INTERVIEW: Michael Blake Talks Affordability In NYC, Housing Justice Plan, Cuomo's Corruption + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Episode featuring Michael Blake

Title: INTERVIEW: Michael Blake Talks Affordability In NYC, Housing Justice Plan, Cuomo's Corruption + More
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Release Date: June 17, 2025

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Introduction of Michael Blake
Timestamp: 02:29 – 04:36

The episode features Michael Blake, a mayoral candidate for New York City, as the special guest. Hosted by Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy, and Jess Hilarious, the discussion begins with Charlamagne introducing Michael Blake, highlighting his Bronx upbringing, education at Northwestern University, and his extensive experience, including working under Barack Obama in the White House. Michael shares personal insights about his family, community involvement, and his motivations for running for mayor.

Key Quote:
"I came back home because I wanted to help my people. Quite frankly, I wanted to show these young cats on the block that you can grow up on the block and still make it, go to the White House and come home." — Michael Blake [03:07]

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Affordability in New York City
Timestamp: 04:36 – 07:45

Michael and Charlamagne delve into the pressing issue of affordability in NYC. Michael emphasizes the need to end the use of credit scores in housing applications, arguing that they do not accurately reflect an individual's ability to pay rent consistently. He advocates for increasing income limits on housing applications based on local median incomes rather than broader county statistics.

Key Quotes:
"We have to have ending credit scores. Credit scores being used for housing applications. Doesn't make sense." — Michael Blake [04:40]
"You should be ranking Michael Blake first for mayor." — Michael Blake [06:10]

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Critique of Current Leadership: Mayor Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo
Timestamp: 06:10 – 13:21

The conversation shifts to a critique of current and former NYC leaders. Charlamagne criticizes Mayor Eric Adams for allegedly neglecting his duties and focuses on corruption under Andrew Cuomo's administration, including misconduct and ineffective handling of crises like COVID-19.

Key Quotes:
"He spent more time trying to stay out of jail than actually helping people." — Charlamagne Tha God [06:14]
"15,000 people died in Covid nursing homes because of policies he did." — Charlamagne Tha God [13:07]

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Public Safety and Police Funding
Timestamp: 13:21 – 17:36

Michael and Charlamagne discuss public safety, advocating for a shift from traditional policing to a model that incorporates mental health professionals. Michael proposes employing a thousand mental health professionals on the streets to address crises without relying solely on the NYPD. They also touch upon the importance of accountability through measures like police body cameras.

Key Quotes:
"We should have a thousand mental health professionals on subways and streets to help them immediately, as opposed to the NYPD." — Charlamagne Tha God [15:00]
"If someone is struggling, in need, right, help them." — Charlamagne Tha God [15:12]

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Housing Justice Plan: Eliminating Credit Scores and Increasing Income Limits
Timestamp: 22:07 – 29:56

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Michael's Housing Justice Plan. He elaborates on eliminating credit scores for housing applications, advocating instead for consistent rent payment histories and higher local median incomes to qualify for housing. This approach aims to make housing more accessible and prevent displacement, especially for minority communities.

Key Quotes:
"Eliminate credit scores for housing applications and assess, have you paid your rent or mortgage on time?" — Charlamagne Tha God [26:48]
"We need to build about 600,000 units to meet the current supply demand." — Michael Blake [30:27]

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Congestion Pricing and Public Transportation
Timestamp: 18:02 – 22:07

The topic of congestion pricing is addressed, with Michael critiquing its current implementation as ineffective and burdensome for everyday New Yorkers. He suggests exemptions for residents and public servants and emphasizes the need for better integration with public transportation systems.

Key Quotes:
"If someone is driving into the zone because they want to go to a show, that's their choice. But for those just trying to get by, it doesn't make sense." — Charlamagne Tha God [20:26]
"There's no way we can say in a $115 billion budget, we can't find what we got to pay for." — Michael Blake [17:40]

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Campaign Strategy and Endorsements
Timestamp: 07:45 – 10:14

Charlamagne discusses the strategy behind cross-endorsing candidates like Zoran Madani to consolidate support within the Democratic primary. They explain ranked-choice voting and how it empowers voters to rank multiple candidates, ensuring that Michael Blake remains a top contender.

Key Quotes:
"In New York City, you don't have to just vote for one person. You should actually rank five people." — Charlamagne Tha God [08:15]
"If you don't fill out the ballot, you're actually helping other cats." — Charlamagne Tha God [10:14]

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Relationship with Barack Obama and Leadership Advice
Timestamp: 33:14 – 38:34

Charlamagne shares anecdotes about Barack Obama’s mentorship, emphasizing the importance of clear messaging and providing voters with choices. Michael highlights Obama's influence on his campaign strategy, stressing consistency and clarity in policy proposals.

Key Quotes:
"Be very clear about why you're running and giving people choice and contrast." — Charlamagne Tha God [33:32]
"Consistency is what people can't stand about politics right now. They feel like you just say something and keep moving." — Charlamagne Tha God [37:53]

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Conclusion and Call to Action
Timestamp: 39:48 – 41:23

As the interview wraps up, Charlamagne urges listeners to vote for Michael Blake, highlighting his unique policies and genuine approach. He emphasizes the importance of ranking multiple candidates to ensure Michael’s victory and encourages listeners to support the campaign through donations and volunteer efforts.

Key Quotes:
"Michael Blake is the only candidate saying the truth around ending credit scores for housing applications. If you want someone who can change the game at all levels, I want to be your first choice." — Charlamagne Tha God [39:48]
"Fill out the ballot. Don't just rank me first. Fill out all five spots of your five choices." — Charlamagne Tha God [40:37]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

1. "We have to have ending credit scores. Credit scores being used for housing applications. Doesn't make sense." — Michael Blake [04:40]
2. "If someone is struggling, in need, right, help them." — Charlamagne Tha God [15:12]
3. "Be very clear about why you're running and giving people choice and contrast." — Charlamagne Tha God [33:32]
4. "Fill out the ballot. Don't just rank me first. Fill out all five spots of your five choices." — Charlamagne Tha God [40:37]

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Conclusion

This episode of The Breakfast Club provides an in-depth look into Michael Blake's mayoral campaign, focusing on critical issues such as affordability, housing justice, and public safety in New York City. Through a candid conversation, Blake outlines his policies and critiques of current leadership, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of his platform and vision for the future of NYC.

Transcript

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wake that ass up early in the morning.

[Michael Blake]

The Breakfast Club Morning everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess, Hilarious Charlamagne. Thguye we are the breakfast club. Lon LaRosa is here as well. We got a Special guest in the building. He's running for mayor of New York City. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Blake. Welcome, brother.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's good? What's going on, y' all?

[Michael Blake]

How you feeling?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, man. Another day above ground's a blessed day. We rocking right now.

[Michael Blake]

That's right. For people that don't know who you are and your background, give em a quick rundown of who Michael Blake is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Born and raised in The Bronx, New York Public Schools, K12, PS 79, 118. Deal with Clinton. Let me go. Step back. Full name is Michael Alexander Blake. So for the Jamaican, massive.

[Michael Blake]

As soon as you said Alexander, they knew exactly.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They really understand Bustamante vibes. They really understand what's going on out here right now. Everybody has a Winston Larrington or Dexter in their family right here. Right? Or Donovan. You know, grew up here. Left. Went to Northwestern, studied journalism. My mom, you know, blessings to my mom. 40 years she. She worked at a manufacturing plant, raised four boys. My dad, God rest his soul, he was the janitor, St. Barnabas. And after Northwestern, you know, life was changed forever when I was trained by this man named Barack Obama. Was one attending the yes we can program. They. They trained us on how to run races, went out to Michigan. We won races in Michigan and then rocked with them. You know, like, life was changed from there. I always joke I was the other black man in Iowa with him right there, right? And then after Iowa, seven more states. Went to the White House with him for two and a half years. Ran all his black outreach, minority business outreach. And then I came back home because I wanted to help my people. Quite frank. I wanted to show these young cats on the block that you can grow up on the block and still make it, go to the White House and come home. Came back home, was elected to the assembly for six years. My brothers keep a program for boys and young men of color. Prompt pay bill, raised the age. Khalif Browder was our constituent, but now it's about, you know, doing more. So I'm a husband, I'm a bonus father. Just having my first Father's Day as a bonus dad. So that's been a blessing right there. Much love to the fathers all here. I'm an Alpha, I'm a Mason, I'm a reverend. You know, we decided to do something special now.

[Michael Blake]

Why putting your hat into this New York City race?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think I'm the best one prepared right now. Like, the biggest thing people are facing is affordability. You know, New York is just. It's crazy expensive, right and at the end of the day, I got to full agreement right now. And if we want to be serious about changing the game when it comes to cost of living, then there's specific things we have to do. We have to have ending credit scores. Credit scores being used for housing applications. Doesn't make sense. You know, we need to increase income limits on these housing applications as well. We need a local median income, because area median income is not working. It doesn't make any sense that you have Westchester, Suffolk, and Rockland county in the calculation. That doesn't make sense at all. And then when we think about what's happening, I do believe you need to have someone who has White House, State House, and local experience. And I have all three, because we're watching the foolishness of Trump, and people are understandably scared every day, whether it be in New York or LA or anywhere in between. And so I jumped in because I want to show people, yes, you can have the next generation of black leadership. Yes, you can have someone who is qualified at all the levels. Yes, you can have someone who's actually focused on affordability in a very real way. And let's be clear. You got to talk about how you gonna pay for all this. And I said there should be a vacant apartment tax for people that are not living in New York City. We should, you know, focus on the NYPD. Excessive overtime. You got $1.4 billion in that. You know, we can do things to actually pay the bills and actually make sure we change the game at the same time. And that's why I say to folks, you know, if you're looking for the candidate who can do that, you should be ranking Michael Blake first for mayor.

[Jess Hilarious]

How did you feel about how Mayor Eric Adams ran New York?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, I mean, I wouldn't be running if I thought he was doing his job. I mean, he spent more time trying to stay out of jail than actually helping people.

[Michael Blake]

What do you think he did good, if anything? And what would you change immediately that you didn't like what he did?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, shit, how much time we have.

[Michael Blake]

We got a little bit of time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, look, I think. How many things can you change? I mean, you have a scenario where you had unconstitutional stop and frisk on the rise. You had a culture of corruption. You had a dynamic where they were trading dynamics when it comes to ICE raids. For him to, again, stay out of jail. That's not me saying. That's just the reality. You have one out of eight New York City public school students are homeless, costs are Going up. I mean, like, the list goes on and on. You know, I think that you have a scenario where there was great talent hired in. I think sometimes what happens is that the very select few who made a lot of mistakes cast a shadow on everything else. You know, but you can't ignore that. When you have a dynamic where people were getting promotions because of, you know, sex deals at NYPD and people getting paid off. That's nonsense. Right? And real talk, it makes it harder for all of us that are black that are trying to do some things, because you go in these conversations like, well, I'm not sure if the city's ready for the next thing. No, it is. We are not him. And if we want to talk through how do we do this differently, then you got to change the game on this.

[Michael Blake]

I got to ask you, what the hell is cross endorsing?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right?

[Michael Blake]

Because it came out today that you are cross endorsing Zoran Madani.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Michael Blake]

What the hell is that? That's kind of. It feels like, look, we go into battle together, but we gonna be friends while we do it. Like, what is crossing doors? You break it down.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, that's the vibes right there. So. All right, so 11 of us are Democrats running in the primary. 11 of us are Democrats running in the primary.

[Michael Blake]

Correct.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because we have ranked choice voting, which started four years ago.

[Michael Blake]

What is ranked choice voting? For people that don't know.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So in New York City, you don't have to. And you shouldn't just vote for one person. You should actually rank five people. So whoever is your first choice when you go to vote, which if that means if you vote an absentee or if you vote an early voting, early voting goes to the 22nd or if you wait till the 24th, your first choice, you should circle it. This is my first choice, your second choice, second choice all the way through. Because now the only way someone can win is, is if you get 50% plus 1 of votes. So whoever is the lowest vote getter in the first round gets knocked out. If Envy says, you know what, Michael Blake is my first choice, and then, you know, Raven Robinson is my second choice and Hannah's my third choice, Michael Blake gets knocked out, then Raven then gets the vote. So it actually gives the voter of New York more power. Because back in the day, if you only voted for one person and that person doesn't make it through a runoff, then you pretty much, you're done.

[Jess Hilarious]

Right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So what we're saying right here for in particular, when it comes to Zoron Zora and I talk about affordability the most, right. We're real clear on if we're serious about the. The number one issue that New York is talking about is that it is crazy expensive in the city. So who has the plans around that? And I've said, you know, I'm making it clear. I think Zoron is going to be my number two. You know, I'm ranking them as my number two. You know, grateful that he is cross endorsing us as well, because he's also making it clear we got a break from the corruption of Cuomo and we got to make it clear that you can address affordability. You can do both, right? So we gonna still figure out who's the rest of the ballot. You know, I think I'm pretty clear on. On the rest of that team because you have other great candidates. You know, Adrian Adams, you know, Zelda, Mari, Brad landed out here, you know, doing their thing. But I want to make it very clear to New York City, you should rank Michael Blake first, especially for all the folks out here are still trying to make their decisions. But then the cross endorsement is saying, I want you to know that there are other people on the team that I also want to make sure are on your ballot.

[Michael Blake]

Now question this devil advocate, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Talk to me.

[Michael Blake]

Why wouldn't they rank you number one? And you tell everybody to rank Eric Adams number two. I'll tell you why. If Zoron is your biggest competition, why would you rank him two and not rank somebody? That is really no competition. Number two, because it's easier to win. It's kind of like, you know, when you're playing basketball, right? I wanted the Knicks to play the paces.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I knew, come on, it's too soon.

[Michael Blake]

I didn't think the Pacers were going to rock them. I don't think nobody did. But you would want that because you feel like that would be an easier win.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, fair. So the 12 is not necessarily. You are trying to battle with that person. It's really making it clear to your voters that if I don't keep going, this is who I want you to make your next person got you, right? So, like, this is the allegiance that we want to see happen here. So when people are thinking through, okay, help me to understand this. And this happened last few days. You know, first debate we had, everybody Times, Post, Daily News said I won the debate. It was real clear that we handled the debate stage. Now you have a lot of folks that are coming through saying, okay, I'm now trying to decide who's my five. So I want everybody in the squad to understand if you are saying we can do this differently and you don't want to go back to Cuomo or you want something different, then you should rank me first. You should rank Michael Blake first. But then I need you to fill out the rest of the ballot, because if you don't, you actually helping other cats.

[Michael Blake]

Gotcha.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right? And that's the key right now and the reason why we keep drilling this home. I made a decision on who was most aligned with me on that issue.

[Michael Blake]

And why don't you like Cuomo? I mean, I've seen you taking shots at Cuomo in his past and all the things that he did. What's your major problem with Cuomo?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, 15,000 people died in Covid nursing homes because of policies he did for a book deal. You had 13 women who credibly said that he sexually assaulted them and had a toxic environment. You have a dynamic where he said shucking jive in 2008 and made it seem like it wasn't about Barack Obama. Barack Obama was the only black candidate that was real at that. In that scenario, he consistently is laying out all the bad things about other people and is actually not talking through what is good right here. Closed hospitals when it comes to addressing the mental health crisis. So, like, we don't need to go back to a name just because you recognize the name. It's now time to change the game. And so I'm saying to folks, here's the difference you have. He's saying that when I talk about public safety, I'm saying it should be a thousand mental health professionals instead of nypd, because NYPD will tell you they weren't trained on doing that. You want to help these kids? We should have civics, financial literacy, and mental health for every student before they graduate. You actually want to help people with their housing. Let's talk about what's going on with credit scores and income limits. And at the end of the day, Andrew Cuomo, who, real talk, wasn't even living in New York City for a minute. I mean, pretty much was in Westchester the whole time. Now is saying I should come back because he thinks he's the best option. Nah. And I think people gotta really ask themselves. Like, during COVID his policies were killing people. During COVID I was with World center feeding people. That's what people gotta be asking themselves.

[Michael Blake]

You're right. Now, you mentioned the police crime in New York City. It seems like it's on the rise right if you've been out and about, I think last week, two people got shot in Times Square, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, the numbers say otherwise, but the feeling is.

[Michael Blake]

The feeling is like. It feels horrible.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Michael Blake]

What would you do for crime? We had Zoran up here, and he says he wouldn't necessarily defund the police, but he said he would take some finances from the police and give it to different agencies and things like that. What would be your take on that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Number one thing we have to do. Anybody that's walking the block, whether if I'm in The Bronx at 3rd Avenue, 149, if I'm in Harlem at 125 and Lex, the mental health crisis is real, Correct. It's like a zombie land out here right now. And those cats need help. They don't need to be locked up. And so what I say to everyone, my main priority for public safety, we should have a thousand mental health professionals on subways and streets to help them immediately, as opposed to the nypd who is saying, we're not trained on this. I came with that number because a thousand is essentially the number for the National Guard that's been put out there. National Guard and more police standing there is actually not fixing anything. Right? And I want to be clear. I got much respect for those that serve in uniform, but if someone is struggling, in need, right, Help them. And they're telling you, we're not trained on this, right? So you do that. Then people feel safer to get on subways. They feel safer to go outside. And we gotta focus on involuntary commitment. When, you know, someone is clearly a threat to themselves, why we just let them be there? And so if you do that, then you can do two different things. You can have police with body cameras on, so there's actual accountability on both sides, right? And simultaneously, then you can have more cops that actually walk in the street and doing precision policing in neighborhoods that need the help. That's what folks need right now. And look, I'm that cat who had. I endured police brutality twice, right? Once in high school where a cop said, I went to deal with Clemson High School, once where a cop said that they heard me yelling at them while driving the other direction. I was like, okay, so we just. We just. We just looking to pick a fight right now, right? And then when I was an assemblyman, there was a fight that was happening. We de. Escalating the fight. They grabbed me, they tossed me against the gate. And another cop comes over and says, get off of him, get off of him. He's the assemblyman. And I said, what would happen if you wanted to recognize me?

[Jess Hilarious]

Right, Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Even still, I'm saying you need to have police out here, but it's gotta be smarter policing. Right. The last thing that has to happen, repeat offenders. Right. There's an underlying current. If we help people make and keep more money on the front end, then we're not talking about people shoplifting on the back end. Right. So if you do those steps, then you have more cops that come back on the force actually trying to do it the right way. I don't know any person that doesn't wanna get home, cop and community. And if we're serious about the fundamental issue around public safety, to me it is underlined around mental health.

[Jess Hilarious]

Well, what do you say to people? Because in sitting here talking to you, you explain what you mean when you say defund the police. And we understand that. But on face value, someone like a Cuomo, he shoots back at you guys with the fact that you say defund the police because the messaging is not interpreted the right way. How do y' all get around that in this race? Because people here defund the police and they don't understand what you just said to me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I remind them that in 2020, Andrew Cuomo said out of his mouth at a press conference that defund the police is a legitimate movement. Andrew Cuomo is hoping folks have amnesia. So I'm going to help remind them that Obamacare can help him with that. He gets real confused about things. So when we talk through it, there is no one out here saying eliminate the police department. Right. When they're using the phrase, it's about, how do you change the funding that's happening to focus on preventative measures, Violence, interruption, work, you know, life camp, Save our streets until freedom with Tamika. I mean, you got so many dope groups that are doing that work. That's what people are really trying to say. And at the end of the day, what we're talking through is everybody wants to be safe, Right. So we can keep talking about this random one liners or how do you actually fix this?

[Michael Blake]

You know, my thing has always been when we talk about budgets, Right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Michael Blake]

And people say defund the police or take money from the police, but I always feel like we find money for.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So many different things for everything that we want.

[Michael Blake]

If we want to start an agency where we have more mental health professionals on the street, why don't we pay for it? I just seen somebody spend 45 to 48 million dollars on a parade that only had five people out there. So if we can find all that, even with congestion pricing.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right.

[Michael Blake]

What are your thoughts on congestion pricing?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The intent. Congestion pricing is the right intent because at the end of the day, it was to reduce traffic and improve the environment. The implementation was clunky. Right. They didn't do that. Right. But at the end of the day, when we think about, from a budget perspective, a budget shows someone's values. There's no way we can say in $115 billion budget, we can't find what we got to pay for. And so when I'm talking through, yes, you can have that $1.4 billion excessive overtime at NYPD and put that towards the kids, yes, you can actually reclaim back the $2 billion of unclaimed fees and fines and actually help the community. We can do these things. And the reason why it's not happening is because the lack of leadership. Into the early question about Eric Adams, we gotta ourselves ask for four years, what was he doing on this? That's why we're all running, because it's not working. And so when I talk through, how do you make sure that you help nonprofits get funding up front so they're not waiting for reimbursements on the back end? What are you doing to make sure that our immigrants being protected? Because, yes, we gonna stay as a sanctuary city because that's the right thing to do. Yes, we're gonna put safe havens on our schools because we're gonna ban ICE from coming on in. You have to put that kind of money in place to actually help people. Because to the underlying piece, you got Trump. And you gotta worry about Medicaid cuts and Medicare cuts and all these things that are happening. And that's why when people are saying to me, all right, Michael Blake, why you? I'm seeing these other names. There's a lot of people out here. Why you? You gotta ask yourself, January 1st next year, who is best prepared to make sure we can actually battle against Trump, help our city, but also keep our focus on what we're doing around affordability and people of color.

[Michael Blake]

Now, you talk about congestion price, and you said it's a great idea, right? But. But executed horribly. My question to you is, I feel like we go for the money before we care about people's feelings. Right. People are scared to take the train, Right. They're scared to take the bus. And you even said that it seems like sometimes it's wild, wild west out there, right? So you're forcing me to take the train and the bus when I have to because I can't afford congestion pricing. But you're forcing me to get on the trains with sometimes mentally ill people and fighting for myself. But then also you're forcing me for a lot of these mom and pop businesses to close down because people can't afford to drive in anymore for a nice lunch. They can't afford to come in and conduct business in my spot anymore. So why do we do the congestion prices where it affects people and hurts people before we make sure that the ordinary people are the ones taken care of and are okay?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, look, well, when I'm on the train, that might be the only time I can listen to my music. So sometimes that's like that getaway you have right there. But, like, when we talk about what we have to do here, we too often are not thinking through the integration of life, right? It goes back to Covid. People would say, I want for everybody to be able to figure things out during COVID and have social distancing. Well, how does someone have social distancing when they have seven people living in their crib, right? Like, some of these things don't make sense. Hey, I want for these kids to be able to figure out remote learning, but they don't have a tablet and don't have WI fi, right? So to that same vibe we talked through around congestion pricing, these other policies, I'm trying to reverse engineer and say, let's think about how does it impact people, right? How do we think through that? If I'm making that turn on 60th, but there's no real ways to turn off before that, you're effectively forcing people to go into that zone and taxing them. That doesn't make sense. That doesn't seem right. I think there should be an exemption on people that live in these zones, and I think there should be an exemption on people that are public servants. Right, I agree. That just makes sense to me, right? If someone is coming in and they're like, yo, I'm driving into the zone because I want to go to a show, I want to get a meal, then that's. That's their choice, right? But for the cats that are like, I'm just trying to get by, that doesn't make sense at all. And a lot of the argument has been, well, we're making so much money from congestion pricing, so that makes it worthwhile. No, if people are struggling still, right? And so to me, I'm reimagining what this city can look like and trying to show people that you have a different option out here. And then if you actually want to show people, yes, we can't have an affordable city where we don't lose who we are as black and brown folk, then you have an option, and that's me.

[Michael Blake]

How can you eliminate credit scores for apartments and home ownership? Right. Sounds amazing, but I think you and I both know that anytime you go to fill out a loan, whether it's a housing loan, a bank loan, an apartment loan, the number one thing they check is credit score.

[Stacey Vanek Smith]

Who loves getting a great deal? Everybody, right? Well, it's that time of year when it's super easy to find great deals on all sorts of amazing things. That's right. Amazon prime day is coming. Four days of unbelievable bargains from July 8th to the 11th. And just like every year, there are deals in pretty much every category you can think of. I like reading, so I order a lot of books off Amazon. They are always sent to me in a very prompt manner and they always have discounts. So if you've been looking for a good read or you've been wanting to spruce up the house, Prime Day will have what you need. Looking for power tools? Prime Day has you covered if you want to get some toys for the kids. Prime Day. There are just so many deals that whatever you're into, you'll find it and save big. So if you've been thinking about grabbing something, anything, this is the time to do it. And Prime Day lasts four days this year, so that's more chances to save on everything you're looking for. Four days of deals on everything from clothes to appliances to just everything. The countdown is on. It's almost here. Shop Prime Day, July 8th to the 11th.

[Michael Blake]

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

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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

[Max Chavkin]

Camp Sheen, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a miracle solution. But behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children was a dark underworld of sinister secrets. Kids were being pushed to their physical and emotional limits as the family that owned Shane turned a blind eye. Nothing about that camp was right. It was really actually like a horror movie. In this eight episode series, we're unpacking and investigating stories of mistreatment and re examining the culture of fatphobia that enabled a flawed system to continue for so long. You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame one week early and totally ad free on iheart True Crime plus so don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.

[Hope Woodard]

Have you ever thought about going voiceover? I'm Hope Woodard, a comedian, creator and seeker of male validation. To most people, I'm the girl behind Voiceover, the movement that exploded in 2024. Voiceover is about understanding yourself outside of sex and relationships. It's more than personal, it's political, it's societal and at times it's far from what I originally intended it to be. These days I'm interested in expanding what it means to be voiceover to make it customizable for anyone who feels the need to explore their relationship to relationships. I'm talking to a lot of people who will help us think about how we love each other. It's a very, very normal experience experience to have times where a relationship is prioritizing other parts of that relationship that.

[Max Chavkin]

Aren'T being naked together.

[Hope Woodard]

How we love our family. I've spent a lifetime trying to get.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

My mother to love me, but the.

[Hope Woodard]

Price is too high and how we love ourselves.

[Max Chavkin]

Singleness is not a waiting room.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You are actually at the party right now.

[Hope Woodard]

Let me hear it. Listen to voiceover on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Michael Blake]

Podcasts two is is probably if you actually have a job and you're pay.

[Jess Hilarious]

Stuff and sometimes for good reasoning too just to see kind of like what your payment history is like and all that stuff like, as a. Like I get. Yeah, you answer the question first, and then I'll come back because I'm thinking about it out loud. Go ahead.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Credit scores is a recent thing that started in 1989. This is not something that was like, back in the day, we had many ways to assess how someone was able to pay their rent and their mortgage. The notion that a credit score, which could be impacted because you missed a phone bill, a credit card bill 20 years ago is more important than are you paying your rent consistently? Oh, I agree with you. It doesn't make any loss.

[Michael Blake]

You could have one bad month, and then it. As an entrepreneur, and it's a wrap. Anything, one bad month, somebody steals your. Anything happened one bad month, and your credit's down in the drain. And I think that's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And. And the reality is, I'm actually. Go back to one of your earlier questions. This is one of the things that Eric has done well that needs to be expanded upon. We're not assessing these credit scores on some of these HPD units right now in New York City. So it's not an argument that we can't do it. It's a choice. So, you know, transparently, I'm on the board of Ready Life, which is where. This is where I learned about it, chaired by, you know, Dr. Bernice King, led by Ashley Bell, where it was like, okay, let's use some common sense. What is the best way to determine if you can pay your rent or mortgage on time? Have you paid your rent, mortgage on time? That's more important than, did I do something? So to me, if we actually want to help more people have a chance, eliminate that completely across the board and then assess, okay, how do I help you? But then the second piece is, you have to do, we got to increase the income limits on these housing applications. Because what's happening right now is you either have to be really rich or poor enough to get access to a home, and then people getting boxed out. The reason why so many people are leaving the city, because housing and childcare. So to me, if there's anything that someone's trying to think through, what is the main policy I want to make happen? And credit scores, when it comes to housing applications, expand that out. You do that, which we know we can do because the city is doing it to a limited degree, increase the income limits, do that, and then have a local median income. That out the gate changes the game. And each of those three are happening in other places. The only reason why we're not doing Right now is lack of leadership. And if you're asking someone, yo, right now I'm struggling to pay these bills. I'm trying to figure out how to make this all happen, but my life is going to be impacted by something I forgot to pay 20 years ago. That's crazy.

[Michael Blake]

Or it could be something as small as, hey, my mother got sick and I had to use my money for the rent to help.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

To help somebody.

[Michael Blake]

I'll catch up next month.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thousand percent. Like, happens all the time. All the time. Like, you know what? Hey, landlord, you know, I don't, I, I don't have you on the first. I got you a little bit later. Because I do X, Y, and Z. And the other thing about credit scores that people think through is, like, you have different agencies creating different numbers. So again, that's just not fair and how this all works. And, and I want to show people if we're serious about having housing, which I do think we got to build about 600,000 units at least. Current numbers say it's about 540 just to hit the current supply demand. But for you to build the housing, you then got to make sure people actually could afford it when they get there.

[Jess Hilarious]

That was going to be my question to you. That's why I said, for sometimes good reasoning only, because I'm thinking like, all right, so you say we'll make it where these people can afford it. We'll give them better, like, money, better income, right? So then they're able to pay their bills and the credit raises, and then we'll have better, more housing for them. But a lot of times it feels like politicians will say things like that, but you can't do everything at once. So maybe you create more jobs for people with better pay rate. But then that middle point where they can't get. They not. They're not making enough money for certain places, but they're not broke enough to get into, or the income isn't low enough to get into.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Broken up. You stay there.

[Jess Hilarious]

Yeah. Okay, so you get what I'm saying? Like, you're in this place where it's like, I might be making more money, but. But I still don't qualify for these margins of like three or five times the rent. So I'm still struggling. So it's kind of like, as a landlord, you're looking at it like, well, I just got to do the best I can do by determining who I can let in here. So it's, it's like we always caught in this, like, circle of things. How do you know for a fact that you can do both at the same time if you get an office?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Well, first, I'm Jamaican, so I'm used to three jobs. So. So we, we regularly make it happen. Second, I'm not a normal politician. I've actually made things happen. I run small businesses right now. I helped get Barack Obama elected. I served in the White House. I saw how to make these things done, get these things done. And when I was in the assembly, every single year. And I'm gonna come back to the housing piece, but I think context is important. Every single year, we did something major that they said couldn't get done. My brothers keep a program. No other state in the country has that. There are black and brown boys right now going to school and graduating from school that did not have funding. We made that happen. Prompt pay bill so that businesses get paid in 15 days. State of 30 days, bipartisan bill. They said they couldn't make that happen. Raise the age. Kalief Browder was our constituent. New York and North Carolina were the last two states for 16, 17 years to be tried as adults. We changed that when they said that couldn't happen. So to the question of how we know right now that there are easy fixes that will help people be able to stay in their homes. And for all the black folk, brown folk, low income folk who are leaving New York City because of housing, fundamentally raising the income limits on these applications, which would be a huge help for our seniors as well, huge help for those that are disabled as well, so that it is actually proportional to your neighborhood, then you actually give someone a chance. The wilder thing is, and actually I'm going back and forth on the Eric, Good, bad, right? We voted on true cost of living, so we can actually understand what are the costs by your neighborhood. He hasn't implemented it. The reason why that's important is that you can understand not just housing costs, but groceries, you know, transportation, education. Because if you know all of that, then what we put in these applications is proportional to that number. What's going on in the South Bronx is not the same as South Shore Staten Island. What's going on in central Brooklyn is not the same as Southeast Queens. What's going on in East Harlem is not the same thing on what's going on Upper west side. And so we should base it upon that. And to do that, you need someone who's actually talking about it. And I'm the only one that's talking about that in that very real way and talking through how you make this happen. These are policy changes through legislation, this is administration changes through leadership, and then this is funding changes in the budget, full stop.

[Michael Blake]

What's your relationship with President Barack Obama now? How's your relationship?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Still my dude. You know, he's, man, consistently been a blessing to me.

[Michael Blake]

What's been his advice when he knows that you're running for this? Because he's faced some of the things that you facing now that he was far behind at one time. So what is his opinion to you?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Be very clear about why you're running and giving people choice and contrast. Right. You know that you can't just talk through big ideas. You got to make it clear to folks that there's a difference. Right? When we were in Iowa, thinking about this, here we were in Iowa, there was a point he was down like 30. He flew in, got everybody together, and he told this story about how he was at the St. Patrick's Day parade, running for U.S. senate, and he was the last entry in the parade. And so what that meant was that everybody was saying Barack Hussein, Osama, saying wild things. And, you know, they were a little drunk. So people saying wild things. Year later, same parade, he was the grand marshal, and he was like, if you put in that work and you make it clear around choice and contrast, then people will remember. And I always took that. And he stays with that. It's like when people voted for him, he said, I'm gonna end the war. I'm gonna get you health care, make it real clear on your big ideas. Then everyone can rock from that. And that's why I'm being consistent the same way when I talk through credit scores, when we talk through a thousand mental health professionals, when we talk through civics. Because when you have so many people in the race, if you don't give people that clear choice, then the easy thing is just pick a name you've seen before, right? And it stays with me. I mean, the screensaver that I have is when we brought them to the Bronx, we launched my brother's Keep alliance in the Bronx. And he would joke with me. He was trying to give me a shout out. I was trying to be cool. He said, yo, the president says your name. Stand up, get TV time. He still is in that same zone of follow the vision, make it clear, but make it clear about choice and contrast. And he's also showing us and telling me, like, be that messenger. You know, I don't know if we brought the signs, but there was a time when we were in the White House for a legislator Event dapped him up. He's about to walk by and he tells people, like, we would not be here without Michael Blake. And I'm forever grateful for what he did for me, and I'm gonna take that same kind of energy.

[Jess Hilarious]

He's also. I mean, everybody likes to criticize Obama, too, at the same time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Who's everybody there?

[Jess Hilarious]

There are people that criticize Obama. There's a lot of people that criticize Obama. But, I mean, not me personally, but I'm saying that we hear the criticism. So I'm asking you, is there things that he says, you know, just as a mentor almost, that I would advise you not like something he learned, that he would advise you to approach differently or not to do while on your run?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I mean, look, at the end of the day, you. You have to stay true to the numbers and how you organize, right? And it's. It's easy to get distracted by noise, and that could take you off your plan. And that kind of. To your point, you're gonna hear a lot of folks who are just like, yo, yo, why are you doing this? Right? Why are you doing this? Two, three weeks ago, I had people saying, why? Why are you even out here doing these things? And then by the end of that night and the next day, pretty much every publication said, I won the debate.

[Jess Hilarious]

Oh, when you came at Cuomo, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So it's like, you got to stay locked in, even in the midst of the noise.

[Jess Hilarious]

A lot of times with politicians, I feel like they don't speak straight to things, especially like Democrats. But so I learned about you or found out who you were, or I guess maybe you start paying attention more when the Cuomo thing happened. Because I like, even though not to be messy, but I just. Like, you were. You said what you meant. You said to him, the people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers, and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo. Right? And you said that straight shoot, straight shooter. Do you plan to still be that way as a mayor? Because a lot of times, once people are elected, they have to, like, step back and filter what they say and.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nah, I'm this who I am all day, every day, right? Whether it be in the family, you know, whether it be on the block, you know, you can't grow up on Crescent and Burnside and then go back on these kind of things. And I would say that whether it be on a debate or if I'm just talking to people at the restaurant. And I think one of the reasons why we've been successful in office is that people see that I'm consistent in what I'm doing. That's what folks can't stand about politics right now. They feel like, yo, y' all, to your point, you just say something, you just kind of keep it moving.

[Max Chavkin]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And you're not. You're not real about that. And it is easier to be consistent in who you are than trying to move around and shift by neighborhood. That's just not how I get down. And that's why I say to people, give me the chance right now. I tell folks, number two, in most of these polls, if it's not, Zoron is undecided. Right. You got a lot of time to still make a decision. And it feels like a lot of people are still trying to understand, well, who can I rock with in this moment? And I'm trying to show you you got a choice.

[Michael Blake]

Should undocumented immigrants be allowed to vote in local New York City elections?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Potentially for municipal ones itself? We got to figure out how this all gets incorporated collectively itself. Right? To that degree. Because there's a. It's a fascinating piece. Right. Because a green card holder is able to contribute to campaigns. All right. In New York City. So it's just like we got to figure out a way to make an equal balance across the board.

[Michael Blake]

Should regular. Should Rikers island be closed?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thousand percent reformed. Has to be closed. Why? It's an inhumane place. It's the second largest mental health facility in the country, only LA county being larger. You've got to find more ways. And most people there haven't even been convicted of anything. Just waiting. Right. And so if we actually reduce the population so that more people can actually be closer to their homes while they're waiting, and you can actually help the people who have the mental health concerns, then you can take the real steps of getting into the space where you can build borough based jails, which is what we actually need. Borough based jails makes much more sense than just sending people off to Rikers to sit there.

[Michael Blake]

Okay, well, get out there and vote for the last thing. Tell people why they should vote for Michael Blake.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Michael Blake is the only candidate saying the truth around ending credit scores for housing applications. Michael Blake's the only one that is out here saying that we need a thousand mental health professionals instead of nypd. Michael Blake's the only one that's saying civic, financial literacy and mental health for these kids. I'm the only one that was that truth teller on that stage. Not afraid of Trump, not afraid of Cuomo, not afraid of Any of the noise. If you want someone who has the ability to change the game at all levels. And you want the handsome Jamaican who actually comes from the Bronx right now, right? Who can talk about hip hop and talk about housing at the same time. I want to be your first choice. And if I'm not your first choice, I want to be your second choice. But most importantly, I want to be on your ballot. That's why Michael Blake should be your mayor.

[Michael Blake]

All right, well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, Michael Blake. Do your research. And if they want to donate to your campaign, how can they do that?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, man, much love on that. Go to the website Blake f o r n y c.com, blake4nyc.com you can sign up to donate. You can sign up to volunteer. We have offices all across the city. Our headquarters in the Bronx at 1 Bruckner Boulevard. But we have satellite officers on five boroughs. And just again, remember, everybody, fill out the ballot. Don't just rank me first. Fill out all five spots of your five choices. That makes it a point that your candidate is going to win.

[Jess Hilarious]

And tell them, don't message your donation money because you'll file a lawsuit.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yo, let me tell you something. I'm man, people play games. Play games and you know and find.

[Michael Blake]

Out and find out. There you have it.

[Jess Hilarious]

Play super games, win super prizes.

[Michael Blake]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thousand percent.

[Michael Blake]

That's Michael Blake. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Good luck.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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

[Max Chavkin]

This prime day, July 8th through the 11th, you can get a great deal on a new foot spa, transforming you into the queen of kickin it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wait, this has bubble jets?

[Hope Woodard]

Okay, shop great deals.

[Max Chavkin]

This prime day, July 8th through the 11th. Camp Shane, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids, promised extraordinary results. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children. Nothing about that camp was right. It was really actually like a horror movie. Enter Camp Shame, an eight part series examining the rise and fall of Camp Shayne and the culture that fueled its decades long success. You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame one week early and totally ad free on iheart. True crime plus, so don't wait. Head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today.

[Hope Woodard]

Have you ever thought about going voiceover? I'm Hope Woodard, a comedian, creator and seeker of male validation. I'm also the girl behind voiceover, the movement that exploded in 2024. You might hear that term and think it's about celibacy. But to me, voiceover is about understanding yourself outside of sex and relationships. It's flexible, it's customizable, and it's a personal process.

[Max Chavkin]

Singleness is not a waiting room. You are actually at the party right now.

[Hope Woodard]

Let me hear it. Listen to voiceover on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Max Chavkin]

A lot of times, big economic forces.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Show up in our lives in small ways.

[Max Chavkin]

Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. The price has gone up, so now I only buy one. Small but important ways, from tech billionaires to the bond market to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chavkin.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I'm Stacey Vanek Smith. So listen to everybody's business on the.

[Max Chavkin]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jess Hilarious]

This is an iHeart podcast.