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Podcast Host
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Sports Announcer
Friday. Kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy, featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold.
DJ Envy
Lipsy for sensational.
Sports Announcer
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Jess
Ilia Malady, redefining the Sport, Friday at.
Sports Announcer
8 Eastern, 7pm Central on NBC. And Peacock.
Podcast Host
We all made resolutions in January, but let's be honest, February is usually when a lot of those goals start to fall off. Well, if you had a resolution around your business ideas, Shopify and I are here to keep that motivation going. Setting up your own store doesn't have to be hard. Shopify makes it simple. Whether you're just starting out or already have a business, Shopify can handle anything you throw at it. That's why we moved our stores over there. It was easy to do. We learned a lot. The Bronco grinding store has never had a better home. Don't let your dreams die with the rest of your 2026 goals. Let Shopify help you stick with it. It's time for you to invest in your own business, not someone else's. For a change, head on over to shopify.com ben and see what it feels like to be the one in control of your future.
Devon Franklin
Hold up.
DJ Envy
Every day I wake up.
Method Man
Wake your ass up.
Devon Franklin
The Breakfast Club.
Charlamagne Tha God
Finished or y' all done?
DJ Envy
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne, the guy. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRose is here. We got some special guests in the building.
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes, indeed.
DJ Envy
We got some family. We have Kelly Rowland, the Brother, Method man, and Devon Franklin.
Devon Franklin
Welcome back.
Kelly Rowland
Morning.
Devon Franklin
How y' all feeling?
Kelly Rowland
Feeling great. We got a movie coming out.
Devon Franklin
I know, right?
Method Man
Relationship Goals.
DJ Envy
Relationship Goals.
Charlamagne Tha God
Devon, what made you want to turn Relationship Goals into a movie? It's a book by Pastor Michael Todd. What made you want to turn it into a film?
Devon Franklin
You know what? One of my greatest inspirations as a producer is my brother, Will Packer. Okay. And when I saw what he did with Steve Harvey's book Think like a Man, I said, wait a minute. This Relationship Goals book has so many great principles. Why don't we do that with this? And so that was the inspiration. And then also what was so cool is when Pastor Todd released the book, he put it out during the pandemic. And as an author, when you can't tour, that book usually doesn't work. He did everything virtually. It went to number one on the New York Times bestsellers list. And when you look at how people Were responding and how many lives are being changed. I just thought it was the great foundation for romantic comedy.
DJ Envy
Now break down what the movie's about for people that haven't seen or haven't seen the trailer as of yet without.
Jess
Giving it a weight up.
Devon Franklin
Well, basically, you know, Kelly plays Leah, Meth plays Jared, and they have a history, but in the present moment of the story, they're competing for the same job. And Meth that comes up with the idea. They're in the news world. And Meth that comes up with the idea. His character Jared, comes up with the idea. Hey, why don't we do a story on the book? Relationship goals for Valentine's Day. Exactly. Exactly. And then that begins. Everyone in the group beginning to think about their aim and think about their love life and think about their relationships. So I'm not gonna give it away, but that's kind of the catalyst for the movie.
Kelly Rowland
Absolutely.
Charlamagne Tha God
How do y'. All. This is random, but the song, complicated. Like, the song is dope. But what made y' all want to go do a song so early was that part in the contract. Okay, we got Kelly and Meltsu. They gotta do a song for the movie.
Kelly Rowland
No, it just happened. Like, you know, I got the script, I read the script. I was inspired, went into the studio. I've been working on music. So I literally just started writing from Leah's perspective, myself and Jesse Reyes. And then it came out, and then I sent it to Devon and Amber Raspberry over at Amazon. I was like, I wonder if it'll work? And it just kind of worked. I sent it to Meth, and he was like, yeah, let me do my.
Method Man
Let me bark on this joint.
Charlamagne Tha God
Have either of y' all been in that situation in real life where you gotta do business with somebody that you was in a relationship with?
DJ Envy
That would be awkward.
Kelly Rowland
I mean, it just kind of happened. That's all. It just kind of happened.
Devon Franklin
No, don't put me in there.
Charlamagne Tha God
Me either.
Method Man
Nope.
Jess
Is there any aspects of the characters lives that relate to y' all real life?
Kelly Rowland
Absolutely. I mean, I think the way Leah has when you meet her, she's holding onto everything. She's so in control, you know what I mean? And I think that for her, like, when she has control of everything, she's feeling like, I got this. And she does, and she does. But she also is dealing with a whole bunch of internal stuff. Grief is a big one for her, you know what I mean? And it's kind of like drifting into everything else in her life. And you see how it plays a big role in her decision making and everything. It's really interesting. So. Yeah, that I definitely understood.
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
DJ Envy
Jess, what's the one thing I tell you about? As soon as I started watching. What's the first thing I told you? What did I tell you?
Charlamagne Tha God
Oh, you thought meth male.
Jess
Him send a wardrobe.
Devon Franklin
Yeah.
Jess
Anyway, Real nice.
DJ Envy
What'd I say?
Charlamagne Tha God
Well, you did say it.
DJ Envy
I didn't say that.
Jess
When I say you have. He couldn't help but to. He loved the wardrobe of Leah. And he was like, well, you showed me.
DJ Envy
I said, yeah. I said the wardrobe was dope. The suits reminded me of. It was powerful, but it gave me, like, a little Janet Jackson with it, too. The way the chains were, it was just dope. I never seen. You don't really see shows usually. The wardrobe is cheap.
Kelly Rowland
Yes.
DJ Envy
But it seemed like they put a lot into it. I'll show Jess. I was like, waldo was dope.
Jess
Was that your idea? Like, did you style yourself for the movie?
Method Man
Dress me.
Kelly Rowland
So because Devon is a producer and he so graciously allowed me to EP on this project as well, I was like, devon, I have some ideas.
Devon Franklin
Right.
Kelly Rowland
And I literally showed him a Pinterest board, you know what I mean, of how I saw everybody and all the characters. And so he obliged and allowed us to just have a little bit of fun.
Devon Franklin
Oh, man, she killed it. I mean, we had our wardrobe. Our costume design was named Gersha Phillips. And so. But, you know, Kelly, you know, would just be sending pictures and then also use all her relationships in the fashion world. That wasn't cheap. It was dope wardrobe.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Devon Franklin
Thankfully, we didn't have to pay for.
Method Man
All of it, huh?
Kelly Rowland
Some stuff.
Devon Franklin
Of course you do.
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
Method Man
We gave the amiri stuff back.
Kelly Rowland
Amiri was great.
Podcast Host
What do the power suits mean for Kelly as an actress? Because I know in mea culpa, it was all about the power suits and the silhouettes as well, too. And then I see you here again, and that was a personal decision. So, like, as an actor, like, what are you saying to the people that are watching you by choosing to be specific about that?
Kelly Rowland
I mean, I think that women are powerful, and I think it should be unapologetic. And sometimes it does start with, like, how you feel on the outside, your wardrobe on the outside. Because when somebody sees you all put together, they're like, okay, I gotta step up, you know? So for me, it was just, like, stepping up, whether it's for myself or expecting others to step up as well. So I Feel like, you know, you gotta put on to, like, really. Sometimes it's like, when it's not here, immediately you have to put on, but I feel like that. Thank you. So I wanted my character to make sure she felt like that, because once.
Podcast Host
We start peeling back the layers of your character, I feel like she was. She was trying to learn how to accept love in so many different ways throughout the movie.
Kelly Rowland
Correct.
Podcast Host
But you show up as, like, you don't even talk to me. Like, you can't sit with me.
Kelly Rowland
It's a shield. It's a bit of a shield.
Method Man
You know, that list had a lot to do with it as well.
Kelly Rowland
The shield was just walls, just layers and layers of everything. But that's even deep. So we don't want to give away that. That too much there either. Yeah.
DJ Envy
And when did you get comfortable with acting? Because, you know, looking at you.
Method Man
Never. Comfortable.
DJ Envy
Never. It looks. It looks so comfortable now. You don't look like a rapper now. I see.
Method Man
Comfortable. You get lazy, you know, So I like to explore outside my comfort zone.
Podcast Host
Yeah.
Method Man
Yeah. So I don't think I'm. I'm ever going to be comfortable with acting.
Charlamagne Tha God
Really?
Method Man
Yeah. Yeah.
Kelly Rowland
I don't think you should be.
Method Man
Yeah, right.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah, I don't think you should be.
Charlamagne Tha God
You get drawn to roles emotionally or creatively?
Method Man
Both.
Charlamagne Tha God
Okay. Both. So what drew you to this one?
Method Man
This one was more emotionally. I see Jared as a man going through a transition. He's thinking more along the lines of legacy. You know, leaving something behind, having something that really shows meaning to fulfill himself. And I think that when this job opportunity comes up. Yes. I mean, that is a great way to start, but, oh, Leah works there as well. This is a sign, and it's something that he could either take advantage of in the moment or, you know, stay focused on what the prize is, which he thought was the job, but it was actually Leah.
Charlamagne Tha God
That's what's dope about the movie. Cause it's like, it talks about expectations versus reality and, like, these modern relationships, like, where do you think people get the most unrealistic expectations?
Kelly Rowland
From social media. Y' all talk about it all the time. Don't try it.
Jess
That's what that list reminded me of.
Kelly Rowland
Absolutely. And P.S. i think that social media and everybody actually believe in the hype. Like, they've done a fine job of just adding fuel to the fire. So to me, I think that we have an obligation, especially now, for this next generation that's looking at us, like, thinking that it's just, oh, so great and we have to peel back layers. And I think that this movie does a really great job of peeling back layers and being honest in that way. I actually love the fact that Pastor Michael Todd named the book Relationship Goals because that's the draw and that's where people are like, what the heck is a relationship goal? You know, what does that look like? It's actually something for you to define what it is because I'm not somebody else. I'm not a decision making somebody else. You know what I mean? I'm making decisions for me and somebody else. Me and this other person are making decision decisions and figuring out our relationship. I can't bite that. That come with a whole nother set of trauma, whole nother set of issues, whole other set of everything else. So I can't make that my relationship go. I don't know what the background is.
Method Man
I feel like everyone wants to live in their purpose. Sometimes they just don't know what it is. And when they watch movies like this or even social media, they live vicariously through the people they connect with. And it's always gonna be someone who wants to keep up with the Joneses. But there are very few Joneses that want to keep up with anybody. So when you find yourself in these spaces where you want to live that fantasy and have that happy ending and shit, and it turns out not to be that happy ending, you have to bear with that and then move on and that's it.
DJ Envy
Can you have a relationship in the workplace now, though? You know, because I look at these movies and I always say, if my son works somewhere, I would. That's where he's going to meet somebody, right? Because you're at your job eight to nine hours a day, so that's where you're most likely to meet somebody. But in this society, they tell you that you with somebody that you have a relationship with.
Jess
Can that happen?
Method Man
I don't think you can meet. I mean, I don't know. I can't.
Devon Franklin
You out of here.
DJ Envy
Me and Charlie, we all outta here.
Jess
Leave it alone. When you work in some way and you mess with somebody, it's cute at first. But then when things turn, I gotta come to work and I gotta see this nigga in a break room. I got.
Devon Franklin
Oh, my gosh, I don't have time for that.
Method Man
Maybe y' all argued that morning and.
Kelly Rowland
Now y' all at work.
Jess
So to your own discretion. I feel like it can be done when two people know what they want, when they know how to. Clearly distinguished business from, you know, work from Our personal, you know, when we're at work, we are co workers. You gotta treat. You gotta be aligned.
Kelly Rowland
Boundaries. I think you make an excellent point.
Podcast Host
That's good.
Devon Franklin
You just have to also, you know, use discretion. Because also in the movie, they're colleagues. You know, it's not like one is higher than the other. And I think you just have to be very, very mindful of your position professionally when you're making a decision on, you know, who to date in the workplace and how to date that person. But really thinking with discretion and integrity is important because once that's gone, you know, everything is up for grabs at that point.
Charlamagne Tha God
So how did the movie challenge or even affirm your own beliefs about love?
Kelly Rowland
I mean, when it comes to grief, like, I understood my character holding it together. Cause remember, like, right after I had Titan, that's when my mom passed. So I didn't realize, like, I was, like, trying to keep it together. So I remember when we shot the scene that day, I was like. I literally was like. Like not letting it go before because I felt like I. I felt that so tough because we are like. A lot of people are dealing with grief, but you don't know that it comes in waves. That's why I love the way Regina hall talks about. I'm sorry, Regina King talks about it. It's so honest and just really authentic. And when she said it, I completely understood it. It's actually in my notebook. My relationship goes journaling notebook. Her quotes that she was talking about dealing with grief. But I just let it all go. So I understood that with her. And as it equates to love.
Charlamagne Tha God
What about you, man? I don't know how did affirm.
Method Man
You know what I mean? Watch the movie, though.
Charlamagne Tha God
What about you, Buck?
Devon Franklin
For me, what I love in the movie is, you know, all of the main characters, you know, are reading the book and wrestling with what it means for them. And one of the biggest tenets in the books is fixing your aim and knowing what you're shooting at. And so for me, what I love about the movie is, like, I really, sincerely believe love is the most powerful force in the universe.
Kelly Rowland
Absolutely.
Devon Franklin
And I think that it's really easy in our culture to get cynical about it, especially when you go through things and difficulties and challenges in the area of love, dating and relationships. But for me, it was about, we gotta keep this area of hope. This is an area where people hurt so much. So for me personally, making the movie was like, this is good. It's therapeutic. It's positive to put this out there that we can't give up on love. I believe, especially as a man, I think it's important for us as men. And when you see his character, Jared's character in the meth's, character in the film named Jared, he's a man who believes in love. He has a past, and he's reckoned with that past, and he's making amends for that past. But one of the things that the book does is reminds him that love is the aim. And I just think that that's something that I wanted to put in the culture right now.
DJ Envy
With all that being said, how do you shut down, though, right? Because you guys do so many projects, you were on tour, you do so many different things. You do so many different things. How do you shut down for that love at home, you know? Cause you still gotta work, but then you still got a home life that you gotta make sure the home is good. How do y'.
Devon Franklin
All.
Method Man
Two separate worlds. I think home life is more grounded in reality for me. I can't speak for everybody. Home life is grounded more in reality for me. All this is tv, period.
DJ Envy
You ever have to shut that TV down and make sure you spend that quality time that we forget about.
Method Man
When I'm outside, I'm outside. When I'm indoors, that's a totally different energy. So I know how to separate the two, you know, but they are. I'm not gonna lie. I'd rather be inside than outside at this point in life.
Devon Franklin
My.
Method Man
So, you know. But I do know how to separate the two. Not saying it always works. Something has to suffer in the end. Kelly can definitely speak to that. You know, some. One thing's gonna be imbalanced and the other is gonna, you know, whatever. But you learn to deal with it. You learn to move forward, and you learn to say, this is what our life is. And we have to accept that.
Charlamagne Tha God
I'm glad you said that. Cause work, life, balance is a myth.
Devon Franklin
I don't know why it doesn't exist.
Kelly Rowland
No, it doesn't. And then you put all the other variables in which you are. And you're like, oh, today motherhood is my priority. Then it's like, oh, well, I haven't spent any time with Tim. I need to go spend time. Okay, so Tim is the priority today. Oh, I need to get back to this project. Okay. So music is like, everything, like, trumps the other one. Everything, Everything, everything. Everything is more of a priority than others on certain days. I just think that, like, you. Like you said, it's no Such thing as a balance. You're just figuring out which one is the priority that day.
Devon Franklin
No, I was just going to say so. I think it's also integration because even when you're busy and you're away, consideration is if you prioritize that and consideration could just be a text.
Kelly Rowland
Yes.
Devon Franklin
Hey, babe. Thinking about you, babe.
Jess
Look at this.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah.
Devon Franklin
You know, it's just always keeping your relationship a priority. Mentally and emotionally, spiritually, and even when you're not there. That will then produce different forms of consideration. And that's that how you do it. Because there's.
DJ Envy
There is no text it right now.
Kelly Rowland
In real life. No, literally, before I left the house like the other morning to come here, I did. What do you call it? Post its, like post it notes. Like in the closet, like in Tim's closet and Noah's closet. Like, just to remind him, like, have a great day at school today. Ooh, baby, I can't wait to see you when you get back. Like, stuff, like all that stuff is really important. Yeah, it definitely sows the seed.
Devon Franklin
Consideration.
Podcast Host
Go, go ahead, go, go.
Kelly Rowland
Not the hair raised.
Jess
I mean, all three of y', all, but Devon, specifically. What do you believe is the healthiest balance of using faith and therapy to seek love?
Devon Franklin
Yeah, I think, I think.
DJ Envy
Yo, go ahead.
Devon Franklin
What's wrong with you? Why you got real questions? You guys a bully over there? Listen, listen, Lenard, they both work together, but they're both separate.
Method Man
Right?
DJ Envy
Right.
Devon Franklin
I believe that anybody who has found love or wants love has to have faith because it is a miracle on a planet with billions of people that two people can find each other and make the decision to do life together. That is like a miracle. So you gotta have a level of faith even if you don't realize it. Because if you're on an app or you're going out, you're having the faith that one day I'm gonna find a person that's gon my partner. So that's faith to me. When it comes to therapy, therapy is about the trauma. Right? And most of us have had a lot of trauma in this area of love, dating and relationships. So I do believe that in order to be a great partner and just a great person, therapy is important. You know, I got into therapy, what, six, seven years ago, and what it does.
DJ Envy
Six, seven. I'm sorry, my kids are watching.
Devon Franklin
They love that. Six.
Method Man
Oh, they love that. Right?
Charlamagne Tha God
There you go.
Devon Franklin
For the coach, But for me. But what you don't realize is you think like, oh, I'm good, but you don't realize when you get into therapy, you realize, oh, wow, there's some wounds. And then what you don't realize when you don't do therapy, then you bleed on your partner, and then you want them to be your therapist. And for me personally, I had to work on what my wounds were, getting, that type of healing, so then I can be a better individual and a better partner. So I think they work together, but they definitely are individual pursuits.
Jess
How do you know you need therapy? Because that's a lot of people. Like you said, you don't even know that you need it until I guess you're in a. In a situation. Yeah.
Devon Franklin
Like, how do you know if you're breathing? You need it, period. Cause everybody's been through some trauma, some challenges, some difficulties, and you can't figure.
Kelly Rowland
That stuff out on your own. Here you are trying to unravel a ball that's steady, weaving itself. You know what I mean? Like the. The particular space in which you've had the trauma, and then it's something else that is an extension of it and it weaves itself, you know what I mean? And it's the trigger. You know what I mean? So you're trying to figure out how to battle the trigger on top of a trigger, on top of the trigger, on top of the base of the trauma. So it's like you're constantly trying to figure it out. That is exhausting. Like, we're supposed to be living life abundant, you know, and enjoy joy and like, actually excited about trying to figure that stuff out for ourselves first. Because like he said, you're going to bleed over the other person. And that is even more painful because you love yourself, but you've decided to love this person the way you love God. And I'm not trying to bleed all over you like that. Amen.
Charlamagne Tha God
What about when the person's dealing with all types of trauma and they telling you that you gotta love me the way God love me, but God's love is unconditional. When do you know when to back away?
Kelly Rowland
I mean, I ain't going through that, so I'm afraid I never will go through that. But I don't know. I don't divine, because I'm gonna call my brother.
Devon Franklin
Listen, listen. God's love is for sure unconditional, and we as human beings aspire to that. But everybody has a breaking point. And only you know when you've hit that breaking point. And sometimes the greatest act of love is to make the decision, you know, hey, I love you so much that I can acknowledge that we've done as much as we can do. So that's that's not that's not a that's not a lack of love. Sometimes it takes even more love to do that.
Kelly Rowland
That's great.
Devon Franklin
But each person will know when, when and if you ever get to that breaking point.
DJ Envy
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Sports Announcer
Friday Kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy, featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest dash athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Jess
Ilia Malin, redefining the Sport, Friday at.
Sports Announcer
8 Eastern, 7 Central on NBC and.
Podcast Host
Peacock we all come into January with big plans and resolutions, but February is usually when a lot of those dreams start slipping away. They think they're too far out of reach or too hard to pull off, especially when it comes to starting a business. Now. That's why Shopify matters. If you're finally ready to invest in yourself and start a business, Shopify makes it simple. And if you've already had a business, take it from us. Shopify can handle anything you throw its way. That's one of the reasons we shifted our stores over there. Whether you're selling a few products or a full catalog, Shopify grows with you. One login Gives you access to everything. No password stress at all. Thousands of site templates mean no design skill needed. And your site still looks uniquely yours, representing you and your brand. I designed my Shopify site in about an hour or two and y', all, it is top notch. The Bronco Grinding store is amazing. They even have Shopify Sidekick AI that actually helps with marketing content and planning. You can sell on social media and even directly through ChatGPT. Starting a business is hard, but it is worth it. Trust me. I know. Don't let your dreams die in February. Let Shopify help you and thank yourself later for not giving up. It's time for you to start to invest in your business, not someone else's for a change. Head on over to shopify.com ben and see what it feels like to be the one in control of your future film.
DJ Envy
Did you know meth and Kelly Rowland was the perfect match for this?
Devon Franklin
No, you know, I didn't. What was cool is I've been developing this script for years. You know, really, whenever I'm making a movie, you know, a movie is only as good as a script. So this script just took a little longer to get right because, you know, Pastor Todd's book is a book of advice. It's not a narrative. So we literally had to create the story from scratch. And so by the time I got the script right and then I had hired Linda Mendoza to direct the movie, and she's a really, you know, amazing prominent comedy director. And so I was like, okay, who can do this? And I talked to Amazon. I was like, kelly Rowland. So Kelly and I had had lunch right before Mea Culpa came out, and so I got a sense of what it is she wanted to do. And so I sent it to her and over the weekend, and in 24 hours, she read it, and she's like, I'm in. I'm like, bet. So I let Amazon know, yo, we got Kelly. They're like, dope, let's do it. So we started the process of making the movie, and we started, you know, seeing a lot of guys to play Jared. We looked at probably 100 different dudes.
Method Man
And Idris didn't cut it.
Devon Franklin
You know.
Method Man
She was well.
Devon Franklin
And then Amber Raspberry, our executive at Amazon, said, hey, what about Methyman? And I was like, yo, we met like 10 years ago and been talking about trying to do something. So we sent him the script. He loved it. He came in on a chemistry read with Kelly, and within two minutes, we were like, all right, bet, there it is. And so it just organically came out this way. And to me, it's like, the thing about them, and I'll say this with them here, is like, you may see talent that came from the music industry. I want to be very clear. These are two of Hollywood's greatest actors. When you talk about their preparation, I mean, like, Met cares so much about his lines. There was one scene we were in the car, and he just kept flubbing one line, and he would not stop until he got it perfect. These are two consummate professionals. The way they prepared, the way they got into character, the way they were ambassadors on set. You're not just seeing two music icons come together. You're really seeing two of Hollywood's, I think, leading man and leading woman coming together.
Charlamagne Tha God
Does that come from rap? Like, wanting to get the. The bar right?
Method Man
You want to hit a rhythm. You know what I mean? Yeah. And I just wasn't feeling it, so I wanted to get it absolutely right.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah.
Method Man
And I mean, if you guys have seen the movie, our leading lady is fantastic.
Devon Franklin
Yes, she is.
Method Man
And she carries this film big time. Some of my favorite scenes are. I told her this myself. So my favorite scenes are with you and the girls. And just that whole camaraderie feels genuine. It doesn't feel thrown together. It feels real. So kudos.
Kelly Rowland
Kudos.
DJ Envy
You know? You know, Jess tried out for a partner in the movie.
Jess
Yo, relax. I said don't bring that up.
DJ Envy
I'm sorry, my bad.
Charlamagne Tha God
Yes.
DJ Envy
Her audition.
Devon Franklin
No, but the audition was great. It was great.
DJ Envy
Oh, you seen it?
Podcast Host
It's a hard take.
Devon Franklin
Of course I've seen it.
Jess
Yes.
Devon Franklin
I make sure it happened.
Charlamagne Tha God
You know, God is watching. Why would you lie like that? I would not lie.
Method Man
Experience. Just when you don't get the part, sometimes it's just you don't fit the suit.
Devon Franklin
That's it.
Method Man
That's it. She has nothing to do.
Devon Franklin
Don't do that to her. No, she didn't.
Kelly Rowland
He lied.
Devon Franklin
Shut up, stupid.
Podcast Host
Devon, in this movie, right, you use Method Man's character to really have a conversation about, like, how we look at men or don't allow them to grow in vulnerability when it comes to love, Right?
Devon Franklin
Yeah.
Podcast Host
What was probably the most important conversation you wanted people to walk women to walk away with from seeing his character.
Devon Franklin
That's good. You know, this is probably. This is probably, you know, a hard one. But I. But you asked the question that men can change. Men can change.
Kelly Rowland
The room was silent.
Devon Franklin
I know, I know. But, like, when you look at the movie and everybody Watch the movie. It comes out on Amazon Prime February 4th, tomorrow. And so when you see this film, you'll see that Jared and Leah have a past. He's made some mistakes, but he is serious about atoning for those mistakes. And he gets the book Relationship Goals. And it has principles in it that really help him recognize how much of a, you know, of less than a man and a dog he was and that he's reformed. And so I think when you watch this movie, Leah has a choice. Do I believe him? Can I trust it? And part of that is seeing his behavior and evaluating that, and the other part of it is having faith and seeing. So that is one of. When we talk about the male character, one of the greatest things that take away is like, a man can change. Now, you know, I know in our culture, everybody wants to say, well, no, no, man. Once a man's. No, a man can change, and a man can have. Be remorseful. And this movie, I wanted to show that, you know, as men, as black men, we can go through things, we can make mistakes, we can right our wrongs. And he's the one that brings the book into the movie. So he's a reader. He's trying to better himself. So I really wanted to have a character that could embod, embody all of that. And hopefully people, you know, walk away from the film saying, all right, you know what? Let me. Let me not just close myself off to love, and let me not just say this person is how they're always going to be. Let me give it some time to see.
Charlamagne Tha God
Why do you think vulnerability is still so hard for men to fully embrace, so deeply rooted?
Kelly Rowland
I'm not a man. Go ahead, man. Sorry.
Charlamagne Tha God
I like that. Because you got to give something away.
Method Man
It feels like you have to. Have to give something away. You have to sacrifice part of yourself and to be vulnerable. And especially when you're out, let's just put it this way. But when we leave out of our homes and we go into our workforce, we're dealing. We're battling all day long, battling for position. Whatever it is, whatever it is, your kick is. And then we want to get home the same way a police officer does after his shift when he goes to work. There's the stress of the day. I may be killed today. You know, same thing with a man. This. This day. I may be fired this day, or my company may go under this day. But when he comes home, he wants to have peace, comfort, and everything that comes with that. This is where he can be vulnerable because his woman in who he's involved with or whatever your significant other is, they're there to comfort that person and tell them you did all of that just so you could be here and do this. Now relax. I got you that kind of thing. So that this is where you want to be vulnerable at because you have no other place to be vulnerable.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah.
Method Man
I mean, and still, it's just like what you're sacrificing in that moment is maybe this woman is going to look at me like, you know, I'm a little soft or whatever. But no, any woman that could look at that vulnerability and think, softness is not for you. If anything, she's looking at you. It's. I hate to equate it to this, but I've seen a report, I've seen this investigation about dogs and a dog using the bathroom around its owner. Dogs don't use the bath. Like they're very skeptical about where they go because they're vulnerable in that moment. So they have to honestly trust you in order to take a poop in front of you. So when you get to a point in your relationship where you could poop with the door open and your significant other's right there, brushing they teeth, vulnerability right there.
Devon Franklin
Boom.
Method Man
Yeah, I wrapped that up in a nice little.
Jess
Going back to what you said, Devon, you were talking about, men can change and they can. You know what I'm saying? Like Jared's character, he was a dog, you know what I mean? He did some.
Method Man
Wasn't a dog, all right?
Devon Franklin
You know, just a puppet play, a player.
Jess
He was a little puppet. He had hurt her, you know what I mean? But on the other side of it, a woman can. She's hurt from that. She can carry that and become bitter and not even realize that she's bitter. You know what I'm saying?
DJ Envy
So.
Jess
How do you even notice that you're bitter and that you actually could be so bitter from what happened to you back then that you blocking yourself from love from what you want? Like, you got the list and everything, you know what you want, but you blocking your blessing because you are bitter from what happened to you way back.
Devon Franklin
Yeah. You know, I think the. In the movie, you know, the bitterness on some level shows up in the form of Leah's list. The list seems like a great thing. Right. She has all these attributes of what she wants in her partner, but what it does is it masks insecurity. And the idea, if I can just get this list, then I won't get hurt. And this is the probably the Hardest thing when it comes to love. To your point about vulnerability, when you love and you open up your heart, you open up your heart to help, but you open up your heart to hurt as well. And the admission price for love is faith. You have to be open, because if you're not open, you're never going to receive it and you can't give it. So to your point, like, how do you know if you're bitter? What's your emotional disposition when you wake up in the morning, Are you in peace? Are you in joy? Are you optimistic? You know, and for me, those are choices, too. Those are choices. Those are choices. And for me, I'm like, you know, when you, especially when you watch the movie, I'm like, man, we all go through heartbreak. We all go through difficult things. But you can get to love when you practice that love, when you make the choice to be that love, that joy, that happiness. And so over the course of the movie, you see Leah, you know, grappling with that. And over the course of the film, she starts to realize, like, wait a minute, I gotta open up my heart, right? I'm too closed off to it. And I think that that's probably one of the hardest things to do, right? But on the other side of it, when you get love, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's. None of this matters. And in my opinion, this is all fine. But when you have love, when you have the right person that you can share your, your heart and your home and your health with, yeah, that's what life is about. And so, you know, I would advise anybody watch this film and really allow yourself to identify what are the areas in your heart that you're hurting. And here's the other last thing I say. It's okay to hurt, like in the movie. Leah hurts. And so often we don't want to hurt. We just want to fast forward through the hurt. No, sit in it, feel it. Because when you feel, that's when you can heal. And that's what you see in this movie. And then on the other side of that feeling, and that healing is love waiting. And that, to me, is one of the greatest things about this film, is it is entirely optimistic. This is not a pessimistic film. It's a film that will anybody, no matter what status of relationship you're in, you can watch it and take something from it that I believe will help you in your love life.
Podcast Host
Kelly, I had a question. So piggybacking on both of those conversations, right? I Watched that you and Method man interview each other for ET and you were talking about, I think he actually, like, what was your favorite thing that, like, your husband does for you or something like that. And you said, just the way he loves on me and my son. But you also said you're still learning how to receive that love.
Kelly Rowland
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Therapy. It all goes back to therapy. I'm still learning how to receive that. And by the way, I think that people are like, well, once you get married, you figure it out. Like hell you do. You're still trying to figure it out in marriage. You know what I mean? It's like, why I think that fixing your aim before you get married is also a really great goal because then you get to work some things out. You know what I mean? Knew that Tim was my husband. I didn't know that I was going to run into so many different things that were triggers for me. You know what I mean? Like, how to love him. Oh, my God. Something's in my eye. But, like, how to love him the way he deserves to be loved. Like, I want to love him the way he deserves to be loved, because he loves me that way. And he's figuring out. Thank you. He's figuring out things in his way and how to love me as well. And we're constantly evolving, so we're not going to get it right every time. We've been together since I was 26. I'm 45 now, so it's like, damn, you look good.
Jess
Damn.
Kelly Rowland
Thank you. Thank you. But it's like us figuring out how to do that the right way for each other. And that's why I'm in therapy.
Charlamagne Tha God
Kelly, you don't speak enough about how women miss their blessings, looking for height. They can get a short king and live happily ever after.
Kelly Rowland
Well. Cause you're saying my husband is almost like we. Almost the same height. You and Tim. Tim. That wasn't me that said that your.
DJ Envy
Feet don't even touch the ground right now. He is taller than he is.
Charlamagne Tha God
Shut up. The point is.
Kelly Rowland
Well, here's the thing. I understaff it. You can find a great king because he's a great king. But it was for me. I did have that list. I had a crazy list. I actually found that list before. Yes, I did. Before. Did I have a list?
Podcast Host
When did you write your list?
Kelly Rowland
Oh, you know, 2020. I knew exactly. I thought I knew what I wanted, but Tim gave me what I needed, and I think that that was the difference. I was saying that the other day, like, I didn't know. I was so busy writing down what I wanted, I didn't know what I needed. And I think that experience makes you realize what you need. I think that, you know, as you're dating, you know, and figuring everything out, you can write everything down. Like, I'll never forget this one time I was crying after a breakup and just in my head, in my hands, and Bea walks in and she goes, why are you crying? And I said, because she's like, but tell me, why are you crying? And I said, I don't know. She was like, what you need to be doing is taking inventory of what you didn't like about this situation so you'll be ready for the next one.
Charlamagne Tha God
There it is.
Kelly Rowland
And I was like, mars. Like, it was so good. And literally I stopped crying in that moment because I realized like that what I was crying, I didn't even know why I was crying. It was the hype that I just lost a boyfriend, you know what I mean? And we get lost in that kind of sauce sometimes. Like, you have to actually start to take inventory and strategize on what it is that you need.
Charlamagne Tha God
So what's the difference between compromise and self portrayal in relationships? Then when you have a list, like when you, how do you know when you're compromising? You're just betraying yourself.
Kelly Rowland
I mean, I didn't feel like I was compromising anything. I think that's a self thing. Like I, I wanted to, I just wanted to be honest with myself, you know what I mean? And I was just going from that. I wasn't thinking about compromising anything as much as it was. I just, I like the way he speaks to me. I love the way he makes me feel when I'm around him. I love the fact that he took up for me and nobody's taken up for me. Like, literally, I say, and I'll say it to this day, Tim is the greatest man I've ever known. It's like, because you gotta remember I got my daddy issues, you know what I mean? And until I met my dad a couple years back, like, I didn't know how messy that was and what kind of guy I was supposed to choose. I wasn't supposed to choose a Tim, you know what I mean? He was supposed to walk past me, but I thought more of myself to choose a good man.
Podcast Host
I saw you talk about your relationship with your dad and kind of, you know how you being a mom has like, you know, how that balance has been. But what has your relationship with Tim since you like having that stronger relationship with your dad.
Kelly Rowland
Oh, it's been great. It's been great. He, by the way, Tim, was very protective, just transparently speaking, of me meeting my dad, you know what I mean? And I had to talk. Yeah, yeah, he was protective of me meeting my dad. Cause he's just like, I don't know what this is gonna open up for her. You know what I mean? It was him thinking about it like that. But they get along beautifully, you know?
DJ Envy
And you wanted that. You wanted that.
Kelly Rowland
I did. I did. And I needed to see, like, where my roots are from. Do you know, when I met my dad, I realized where I got singing from, which was his mother. His mother was a background singer for Lena Horne and Count Basie. I didn't know any of that. So I got these beautiful gems and didn't know what the other side of me was. And then I look at Noah's face. Noah looked just like his mama, my dad's mom. And it's just amazing to me, because what if I would have closed that off? That's why forgiveness is a real thing. And I remember speaking to my big brother about going to talk to my dad, and he was like, look, it's love. You either jump or you don't, period.
Method Man
See that growth, yo.
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah, I'm playing with my sister talking about growth. Meth. You know, hip hop has changed how it talks about relationships. Relationships over the years. Like, where do you think we. We've grown, and where do you think.
Method Man
We still stuck as far as hip hop?
Charlamagne Tha God
Yeah.
Method Man
Oh, it's a lot of work to still be done, man. I mean, it starts with a lot of these gatekeepers trying to dictate what this new generation should be doing, you know, because honestly, when we was doing it, we had fun. We was having a lot of fun. And what I can give this new generation credit for is that they did a lot more business than show. In the show business part of it, you know, we're creating generational wealth, and they're the babies of that. And, I mean, we could be in a way better place, especially with the message, of course. And when I was doing it back in the day, I. I mean, we. Wu Tang had a message. Regardless of whether you heard gunshots or swords, there was still a message there. And I think a lot of times the vibe gets lost for the substance. The substance. There's no substance in the vibe. The vibe has no substance and shit. And again, I can't knock these kids for liking what they like, but I just Wish it was a bit more diversity, for lack of a better word.
DJ Envy
But did the business hurt it, like. Cause you talk about the fun you did. You did things for fun and in business later, which was bad for pockets, but it was natural.
Charlamagne Tha God
I was thinking about there was a level of emotional maturity that might had existed back then that maybe may not exist now. Because, like, even all I need, that was. That was our relationship goal.
Method Man
Right.
Charlamagne Tha God
Everything in every line is what you want.
Method Man
Yeah, Well, I think that my generation read a lot more books, you know, we went outside, we touched dirt, you know, so experience is king, to be honest, you know, and again, this. This generation, I'm not knocking anything they do because they doing their numbers and it looks like they having fun. I can live vicariously through some of these young it, you know, but again, substance and. And you only think about these things when you get my age. You want something that matters, something that you can feel, hold, embrace, and, you know, really cherish. Yeah.
DJ Envy
Now I gotta ask questions. They gotta leave it shortly too. Guys, when you were performing at the Barclays or Prudential, which one was it?
Kelly Rowland
It was at the Barclays.
DJ Envy
Did you see? Did you see?
Kelly Rowland
Heck, yeah, I did. That's why I said, hey, they be thinking that they thought I was. No, I saw her face.
Jess
No, that's a different Jesse.
Kelly Rowland
Don't play with me. No, but I saw her face and I lit up. Cause it was so nice to see her.
DJ Envy
She said that we thought she was lying.
Kelly Rowland
See, they always think, come on up here. No, because Jess is always really kind and really cool, and I really appreciate it. So when I see her, it's warmth, always.
DJ Envy
She got mad at her husband, though.
Kelly Rowland
Why?
Podcast Host
Oh, my God, he was so excited to see you.
Jess
Listen, my husband went crazy when you came out there.
Charlamagne Tha God
I said, it's Kelly Rowland.
Jess
Yeah, exactly.
Kelly Rowland
But he turned to me and said.
Jess
It like, you know, that's Kelly Rowland.
Kelly Rowland
I'm like, yeah, I know, I know.
Jess
I'm talking about talking about you all night. And I. I love it. I started talking about it with him. It's hard.
Kelly Rowland
It's hard.
Jess
It's like, damn, she look good. Congratulations on that.
Kelly Rowland
Oh, thank you.
Jess
You killed it. I just loved it. You look so good.
Kelly Rowland
Thank you.
DJ Envy
All that poopity goop de goop.
Method Man
I love it.
Charlamagne Tha God
What do y' all hold people take from this film that they might not hear from their friends?
Kelly Rowland
Oh, I think they go hear from their friends. I think what's interesting is when the movie goes off is so quiet. You know what I Mean, like in this way. And then it's like a chatter, you know what I mean? And it's like, well, you know, it starts conversation. I hope it provokes conversation left and right so that it, like, really encourages people to see the movie, see the message, see. See these characters and not just know. It's like, not just about the Jarrett and Leah relationship. It's the girlfriends too. The girlfriends, yeah. And, like, how beautiful it was that as relationship goes for even the friends as well, that I don't want to give away too much, but. But it's like the. The relationship with the girlfriends and everybody that's involved. You see how relationships, goals as a whole, not just romantically, are just really important. And. Yeah, that's. That's what it is for me.
Method Man
I just want people to root for these people in this film.
Jess
Yeah.
Method Man
Root for their relationships as well.
Devon Franklin
Yeah. And for me, I mean, I think it's one of the few movies that can actually change your life. Because when you look at the YouTube series and the Relationship Goals YouTube series, then the Relationship Goals book change millions of people's lives for the better. And the same principles in the book, in the YouTube series are in the movie. So I think I want people to have a great experience. It's funny. It's a great, entertaining film with two of the greatest actors on the planet. And it can actually make you fix your aim in life and in love. And I think that it's a rare thing where you can watch a movie that entertains you, but it also makes you think, like, oh, shoot, there's some things I can actually change. And I can apply what I saw in the film to my personal life.
Charlamagne Tha God
And then you're not getting enough credit, man, because, you know, you wanted a few black men. That's not only, you know, getting things made, getting things green lit, you know, casting a lot of black people. Like, I don't think you getting enough credit for that. With Franklin Entertainment every six months.
Devon Franklin
I disagree.
Method Man
I disagree. He's very active. We. We see Devon a lot, especially in the past three years. I've seen a lot of congratulations.
Devon Franklin
Thank you. Thank you all.
DJ Envy
I appreciate it out today. Make sure you go get it. Go check it out on Prime Video. Relationship Goals. We appreciate you for joining us. Devon Franklin met the man, Kelly Rowlands.
Kelly Rowland
What's up?
Sports Announcer
It's the Breakfast Club.
Charlamagne Tha God
Good morning.
Devon Franklin
Appreciate y' all.
Charlamagne Tha God
Finish or y' all done?
Podcast Host
This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guests: Kelly Rowland, Method Man, DeVon Franklin
This episode centers on the upcoming film Relationship Goals, produced by DeVon Franklin and starring Kelly Rowland and Method Man. The film is inspired by Pastor Michael Todd’s bestselling book, and the conversation delves deep into the movie’s themes of love, vulnerability, self-growth, grief, and the realities of modern relationships. The guests and hosts share personal stories relating to relationships, mental health, work-life balance, and how hip hop’s treatment of love has evolved over time. The episode is filled with candid, insightful moments and humor, resonating with anyone interested in love, healing, and Black creativity in Hollywood.
[01:44 – 02:27]
DeVon Franklin shares his inspiration, citing Will Packer’s success with Think Like a Man and the impact of Michael Todd’s book during the pandemic.
The film stars Kelly Rowland as Leah and Method Man as Jared, exes competing for the same newsroom job who pursue a story on “Relationship Goals” for Valentine’s Day, sparking self-reflection and romantic tension.
[03:08 – 03:41]
[04:09 – 04:41]
[05:21 – 06:20]
[07:41 – 09:41]
[10:15 – 11:35]
[11:35 – 13:13]
[14:11 – 15:47]
[16:45 – 18:36]
[19:44 – 20:44]
[23:50 – 26:24]
[27:18 – 31:08]
[31:42 – 34:22]
[35:48 – 37:36]
[37:36 – 38:43]
[38:43 – 40:04]
[40:05 – 42:12]
[43:19 – 44:26]
| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------| | Movie Inspiration & Plot | 01:44–02:27| | Creating Original Song | 03:08–03:41| | Cast on Role Connections & Grief | 04:09–04:41 | | Fashion, Power, and Female Empowerment | 05:21–06:20 | | Social Media & Relationship Expectations | 07:41–09:41 | | Workplace Romance & Boundaries | 10:15–11:35 | | Dealing with Grief as Love Challenge | 11:35–13:13 | | Work-Life Integration | 14:11–15:47 | | Faith & Therapy | 16:45–18:36 | | When to Let Go of Unconditional Love | 19:44–20:44 | | Casting & On-Set Anecdotes | 23:50–26:24 | | On Men, Vulnerability, and Change | 27:18–31:08 | | Healing Bitterness and Embracing Hurt | 31:42–34:22 | | Lists, Wants vs Needs (Kelly on Tim) | 35:48–37:36 | | Compromise vs Self-Betrayal | 37:36–38:43 | | Forgiveness, Family, Roots | 38:43–40:04 | | Hip Hop’s Evolving Take on Relationships | 40:05–42:12 | | Audience Takeaway, Legacy of the Film | 43:19–44:26 |
The tone was lively, vulnerable, and insightful—full of playful banter but grounded in real, sometimes painful, lived experience. The guests spoke with candor and warmth, offering hope and honesty about love’s challenges and the ever-evolving journey of self-growth.
This episode uses Relationship Goals as a springboard for a much-needed dialogue on modern love, healing from trauma, the importance of self-awareness, and the necessity of both faith and therapy. Kelly Rowland, Method Man, and DeVon Franklin offer both humor and heart, making this a must-listen for anyone on their own relationship journey. Listeners are left with the message: Keep hope alive, define your own relationship ideals, and do not fear the work of healing—because love is worth it.