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DJ Envy
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.
Charlamagne tha God
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Lizzo
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Charlamagne tha God
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Lizzo
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Charlamagne tha God
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Lizzo
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Charlamagne tha God
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Lizzo
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DJ Envy
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Jess Hilarious
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Charlamagne tha God
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Lizzo
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Charlamagne tha God
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Lizzo
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess. Hilarious Charlamagne, the guy we are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRosa is here as well. And we got a special guest in the building.
Charlamagne tha God
Yes, indeed, Lizzo Special.
DJ Envy
Hi.
Lauren LaRosa
Hey.
Lizzo
Welcome.
DJ Envy
What's up, everybody? How you feeling? I feel good. I'm a little sleepy. I'm not gonna lie.
Charlamagne tha God
You, you, you look good. Everybody talks about, you know, your physical appearance and how you lost weight. But to me, I. I see somebody that has changed mentally and spiritually. I see somebody that's on a healing journey because you got a glow about you. You definitely have a glow in something. Serious lizard.
DJ Envy
Yeah. Thank you. Well, that's where it starts. I think. I had to start with, you know, cleaning out my mind and my energy and clearing out all of the negativity around me. And I feel like I released so much I was holding onto, and then it starts to manifest physically as well. Like, that's why I don't call it a weight loss. I do call it a weight release because it started, I got snatched here, and then my body just followed suit. So I do feel amazing. I feel like I've always been in a good place because I'm always a positive person. But I think that I was not aware of just, like, how much toxicity had started to kind of come around in my life. And I had a really beautiful period of isolation and clearing of that energy. And now I just feel like, ugh, I was holding on to so much. You gotta let go. It's hard for me. I'm a Taurus, so I'll hold the fuck on. Yeah. Hard headed, stubborn, loyal, you know, so. But I'm so glad you feel that. It's a aura thing.
Lizzo
Yeah, you could definitely tell. And you said Pilates helped a Lot with it too. Right.
DJ Envy
I started out with Pilates. Yeah. Cause my back was hurting, and that was the best way to get moving. But I do a lot of things. I strength train, I do yokes, yoga sculpt, I hike, I play pickleball. I got a water bike. You know, a little bit you put in the pool, you just.
Lizzo
Pilates was one of the best. I did Pilates with my daughter.
DJ Envy
Wait, you do Pilates? Yeah.
Lizzo
Yeah. My daughter wanted me to go with her because I didn't want to go at first, but it was, you know. You do some stuff with your daughter?
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Lizzo
And I did it. She's 21, 23. And she took me to do Pilates.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Lizzo
And it was the most amazing thing. All my aches, all my pains. It was able to stretch it out.
DJ Envy
It was. It was.
Lizzo
I'm the only guy in there. Damn.
DJ Envy
Damn. Which is crazy, because Pilates, that's a man. His name is Joseph. Pilates. Correct. A man created it and is designed to help you with longevity. See, he lived to be like. Well, I mean, I think he passed away in a house fire, but he could have lived to be like 200 years old.
Lizzo
They just gotta change the music a little bit, because sometimes that music just don't be for me.
DJ Envy
But they be playing Lizzo.
Lizzo
No, they don't be playing Lizzo.
Ebro Darden
Stuff that motivates you to keep doing it.
Lizzo
Sometimes I just need a little trap. A little trap music sometime.
DJ Envy
Lotties is crazy. You better trademark that for somebody. Take it. In Atlanta, actually, one of our friends.
Lizzo
Up here has that.
Charlamagne tha God
Trap House Fitness.
Lizzo
She has a spot in New York.
Charlamagne tha God
That does trap Pilates from the Decision to Decisions podcast. She has an actual place called Trap House Fitness, and that's what they do.
DJ Envy
But is it called Trap Pilates? Because I'm. I'm a branding girl. I'm a trademark that it's Trap House Fitness.
Charlamagne tha God
I don't know.
DJ Envy
I don't know. Oh, that's cool. Well, okay. Trap is not taken. Listen, It's a billion dollar idea.
Lizzo
There you go.
Charlamagne tha God
You've always had a form of self love that people can see, but I feel like it's just more radical now.
DJ Envy
Yeah, I think it has to be. I have to fight for it a little bit more, but I think I always had to fight for it, though, actually. I just think it's just like as your life changes and different things happen to you, you gotta, you know, move differently. Yeah. I think it's just a life thing. Like you can't handle every situation in Your life the same. You get older, you grow up. Everybody can relate to that.
Charlamagne tha God
I'm glad you said that. Because people think radical self love is a constant state. But no, you gotta fight for it every day.
DJ Envy
I don't love myself every day when I wake up. Like, some days I do wake up and I'm like, yes. But some days I wake up and I don't. And it's. It's the act of seeking that, you know, love for yourself. And it don't actually always have to be love. It could be like. It could be tolerate. You know what I mean? I'm just. Or accepting that I don't like it and I'm cool with that, but. But I'm gonna get there one day. It's not a monolith, you know, it's a process.
Lauren LaRosa
At what point in your career did you get to this point where, like, you even, like, talk about that side of it more? Cause I feel like when you first came out, even when you did talk about, like, stuff that wasn't as positive, you still kept it so positive. But now that you stream, you really get into, like, how you feel for real, what you going through. And it was a lot more protected when Lizzo first came on the scene. From what I felt like the brand was protected a little bit more, but now you're taking control over a lot more.
DJ Envy
I don't know. I just think people know me a little bit more, so I think I'm able to communicate things and not put a bow on it or have a happy ending because y' all just know me more. I think when I first came out, people didn't know me. So the brand is very, like, one note. Cause it's like, oh, that's that girl. That's the happy girl who be twerking with the flute, you know, and. But that happens to everybody. Like any artist, you just become like a thing. You're not a person. But I think the more we get to know artists and the longer they're in the game, the brand becomes more multifaceted. And I think mine just expanded a little bit more. So I feel more comfortable communicating. And I also. I feel safer on stream talking about these kinds of things because I know I'm in a room with people who get me. Y' all understand me, you know me. So I can tell you how the fuck I'm feeling or what I went through. And, you know, these real moments that I have, I can share that.
Ebro Darden
And I heard you. You were saying that people are kinder there as well, like, it's a better sense of community on Twitch and streaming that. That. That's good. When did you. Were you scared to. Before? Were you scared to dive into that part?
DJ Envy
You know, I always kind of flirted with it. Cause I love, like, running my mouth, and I love talking, and I love talking to my fans. I've always been this person, like, with my social media. So I had a whole Twitch set up in my house just ready to go, and I was like. I was like, I want a whole streaming set up. Da da da da want games, all of that. The Sims. And it was just sitting there, and I was kind of intimidated by it. I would walk by it every day and be like, one of these days. I'm a stream. One of these days. And then I remember my friend Solana, she was like, bitch, I'm about to be on Kaisana. Like, pull up with me. And I was literally. I was like. When? She was like, in two hours, I said, okay, let me get myself together and, like, go pull up with my friend. Yes, sis.
Lauren LaRosa
Girl, you said my friend. Selena, a lot of people might not know you're talking about.
Charlamagne tha God
Who knew who she was talking about.
Lauren LaRosa
I know. You know, but the average person might not know. I just had to.
DJ Envy
Were you at the show last night?
Lauren LaRosa
Average people might not know that you're just casually talking about.
DJ Envy
I am so sorry. Rewind the track.
Lauren LaRosa
Yes.
DJ Envy
SZA hit you.
Lauren LaRosa
So she was.
DJ Envy
SZA hit me and was like, I'm about to be on Kaisana in, like, two hours. Can you pull up with me? And I was like, fuck, yeah, I'm gonna pull up with you. Cause I'm like. I was so afraid. Cause it's like he has, like, hundreds and hundreds of thousands, damn near million people watching and commenting in real time. Oh, God, that's terrifying. So I said, you know what? I'm gonna pull up and. And I'm a ride with my friend. And I was like, if anybody got anything negative to say, they'll say it about me, God damn it. You know? So I pulled up, and I had so much fun. And I was reading the chat, and they were like, yeah, W. Lizzo. Yeah, W. Sza. Yeah. Little emotes and shit. And I was like, oh, they're so nice. And that made me feel comfortable with diving into my own channel. I made Lizzo be twitching and. And Kai got me, like, 40,000 subscribers in, like, two seconds. He was like, everybody go spam. Lizzo be twitching right now. And they all followed it. And I was like, okay, now I have to stream because they just gonna be sitting in there, you know, building a cache. So that really helped.
Charlamagne tha God
Would you say is it therapeutic?
DJ Envy
Absolutely. I have to run my mouth. I'm a life path three. I'm a communicator. So therapy was the beginning of that. Like, that saved my life. Being able to talk to somebody once a week and just my mouth and figure out my issues. And I feel like when I communicate, when I write music, when I sing songs, when I go on tour, when I talk to people, it is very healing. It is very connecting. I need to connect to feel good. I can't be disconnected. I go actually insane. I've learned.
Charlamagne tha God
You mean you can't be disconnected from people?
DJ Envy
Yeah, I can't be disconnected from people. I go insane.
Ebro Darden
So at a point where you said you had to step back and isolate, that was kind of hard for you too, since you had to. I mean, I know you had to do it, and it all, you know, made sense. And it made sense in the end, but it still was challenging for you because you have to be connected to people. You're a person like that.
DJ Envy
It was a little insanity. But I think in a little period of insanity can be helpful. Cause you have to do really hard work. And I was at a point in my life where I, I. The Internet hated me, and I could not trust the people around me, like friends, family, co workers. And I was severely depressed. And so I didn't have anyone to talk to. And I sat in that and I went crazy. But I spent time with myself, which I think I was always afraid to do. I know people who are like, I just need to be alone. I just need to go to the park and be by myself and read a book. I'm like, what? Not without a buddy. Not without a sweet treat in a conversation. But when I finally did it, I was so afraid of feeling lonely. And I pushed past that. And it was like, you can be alone and not lonely, and you can sit with yourself and find out who you are now. Cause you've grown up and you didn't check in, you know, and love her or like her or just know her and know what she wants. And now I feel like I know who I am. I know whose I am, and can't nobody shake that. Because once I reintroduce myself back into connecting with people and friends and trusting the Internet, and, you know, I'm like, I know who I am. I move with a different kind of confidence.
Charlamagne tha God
But why the Internet, though? Because the reason I Say that you say the Internet hates you, but you can leave your house and Lizzo, everybody want to take a picture. You do a show, everybody gonna come to your show and be cheering for you. So why the Internet? You know, it's people that love you. You wouldn't be Lizzo if you wouldn't.
DJ Envy
I didn't know that. That's the wild part. I have a lot of my. In the beginning, a lot of my career and my validation was based off of social media. Like, I was one. I was a part of that first generation of artists who really, like, galvanized their following on social media because that wasn't, like, an industry standard. Even people don't even realize this because we've been microwaved by the Internet. We don't realize how far we've moved in a very short amount of time. Like, pre2015, this social media was not even a conversation in labels. But there were people like me and Lil Nas X and people like that. We were going online, and we were just, like, talking to our fans, direct and galvanizing them and building a community. And so all of my love. Cause I'm not always on tour. I'm not always really around people. Like, I be in the house. I'm kind of boring. So all of the love and, like, we love you. You're amazing. This is good. We fuck with you was all from the Internet for me. And that was fine because I had built my community and I felt very safe with that. And then that all kind of changed. And I feel like the Lizzo that I am has always been truly me. And it was wild to see that. Like, you reach a point of fame where somebody can change that just by saying something about you that's not true or whatever, but that's fame. Like, that is. The definition of fame is for me, is people. People can say things about you that aren't true, and everyone will believe it for better or for worse. You know what I mean? It's like Lizzo got red toilet paper on her rider. Everyone will believe that. Like, that's weird. Like, that's just fame shit. So once that all changed, I started to. I believed that I was loved because the Internet told me they loved me. And when the Internet hated me, I believed that I was hated. And I didn't believe, like. So it was really weird. And when I. Isol, I was really afraid of people. And it was this. And it was, I always say, a concert, but it was Renaissance. It was renaissance. Let's be real.
Lauren LaRosa
I thought she was in, like, a concert in a park in la.
DJ Envy
You know how to do. It was Renaissance Shout Out B. And I was like, I have to go. And I was so afraid to go because I just thought people were gonna, I don't know, throw tomatoes at me or something. I could get really self doubting in my head. But I pushed through and I went. And I promise you, like, it was like one person. Once one person recognized you, then, like, other people started. One person recognized me and they were like, lizzo. And I was like, yes. It was like, I love you. Come here. And they hugged me, and then I got a video.
Lizzo
You were in the crowd.
DJ Envy
I was in the crowd, baby. I'm not in no suite. I was not in no suite at Renaissance. I was where the people are.
Lizzo
Wow.
DJ Envy
Here in Houston.
Ebro Darden
That's the thing. Yes, she was definitely. You were definitely like that. I saw you in the mall that day and it was like a chain effect. People were noticing her, but she was kind of timid with it. She was like, oh, hi. And my buddy, my friend Quai, I was like. He was like, I just saw Lizzo. I was like, I wanna meet her. And then he was like, I'm gonna take you over there. And I was like, oh, my God, I'm scared to meet you. And you look just as scared. I'm like, girl, you Lizzo. Then other people noticed. Then other people walking past noticed. Then the little girl noticed with her dad. And you got love. But you did seem like you were in a place where you didn't even know how to accept it.
DJ Envy
Yeah. At the mall. Yep. I was really uncomfortable because I was like, I don't know what people. People are, like, thinking about me. And that shit fucks me up really bad. Because if somebody's thinking something about me, that's not true. And it's like, I can't prove it. I can't. You know what I mean? It's just weird. I was, like, uncomfortable. So at the concert at Renaissance, people were just showing me love and hugging me and being like, we got your back. Like, you know, shake that shit off. We love you. And I'm getting emotional now. Even thinking about. I just started crying. Crying. I was crying and I was hugging him. And I was like, you know what? This is where real love is. You cannot get this shit off the Internet. You cannot get this kind of love from the Internet. This is the only kind of love you can get. Like, this is in real life. And I was like, I have to make an album about this. And so my Album Love in Real Life is started from that experience. And I started to rediscover what real love feels like and what real connection and real community feels like. And now I know I. I can still get love on the Internet, but I also can curate it and I can weed out the real from the fake. I can differentiate now. I don't just believe everything, you know, I really actually, at this point, don't believe anything I see on the Internet. Yeah.
Lauren LaRosa
Cause you were saying so much stuff about yourself or even before that time.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Lauren LaRosa
But you were like, what?
DJ Envy
That's just not true. And I'll see things about my friends that's not true. And I'll be like, what you mean? Like I'm with them right now. Like, that's not happening.
Charlamagne tha God
But you got to remember, nobody cares about the truth and the lies. More entertaining.
Lizzo
We always say that.
Charlamagne tha God
As long as you know that you wouldn't pay.
DJ Envy
This also the mess is more entertaining. They don't. They don't care about the message.
Lizzo
Right. We reward people who do that and give them thousands of dollars for these chats that are fake. And we don't punish them. There is no penalty. I was gonna.
Charlamagne tha God
I'd say too though, red toilet paper would be fire. You said that. And that should been stuck in my head.
Lizzo
They got black toilet paper. I never seen no red toilet paper.
DJ Envy
Red would be fire, but you can't see nothing. What you mean you can't see?
Ebro Darden
And I'm on my menstrual right now. I don't want to think about red toilet paper because I just saw some. I just made some. I don't need that.
Lizzo
I was gonna ask what put you into that light? Like, you know, usually you're a pop star, right? And usually when you meet pop stars, period.
DJ Envy
Come on, black girl, pop star.
Lizzo
A lot of times they're assholes. They're standoffish. You don't see them, but we see you so much. And every time somebody asked me about Lizzo, if she's been to the Breakfast Club or I met her, I was like, she's the nicest.
Charlamagne tha God
She's cool.
Lizzo
She's down to earth. What puts you in that mind frame to say, I don't want to be like that. I want to be.
DJ Envy
Wait.
Lizzo
Cause you were at the mall by yourself. You were at the Charlamagne, Went to the concert last night, asking where he was sweet. But you were out on the floor like you do.
Charlamagne tha God
Why are you judging me?
DJ Envy
Cause I decided to be in the floor. He bougie. Wait. Okay. Wait, but first half of that question was pop stars are assholes.
Lizzo
You said a lot of times you see pop stars are, I don't want to say assholes, but out of the way, like you can't touch them. They feel like they don't want to be next to their people. If you go back and look at a lot of pop stars, you don't seem as personable as let's say you would be.
DJ Envy
That's interesting. I have a lot of sympathy for like really, really famous pop star people because a lot of them became famous when they were teenagers. A lot of them started this when they were like nine. And I can't relate to, not to. I'm just getting it together and I'm a grown ass woman when it happens to me, you know what I mean? So like that developmental stage where you're getting all of this like weird love and validation from like strangers and you can get anything you want and you know, your comfort level starts to get real sensitive too. Like people open doors for you. People, you know, you have drivers pull up to you, you don't gotta drive. You 16 year old don't got a license because you've had a driver since you were 13. Like the way you're gonna move through the world is a little different than someone like me who, you know, pretty much all the way up until I was 29 years old, was working in restaurants, working at raising canes, working at the mall, like playing shows to like 50 people. One of my first shows I ever played with my mom, nobody was there but the sound engineer. And I still went the fuck, not the fuck, but I still went hard. Even though the only person there was the bartender and the sound engineer and my mom. Like, you know, I had a different experience with the success that I have. Like I was in, I was with the people. I would play festivals and then I would jump down off the stage and just go to the rest of the festival with everybody else, you know. So like when fame happened to when I became famous, when it happens to you, you know, it's strange for me because I feel like I became famous in 2020, which is weird. Like after I won the Grammy, I don't think I was famous in 2019. I don't think I was famous in 2018. Yeah, I feel like 2020 when I won the Grammy and then guess what happened. I won the Grammy January, guess what happened in March 2020.
Lauren LaRosa
Shut the country down for you though, because I think that's when a lot of us needed like that like just something light. And you were doing that right with the Internet. And I think that's what it caught people so much. But maybe that's what put the box there too, though.
DJ Envy
But. But at that time, we were all separated from each other because there was a global pandemic, not because I'm famous, to be separated from everyone. So by the time we was able to be back outside, I still had my 2018, 2019 mentality. I wanna be where the people are. I wanna connect with everybody. Like, I don't wanna be put on no pedestal. So I think that's the difference. I don't think it's a choice being like other pop stars are allegedly assholes, Allegedly. And I don't wanna be that. It's just like, this is just who I am. And I think everybody should just like, be yourself, you know, Like, I'm not gonna change who I am just cause I'm famous now.
Charlamagne tha God
Let me ask you a question. When did you first realize that confidence and healing weren't the same thing?
DJ Envy
Damn. This the nigga y' all be with every day. Why he beat. Why he.
Ebro Darden
I don't.
DJ Envy
I don't.
Ebro Darden
I just.
Lizzo
Everybody we talking about fun shit. He want to be all serious.
DJ Envy
Let me think. That's a really. It's deep confidence and healing. Well, they're not first off just by definition, because I think people can fake confidence. You can't fake healing. Can't be fake healed. Like, oh, you know, you got a cut and it's like, I'm faking it. You know, that's a band Aid, baby. You not really healed yet. You know, with confidence, there are a lot of people who walk around and they can pretend to be confident. And actually, I think that's what confidence's intention is, is to be used a little artificially. The fake it till you make it and then eventually you get there. Because my conf. You know, I had to force it and fake it for a long time because I didn't grow up in a world where they were like, you're beautiful.
Lizzo
Hey, what up, y' all?
DJ Envy
It's DJ Envy.
Lizzo
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DJ Envy
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Lizzo
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Bom Han
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Emily Tish Sussman
It's your boy Bom Han and I'm bringing you something epic.
Lizzo
Epic.
Emily Tish Sussman
Introducing the K Factor, the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K pop. We're talking music reviews, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into the industry like never before. From producers and choreographers to idols and trainees, we're bringing you the real stories behind the music that you love. And, yeah, we're keeping it 100, discussing everything from comebacks and concepts to the mental health side of the business. Because K pop isn't just a genre. It's a whole world. And we're exploring every corner of it. And here's the best part. Fans get to call in, drop opinions, and even join us live at events. You never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K factor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This isn't just a podcast. It's a movement.
DJ Envy
Are you ready?
Emily Tish Sussman
Let's go. Let's go.
DJ Envy
Oh, in. In. Your body is beautiful. And we like you. We like your personality. Yeah, you watch anime and listen to rock music. We accept you. No, like, I was very like, other. And I think that I had to be like, no, you are good enough. You are worthy of love. Your body is beautiful. Even when I didn't believe it. And I think that eventually, if you say something enough, it can come true. You can manifest it. You can create your reality. And I think I got there by faking it. But healing, I think, is a little bit uglier than confidence. And I think I'm still learning that. I don't think there's, like, a singular moment, But I think, man, it's funny. Cause you look back and you're like. All these years of, like, telling myself I love myself and I'm beautiful and can't nobody tell me about me. Da, da, da, da, da. And then people can, and you realize, oh, all this shit wasn't even real. I was just telling myself this. I was faking the funk. Because if I really believed it, y' all wouldn't be able to take this from me. Y' all wouldn't be able to shake me. And then being, like, walking through the world now and being like, man, this person just said something crazy to me. People be talking to me crazy. I'm so nice. And I'll be like, okay. Because I'm like, you know, I don't need your validation. But, okay. But now people talk crazy to me. And I'll be like, hmm. But you know what? It's not even real. You're in pain. You're hurting. For you to say something to me like this. What did I bring out in You. Did I make you. Did I make you feel a little insecure for a second? Boo. Boo. Aw. I'm sorry. And I hope that. I hope it gets better for you.
Lizzo
But you give a lot of people grace, though. Like, I've seen people have maybe cracked a joke or said something, and then I'll see you do an interview a couple of years later and you give them the grace. Why do you feel like it's the right thing to give them grace instead of just giving the middle finger and saying, go fuck yourself?
DJ Envy
Because people are as kind to others as they are to themselves. And if somebody is throwing hatred or saying something mean, just mean spirited about somebody just for the sake of doing it. I can't imagine how you talk to yourself. I can't imagine how you think about yourself and treat yourself when no one's watching. And for that, I've already won, so I don't need to win in real life and sit up and talk bad about nobody. I don't have anything bad to say about nobody. And I've been dogged. I've been dog walked.
Lizzo
Yes, you have.
DJ Envy
And I don't have anything to say. I have nothing bad to say because I love the person I've become through it all. And I think that's the real prize. That's the real reward.
Lauren LaRosa
What did you. Well, first, on that note, does it get on your nerves, though, that sometimes every single thing you do, people still relate it to, like, wanting to talk about you in certain ways? Like, you were at the Met gala, the outfit went off. Every headline, though, is about your weight loss and not about how good you look. And I think that that's unfair and it happens a lot with you. Does that get annoying to you where it's like, I can't move around that. Like, people always want to talk about me.
DJ Envy
Well, I signed up for it. I knew when, you know, back in 2014 and big girls weren't wearing leotards on stage and I said, I'm about to put me on one of these Beyonce dance leotards. And I'm about to have big girls behind me wearing them too. Cause I knew that my body would be the focus of that conversation. And it was something that. Cause it was unavoidable. Either I could hide and run from it and people are gonna do it anyway. You know, it's like the big girl wearing your arms out theory. It's like, we know your arms big. Whether you cover it up or not, we know your arms big. So either enjoy the outfit and wear your arms out or cover your arms up, but we know what it is. So for me, it was just like, I'm just gonna run head first into it. What I didn't know is that it would never go away. That's what I mean. No matter how much my body changes, it's never gonna go away. But I think that I have to just, like, accept that, and I'm actually cool with it. It doesn't annoy me because I look good, you know? And even when I was bigger, I looked good. So it's like, say what you want. But there was always someone in the comments being like, yeah, but she's still beautiful and she looks soft. And face card never declined. Gorgeous.
Ebro Darden
Never gorgeous.
Lauren LaRosa
What about the time, because I was reporting, when all the lawsuit stuff happened and you didn't say anything for a long time, like, not at all. Which most people come out and say stuff. I was wondering, the day that it was dropped, how did you feel like, what was your thought process around that? Cause you were in isolation at that point, right?
DJ Envy
I was in Japan.
Lauren LaRosa
Yeah. How did.
DJ Envy
Like, on a dream trip.
Lauren LaRosa
Was it a breath of fresh air? Or did you feel like. But the conversation is still there and this is hard.
DJ Envy
Oh, it's very hard. Cause I was confused. I was confused, and I was a little, like, hurt. But I was in Japan with. It was my first time ever being in Japan. I was with my best friend and her kids, and we were at hello Kitty World. And I'm, like, crying in the car, but I'm like, okay, wipe your tears and go in there and have fun with the babies. Because we had hello Kitty World. And you only do this once with these kids who've never been to Japan, and that's their dream. So I did a lot of balance in between that. But I'll tell you one thing about Tokyo. They don't give a fuck what's going on in your personal life in Tokyo. They're like, lizzo, let me take a picture. I'm like, okay. Like, I had a great time. Like, nobody's nosy in Japan. And I think being there was God for sure. Because though I was dealing with a lot of inner turmoil and hurt, honestly, and shock and confusion, I was in this place that didn't reflect that or throw that back at me. I had my first panic attack when I came back to LA for the first time after everything. The lawsuit had dropped, and I was in Japan for, like, a month, and I landed in America. I had a panic attack in the car because as I Was walking through the airport. I was like, everybody hates me. Everybody's, you know, I got in my head and I got in her car and I like, I had this like.
Charlamagne tha God
She was having a heart attack.
DJ Envy
Yeah. I had this like pressure on my chest. Mind you, I've had anxiety attacks. That feels different than a panic attack. I had pressure on my chest. I said, something's really wrong. I couldn't use my limbs or my body. And I was like, I literally crawled to my bed and just like broke down. I was like, what's happening to me? And I talked to my doctor and was like, hey, you had a panic attack.
Charlamagne tha God
Been dealing with it my whole life.
DJ Envy
Yeah. And I think America, everybody want to know everybody business here. So I assume it's this weird, almost like invisible. I'm not a victim, so I don't want to say attack, but it was like, you know, this pressure or this like, I don't know, it's like implied energy in America where I'm like, oh, I need to hide versus Japan. I could be a hello Kitty world. And everyone's like, right, yeah, yeah.
Lizzo
And you were attacked. You were a victim.
Ebro Darden
I was right. When somebody lies.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Lizzo
On you.
DJ Envy
Yeah, yeah, man.
Charlamagne tha God
Is that when you started thinking people hated you? Because I, I wonder, do you remember what the industry felt like or what, what social media even felt like before that lawsuit?
DJ Envy
It felt very like silly and light hearted and I had like a lot of freedom to just scroll and not see nothing about me. And then I was on and I would scroll and every like three scrolls it was. And I was like, oh. Or be like, lizza. If I just see two Z's, my heart start racing. It could have been pizza, but I was like. And I just kept scrolling. So it felt a little bit more hostile. But I'll say in general, I think the Internet has gotten more hostile for everybody. Like out of nowhere. Like it used to be so fun and lighthearted and now everybody is beefing and quarreling and dropping tea and I'm just like, whoa, when did this happen? But that's when it happened for me. Like, I was like, oh, I have to get off. And so from I would say October 2023 to maybe even like April 2024, I wasn't on my phone at all. I threw my phone away. Like, I had my team post things for me because I had to post about yitty and I had to post about, you know, little things I wanted to share with people. I didn't want to completely disappear because that's not who I am, but my team posted it for me and I did not scroll, I did not look at the Internet because I was too sensitive and I don't think I could have handled it. And I'll also say this in reference to the lawsuit, I would say in light of all of the other high profile lawsuits that have been coming out, comparatively, the allegations against me, I think now we see we're just kind of ridiculous. I cracked my knuckles.
Charlamagne tha God
Hey, man, you sounded like a good time in the strip club to me.
DJ Envy
And mind you, it was going to the strip club. It doesn't say that I did anything. Like, I didn't do anything to anyone in that strip club. I just went to the strip club and then like being fat phobic for firing someone for gaining weight. That just wasn't true.
Charlamagne tha God
But that was hilarious.
DJ Envy
It wasn't true.
Charlamagne tha God
No, but just. It was hilarious just to read that.
DJ Envy
Right?
Ebro Darden
Because it didn't make sense.
Charlamagne tha God
That's why nobody believed it.
DJ Envy
It's like. Right, But I. But I also have to say, like, one of my fears is I don't want my situation and my lawsuit to be an indicator on any other that's going on. I don't want it to invalidate any other actual. Because I will always stand for real victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence and anything, and I will always stand for them and ride for them. So I don't want what happened to me to kind of invalidate anything else going on in the world. And that was really important to me, which is why I was quiet for a long time. Because I still want to protect victims.
Lizzo
How does that not change you? Right? How does that not change Lizzo as a person? Right? It did, though, because now do you still go out with people? Do you still feel as free? Are you still the Lizzo?
DJ Envy
Oh, baby. No, right, baby, Yeah, I.
Lizzo
You see what I'm saying? Because it changes you as a person. And is that a good thing, a bad thing?
DJ Envy
I think it's an amazing thing. I am. You know what? God really loves me, I have to say that. And I feel like everything that happens to me is God. And God is preparing me for something that I don't even know about. But I feel like I readied myself now as I feel like a boss. Like, I feel like a better boss. I feel like a better friend. I feel like I know how to run a big operation, you know? Cause, mind you, back to the pandemic thing. I blew up in 2020, in 2019, I had maybe four crew members. I had One roadie. I had a tour manager and two dancers. And then the world shut down in 2020, and I blew up. And I did my first arena tour after being in isolation for two years, and I'm suddenly standing in a room with 70, 80 people that I. I'm like, I don't. I don't. I want to know everybody's names. That works for me. And it was really weird. And I got a crash course. And being an arena level artist, a big artist, like, after literally being an indie artist for 10 years and being in isolation for two years. So by the time I was running a arena level operation, I didn't have no practice in that. I didn't have no experiences. And I learned the hard way how to be a boss. But I'm gonna be a better boss for it, and I'm really proud of myself. Yeah. If you're on my payroll, we're not going to the bar. We're not gonna have drinks together. You know what I'm saying?
Lizzo
The Breakfast Club will go with you to the strip club.
DJ Envy
But I got friends for that. I got friends for that. Okay. I got two friends. That's good. Children who.
Charlamagne tha God
Okay.
DJ Envy
My best friend, Alex Odorillo from H Town. Shout out Houston, Texas, and shout out Shantae.
Charlamagne tha God
I do want. So what do you. How do you decide? Like, what's for the stage or what's for the public and what's sacred?
DJ Envy
Now, there's a lot that's sacred, you know, my. My. My barometer for what's for the world. If you really love something, keep that shit a secret. You really love something, keep it a secret. If so, there are things that I protect now that, you know, before, I didn't think of it as protection. I thought of it as, like, oh, my gosh. Like, I'm keeping something from my fans. I'm keeping something from the public. Like, I want you guys to see this. Like, you should see this. Like, I literally like the term hard launch. I. That was me, you know? Cause I was like, gosh, like, love. Like, I want y' all to see this. This is so beautiful. And then the world got two seconds of my relationship, and I was like, oh, y' all don't know how to act. I was literally just, y' all know how to act.
Lauren LaRosa
I was looking to see. I'm like, she ain't posting him in a minute.
DJ Envy
Y' all know how to act. You lost your privileges. She said, and won't. Yeah. So all. Yeah. All that cute shit. All that black love. Ah. Back in the vault. That's dope.
Charlamagne tha God
Yeah, that's dope.
Lauren LaRosa
I mean, maybe I only saw the positive stuff because I thought I saw a lot of people that were happy for you.
Ebro Darden
I only did that when it came to a man. Yes.
Lauren LaRosa
Yeah. But it was. Cause I was literally on my Instagram looking. I'm like, I ain't seen her in a minute.
DJ Envy
People were really positive. This isn't about, like, people. I do think that, you know, I don't want to give nobody an opportunity to destroy something good. And I found that it wasn't really necessarily about my relationship that people did that. It was other things, my other relationship where that happened. And I was like, I don't even wanna give you the opportunity. No shade. Like, no disrespect. I love everybody. Thank you for being so cool. But due to new management in my personal life, I have to protect this because I saw so much get destroyed by lies and I didn't want that to happen to my relationship. So it's very protected. Yeah. Nobody acted up. I don't want this clip to go out and people being like, but we didn't even say nothing wrong. Cause I know how the Internet can be. They'll take seven seconds and think that I'm saying something else. But it was more so out of. It was preemptive. You know what I mean?
Charlamagne tha God
But I think you said it right. If you love something, keep it to yourself.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Charlamagne tha God
It's that simple.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ebro Darden
Do we have any tear jerkers on Love in real Life?
DJ Envy
We do. There's one song in particular that n had to leave the room. There was like, it ran out. I said, I'm sorry. I had like, oh, I'm gonna get sad. Even though it's not. I mean, sometimes I feel sad.
Ebro Darden
Well, it can't be.
DJ Envy
I wrote, I lost my. My dog. I lost my dog. And she was 20 years old. Can you see what kind of dog? Maltese. Yeah. And I lost her, like, in the thick of it. December 2023, when I was, like, at my most depressed. And then she left and I was like, mind you, 20 years, she like a grandma to me, you know? And that really broke me down. And I wrote a song about it, but it wasn't just about puka. I sampled her voice on the song, but it was about loss in general. I lost my father very young. And so it was a song about grief and death. And I was like, don't put this on your album. Like, I'm the happy girl. I'm the positive spin. And, you know, I Was like, you know what? I owe it to myself, not just to my fans or to myself to put a song like this on my album. And so there is a moment in there. It's called Phone to Heaven. And so that's a little tear jerker. And there are some really raw, emotional songs on there. Like, I got a song called Like a Crime. And I think that you can decide what that song's about when you listen to it. I'm really excited for this album because I feel like, as an artist, everybody got into my singles, but they never got into my albums. And my albums are so good, and they're so well thought out. And I really want the album to shine this time and not just, oh, my God, a number one hit, About Damn Time. Cause it's like, my album don't sound like Special, doesn't sound like About Damn Time. And. Cause I love you didn't sound like Truth Hurts. You know what I mean? There were so many other songs that show off, and these songs, did they show off my musical ability? But, like, I have such an amazing catalog.
Ebro Darden
This is a body of work that.
DJ Envy
I'm so proud of. So this time, I want people to get into the album, which is why I've gone a little rogue, you know, opposite of what the label wants from me, where I'm servicing music. I just dropped the demo to Still Bad today, actually. Wow, look at that timing. I dropped the demo to Still Bad because I like the demo more than the finished song. And there's a. There's an A and R process with music that people might not be privy to, but you write a song in a studio, the A and R comes through, and they go, okay, fix this. Write this, rewrite this bridge. The production needs to be more like this. And you're like, okay. And you sit in with the producer and you. And you work on it. And I've done that process like About Damn Time took like, seven months, and there were like, a thousand versions. So with Still Bad, we did the same thing. And by the time we were done with Still Bad, and this is. This is. This is really how I feel. And I'm sorry to Atlantic Records, but by the time I was done with Still Bad, I was like, this is just another About Damn Time. And I looked at Ricky Reed and I was like, be real with me. I was like, does this sound like About Damn Time Time? And he was like, no, no. And I'm like, yeah. From a sonic level, it's different instruments that take the lead. It's a Different bpm. It's a different key. It has. It's more indie sleaze. And I was like, I' ma trust y' all on this. I started doing press and interviews for it. And everybody said, yeah, it's like disco funk. It's like a disco funk. And I'm like, no, it's not a disco funk song. Like, About Damn Time was disco funk. This is indie sleaze. But people don't fucking know that. They don't know the difference. Music is about feeling. Not everybody a music major and studied the theory behind no, they just want to feel it. And it felt like About Damn Time. And I should have followed my gut. But because for me, this album is rock and roll. And the demo version of Still Bad that I put out is very rock and roll. No shade to the other. Still Bad. I'm gonna let people decide which one they like more. Cause they both. My baby one is just cuter.
Charlamagne tha God
People who listen to your music, they know why you successful, right? But then you have some people who feel like you were only successful because at the time, people were checking off boxes. You're a black woman, you're big. You know, diversity, all of that type of stuff. What do you say to those people?
DJ Envy
I would say that I created that lane. I don't think people were looking for diversity. I was undeniable. And that that created the trend of checking boxes. I don't disagree that at a certain point we started checking boxes. When it comes to checking a box of black fat woman, I'mma ride for that every time. I don't care. I'm rooting for everyone black and I'm rooting for everyone fat, black and woman. I don't care. You don't have to. If you not the most talented person in the world and you got pushed through, Yay. Because it happens to other people all the time who don't look like that. And we deserve it.
Charlamagne tha God
But you not big no more, Lizzo.
DJ Envy
I am big. What we talk about.
Charlamagne tha God
No, you're not Lizzo.
DJ Envy
Baby. I'm big.
Ebro Darden
She's not the biggest anymore.
Charlamagne tha God
Say I'm the biggest.
DJ Envy
She is not big. You ain't big no more. So now, okay, I'm in a room full of people I trust, right? The Internet is like, oh, Lizo, skinny now. I am. I am well over £200. You know what I'm saying? I'm five foot nine.
Charlamagne tha God
But you're clearly treating in a different direction.
Lauren LaRosa
Direction.
DJ Envy
I'm. I got double numbered pants on right now.
Ebro Darden
But you're not trying to be skinny.
DJ Envy
No, no.
Lauren LaRosa
Okay. Yeah. Because I think that you look amazing.
DJ Envy
Thank you.
Lauren LaRosa
I think. Are you saying that you're bigger than what an industry standard is? Because you're not big, but. Yes, you are bigger than what some people would determine an industry, but. Yes, but that standard is, like, gone. It's 20, 25, people. I don't even think put me next.
DJ Envy
To any pop star right now. Like, I'm still bigger than them. Do you know what I mean?
Ebro Darden
Yeah, I get what you're saying.
Lauren LaRosa
Yeah.
Charlamagne tha God
You actually look normal. Normal compared to them. I'm just saying when I think about.
DJ Envy
I hear you.
Charlamagne tha God
Yeah, you look normal compared to them, but they look, like, unusually skinny.
DJ Envy
Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren LaRosa
And that's what I mean. Like 20, 25 people want to see people that look like them and that. Yeah, but. But is it because a lot of my friends that I that I talk to that are on weight loss journeys, they have, like, a body dysmorphia thing where they're never in a good place with themselves?
DJ Envy
Yes.
Lauren LaRosa
Did you experience that or do you deal with that sometimes?
DJ Envy
Yes. I actually didn't realize how much my body changed until I was filming the Love in Real Life music video. I was in shock. It shocked me because the way that I'm releasing weight has been a long, slow process. Like, people maybe not have seen me or been keeping up with me, but I've been posting about it, and I'm in a calorie deficit. So that's the one that sneaks up on you. If you're in a deficit for so long, it. Eventually you're just shedding, like, half a pound a week, you know, and then you look up and it's. If it's been 52 weeks, that adds up. So when I was filming Love in Real Life and they put the outfit on me and I seen the number size on the pants, I said, wait a minute, hold on. Like, there's not a two in front of the. That's supposed to be a two right there. Why is that a one? I was like, okay, something has happened. You've crossed the threshold. Your body has done the thing. So now it's about controlling that and making sure that it doesn't get out of control. Because my mind will keep going even though my body is like, hey, we're good. You know what I mean? Because when I look in the mirror, I still see me in 2023. I still see me at a heavier weight. And thank God I love myself, because that's fine. I think that People who really experience the body dysmorphia the most, they didn't like themselves at that size. And when they look in the mirror and they see that person, they get upset and it's not enough. And that's hard.
Lizzo
But you know, it's people with the opposite that they miss that weight because they were that weight for so long and it feels like that's not them anymore. Like they miss that person in that weight.
DJ Envy
I experienced that too. I'll say. This is gonna Only my big girls who have released some weight are gonna understand this. This. How do I say this?
Lizzo
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It'S your boy Bom Han and I'm bringing you something epic. Introducing the K Factor, the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K Pop. We're talking music reviews, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into the industry like never before. From producers and choreographers to idols and trainees, we're bringing you the real stories behind the music that you love. And yeah, we're here keeping it a hundred, discussing everything from comebacks and concepts to the mental health side of the business. Because K Pop isn't just a genre, it's a whole world and we're exploring every corner of it. And here's the best part. Fans get to call in, drop opinions, and even join us live at events. You never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K factor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
DJ Envy
Podcast?
Emily Tish Sussman
This isn't just a podcast. It's a movement.
DJ Envy
Are you ready?
Emily Tish Sussman
Let's go. Let's go.
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DJ Envy
You will never be able to change or grow through the thing that you refuse to identify. The thing that you refuse to say, hey, this is my mountain. This is the struggle. This is the thing that's in front of me. You can't make that mountain move without actually diving into that.
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DJ Envy
Because it's impossible for you to be the most authentic you. It's impossible for you to love you fully if all you're doing is living to please people. Your mountain is that.
Jess Hilarious
Listen to Made for this mountain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
DJ Envy
I felt. How do I say this without sounding crazy? Oh, here we go. When I was bigger, I felt skinny. I felt skinnier than I do now. When I was bigger I'm not gonna hold you. When I was in my string bikini and I was at my heaviest weight, I was like, skinny bitch. And that's when I realized, like, thin is a feeling. It's not a look. And so is fat. Fat is a feeling. Like, you ever been around somebody thin and she's, like, so fat. I feel so fat today because it's a feeling. It's not real. You know what I mean? Like, society tries to tell you that it's real, and the scale tries to tell you, but it's really how you feel on the inside. So I felt skinnier then than I do now. Maybe I'm told.
Charlamagne tha God
I think you gotta be both, though, because I get what you're saying. But if you're £300, you're £300. That's more than just right.
DJ Envy
No. And let's be real. Yes. Like, there is, like, a science behind it. Like, you know it. There is an aesthetic to it. But. But I also think that it. We've seen where Jessica Simpson had on mom jeans in 2005, and they were calling her fat, and she wasn't. So it gets misinterpreted and misconstrued all the time. There are objective truths. You know, there are people who are bigger, and I think that's fine. And, yeah, we fat. I like calling myself fat.
Charlamagne tha God
I think it's a race component, too, though, because if Jessica Simpson was black back then, you'd be like, damn, she thick.
DJ Envy
You know, you're absolutely right. But that's a whole other conversation. That's a TED Talk. We can get into. We can get into that. I do want to know the racialization of beauty standards and how it's racist.
Charlamagne tha God
Yeah, let's talk about it.
DJ Envy
Wait, what was your question gonna be, though?
Charlamagne tha God
Well, I was gonna ask you, you know, what parts of your identity did the industry try to monetize, or, dare I say, even exploit, before you even understood it yourself?
DJ Envy
Yeah, I didn't know. Cause, you know, I was being myself. And the industry is exploitative. That's its job. Its job is to. Because it's an industry. There's car industries. They're getting a product out there, and they'll exploit the workers to do that. You know what I mean? So for me, I don't look at it as a negative thing. I know that word is so crazy. But it's like I was being sold. I was being packaged, marketed, and sold for being myself. And that was a weird. That was a strange thing. I can't imagine people who have to fake their brand, because that would drive me insane. I would be like, yo, dude, I don't want to do this shit no more. I don't want to be happy. I don't want to play the flute. I don't want to be fat. You know what I mean? Like, but you said. When did I realize it? Yeah, damn. I think maybe even now. I think when I'm started to release weight, that's when I realized it, because I. I remember I was. I had. I was talking to my trainer at the time, and I was like, yeah, I want to just, like, intentionally, like, let go some weight, like, get a little bit smaller. And he was like, oh, I'm about to up your brand. And I was like, wait, what? I was like, what does that mean? And I had to think about that for a while. Like, and then. And that was when I was heavier and, you know, X amount of pounds down later, I saw the backlash. People were upset, and I was like, wait, what's happening?
Ebro Darden
Yeah.
DJ Envy
And that was what he was talking about. And two things are happening. The industry packaged and sold me and my fatness and my joy and all of that, and marketed it to people. People saw themselves in that. But they also were just like. I don't know. How do I say this? Being very respectful to my fans? Because when it changed, it was like, you aren't that person. You're a liar. You know, you lied. That wasn't real. I was so. Wasn't real. It's like, I got the package, I got the product, and then it was like, always, always works. And then it stopped working.
Charlamagne tha God
You know, like, if you. If you were so proud of it, why would you lose?
Lizzo
You changed on me.
DJ Envy
Right? And how do I say this?
Ebro Darden
But there are all kinds of issues, like, you know, like, health issues and things like that that can come along with obesity and things like being fat. And it's like, why can't I want to. You know, why can't I do this for y' all, Bring more awareness to that part of it. And then we go on this journey together. Y' all, my fans, y' all, you.
DJ Envy
Know, I'll say, the only way I was able to do what I've done and change my body was because I loved myself.
Ebro Darden
Yeah.
DJ Envy
I've never done anything healthy or positive to myself out of hatred. I've been smaller than this before, and I was starving myself. I wasn't eating. And I. And I was the most unhappy in my entire life, and I hated myself the most at my smallest. So you know what I mean? Like, I've also been heavier and I've hated some of that too. And I've also loved some of that. It's just like. It's just not one thing. There's like so much nuance. And it's like I'm a human being, you know what I mean? And I'm living in this body. You don't have to live in my body for the rest of your life. You have to live in yours. And people, I'll tell you one thing about me. I'm always on the right side of history. People gonna look back and understand because what I'm doing now, gosh, people gonna think I'm full of myself. But what I'm doing now is revolutionary. And it's pushing body positivity forward. Not because I've gotten smaller, but the way that I'm talking about my body changing. Because what people don't realize is in 2019, when I was talking about body positivity over the. Over 20, 20, 2021, I had gained 50 pounds. And I was talking about that experience and talking about body positivity and how I loved myself through it all. And now when I'm on the other end of that, I'm not changing my tune. And I think that would be fraudulent if I all of a sudden change my tune and say, aha. That. Yeah, I hated it. Haha. I hated being big. Gotcha. You got bamboozle, bitch. Run me like, no, like, like I'm going to be me through this entire process. And when people look back on this, they'll be like, yeah, yeah, she was right.
Charlamagne tha God
That's why I started the interview off talking about your mental health. And that's why I asked you the question about confidence in healing. Because, you know, people can talk all about the physical. The revolutionary thing about it to me is what you have done spiritually and mentally.
DJ Envy
Yes. Yeah. And it's a lot of work. And it's a lot of work. And that's why I can say I am the best version of myself right now. You know, there's people, like I said, like I said when I was younger and I had like, very disordered eating and I was like, really depressed and I was like, really hard on my body. I was very small. There's people who look back at old pictures of that time in their life when they were smaller, like, oh, God, I want to look like that again. Oh, that was. That was it, honey. If I could just go back to when I was 19. Yeah, I don't Want to go back to her?
Ebro Darden
Because how you felt.
DJ Envy
That might have been the worst version of myself. Sleeping in my car and, you know, going through it and running into violent and dangerous situations. No.
Ebro Darden
And not eating. Now, that's what.
DJ Envy
I don't understand.
Ebro Darden
The name Lizzo. Be eating because you wasn't eating before.
Lauren LaRosa
Baby.
DJ Envy
No. There's nothing cute about hurting yourself. There's nothing cute about harming yourself. There's nothing cute about. About starving yourself. Like, and. And now it's like, I am the best version of myself. Not because of how I look. Even though I may be heavier than I was and small, you know, or heavy. What am I trying to say? I'm heavier than I was when I was at my smallest, and I'm smaller than I was and when I was at my heaviest, but because I'm here. This is. This is. This is what makes me the best version of myself. And no matter how my body changes, I get pregnant, I have a baby, my body gonna get bigger, my body could get smaller. Who knows? This is what's together, you know what I mean? And this is the most important part. And that's the part that I hope to my younger fans and to people who follow me, they don't. They don't just see my body changing and me being happy. I hope they feel that it was mental work and it was emotional work, and no matter how my body changes, this is gonna be the most important thing to me.
Charlamagne tha God
Do you have real joy now? Cause it feels like you were being joyful as a form of. Of protest or maybe a survival tactic, maybe. So do you have real joy now?
DJ Envy
Yeah, I. I think that black joy in any form is resistance in this society, and I think it's radical in this society. I think seeing it from someone who looks like me is even more radical. And because of that, y' all don't see me 98% of the time. Like, y' all see me 2% of the time. And why would I be miserable when I'm doing what I love? When y' all see me, I'm doing what I love. I'm either on stage, I'm shooting a music video, I'm doing an interview. I'm actually genuinely happy to be here. Like, I like talking to y' all, you know, but then there's like a whole other 98% where I may be in a bad mood or I may be, you know, over it, or, you know, my stomach hurt. You know what I'm saying? Like, damn. Like, I'm a human being, but that part isn't shown to the world. But I do believe that my joy is still a form of resistance. Especially. Especially right now. You know what I mean? Where I mean, always we're in a system that doesn't want to see us joyful, you know what I mean? They police our joy so much. And I think that my mission, I think everybody has different missions, you know, to help us. But right now, my mission is how do I help people find a community that brings them joy? Because that's powerful.
Lauren LaRosa
I want to go back to the conversation that we almost got into about the black beauty standard and the difference with you being in the space that you're in. I remember it was a long time ago. Jillian Michaels, she came out and said something the weight loss lady. And people defended you so gravely because they felt like she wouldn't have said certain things if you weren't a black woman. It was. She talked about. She basically said, why are we defending her weight? It's not healthy. Is it going to be funny when she gets diabetes? And she just went down the list. And people were like, well, hey, you're bringing out all the things that happen to the black community more predominantly. So they thought it was a race thing. And that that conversation happens a lot around you when people try to attack you. People feel like if you weren't a black woman that was doing. I mean, yeah, if you weren't a black woman doing these things, you would have a little bit more grace or be propped up a bit more. Do you feel like that?
DJ Envy
You know whose voice I listen to the left when they have comments about me is celebrities. I really, I never. I don't care about other celebrities opinions on me. You know what I mean? It's interesting. Cause it's like I care more about what my fans say about me and think about me. That matters. I never hear these little trivial comments and I only hear the apologies, you know, But I will say somebody's health is none of your business. And I've always been on that. And it's like we only pretend to care about fat people's health so we could be fat phobic to them. It's, you know, being fat is the only acceptable form of bullying in our society. If you think about it, we're taught from kid from a young age to make fun of fat people. You watch TV and the fat dude, he's like, oh. And then he falls over trying to tie his shoe. And the kids are like, you know, and you laugh in front of your parents, your parents Laughing, too.
Charlamagne tha God
Oh, your mom was so fat. Jokes. Those are the first jokes.
DJ Envy
Yeah, but if it was anything else, your parents would be like, don't laugh at that. You know what I mean? So we are socialized to make fun of fat people. And I think that some people pretend to care about fat people's health to just make fun of them in a weird backwards ass way. I will say I have so many things to say about this, but a lot of people, and I'm not going to say this is not a blanket statement because I am actually terrible and I make a lot of blanket statements and the Internet gets in my ass for it. I'm going to say systemically, in America, the majority of fatness is due to things that are kind of out of your control. Our food system is abysmal. Our food system has so many invisible additives that have so much sugar and caloric density and toxins. And it is. It is. How do I say this without getting political? I don't want to sound like rfk, but, like, it's poisoning us. And in our communities, too, in black communities at a disproportionate level. There are food deserts in the only. The only. What's it called? What's. What's it called in the middle of a desert when it's, like, green? The only. Thank y' all. Come on, Smart man. The only oasis in the food desert is fast food, is snack food, is hot cheetos. It's red 40. So when I was a kid, I grew up in Houston, Texas. Hey, shout out to swat. I was in band rehearsal, and when I got thirsty, I drank Sprite. I would chug a Sprite and be like, oh, I'm so thirsty.
Lizzo
711 slush.
DJ Envy
Oh, my God. Hot Cheetos every day at lunch. And then our lunch. Yeah, baby, you're not gonna get a salad or a protein at school. At public school lunch, it was chicken tenders. It was cheese stuffed bread. Whatever that was. I don't know what the fuck that was. It was good.
Charlamagne tha God
It was good.
DJ Envy
And so, like, this is what. What we've been given. You know, a lot of people's fatness is genetic. You know what I'm saying? So it's like. And then there are people who, like, you know, we can tend to overeat and stuff like that. I'm not talking about that. I'm not making a blinking statement about it, but I'm like, a lot of it is out of our control factor.
Charlamagne tha God
In social media, too, because people aren't as active as they used to be. So back in the day, we play outside nowadays. People in the house, on the phone, social media, screaming, way more active.
DJ Envy
So it's like to sit up and just like, like, criticize somebody for being like, hey, this is how I look right now. And you know what? Despite all odds, I'm okay with that. That don't mean that I'm like, you know, being fat, is it Everyone should be fat. No, it's just like, damn, can a like herself right now? Yeah.
Ebro Darden
You don't have to be depressed because you're fat.
Charlamagne tha God
Right.
DJ Envy
And if my body changes, cool. If I get bigger, that's none of your fucking business. If I get smaller, that's none of your fucking business. But can I like myself right now so I can get through the day like, you think? If I sit and go, ugh, I hate myself. Let me just change and be skinny now. No, that's not how it works. So it's like, y' all want us to be miserable, but for what? Cause once I get small, you still not happy. So it's like, shut the fuck up. Disrespectfully, the people jumped on her.
Lizzo
I like that, period.
Lauren LaRosa
Just for fairness of the conversation, she did bust a U turn because the people jumping on her.
Lizzo
She said.
Lauren LaRosa
She said I should have separated her from the conversation. I just want to add that in there, but to your point, by the way. Exactly. I was about to say you called it, cuz.
DJ Envy
Never been pre diabetic. And this is not me flexing my health over nobody, but this is just me stating the facts. Don't ever put diabetes on me. I've never been pre diabetic. My father had type 2 diabetes, and it's like. And when he passed away, I had from a young age. He passed away when I was 19. 20, actually. Oh, my gosh, it was so long ago. But actually, I'm 22, so. But. But when that happened to him because he had hypertension and high blood pressure and type two from his eating habits. I have always been a healthy person. Even though I was physically larger, I was very conscious about what I put in my body. I was very active. I would post videos of me in the gym, running on a treadmill, lifting heavy weights. People would buy tickets to my show where I'm on stage for two hours, running back and forth, playing the flute, doing choreography, rapping and singing and emoting and not being out of breath. Like, I've always been a very active person. I've always been a very healthy person. Yeah, yeah. Never Been pre diabetic. Honey, mind your business. That's between me and my doctor. And I'll get her on the phone too. She love to talk.
Charlamagne tha God
She takes a sip of that sugary drink.
DJ Envy
No, no, no. I'm glad you said that. Calorie sugar go off. Tell them what this is a, this is a black coffee and then I put in half a vanilla protein shake.
Charlamagne tha God
Oh, okay.
DJ Envy
So actually there's no sugar in this. It's. It's cuz it's half of it. This is about 10 grams of protein and the coffee's black. There's no sugar in this at all, dope.
Lizzo
So shut up. Mind your business. Like I said.
Charlamagne tha God
I got one last question, cuz Lauren's stomach is over here growling. Crazy.
DJ Envy
I thought that was my phone vibrating. I hear it.
Lauren LaRosa
We went out last night and like I'm literally just coming down from all of last night.
DJ Envy
I went to Sister Kendrick. It was so good.
Lauren LaRosa
It's so bad. I'm over here holding my stomach.
Charlamagne tha God
Don't mention them hot Cheetos, boy. Start going crazy. But my last question, is there a version of Lizzo we haven't seen yet and are you afraid to show her?
DJ Envy
I'm not afraid, but I am protective. I think, I think protection can be fear based. Sometimes a lot of people, like a protective mother is like, oh, I'm afraid something might happen to my child. Let me be overly protective. So sometimes there's a, like if y' all saw how I really, you know, am sometimes, like when I'm working, I feel like people wouldn't understand. And it's like. Cause I'm a very hard worker. I actually am. Like ask anybody in this industry. They're like, like, she one of the hardest working. And I think the, because I'm fat, like the trope of oh, she lazy or whatever comes in and I get that put on me. And so people don't put me in the category of the hard working divas that we all know and love today. But I work very hard and I don't show that side because you get to just enjoy the show, you get to just enjoy the product. But, but though I work hard, I'm very kind to the people who I work with. I'm very measured, I'm very fair. But it gets real. It gets real. And that's why like that whole Dochi situation, I have to like, nobody knows what it feels like to be in a situation like that where it's so intense and it's your first met and you are trying to do your best. And it's like to judge black women for working hard. I don't like this new. This, this new. I don't know what it is, this new misconception or misperception of black women who are working hard for what they want, where it's getting demonized, you know what I mean? And what I also have been seeing is us as a community stand up for the black women who are in this field. Like, there's not a lot of us really at the top of this game. And it's like we really have to. Who work 7,000 times harder than our counterparts to get shit done. And we're working actively against a system of people, you know, and then the, the, the. The things that get projected on us, you know, the personalities that get projected on us like that. We have to overcome that too and subvert that. So it's like, yeah, I don't. You don't see the hard working side of me. But I gets busy. My hairstylist back there, like, bitch, me and my agent, like, when do you stop? I work with my other clients. I at least have a time to go get a cocktail. I've been working non stop since I got here. I've been doing radio interviews. I did the Met. I shot a music video after the Met that night and still managed to change my outfit and go to the after parties and turn up. Then I had radio the next morning. Then I turned up again. I had radio yesterday. I have a cover. I had a cover shoot yesterday. I got a cover shoot today. I'm out here working and came in.
Ebro Darden
Here with the best energy. You don't look tired. You didn't sound tired. We didn't know. I didn't know you were tired till you said it.
DJ Envy
You know, I got a show, I got two shows all in New York. And it's just like. Because I love this shit, I love to work, but I'm not gonna pull back the curtain and show. There's other artists who do that. Like Beyonce pulls back the curtain for us and we see her work ethic and I respect that and I love that. And I'm like, exactly. When I see how she works, when she put that black hoodie on, I'm like, exactly. Because that's how the. I get down too. Down to the lighting, down to the timing, down to the sounds and the sonics of the music. We put that work in and the. And we don't show y' all because you're gonna say, oh, she's a like black Women especially. Oh, she's a. So it's like we don't even want to show y' all because y' all are going to judge us, but we need. But I love when Beyonce does it because it puts respect on it. That's how we get down. So that part, I'm not gonna pull back the curtain because I already got enough allegations against me.
Charlamagne tha God
Let's go. Keep doing the work.
Lizzo
Let's get into her record, man. Let's get into her record. Let's get into it right now. New single. Still bad.
DJ Envy
Still bad. Which one you playing? You playing the disco funk version? No.
Ebro Darden
Which one you want us to play?
DJ Envy
I low key. Wish y' all could play bitch. Do y' all have bitch?
Charlamagne tha God
Give us bitch.
Lizzo
Can we get bitch?
Charlamagne tha God
Come on, Kev.
DJ Envy
All right.
Charlamagne tha God
We got bitch.
DJ Envy
All right.
Charlamagne tha God
Thank you. Thank you for the conversation. Keep doing the work, man. I love to see you glow up mind, body, and spirit.
DJ Envy
Thank you.
Charlamagne tha God
Blessings to you.
DJ Envy
Amen.
Lizzo
It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.
Charlamagne tha God
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Jess Hilarious
Hi, it's Emily Tish Sussman, host of the podcast she Pivots. In honor of Mother's Day, we have some very special guests. Yes, I'm Elaine Welteroff.
DJ Envy
And I'm Caitlin Murray.
Jess Hilarious
Both women pivoted out of their careers after having their kids, proving that motherhood is just another chapter in our journey, not the end. Come on over to hear their full stories. You can listen to she pivots on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
DJ Envy
Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. Arapahoe way, you gotta pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self love made me a better dad because I realized my worth.
Lizzo
Never stop being a dad.
DJ Envy
That's dedication. Find out more@fatherhood.gov brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human.
Lauren LaRosa
Services and the Ad Council.
Jess Hilarious
That's the fun part about being an artist, that you need to have the patience for finding your kids.
Lauren LaRosa
I'm Lagata, the culture's favorite reggaeton historian and mosicologa. On an episode of my show, the Reggaeton Colagata Podcast, I sit down with Bodie a Boriga tonera who's demanding her place in the male dominated music industry. That's the game.
DJ Envy
Like who stays and who leaves. You know.
Lauren LaRosa
Listen to Reggaeto cue Lagata on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow reggaeto Lagata and start listening on.
DJ Envy
The free iHeartradio app today.
Bom Han
Hey, I'm Dr. Maya Shankar.
DJ Envy
I host a podcast called A Slight Change of Plans that combines behavioral science and storytelling to help us navigate the.
Bom Han
Big changes in our lives.
DJ Envy
I get so choked up because I feel like your show and the conversations.
Jess Hilarious
Are what the world needs.
DJ Envy
Encouraging, empowering counter programming that acts like a lighthouse when the world feels dark. Listen to A Slight Change of plans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to an I Heart podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Lizzo On Self-Love, Weight Release, Industry Exploits, Streaming, New Music + More
Release Date: May 12, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, Jess Hilarious, and Lauren LaRosa
The episode opens with the dynamic hosts welcoming Lizzo to The Breakfast Club, setting the stage for a deep and engaging conversation. Charlamagne Tha God immediately acknowledges Lizzo's transformation, highlighting not just her physical changes but her mental and spiritual growth.
Lizzo delves into her fitness journey, emphasizing the importance of holistic well-being. She shares her diverse workout regimen, which includes Pilates, strength training, yoga sculpt, hiking, and even pickleball. Lizzo credits Pilates as a significant factor in her physical transformation, initially starting to alleviate back pain.
She also discusses the communal aspect of fitness, mentioning how practicing Pilates with her daughter enhanced the experience.
A significant portion of the discussion centers around Lizzo's mental and spiritual healing journey. She candidly talks about her struggles with negativity and toxicity in her life, leading her to a period of isolation that was crucial for her healing process.
Charlamagne reinforces this by emphasizing that radical self-love requires daily effort and is not a constant state.
The conversation shifts to the impact of social media and streaming on Lizzo's brand and personal life. Lizzo explains how streaming platforms like Twitch have allowed her to connect more authentically with her fans, offering a space where she can express her true self without the constraints of traditional media.
She shares her initial hesitation to dive into streaming but overcame it with the support of friends and positive interactions with her online community.
Lizzo opens up about a challenging period involving a lawsuit that significantly affected her mental health. She describes feeling isolated and fearful of negative perceptions, which exacerbated her anxiety and led to panic attacks upon returning from a trip to Japan.
This experience was pivotal, leading her to create her album Love in Real Life, which explores themes of real love and authentic connections beyond the superficiality of the internet.
A major theme of the interview is Lizzo's perspective on body image and body positivity. She discusses the complexities of her weight loss journey, addressing societal standards and the racial dimensions of beauty norms. Lizzo emphasizes that her journey is deeply personal and rooted in self-love rather than external validation.
Lizzo critiques the societal obsession with weight and highlights the systemic factors contributing to obesity, particularly within Black communities. She challenges the stereotypes and stigma associated with body size, advocating for a more nuanced understanding.
Lizzo discusses her upcoming album Love in Real Life, detailing the personal and emotional depth of the project. She shares insights into the creation process, the emotional weight of certain tracks, and her desire for the album to reflect her true self rather than just chart-topping singles.
She expresses pride in the album's cohesiveness and the authentic representation of her experiences, aiming to showcase her musical versatility beyond her well-known hits.
The interview touches on Lizzo's experiences with the music industry's exploitation, particularly how her identity was marketed without her initial awareness. She reflects on realizing the extent of this exploitation as she underwent her weight loss transformation and faced public backlash.
Lizzo underscores the importance of maintaining authenticity and protecting one's personal life from industry manipulation, advocating for genuine representation over manufactured images.
In the concluding segments, Lizzo emphasizes the importance of self-love and mental well-being, asserting that her journey has made her a better person both personally and professionally. She highlights the significance of Black joy as a form of resistance and expresses her commitment to fostering communities that prioritize genuine happiness.
The hosts commend Lizzo for her resilience and growth, celebrating her as a beacon of authenticity and empowerment.
Conclusion
This episode of The Breakfast Club offers a profound exploration of Lizzo's journey towards self-love, her navigation of the music industry's challenges, and her commitment to authenticity. Through candid discussions and heartfelt revelations, Lizzo shares invaluable insights into the complexities of personal transformation, the importance of mental and spiritual healing, and the ongoing struggle against societal stereotypes. Her narrative serves as an empowering testament to resilience and the enduring pursuit of genuine happiness.