The Breakfast Club: Interview with Shaka Senghor — Life’s “Hidden Prisons,” Freedom, Forgiveness, and More

Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Episode: INTERVIEW: Shaka Senghor Reveals Life's "Hidden Prisons", Finding Freedom, Forgiveness + More
Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, Jess Hilarious
Guest: Shaka Senghor

Episode Overview

This episode of The Breakfast Club features Shaka Senghor, author, activist, and mentor, discussing his latest book How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons. The conversation moves from his personal journey of transformation—spanning 19 years in prison and his rise as a community leader—into deeper explorations of “hidden prisons”: the emotional, psychological, and societal barriers that limit human potential. Shaka and the crew explore how to break free from mental constraints like self-doubt, grief, shame, and the need for external acceptance, and offer practical guidance for building resilience and authentic happiness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining “Hidden Prisons”

[03:09] Shaka Senghor:

• Hidden prisons are “the things that you don’t see that stand in the way of you living the best life for yourself,” including self-doubt, negative self-talk, anger, grief, and shame—especially those rooted in childhood.
• These are the barriers preventing people from reaching their full potential and showing up authentically.

2. The Glorification of "The Streets" & Hip-Hop Culture

[04:18] Shaka Senghor:

• Hip-hop culture often blurs the line between street life and artistry, convincing young people that street narratives are the only path to success.
• Quote: “We have to separate, like, what’s really the streets from, like, what’s music culture and these kids pretending to be street guys. Because it’s kind of ridiculous... If you’re making all this money in music, then why are you going backwards?”
• Most people in street life don't make real money—it’s often akin to working minimum wage—and legitimate enterprise offers more (and safer) opportunities.

3. Legality, Codes, and Personal Values

[07:22] Shaka Senghor:

• The idea of a “street code” is largely personal; when facing real consequences, personal values come to the forefront.
• Laws can criminalize communities, and many are swept up by association (especially under RICO laws).

4. The Irreplaceable Loss of Prison Time

[08:43] Shaka Senghor:

• Spending 19 years in prison, Shaka observed life passing by, losing connection with family. “You can’t replace those years... There’s nothing you can do to get that time back.”
• Quote: “At night, they’re wishing they would have made different life choices. So I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” [09:08]

5. Moving Beyond Past Mistakes

[10:22] DJ Envy → [10:37] Shaka Senghor:

• Many are held back by past mistakes, often by the system or by their own community.
• Shaka’s tool: journaling for self-awareness and clarity—“Here’s who I actually am, not who they say I am.”
• Quote: “Negative self-talk is one of the biggest self-imposed prisons... even successful people are doubting themselves or, you know, dealing with imposter syndrome.”

6. True Meaning of Freedom

[12:28] Shaka Senghor:

• Freedom is “complete agency and autonomy over my time and how I spend it and who I spend it with... I’m intentional about the way I live my life, unburdened by anything that doesn’t coincide with my core values.”
• Includes financial freedom (money works for you), love (showing up authentically), and social restoration after incarceration.
• Shaka reveals denial of his pardon by Michigan’s governor and how he processed that disappointment: “I had to go back to my own book... how do you navigate that disappointment, without it spiraling?” [15:08]

7. Mental vs. Physical Incarceration

[17:35] Shaka Senghor:

• He was “incarcerated before I was ever in a prison cell, mentally,” internalizing the dead-or-in-prison narrative.
• He became mentally free through journaling and self-examination while still behind bars.
• Many “free” people remain trapped by grief, shame, or inability to forgive.

8. The Power of Forgiveness

[19:45] Conversation on forgiveness freedom:

• Shaka received a letter from the man who shot him, forcing himself to practice forgiveness he preaches.
• Quote: “You aren’t your worst moment... That guy, whatever moment he was in when he shot me, I was in a similar moment when I shot somebody else.” [21:25]
• Forgiveness is healing, even if the other person never apologizes: “I have the wisdom now to understand that oftentimes people are operating out of a spirit of hurt that has nothing to do with me.” [22:23]
• Deep empathy comes from realizing people’s harmful actions often stem from unaddressed trauma.

9. Dealing with Public Judgment and Change

[28:22] Shaka Senghor:

• On being defined by a crime: “People can look at you and make a decision in a split second without actually really getting to know you.”
• He finds purpose pouring into others through prison work and mental health advocacy, balancing out negativity from public snap judgments.
• The importance of change: “Apology is fine, but it's the changed behavior that shows everything.” [31:35]

10. The Hidden Prison of Grief

[34:04] Discussion of grief as a hidden prison:

• Grief is “the toughest prison for anybody to get out,” particularly after violent loss.
• The approach: leaning into gratitude for the experiences and relationships rather than fixating on loss.
• Grief isn’t limited to death: job loss, friendship loss, and major life changes all apply.

11. Embracing Joy and Agency

[38:07] Shaka Senghor:

• Of the elements in his book (hope, composure, love, joy, success, fearlessness), he highlights joy as most critical—especially for Black men, who often don’t allow themselves that experience.
• Quote: “As a man, we don’t often give ourselves permission to fully give in to the idea that we can experience joy and happiness and that it doesn’t make you soft or weak or lame or whatever.” [38:17]
• He shares personal stories of deliberately seeking out joy and encouraging others to “be a joy hunter.”

12. Trauma and Negative Inputs

[41:34] Shaka Senghor:

• Trauma is a foundational cause of hidden prisons, but even negative inputs (like being told you “can’t”) shape self-doubt.
• Healing requires dealing with both “big trauma” and persistent negativity.

13. Breaking the Cycle for the Next Generation

[42:36] Shaka discusses giving away his book to prisons:

• Building healing spaces—book clubs, study groups—to facilitate conversations, especially inside prisons.
• The book is informed by the lack of voices who’ve lived this journey: “I didn’t see any book that was authored by somebody who really had lived the experience that I had lived. And so I was like, oh, it’s up to me to create that.”

14. The Desire for Acceptance

[44:38] Shaka Senghor:

• Wanting to be accepted is a powerful hidden prison—freedom comes from being whole within oneself, rather than seeking validation from others.

15. Lighthearted Moments & Notable Stories

• Shaka jokes about DJ Envy bringing security to Rikers: “Security Envy! He took security... It’s wild.” [45:13]
• Community events and the importance of addressing mental health for those returning from incarceration were discussed.
• Oprah’s impact was mentioned: “I wrote it down as a goal, ‘Oprah to read three of my books…’ and she invited me to her home multiple times and said that [I was] her greatest interview ever.” [47:42]

Memorable Quotes

• On hidden prisons:
  “We all have these hidden prisons... self doubt, negative self talk... anger, grief, shame, things from our childhood that really doesn't allow us to show up fully.” — Shaka Senghor [03:09]

• On street culture:
  “Most guys don’t make real money in the streets. Most guys are basically minimum wage, you know, workers. So if you’re making all this legitimate money in music, why would you try to intermingle that with this identity that's not real?” — Shaka Senghor [04:18]

• On time lost to prison:
  “You can’t replace those years you know, there's nothing you can do to get that time back.” — Shaka Senghor [08:43]

• On personal freedom:
  “Agency and autonomy over my time and how I spend it and who I spend it with... That's like the ultimate freedom.” — Shaka Senghor [12:28]

• On forgiveness:
  “You aren’t your worst moment... That guy, whatever moment he was in when he shot me, I was in a similar moment when I shot somebody else.” — Shaka Senghor [21:25]

• On experiencing joy:
  “As a man, we don’t often give ourselves permission to fully give in to the idea that we can experience joy and happiness... it's actually dope and amazing.” — Shaka Senghor [38:17]

Key Timestamps

• 03:09 – Shaka defines “hidden prisons”
• 04:18 – On the crossover of hip-hop and street culture
• 07:22 – Street codes and personal values
• 08:43 – The real cost of prison time
• 10:37 – Breaking free from self-doubt and negative self-talk
• 12:28 – What freedom looks like for Shaka
• 15:08 – Processing the denial of a governor’s pardon
• 17:35 – Becoming mentally free, even while incarcerated
• 19:45 – The necessity and process of forgiveness
• 22:23 – Choosing forgiveness even without apology
• 28:22 – Living with public judgment and being more than your worst mistake
• 34:04 – Grief as a hidden prison and the role of gratitude
• 38:07 – The importance of joy as an element of freedom
• 41:34 – Trauma’s foundational role in hidden prisons
• 42:36 – Healing spaces, book clubs, and supporting incarcerated people
• 44:38 – Acceptance as a hidden prison

Conclusion

Shaka Senghor’s interview is a powerful meditation on self-liberation, accountability, and resilience. He gives a unique blend of practical tools (like journaling, gratitude, and community) with hard-earned wisdom from personal transformation. His new book, How to Be Free, synthesizes these teachings in a framework meant to open “every hidden prison.” The discussion resonates with anyone seeking more agency, peace, and purpose, regardless of their past or present circumstances.

Charlamagne sums it up:
“For every hidden prison, there's a door. And this book is the key.” [48:41]