Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club — Interview with Kehlani

Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Kehlani

Episode Overview

The Breakfast Club welcomes singer-songwriter Kehlani to discuss the journey behind her chart-topping single "Folded," her perspectives on being an artist in the age of AI, ongoing activism (especially regarding Palestine), mental health, motherhood, artist vulnerability, and the impact of public scrutiny on personal life. The conversation is candid, at times raw, and often philosophical, balancing humor with depth.

Main Topics & Insights

Correct Pronunciation and Growth (02:59–04:00)

• Kehlani sets the tone by asking everyone to pronounce her name correctly (Kay-LAH-nee), stating at 30, she’s claiming her identity outright:
  • “It's been 10 years. My name [pronounced] wrong for 10 years.” (Kehlani, 03:24)
  • “I'm 30 now...let’s just get. You know, it’s been 10 years.” (03:31)

The Story Behind "Folded" (04:02–06:42)

• Accidental Creation: The song came together unexpectedly during a trip to finish another feature.
• Emotional Nuance: Kehlani shares how the song’s message is more about mature communication than breakup drama:
  • “It’s more of like a nuanced, mature conversation...you did hurt me, but we also need to speak.” (Kehlani, 06:09)
  • Asserts the song reflects her mental and musical maturation.

Vulnerability, Mental Health, and Evolution (06:53–10:28)

• Personal Growth: Kehlani discusses the impact of turning 30, her Saturn return, and being one year into her mental health medication journey:
  • “I have so much option for process now...I have a tool belt of things I can apply.” (Kehlani, 08:05)
• On Vulnerability in Art:
  • “I've always been messily vulnerable. But I grew up in front of the world.” (Kehlani, 09:39)
  • She talks about evolving in public and the discomfort of being timestamped by fans.

Activism and The Costs of Speaking Out (10:30–15:03)

• Palestine Advocacy:
  • Kehlani reflects on being vocal for Palestine when most artists were silent and the consequences: show bans, threats, personal safety.
  • “I had to move. It put me into really bad paranoia...the death threats I got at my shows, like, highly organized, typed out, detailed death threats.” (Kehlani, 13:41)
• On Other Artists’ Silence:
  • “I wish it wasn't so sinister, like the lashings behind the scene.” (Kehlani, 13:41)
  • If more spoke up, there’d be greater protection in numbers.

AI in Music, Ethics, and Identity (16:11–28:06)

• Skepticism about AI 'Artists':
  • Kehlani strongly critiques the rise of AI musicians for environmental, economic, creative, and spiritual reasons.
    • “It's just unfortunate because I think music is such a God given thing...for it to be generated in that way...feels wrong to me." (Kehlani, 17:59)
  • On the dangers of AI-generated personas:
    • “When you wake up one day and somebody has a sex tape of you that never happened… That’s happening now.” (Kehlani, 19:27–19:39)
  • Calls for transparency and separation:
    • “Maybe it can have its separate charts...something has to be done.” (Kehlani, 24:56)
• On AI’s Societal Impact:
  • Fears isolation and the decline of real community, love, and art if AI replaces human connections.
    • “We're entering a very individualistic, let's kill community for people kind of world. Like, we're isolating everyone from every side.” (Kehlani, 28:43)

Motherhood and Navigating Technology (29:10–30:50)

• Parenting Approach:
  • Prioritizes information and open dialogue with her daughter:
    • “I give her all the information possible...at home, we're very, like, human focused, and I'm very communal.” (Kehlani, 29:29–30:14)
  • Kehlani protects her daughter's childhood, ensuring she’s not drawn into adult issues.

Family, Fame, and Privacy (31:09–35:00)

• Surveillance Culture:
  • Expresses the challenges of raising a daughter and maintaining relationships amid high public scrutiny and social media:
    • “We've...become police...somebody’s taking screenshots...posting it on their story like, 'y'all got Kehlani’s number'...whole time, it’s just my real life.” (Kehlani, 31:11–33:05)
• Controlling Her Narrative:
  • On having to bare her soul to be seen as 'decent' and tamping down rumors:
    • “The more mysterious you are, the more people...I've seen the craziest things about myself.” (Kehlani, 34:08)
  • Shares rumors she’s heard and how public figures are subject to relentless speculation.

Policing, Safety, and Community (35:00–37:39)

• Anti-Police Stance:
  • Kehlani outlines her critique of policing rooted in community safety and larger social structures.
    • “There should not be an extension of the government that is able to do things like this with no consequence. They don’t answer to anyone. They are gang members." (Kehlani, 35:57)
  • Attempts to ban police from her shows didn’t gain enough traction to force venues to change.

Co-Parenting and Legal Struggles (37:43–41:07)

• Custody Battle:
  • Now has full custody of her daughter, had to remain mostly silent during public disputes for legal and child protection reasons.
    • “When you see your child’s name attached to these things...that’s a bit of a Heartbreaker...I probably learned the most about God through that situation because I was on my own.” (Kehlani, 38:37–39:46)
  • Stresses focusing on her daughter's wellbeing over public perception.

Influence, Legacy, and Musical Inspiration (41:12–43:43)

• Mount Rushmore of Singers (Artist/Vocalist Edition):
  • Brandy, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey (vocal)
  • Stevie Wonder (artistry)
  • “She [Brandy] should be on everyone’s vocal Mount Rushmore, 100%.” (Kehlani, 41:32)
  • Acknowledges legacy of church-bred singers like Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin.

Notable Quotes

• “I think I've always been messily vulnerable...but I grew up in front of the world.” (Kehlani, 09:39)
• “Music is such a God given thing...for it to be generated in that way and also be what it's, what it's using to be generated is a combination of real people's stories and real people's voices...” (Kehlani, 17:59)
• “I wish it wasn't so sinister, like the lashings behind the scene...If it’s a lot of people, who can they get? There's a bunch of us.” (Kehlani, 13:41)
• “There should not be an extension of the government that is able to do things like this with no consequence. They don’t answer to anyone. They are gang members." (Kehlani, 35:57)
• “If we’re all just going to be alone, getting all those things from a robot, like, we’re going to stunt ourselves as a world, as a species.” (Kehlani, 28:22)
• “I've just been my daughter’s mom the whole time. How everyone else gets to see me is never gonna be how she sees me, because I'm just her mommy.” (Kehlani, 30:25)
• “The more mysterious you are, the more people...I've seen the craziest things about myself.” (Kehlani, 34:08)

Key Timestamps

• 02:59 – Kehlani asks for correct pronunciation
• 04:02–06:42 – Story behind "Folded" and its mental state origins
• 06:53 – Shift in songwriting, mental health progress, Saturn return
• 10:30 – On activism for Palestine and cost of speaking out
• 13:41 – The cost of open advocacy and consequences
• 16:11–28:06 – Geopolitics, AI, music industry, dangers of artificial artistry
• 29:10–30:50 – Parenting in an AI/tech-saturated world
• 31:09–35:00 – Surveillance, fame, public/private boundaries
• 35:00–37:39 – Policing, show security, systemic critiques
• 37:43–41:07 – Co-parenting, legal battles, and lessons learned
• 41:12–43:43 – The vocal “Mount Rushmore,” influences in her music

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Kehlani’s interview on The Breakfast Club is a testament to personal growth, courage in vulnerability, and artistic integrity. Across topics—from resisting AI’s creep into music and fighting for justice, to candidly sharing mental health battles and parenting philosophies—she remains relatable, thoughtful, and empowering, refusing to sacrifice authenticity for public approval.

For fans and new listeners alike, this episode is a vivid look at one artist’s search for wholeness and meaning in an increasingly complex world.