250 just to get checked up for a sinus infection. So when I think about the. Every average, everyday American, like, in my hometown, where there's a lot of people who are homeless or out of work, I mean, people can't even afford healthcare in our country. It should be a right, but, you know, that's just not the country we live in.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He didn't get gunned down by some poor and disenfranchised person.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. He got killed by a white boy that everybody's trying to get out of prison. Now, that's the other thing. Like, you know, we have selective outrage in this country where you got somebody like, you know, this guy who now everybody is selling free Luigi T shirts.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ridiculous.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. It's crazy. Yeah.

[Jason Lee]

I just wonder, if security was there, would security been able to stop him? Right. Because he was waiting. And once they walk and security's in front of him, he probably would have shot both him and the security.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Would he have tried them if he had security, though?

[Jason Lee]

That's true, too.

[DJ Envy]

Sexyy Ray got better scared than him. Jesus.

[Jason Lee]

Now, I was gonna ask, you said you've been sober for how many months?

[DJ Envy]

Almost 16.

[Jason Lee]

Congratulations. What got you to the point where he was like, I need to stop doing this? What was the last thing to be like, this is too much.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, well, I've never told this, but I. So I had a birthday party. I have a birthday party every year. I got so wasted at my party. I was drunk for three days. But that wasn't even a thing. Cause it was like, you know, you get older, it's harder to get sober. Whatever. I had woke up in my house. My friends, we all came back to my house after my party. I had lots of people in my house, but I woke up in the morning, and there were people in my house that I didn't know. And I had a gun that you didn't know that I did not know. And I had a gun in my robe. And I just thought, like, if I would have woke up and went downstairs and found these people in my house, how I would have shot them all. I would have shot all those people. You know what I mean? So then I called my friends, like, why y'all leave these people in my house? They were like, oh, you know, the party. So for me, it was one, I got people around me who weren't making sure I was good. Two, I. The Bible says warning comes before destruction. That was a warning sign because you had a lot of fun, but that could have went south. And yeah, it just was. Just was a bad thing. I didn't want to go out like that. And I do feel like people be crashing out and there's these signs that come before they crash all the way out and they just don't listen to them. So for me, I heard that sign and I just literally quit. And that was it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why'd you have a gun in your robe, though?

[DJ Envy]

I don't know. I don't know how I got there. I mean, I got guns all over my houses. And then now I'm back in Stockton, California. It's one of the most, you know, dangerous cities in the States. So, like, I always keep guns on me. I'm a concealed weapons holder. I think in this country right now, it's just so unpredictable. You should be ready to protect yourself at all times.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I have been. I mean, first of all, you know, I'm very inspired by watching you run for Stockton City Council and then win. But also, I just was concerned because I'm like, I know how these people play dirty in politics. That was never a concern of yours.

[DJ Envy]

Nah, I play dirty too.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We know, Jay.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. You know, but I. I built a relationship with the district attorney. Shout out to Ron Freitas. He's the most powerful man in our. He's the one that, you know, because they gonna try to indictment games with people when they're in politics. But see, what I did was the most gangster shit ever. I didn't just go back and ran. What happened was when I went back, there was this girl who got murdered at a school I used to go to that I graduated from, that I worked at. Her name was Lala. She was a young girl who got murdered by a guy who just wandered on the campus, stabbed her in front of all her classmates. And when they called me and told me that happened, I called Tiffany Hash. I said, yo, like, we should fly to my hometown Meet with these kids, just try to inspire them to, like, work through it. Because when I was a K, there was a mass shooting where this guy had come on campus, blew up his car, and then when all the kids ran out, he shot them all with an ak and Michael Jackson had come to Stockton. And I remember as a kid when I was in foster care, like, that was my first indication of what humanity and compassion was from somebody who didn't have to come to our hometown. So I just wanted to give that back to my community. We flew in, we met with the kids, and I remember going to the school and they were like, do not give the kids the microphone because all the news is here. I was like, okay, yeah, don't worry about it. As soon as we got out there, me and Tiffany looked at each other and then we just said, give the kids a microphone, you know, like, we want to hear from them. And they were saying, you know, this school has been unsafe for so long. We've been telling you that this was gonna happen and you all didn't care. And then now one of our classmates is dead. So that was the beginning of me saying, you know what? I now have all this money, platform, relationships. I gotta do something to help my hometown. Because as you know, we were talking with the vice president about what was going on in D.C. and people weren't listening. And then you get to a point where, like, you either on the outside telling people who don't listen, or you get in the game and you make people list. So the mayor at the time and the vice mayor, who I just beat, came to my home in LA and we sat down and we had dinner and we talked about, how do we help these young people? How do we, you know, save these young people from being murdered and, you know, 16 year olds that can't read and stuff like that. And they made this commitment that they would do a program with me and I would put in a million dollars cash. They'd put in a million dollars. We partner on a two year program. Well, as soon as I went back to my hometown, went back to Stockton to do it, they started politicking the play on the city council, you know, and we had hundreds of people there. And this one councilman, he said, you know, you have all these rich friends like Rihanna and Floyd Mayweather. Why don't you ask them to help you? And that was the moment where I was like, okay, y'all gonna play in my face? Not a problem. I went back, I organized my businesses, I found three other people who Wanted to run, and we put a plan together to run on a slate for the first time. And we all won. But I want to shout out Kevin Hart, Floyd Mayweather, Babyface, Rihanna, everybody who actually got behind us. Floyd and Kevin donated a lot of money to get behind the campaign, and we all won. So now we all took control of the city, and now it's gonna be a different city moving forward.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow. You had the nonprofit dinner that you had Rihanna host. And, you know, do you save those type of favors for moments like that?

[DJ Envy]

What do you mean?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, like, just asking them to do things.

[DJ Envy]

I've never done a favor for her. I mean, you know, Rihanna, she gave me the photos of her first kid that we put out. She just believes in what we're doing. I think she saw the person say what he said about, you know, go ask your rich friends. And she actually cares about the world. And now as a new mom, she really is in love with, like, you know, making sure that kids are taken care of and that, you know, people are doing what they can do to help them.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How the new music sound?

[DJ Envy]

I haven't heard the new music.

[Jason Lee]

That's a lie. You start smiling when you laugh.

[DJ Envy]

No, you start smiling when you laugh. When I laugh is because 1. I look at some interviews when I talk about her, you know, that's one relationship I don't even want to. I don't even want to talk about it. Cause it's just, you know, I do love her so much, and I care about her, and she's a sweet person, but she's so dialed in to what's happening. I've never asked to go to the studio. Cause I don't want to hear anything. Cause I do have a problem keeping secrets sometimes, and that's one that I don't know. Yeah, I haven't heard the music, though.

[Jason Lee]

Who's your favorite celebrity to hang out with? We seen you with Tiff. We seen you with Cardi. We seen you with riri. Who is your favorite?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You just named them one?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. You know, favorite celebrity to hang out with.

[Jason Lee]

And why?

[DJ Envy]

Well, I'll say Rihanna because it's the. It's the hanging out that you don't see. You know, it's the. There's no cameras. It's not social media. It's. We just talking about life. We did karaoke. We. I think it's just those moments, you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Know, I was supposed to come to that.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Charlamagne one day. I don't know if you text or call. He said you Know, it's interesting how you do what you do and you have all these relationships. But yeah, I'm not. I don't want anymore. You know, I like the ones that I have. I don't know that. No new friends. Not to quote Drake, because I know he had an underdog right now. But yeah, just, I. It's really weird because now that I am sober and I am in therapy, I see how I've been used many times or, you know, the relationships just aren't really real. Yeah, I don't want any more new friends. I'm good with the ones I got. Do you have anything that you regret, though, since your sobriety, like anything you've done? I don't regret anything. Cause I feel like everything I've done is a lesson. But I will say that when I was here, I did made that off the cuff comment about Jennifer Hudson.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You said she was illiterate and a terrible host.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, we don't need to relive. Let me say this.

[Jason Lee]

Let's go, let's play it audio. And I'm just gonna message you.

[DJ Envy]

I will say this. You know, I think you can be critical of people without being mean. It was an off the cuff, unplanned comment, talking about something completely unrelated. But then, you know, after that, you know, of course I got all the flack. That wasn't why I think I wanna apologize for sure. Because I don't really care when people have an opinion about me online. I saw her at the vice president's house and when I saw her, I just, I felt bad and I wanted to say something, but it was, you know, what do you do? It was the wrong setting to go up and have a conversation. Plus, Karen Civil was right there and it was like it was already too much going on.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you couldn't pass her a note. Cause you already said you don't think she can read. So you want to show up?

[DJ Envy]

Jesus Christ. Back to my apology? No. Cause what you know, you know the game on the mainstream. I own my own platform, so I don't play the game. I don't have to audition. I don't have to be good for anybody. I just do what I do. I leave it there and I go go on with my business. But in this world of entertainment, you know, old white men like the people who own Denmar Mercury, will find a black person to market to white people. Because that's the advertising game. And I just felt like at the time, you know, she wasn't the best talk show host I could have been critical of that decision and criticize them, not attack her. To say she was illiterate was wrong. Plus, she's been through a lot of traumatic stuff, like I have, and to see her in public and, you know, she gave me a lot of grace because she could have read the shit out of me. She didn't, But I felt bad. I'm gonna send her a personal note and some flowers and, you know, piece it up with her. You know, at least do my part. It's not to be friends or anything like that, but just. I just felt like it was unnecessary.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So y'all. Did y'all speak at the BP thing or you just didn't even go up to her?

[DJ Envy]

Nah. And I'm cool with Common, too. And they were together. It just. It was just awkward. It was one of those things where, like, I walked in the room, as soon as I hit the corner, she was standing there, and I wasn't gonna walk up and have that conversation. Cause soon as I walk in a room, if there's ever been anything online, people automatically assume it's about to go down or it's just a feeling that's uncomfortable.

[Jason Lee]

So, yeah, I was gonna ask, you know, have you ever ran into Common, like. Cause, you know.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Jason Lee]

Would the Common say anything about it, or.

[DJ Envy]

No, no. Me and him talked at that party, too. Me and Common, we're not friends, but, you know, we were friendly and we communicated a lot when he was dating Tiffany. So we've been in each other's spaces, been on my show. He's cool. I like and respect him. He didn't say anything. You know, we took pictures, and it was cool.

[Jason Lee]

So he keeps it. He keeps it separate. He is here.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Salute the comment. But what I told Jason earlier a while ago is just, like, for him to do what he does. I've never seen. I don't know what you call. I don't want to say Gossip blogger.

[DJ Envy]

You gave me culture critic. You're the one that gave me the title culture critic. Because at the. When I first started doing this, they were calling me everything, literally everything. I don't really care. I didn't have a title. I didn't like the title blogger. Only because I feel like in what we do will be reduced to blogger when we have influence. That. You know, this guy was telling me recently, because I was going back and forth with this guy who wants to manage me. He said, because I've never had a manager, he said, you know, the challenge with managing you is that, you know, you're controversial. And I said, well, there's good controversy and there's bad controversy. I said, when Howard Stern does what he does, everybody praises him. When Joe Rogan does what he does, everybody praises him. And what he said was, he said, when they go viral, it's contained in a space. When you go viral, it just scatters everywhere. And it's hard to control. And I thought, okay, so to me, that's influence. I don't understand why that's a bad thing. But, you know, again, we know what that is. So, yeah, culture critic. Once you said that, I took and ran with that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But to do what you do and still have the relationships with celebrities is like, unheard of. Like, Wendy didn't have that. I don't know if Perez Hilton did, but I know Wendy didn't have that.

[DJ Envy]

But I think the thing that people still fail to realize is that, you know, you can not like me or hate me or hate on what I do or whatever. I still have a relationship with you, with everybody in the industry. Hollywood Unlocked has a relationship. Some just participate, some don't. You know, right now there's this whole thing where people think that I don't like Jay Z or Beyonce. I love Beyonce. I like Jay Z. I don't know him, but I love Beyonce. But the platform is the platform. I am, though, backing up from Hollywood Unlocked as much as I can. In the new year, I'm putting my staff out there more. I use Hollywood Unlocked to build my brand identity. I have it now. I really wanna do things that are purpose driven. My community's important, my show. I'm in love with my show. But outside of that and my dogs, I really don't wanna go nowhere. I don't wanna do nothing. I don't wanna really talk to nobody that don't have anything to do with what I'm on. Hollywood Unlocked, that thing can go and run, and my team is gonna do that work. I still own it, make all the money, but I just. Yeah, the industry ain't what I thought. It was different.

[Jason Lee]

When do you decide when you're not gonna tell a story or when you're gonna wait?

[DJ Envy]

Right.

[Jason Lee]

So the Megan thee Stallion story, you teased it months before it was released, by the way.

[DJ Envy]

I like how you set that up. Let me tell you. Let me tell you why I intentionally did that. And I like that you pointed out that it was in July. There's so many stories that we get on a daily basis. You know what I mean? Like, I. There's so many stories we get On a daily basis. I don't get the grace for the stuff we don't put out. So you'll never know. Like, you'll never say, jason, man, he did that because I didn't do it. You know, you don't know what I didn't put out. There's lots of marriages that I go, man, that marriage is. That marriage is beautiful on social media when it's really like there's a whole bunch of other stuff behind it or, you know, anyway, so I don't get grace for the stuff that we don't put out. And I think that's the part that I'm struggling with, because the minute I do say something, you know, like the thing that did go viral with Beyonce, you know, we did a lot to protect Beyonce and Jay Z. That has nothing to do with this stupid story that's in the news right now. That's just, to me, ridiculous, right? And unbelievable. But we did a lot to protect them. But because we have to deal with their handlers, you know, and then they don't know the grace that their handlers aren't giving us. It's this thing where people feel like we're in that old school game of, you know, just deal with the help. No, I don't deal with the help. I'm a principal. You a principal. If I have something that's going on or you have something that's going on, we can either deal with each other, and if not, cool, then we do our job, and then it is what it is. But people try to judge the grace that we don't give based on maybe the grace we give somebody else. I'm closer to a Charlamagne than I am to a Joe Rogan. So it's going to be a different relationship because proximity is going to change the job. And I think people are having a hard time digesting that. That's why I'm just like, I don't want to deal with it no more. Deal with the platform. If you don't like a story, talk about it online. And then we'll just keep doing the work. But, yeah, we don't. We don't. I don't get the grace that I deserve, but it's okay.

[Jason Lee]

I was going to ask.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

There's something he said. Remember I used to always say, I say that about Wendy all the time. I say the beauty of Wendy Williams is wasn't what she went on the air with. It was the thing she didn't talk about. Wendy could have been crushing with the things she could have actually been saying. And that's what I just, I just. That's interesting to hear you say that because I saw the same thing with her.

[DJ Envy]

It's a sensitive balance though too, you know, like you have somebody like a Serena Williams. We have a relationship that we don't promote. But you know, recently I had to say I really need you to read my book because I really need you to understand, like the background of who I am. Because there's knowing me, Jason, and then there's knowing me from Instagram or social media or my show. Like two totally different people. Back to the Meg thing. The reason why I held onto that for so long. There's a couple reasons. One, you know, I love the fact that Michael Rubin has a successful career, successful businesses, and lots of privilege that he takes advantage of and that he has the white party. The white party I thought was ours from a long time ago. Right before, you know, the baby oil and dildo start flying around bamboo.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn.

[DJ Envy]

Still got day job. But, you know, but, but, but cultural, cultural. What they say they co opt the culture. They, they, they, man, they, they, they took that. So now that's the party that everybody wants to go to, which is great. And I've been to it. It's a good party, you know, when Michael's not hanging on your back. When I, when I heard about what happened at the party, I was like, yo, that really went down. I wasn't there. You know, I didn't get my invite. So I'm gonna just hold on to that. Well, Megan and Winnie, I know both of them, but then just Megan, there's so much out there with her that people don't know. I just felt like, you know, in the party, I'm just going to drop it. But I have to win office first. That's why I had to hold onto it. I couldn't drop it while I was, I already went viral with the Jennifer Hudson thing. Now I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna just wait. So I wait till I got elected, then I dropped it.

[Jason Lee]

I was also gonna ask, you know, with Trump suing and winning $15 million for somebody reporting a wrong story?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, not just somebody. That was George Stephano.

[Jason Lee]

We don't yet. That's why they say his last name. So when it comes to your staff, do you tell them to make sure you understand what's going on? Because now if you report a wrong.

[DJ Envy]

Story, I mean, I reported the queen died.

[Jason Lee]

And that's my point. If you report the wrong story, they gonna be suing now. Cause the fact that Trump get 15 million and the fact that Trump's about to change this whole media landscape.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm different, Jason.

[DJ Envy]

Why?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

If you report the queen die and she didn't die, that usually is a career end of the world, okay?

[DJ Envy]

But here's the deal. One, One, we never saw her after I reported it. Two, that's not true. Oh, my God. No. We did not Twitter right now. Everybody's on Twitter. We did not see her. We saw a photo of her that, you know, she was outside in the.

[Jason Lee]

Park drinking coffee or something like that, right?

[DJ Envy]

She was not. And she was. She was. She was gone. She was gone.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

She had a Hollywood unlocked T shirt on.

[Jason Lee]

Yo, shut up.

[DJ Envy]

She had a free Wendy mug. No, but, you know, by the way, the. The way they've locked Wendy away is insane.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You saw her this weekend. Well, I didn't see her, no.

[DJ Envy]

You didn't.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, somebody saw her in Florida. Yeah, they said it's her.

[DJ Envy]

Allegedly.

[Jason Lee]

That's what I said. I said I'm okay.

[DJ Envy]

Anyway, the queen, we didn't see her after I said she was dead. So even though I was on vacation when I broke that, I, you know, I kind of stand behind it.

[Jason Lee]

But as far as still stand by who's on vacation.

[DJ Envy]

Listen, I don't want to double down anymore because that was just enough. But she was dead, so. Look, I feel like I tell my writers all the time, you know, you have to have lots. We have to have insurance. We have insurance for everything. We have millions of dollars worth of insurance. So if you do stuff, we get sued, whatever. Been sued probably more than 20 times for using images we weren't supposed to use. But I mean, yeah, they. They do their research and they make sure that they follow, you know, all the. All the. The rules. But sometimes you make a mistake. That was a big mistake that George made, though.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

One word.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, but rape versus battery and defamation. I mean, great.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. So we have to watch it. My show. We. On my show, we have insurance and stuff, too. But I. I do have to watch what. What I say because people are suing asu. We should be suing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Damn right.

[DJ Envy]

Jay Z should be suing. But he will. He's suing. Is he suing right now?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm sure he will. I'm sure. I'm sure it'll be a defamation soon.

[Jason Lee]

I hope so.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. The. Your show, the Jason Lee show is coming back exclusively on Zeus. Yep. And you know what? I have to shout Lemuel Plummer, too, because Zeus, you know, they also aired our award show, which, by the way, hopefully you guys come next year.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hollywood Unlocked in black awards.

[DJ Envy]

You still ain't been there and you got an award. It's right there.

[Jason Lee]

Yeah, exactly.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. I mean, we're a black owned award show on a black network. I mean, I've been very intentional about working with black people. I mean, and Lemio, you know, you know, he. He got the chaos over there, but he's done a really good job of helping us to platform the award show. I didn't seek out other partnerships to distribute it because I really wanted to, you know, keep it within our culture. This last. This year, we honored Sharon Stone, Cardi, Jasmine Crockett, Ben Crump. Who else? We had Christian Louboutin. We had a lot of different people. Tiffany Haddish, host.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, but they come to your award show. That's the difference between what he's doing and everybody else doing. They're actually coming to your award show.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. Well, that's what happens when, you know, again, this is a black owned culture celebrated show. And no disrespect to bet. Cause I just worked with them yesterday, but it's not owned by us. And I think that they. I'm willing to go over there and help them produce it, but, yeah, we individually invite all the honorees, and they show up. This year was crazy. Next year is already gonna be crazy. And shout out to Babyface. He said, you know, if you want me to do your music next year, I'll do your music. So we're gonna have Babyface do the music.

[Jason Lee]

Oh, wow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow. You know. You already know who you want to honor this year.

[DJ Envy]

Absolutely.

[Jason Lee]

You want to say it now?

[DJ Envy]

No, no, because I want to lock them all in first. But this year is going to be. Next year's gonna be bigger than ever. And we do it right there. We were very intentional about doing it. The Hilton Ballroom, where they do the Clive Davis party and the Emmys and all that, because, you know, we need to move our stuff in spaces where they may not want us there or they think we can't afford it. So we. Yeah, it was great this year.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How was the Jonathan Majors moment in person?

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yeah, we honored Jonathan. You know, it was great when we decided to honor Jonathan. You know, we live in Cancel Culture, where everybody wants to cancel culture. And I've been against Cancel Culture from the beginning because I feel like it's applied unfairly. You know, we've all been subject to it, but we all still standing. And, you know, I think it Rents space in people's head they don't understand. You actually can't overcome the bullshit, the BS of cancel culture. Jonathan was an easy one. When I looked at what he went through, I look at, you know, Emmett Till or you look at Central Park 5, or times where people have thrown stuff on us that isn't true. And I felt like, man, this year, the Impact Awards is really about moments of impact throughout the year, opportunities to create impactful conversation. And Jonathan went through a very public scenario where he is one of the most talented actors I've ever seen and met. And to watch him go through that with the. With that woman, I feel like let's. Let's elevate the conversation of redemption. When do we get redemption? Like, when is. When is. Are we not redeemable people? You know, the same way. I think BET missed a moment with Chris Brown during the Usher tribute. You should have had Chris there. You know, everybody deserves redemption. And when I asked him to do it, we had lunch, and he was just emotional. I mean, he was. He cried because he was surprised that somebody actually wanted to give him that honor. When he came, I called Iyan Lavanza. I asked her to present to him. And, you know, at first she was just like, well, let me think about this. And she came back and wrote her. Her thing. And then I asked Karen. Karen Clark Shear to sing a song for him. And then when he. When he did it, it was just so powerful that everybody in the room was crying because he was honest about his experience and he still maintained his. His innocence. And then now to see the case be thrown out after he lost so much. But he does have a new movie that's. That he. That he just did that I watched. It's. I mean, I think it's gonna have a great comeback, and it was a moving moment.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was that the Magazine Dreams movie?

[DJ Envy]

Yep. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Is it really good?

[DJ Envy]

Oh, it's. It's. I told him. I was like, yo. I don't. It's. It's. Yeah, it's. It's great.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Jason Lee]

Now, when you. When you become councilman in January, what's the first thing you want to do?

[DJ Envy]

Well, one, we're gonna restore order in my city. Part of the problem is that I told everybody, and I think they haven't been listening to me on the campaign trail because they kind of wrote me off as he's just a rich, out of town reality star blogger. Whatever they did, which is fine because that was a distraction I needed to put my head down and actually win. I said, I'm gonna get in there and audit all the measure A money, all the money that you all have been spending. And if I find anything wrong, y'all going to jail. And I meant that. And so the first thing on January 7th, I'm ordering an audit, and I'm on the budget committee of all the money. And they know that that's coming. And I can feel the shifting happening in my community. I think just how we invest in nonprofits, nonprofits led by women, people of color, really looking at how the partner to invest in those that are doing the real work and touching those who need it the most. And then homelessness is a big issue in my community. So we've been bringing folks from the state there. This man named Mark Fossett, who's managing a $6.38 billion budget that the city never applied for. He's now in the city meeting with the county and city officials about how to get some of that money there for homelessness. And then, you know, just creating opportunities for young people, because that's. That city's where I Met Queen Latifah 30 years ago. That inspired me to get in entertainment, and that literally unlocked everything. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So that's. That's. I tell him I'm very jealous of that. Your relationship.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, we talk about.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You don't lie.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. For real. Yeah. You know, I told her, you know, what you said, how much you care about her and love her, and I love her, too. And ironically, she's never been on either of our shows.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Never.

[DJ Envy]

Ain't that crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, I'm fine with it, you know what I'm saying? Because she's been an inspiration from afar, her and Sha Kim. Cause I just always believe in building institutions, especially with black women. You know what I'm saying? And Shaqim was one of the first brothers I saw do that. Like, really say, yo, me and this black woman right here, we gonna build something. And look what they've built.

[Jason Lee]

That's right.

[DJ Envy]

But you know what I learned in therapy? I respect you so much for encouraging me to go to therapy, but I also don't like that you encouraged me to go to therapy. I'll tell you why. I think therapy, in many ways, has made me softer.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's wrong with that?

[DJ Envy]

I don't like that.

[Jason Lee]

What's wrong with that?

[DJ Envy]

I don't, you know, because I think it's okay to have feelings. Like, I have feelings. Right? I do have. I. Believe it or not, I have feelings. But I also feel like when people feel like you're vulnerable, they then try to take advantage of you even more. And I have had more people trying it, but at least with sobriety and clarity, you see it now. And I'm like. And I call it out. What I learned in therapy, though, with Queen Latifah, is that I felt like I had abandonment issues for my mom because my mother, when she was on drugs, would come to the group home and visit me or foster home, and then she would never take me home with her. And it wasn't because she didn't want me. She just was on drugs and couldn't, and she just wasn't well, you know, and she had mental health issues and stuff, so. Because I wanted her to show up for me and she didn't when I would. Now that I've become Jason Lee and Hollywood unlocked all that, and Queen Latifah not showing up and my fans asking where she is, it was triggering. And it wasn't until I was in therapy, I was like, well, I got abandonment. So I had to really, like, compartmentalize that relationship and say, I do have access to her. I love her. She gave me inspiration to pursue my dreams. She gave me the support when my brother was murdered and spend time talking to me through that. And I love which is more important, which is. That's all the more important stuff. And I also know she don't want to come on my show because when she does, she bring her ass up there. We gonna really talk. And when you talk to your friend, ain't no telling what to come out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Jason Lee]

I appreciate you for joining us, brother.

[DJ Envy]

Of course.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Councilman Jason Lee.

[Jason Lee]

That's right, It's Jason Lee.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ladies and gentlemen, Councilman Jason Lee.

[DJ Envy]

Councilman.

[Jason Lee]

Councilman Jason Lee. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[DJ Envy]

Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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