INTERVIEW: Tika Sumpter Talks Sonic, Tyler Perry's Influence, Interracial Marriage + More

Summary

The Breakfast Club Podcast Summary
Episode: INTERVIEW: Tika Sumpter Talks Sonic, Tyler Perry's Influence, Interracial Marriage + More
Release Date: December 5, 2024

Hosts: DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Tika Sumpter

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Breakfast Club, hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God welcome actress and producer Tika Sumpter for an in-depth conversation. The discussion spans Tika's early life, her journey in the entertainment industry, her roles in major projects like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, her experiences working with Tyler Perry, and her perspectives on interracial marriage and parenting.

---

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Charlamagne Tha God (CDT):
"I didn't know your real name was Euphemia."
[03:07]

Tika Sumpter (TS):
"Yeah, it's Euphemia. It's a Greek goddess. She was a martyr, and my dad named me that. Euphemia, Latik, Sumter. But in school, I'd be like, just call me Tika."
[03:14-03:32]

Tika Sumpter shares the origin of her name, Euphemia Latik Sumter, and how it evolved to "Tika" during her school years for ease and confidence. Despite her father's intention behind the grand name, Tika felt disconnected from it during her youth but embraced it later in life.

TS:
"Building a career isn’t about a job. It’s about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations."
[05:09]

Tika discusses her initial foray into acting, inspired by her sisters' involvement in dance and her own love for cartoons. She took classes in New York and worked at a movie theater to support her passion, eventually landing roles that shifted her career trajectory.

---

Breakout Moments and Significant Roles

CDT:
"You played Michelle Obama a few years ago. How was that?"
[08:11]

Tika reflects on portraying Michelle Obama, emphasizing the project's focus on a fictionalized version of Michelle before her tenure as First Lady. This role allowed her to delve into the character's backstory without intersecting with the real Obama's narrative.

TS:
"It was a project very close to my heart. We sold it to Miramax, and it was about understanding who she was before becoming Michelle Obama."
[08:18-08:27]

CDT:
"Do y'all need to be seen?"
[13:06]

In discussing her role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Tika explains the evolution of the character interactions from animated cutouts to live-action puppet performances. She shares her excitement about working alongside talents like Jim Carrey, whom she admired since her childhood.

TS:
"I love it. My daughter saw it and now all her friends say, 'You're Sonic’s mom.'"
[10:18-11:42]

---

Working with Tyler Perry

DJ Envy (DJE):
"You've worked with Tyler Perry on a few projects. Was this the first time you were paid what you were worth?"
[18:56]

Tika expresses immense gratitude for Tyler Perry's support in her career. She recounts how Perry took on directing a project she co-wrote and produced, affirming her value in the industry.

TS:
"Tyler continues the process for me. I'm co-writing, producing, and starring in films that Amazon has picked up."
[19:16-19:24]

CDT:
"Tyler's a great dude. He deserves more credit."
[19:57]

Tika highlights Tyler Perry's dedication to empowering actors and ensuring they receive fair compensation, underscoring the positive impact Perry has had on her professional growth.

---

Interracial Marriage and Societal Perspectives

Tika opens up about her interracial marriage to Nick Muscarella, discussing the challenges and societal reactions they've faced. She emphasizes the importance of resilience and fostering open communication with her daughter about her family's dynamics.

TS:
"If you want your significant other to be with you, start by getting to know them first. Don’t push it away."
[32:53]

CDT:
"Would you tell a father of four black daughters who might be dating a white man to look to the right?"
[32:30]

Tika delves into the complexities of interracial relationships, addressing misconceptions and advocating for understanding and acceptance within the community. She shares anecdotes about how her family initially reacted and the importance of her mother's resilience.

TS:
"Teaching my daughter to express herself and stand up for herself is crucial. We homeschool her and focus on emotional intelligence."
[38:27-39:58]

---

Parenting and Emotional Intelligence

A significant portion of the conversation centers on Tika's approach to parenting. She discusses the balance between granting independence and ensuring safety, emphasizing emotional intelligence and open dialogue with her children.

TS:
"If you want your kid to have a voice, you’ve got to give them the tools to speak up for themselves."
[38:36-39:58]

Tika introduces her children's podcast, Adventures of Curiosity Cove, aimed at helping kids understand and manage their emotions through storytelling. She also mentions her upcoming children's book, I Got It from My Mama, which explores the dynamics of mirroring behaviors and the importance of accountability and apologies in parenting.

TS:
"I want to give my daughter the tools to express herself. We talk a lot about history and social emotions."
[39:02-40:26]

---

Upcoming Projects and Future Endeavors

Tika shares her excitement about new projects, including her children's podcast and book, which focus on enhancing emotional intelligence and breaking generational cycles of behavior.

TS:
"I created Adventures of Curiosity Cove to help kids with emotional intelligence through stories. My book, I Got It from My Mama, is about old school and new school parenting."
[40:08-42:08]

She encourages listeners to pre-order her book and highlights the importance of responsible parenting in fostering healthy emotional development in children.

---

Conclusion

In wrapping up the interview, Tika Sumpter reflects on the lessons learned from her journey, emphasizing resilience, emotional intelligence, and the importance of authentic relationships. Hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God commend her insights and express enthusiasm for her future projects.

TS:
"My word this year was 'Do not chase.' Focus on those who are moving toward you, not the ones you have to pursue."
[20:24]

CDT:
"Would you speak to your best friend the way you speak to yourself?"
[42:56]

TS:
"We need to talk to ourselves like we talk to our best friends. Be kind and supportive."
[43:53]

The episode concludes with a lighthearted exchange about integrating traditional and modern elements in personal and professional life, leaving listeners inspired by Tika Sumpter's candid and thoughtful perspectives.

---

Notable Quotes

• Tika Sumpter:
  "Building a career isn’t about a job. It’s about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations."
  [05:09]

• Charlamagne Tha God:
  "Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club."
  [02:41 & 46:04]

• Tika Sumpter:
  "If you want your kid to have a voice, you’ve got to give them the tools to speak up for themselves."
  [38:36]

• Tika Sumpter:
  "My word this year was 'Do not chase.' Focus on those who are moving toward you, not the ones you have to pursue."
  [20:24]

---

This episode offers a comprehensive look into Tika Sumpter's life, her professional achievements, personal challenges, and her proactive approach to parenting and community impact. Whether you're a fan of The Breakfast Club or interested in Tika's multifaceted journey, this episode provides valuable insights and inspiration.

Transcript

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[DJ Envy]

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[Tika Sumter]

Control of your career is empowering. Just don't tell my boss I said that. Building a career just isn't about a job. It's about creating a path that impacts our community and future generations. Whether you're starting out or making big moves, State Farm is here to support you with resources to help protect what you're working hard to achieve. They've got your back every step of the way because, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Kate Max]

Find out [e-mail] hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series the Running Interview show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run high on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tika Sumter]

Hey everyone, this is Courtney Thorne Smith, Laura Layton and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to still the place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Charlamagne tha God]

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

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious Charlamagne tha God. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yes, indeed.

[DJ Envy]

It's always Queens get the money when she's here. Ladies and gentlemen, Tika Sumka.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Welcome.

[Tika Sumter]

Thank you.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Good morning, TK how are you feeling?

[Tika Sumter]

I love your show. 1. And I'm happy to be back. I'm good. How are you guys?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Bless Black and Holly family.

[Justina Valentine]

Good, good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Happy to see you.

[Tika Sumter]

Good.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I didn't know your real name was Euphemia.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, it's Euphemia. It's a Greek goddess. She was a martyr, and my dad named me that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

So. So Latika. Latik is where they get Tika from.

[Tika Sumter]

Yes, Euphemia Latik. My grandma somehow figured out Tik. It's like a tiki bird. A black tiki bird in Florida. So Euphemia, Latik, Sumter. But sumter. But in school, I'd be like. They'd be like, oof. I'd be like, just, Tika. Just.

[DJ Envy]

You learn what?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Euphemia. Euphemism.

[Tika Sumter]

Euphemia.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Euphemia.

[Tika Sumter]

Well, I looked it up because I was like, what is that? And.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh.

[Tika Sumter]

And I met some, like, Greek people, and they were like, euphemia. That's Greek. And I was like, oh, okay, cool. And I looked it up, and I was like, oh. My dad kind of, you know, thought of me as this beautiful human being. He saw the future.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What'd that do for your confidence back then?

[Tika Sumter]

Nothing. Because I thought. I thought it was a terrible name, and it was too big for me. And I'm like, I don't know what this is. You. You know, you're in Queens, and you're like. And the teacher's like, oofa mia eukanuba. Like, you're like, oh, God, Just call me Tika. So it did nothing until now. Until, like, my older age.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It all worked out.

[DJ Envy]

That's right. And how'd you. How'd you get into acting? Coming from Queens? Like, what. What made. What was the acting bug?

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my gosh. It's crazy because you don't see anybody. I mean, my sisters actually were dancers, like, when they danced in videos back in the day, like, kid and Play, like, MC Light, all that stuff. So I, like, saw pictures. Like, I stole pictures from them and took them to school and was like, she's dating this person you know, or. But so I saw it from afar, but I didn't know that I can actually do it. Honestly. I used to love watching cartoons and things like that. I only knew I could do it when I went to Long island and I heard of this woman named Mariah Carey who's from Huntington, and I was like, oh, that's interesting. And so I started going on the lirr Long Island Railroad to New York and taking classes, but I didn't know that I can do it. I just saw the TV and I was like, this is a job. Like, you know, you don't know it until you can see somebody. Yeah. Or you see somebody else who's actually doing it, you know?

[DJ Envy]

And your parents believed back then because, I mean, they had to take you, right?

[Tika Sumter]

My parents. No, my mom didn't know what the hell I was doing.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Where did you think you was going?

[Tika Sumter]

Because I used to work at a movie theater, so I had my own money to do it and take classes. But, like, she. She trusted me. I was a very trusting child because my siblings made all the mistakes. And she was like, okay.

[Justina Valentine]

I mean, you, Euphemia, you got to live up to that girl. You gotta live up to that.

[Tika Sumter]

Exactly. And so I would go to New York and on the weekends take classes and. And it wasn't till I moved to New York to go to Marymount Manhattan College, I couldn't afford it. It was too expensive. I don't know why I chose a private college. Um, and I told my mom that I was leaving and I'm going to try acting. And she was like, what is. First of all, where's your 401k? Like, you know, I grew up in that kind of environment. My mom was a corrections officer at Rikers. So, you know, she's like, what's the plan? Yeah, because we don't know anybody who acts, who's making any money.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I love the fact, you know, I.

[Justina Valentine]

Was going to ask you, when do you feel like you like your breakout moment? When do you feel like you actually made it that role?

[Tika Sumter]

I feel like there are many different breakout moments for different people. Right. And I remember quitting my job in New York. I worked at a private members club, and I was just done. Like, I was done with people being inconsiderate and entitled and talking to me sideways. I literally walked out, like, just. I didn't tell anybody. I just left. And I'm like, crying down the street, New York moment. And the lady's like, are you okay? I'm like, I'm fine.

[Charlamagne tha God]

In New York, somebody actually stopped to see if he was okay.

[Tika Sumter]

It was a white lady.

[DJ Envy]

It must have looked real bad. You must've looked that bad. He was like, something's wrong with her.

[Justina Valentine]

Damn.

[Tika Sumter]

It was some white lady. She was like, are you okay? And I was like, I'll be okay. You know, and, you know, I auditioned for this show called One Life to Live at the time, and I, you know, my ex at the time was like, look, how about you go for your dream? This is the first time I've ever felt like I've had, like, a fall. Somebody to fall back on. And he. I was like, go for my dream. He's like, yeah, I'll take care of everything. You go for your dream. But that only lasted a week. Cause then I'm like, damn.

[Justina Valentine]

I was like, oh, I can take.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Care of you for one week. That's all we got.

[Tika Sumter]

One week.

[Charlamagne tha God]

After that, back to reality.

[Tika Sumter]

No, no, it only lasted a week. Cause I booked a job.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, you booked a job. Okay, okay, okay. Oh, my God.

[DJ Envy]

You down for seven days.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Damn.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, you know. Yeah. So I booked One Life to Live, and after that, I never had to, like, waitress or do any of those things ever again.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I love that you worked at a movie theater for, you know, because I. You know, when you think back on your life, you look at all of these different moments that kind of gave you signs. Did that give you a sign back then?

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, it was the closest thing I had to, like, what I wanted my reality to be. And so, yeah, I worked at a movie theater for a while. It was United Artists. It's not in. It's no longer around. But I would get my mom some free movies. I give her free candy and popcorn and all that stuff. So, yeah, it was one of those things where I was. That was the closest I ever got to what I wanted to be.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah, I know. That's right.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You played Michelle Obama a few years ago.

[Tika Sumter]

I did. I did.

[Charlamagne tha God]

How was that? Did you get to pick her brain at all?

[Tika Sumter]

I didn't. I didn't. We got the okay to do it because, you know, we definitely didn't want to step on it anybody's toes. But it was just from the point of view of, you know, before she became Michelle, you know, like their first date. And so it was something that I produced and we took to Sundance and we sold it to Miramax at the time, and, you know, it worked out. And my friend Richard Taney wrote the script, and I got to work with my friend Parker Sawyer. So it was. It was really fun to do, and I feel that project, like, was very close to my heart.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Did it come out before or after becoming her book?

[Tika Sumter]

I don't remember. Way after. Before.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Before. Before.

[Tika Sumter]

Before.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Before you didn't have nothing to work on.

[Tika Sumter]

Well, yeah, he had. He had wrote his books already, but she also. Her brother wrote a book. Okay. So I got to, like, understand the inside of who she was before she became the Michelle Obama, you know? And so that was more fun for me because I wasn't trying to replicate who she is now. I had to kind of get an idea of who she was before that. Right. And she was his boss. So their first date was definitely, like, you know, it was. It was walking the line.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You get canceled for that today.

[Tika Sumter]

Well, where else do you meet your person?

[DJ Envy]

Not your boss, though. Can't date your boss. Why you out of here in the workplace? Oh, human resources.

[Tika Sumter]

All day long.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Maybe because it's a double standard. Maybe it's different when it's a woman and a guy.

[Tika Sumter]

I just feel like, where do you meet your significant other nowadays?

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

Like, nobody goes to bars.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm with you.

[DJ Envy]

Nowadays, it's the toughest thing. Like, you can't. I'm not gonna say you're not allowed to because you don't watch the Human resource video that they make you watch every week.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You got somebody to do it for you.

[Justina Valentine]

And I met my man in the bar. I did meet my guy in the bar. Yes.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, I met guys in bars.

[Justina Valentine]

Right.

[Tika Sumter]

That's when you used to go out.

[Justina Valentine]

Right?

[Tika Sumter]

You know, but yeah, most of it was at work, so. For me, too.

[DJ Envy]

Now, tell us about the Sonic the Hedgehog and was that third installment. Because you're not. It's. Well, it is a person, but it's not a person. It's animation.

[Tika Sumter]

So, yeah, I mean, it's incredible what they do and how they make them look. The first one was just like a tennis ball. I was, like, connecting with the second, Sonic 2. It was these huge 3D cutouts of, like, me talk. Us talking to Sonic and Tails and all that stuff. And then the third one was, like, these huge puppeteers who actually had, like, talking to us as their voice, as Idris and Keanu and whoever else. And so, yeah, it grew as the budget grew.

[Justina Valentine]

In the same room, or is it, like. Is it individually?

[Tika Sumter]

No, they're in the same room. Okay. They're in the same room. Not, Not. Not the voiceover part. Like, they do their part separately. Like Ben Schwartz, who does Sonic and all that stuff, they do it in a booth, but for us to make it real, they bring these, like, puppeteers, and like, we're like, I love you, Sonic. Or Knuckles is like, I don't understand, you know, that kind of thing. And so, yeah, we get to, like, act across from real actors. And.

[DJ Envy]

Do you like it?

[Tika Sumter]

I love it.

[DJ Envy]

Sounds weird, like talking to a Muppet. And. I know, but one time you're talking to a tennis ball.

[Tika Sumter]

I know, but it's like using your imagination, right? Like, the closest thing to creativity is play. So, I mean, that's what you get. I got to do it. And I feel like I'm the coolest mom ever, because my daughter, who's 8, is like. She saw, like, a. She saw it, and she's like, thank you so much, Mom. And then all her friends were like, you're Sonic's mom. So I feel like I have different street cred.

[Charlamagne tha God]

She's eight now.

[Tika Sumter]

She's eight years old.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Time is not playing with none of.

[Tika Sumter]

Not at all. With or without you with or without you with or without you now, when.

[DJ Envy]

They first booked you for that, did you. What made you say, I want to do this? Because it's totally different than what you've done before. What made you want to do that?

[Tika Sumter]

Well, honestly, they asked me to come read at, like, a huge Paramount table, reading all the executives. Everybody was there, and I was like, do y'all. Y'all want me to come read with you guys? That's awesome. And so then they offered me the job. I wanted to do it because I wanted to do something that my daughter can actually watch. Like, I feel like everything I do is, like, she can't really watch it. So. Yeah.

[Justina Valentine]

How is it working with Jim Carrey? Oh, My God, he's Dr. Robotnik.

[Tika Sumter]

Yes.

[Justina Valentine]

How is.

[Tika Sumter]

Which.

[Justina Valentine]

Nobody else could play that role better.

[Tika Sumter]

And he plays two roles in this. He plays his own grandfather and then his. The grandson. And so he's. First of all, I grew up watching him on In Living Color.

[Justina Valentine]

Yes, same.

[Tika Sumter]

And so to see somebody who you look up to for so long. The first one, I was like, oh, my God, Jim Carrey. And he's like, all right, let's. Let's talk about the script and, like, all the things. And what do you think about this and help, like, write this joke? And I was like, what, me? You know, I can't help with anything you write that, you know? But it was really cool that he kind of embraced us and he's just super normal now. It's like, oh, That's Jim, you know, I love. Yeah, it was awesome. It was awesome. A dream come true.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I wonder when you have, you know, yourself and then you have stars of that magnitude like Keanu and Jim, do they need to be seen? Clearly not. Right? Do y'all need to be seen?

[Tika Sumter]

What do you mean? In what way?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Like, as far as, like, being on the screen. Like, it's your voices, but it's not. Y'all act, you know.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, them. Yeah. I mean, you see Jim on the screen, you see what he does. I think with Keanu and Idris, you know, their voices, so you don't have to. People are excited that it's Keanu and Idris, you know, and. But also, you know, the characters that they're playing are super iconic, so it's like. Like, they, you know, it's great that we have them. We love them, but also, like, the characters are. The gamers are like, we're down for the ride.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But do you tell people it's you? Like, if somebody be like, oh, I love that character. You be like, you know, that's me.

[Tika Sumter]

But you see me.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I'm not.

[Tika Sumter]

I'm not. No. I'm not a cartoon.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I ain't never seen it. Cause you was talking like you was a voice actor, so. I never seen. No, no.

[Tika Sumter]

I'm talking to, like, the character on screen. Like, Sonic and Tails and Knuckles. It was a program. Not.

[Justina Valentine]

He the only one that's not real.

[Tika Sumter]

Not real. I'm real.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Who, Sonic? Yeah, and Knuckles.

[DJ Envy]

He knew Sonic wasn't real.

[Justina Valentine]

You knew.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I know. Sonic and Knuckles not real.

[Justina Valentine]

Okay. Oh, you just thought the whole movie.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I thought the whole thing was animation.

[Justina Valentine]

Okay.

[Tika Sumter]

No, no, no. It's live action. Like, they're, you know, James Morrison and me and, you know, other people are real. Jim Carrey is real. Yeah. So Ben Schwartz. Ben Schwartz is the.

[DJ Envy]

You just confused the hell out of him right now.

[Tika Sumter]

I know.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He was like, no, I did. I never got into the Sonic thing. Actually, what caught me was the trailer for Knuckles one time, but that was on tv.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah. That was a series. Yeah, yeah, that was a series. I had.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Knuck if youf Buck in the.

[Tika Sumter]

Tissue. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Now, you was talking earlier that your mom just allowed you to go, right?

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Now, is your son or daughter?

[Tika Sumter]

Daughter.

[DJ Envy]

Is your daughter get older? Would you let her just go and say, go ahead? Nope.

[Tika Sumter]

These days, I mean, it's hard. I do. Like, we went, like, camping one, and she's like, I just want to go camping. We did. We went camping.

[DJ Envy]

The Queens is out of you now.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What's wrong with camping?

[Tika Sumter]

But we went to, like, auto camp. It was like a glamping.

[DJ Envy]

Okay, all right.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah. It's like, in a community, she's like, I want to walk over. She's very independent. I think it's really important to allow your child to have some access to independence, because I feel like. Or you can be kind of clobbering them and, like, you know, I feel like I used to when I was in Queens. I would go down the block until the lights turn, and it was like, tika, come home. And I just felt like I. That's how you learn. That's how you learn how to fight for yourself. I remember getting jumped by my two friends.

[Charlamagne tha God]

They weren't your friends.

[Tika Sumter]

They're like, tika, come over here. I'm like, what?

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hold on. You got hit with the. Come outside. We not gonna jump you.

[Justina Valentine]

And she went away.

[Tika Sumter]

Little chica's, like, coming to. Going to somebody's house. The girls are like, y'all gonna fight?

[Justina Valentine]

What?

[DJ Envy]

What did you do?

[Tika Sumter]

I didn't do. I am. I was a very sweet child. I did not do anything. I think they just wanted to. I don't know why they wanted to fight me. Wow.

[DJ Envy]

Did you win or lose?

[Charlamagne tha God]

I got jumped.

[Tika Sumter]

Let me tell you, my adrenaline. When they told me the girl, I wish I could say her name, because I remember that's how impacted.

[DJ Envy]

You remember her name?

[Tika Sumter]

I remember everybody's name. And I was like, I'm gonna fight her. And she was big.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Big, like, big back or like Diesel?

[Tika Sumter]

Big back.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Big back. Okay.

[DJ Envy]

Big back.

[Tika Sumter]

And I was like, my adrenaline shot to my, like, heart. And I remember taking her hand. There was a thorn bush, swinging her, throwing her in the thorn bush. And she being like, I don't want to fight you. I was like, what? Like, it was a weird. It was like I was in a dream, and I don't know where the power came from. I'm like, was it an angel? Because it was not me. It couldn't.

[Justina Valentine]

Euphemia.

[Tika Sumter]

It was Euphemia.

[Justina Valentine]

Oh, yes.

[Tika Sumter]

You know? Yeah. And. And I. I. I walked away alive.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I thought you said you gotta jump.

[Tika Sumter]

Well, they were all around me, so it was like a. It was a setup. More of a setup.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But they didn't actually.

[Tika Sumter]

They didn't jump me.

[DJ Envy]

They were about to throw the girl.

[Tika Sumter]

In the storm one on one. But the other, my friends were around me, and I was like, I don't understand.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's smart, though. You took the biggest one out First. So once they see that, everybody else.

[DJ Envy]

You tell your daughter those stories?

[Tika Sumter]

She asked me the other day. She asked me the other day. She's like, have you ever fought a big back?

[Charlamagne tha God]

No.

[Tika Sumter]

She did ask me the other day, mom, have you ever been drunk? And I was like, what, is she watching? No, because my daughter asks all the questions, right. I'm just open with my child. I really am. And not in a way where it's like inappropriate, but like, I was drinking a beer at home one night and we were talking. She's like, have you ever been drunk? And I was like. My husband's like, yes, she has. And he tells her the story and she's like, wow, we want to know.

[DJ Envy]

The story now when we're seeking drunk.

[Tika Sumter]

I've been drunk many times. You don't want to know. That was my past life.

[Charlamagne tha God]

It's funny though, because you talk about how you came up, but it's like, yo, we can't do that with our kids nowadays. I don't feel comfortable just letting my kids just go out in Rome.

[Tika Sumter]

I mean, you know that lady who got arrested for letting her 10 year old walk? He was walking to the store. Yeah, he's 10.

[DJ Envy]

And that was in the south too.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What happened?

[Tika Sumter]

He walked.

[DJ Envy]

Nothing. He walked nothing.

[Tika Sumter]

He walked to the store and they came to arrest her to say he was in. Somebody called the cops, he was in danger. And you know, most states have that law. There's like only four that don't.

[Justina Valentine]

Like, I didn't even know that that was a law.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, it's like in child endangerment or something like that. But like, I'm like, you can't even let your child walk to a store. Which is crazy.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's why parents should be in jail, basically.

[Tika Sumter]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

I done went to the bodega so many times.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh my gosh. And asked for credit.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Gone all day until the streetlights come on.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

[Justina Valentine]

Now, you worked with Tyler Parry on a few projects?

[Tika Sumter]

I did.

[Justina Valentine]

And I noticed that, you know, a lot of actors that work with him say that that was the first time that they ever got paid what they were worth. Was that the same for you?

[Tika Sumter]

I'm lucky in this industry, like for the jobs that I have had. I've been paid very well and he has continued the process for me. And so I feel super grateful because even now, like I brought a. I was trying to get a project made for five years and I had it with different production companies and I co wrote something with a friend of mine who's A writer on P. Valley. And I brought it to him and within days he calls me. He's like, I'll direct it. This is the first time he's ever directed something that he didn't write. And he's like, you. You produce it for, like, you really go out and produce it, which I love. He's like, so I'm co writing, producing and starring in a film that Amazon Sisters in Italy. And Amazon bought it, and so we're finishing it in Italy in April. So. And he said yes in June. July. We started in September.

[Justina Valentine]

Congratulations.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Tyler's a great dude, man. You don't get. I don't think he really gets the flowers or the credit that he. He. He deserves.

[Tika Sumter]

I think he gets it and he gets it from the people that matter to him. You know, I think, you know, there's obviously a group of people who don't like what he does, but you don't have to watch it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You said something very important. You said the people that matter to him. If more of us can embrace that, like, just caring about the opinions of people that actually matter to us and don't care about the opinions of the people who don't matter us, that's it.

[Tika Sumter]

That's it. My word this year was like, do not chase my words. I'm not going to chase after anything that is not for me or nor am I going to chase people that I'm like, begging you to come see me. Because there are so many people who see me and love what I do and follow what I do and say it every day, you know, when I'm in the airport or whatever, and I'm like, oh, my God. So just go after the people who are going after you. That's it.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

I mean, you're not going to get everybody and you're not going to always get the, you know, the Oscar. People who deem that important. Do, you know, remember the time at the Oscars where they went on the street to everyday people and they're like, do you know this movie? Do you know this movie? They're like, no, Nope, nope, nope. Most people don't know those movies. You know, not that they don't matter, but the masses go and look at other. A lot of things that YouTubers do, other people do. And so, you know, not that they can't live in the same world, but that's not all that matters.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's why I don't get mad when I'm watching the Oscars and like, let's say Angela Bassett doesn't win for. Was it Black Panther 2? I didn't see the other movies, so.

[Tika Sumter]

I don't know if she got right. You can't. You can't have this voice of like, well, they deserve. It's like, well, did you see everything else, too? You know, although she does. I mean, I think what's love Got to do it. It got robbed. But again, I don't even know the other movies that were on there.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Me neither.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I just said the same thing that said she got around for that one.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That was too much. She did too much of a great. Who could do better than this?

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my God.

[Justina Valentine]

Powerhouse.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my God. For sure.

[Justina Valentine]

So speaking of going after people who go for you, you met your man, your husband, on the set of the have and have nots. Who approached who.

[Tika Sumter]

Honestly? I did.

[DJ Envy]

You shot your shot?

[Tika Sumter]

I shot my shot, which I usually do in my life anyway. But he was just making me laugh, and it was a long day, and I honestly. I said, I will not date any more actors. Like, I was like, no more. I'm done. I'm finished. And then I gave him my number, and I was like, call me, like, if you guys go out. And he didn't. And he's like, no, there's no way you're not married. And I was like, no, there is a way. And so, yeah, we went out one night, and then that was history.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Was he really making you laugh or you just thought he was cute, so you just.

[Tika Sumter]

I thought he was cute. I thought he was cute, and then I was like, you know what? No, that's when I was like, I'm not doing this. And then he really did. He's my. He's really funny. Like, dry humor. And I love to laugh. And so that was. That's actually what really did attract.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Why'd you say you're not doing this, though?

[Justina Valentine]

Like, yeah, that's what.

[DJ Envy]

I was not doing it anymore.

[Tika Sumter]

I've dated. I'm a quiet dater, and I love that about my life. I keep things very close to the chest. And I've dated enough people in our industry where I'm like, I'm good. You know Drake? No, no, no, no, no, no. You know what?

[DJ Envy]

He was awesome. Drake.

[Charlamagne tha God]

On your mind all the time.

[Tika Sumter]

I didn't date Drake, but I hosted a show when I first came up called Best Friends Date, and he was on it. He was like the celebrity guy on it. And his. I called him Aubrey during that time, so that's probably why.

[Justina Valentine]

Oh, okay.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Did you date Drake?

[Tika Sumter]

No, No, I did not.

[DJ Envy]

When you Google it, it pops up.

[Tika Sumter]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

And then you look on the screen, it says right here, it's like, she allegedly dated Drake.

[Tika Sumter]

No, no, no.

[Justina Valentine]

Allegedly was the most important word.

[Tika Sumter]

That's why I try to start trouble.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah, yeah. Was it insulting when he said, I can't. You're not married or. No way you're not married?

[Tika Sumter]

No, it was like a. It was a thing of, like, nobody, like, you know, nobody asked you yet. Like, how could you be single? It was that there's no way. There's no way you're single. Right. You know I was having fun, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I was single.

[Justina Valentine]

The previous actors that you had dated, were you working with them? Is this. Was Nick the first person that you were working with that you actually dated? No.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay, this is why. This is why you said that earlier. That would make sense.

[DJ Envy]

That would make sense at the bar. That would make sense. Now it makes sense.

[Justina Valentine]

Did the other people on set peep that? Like, okay, Tika and Nick over there doing something.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my gosh, dude, I.

[Charlamagne tha God]

The holidays are here, and it's that time of year to think about, yes, gifts, but not only gifts. It's the guests, the party planning, and the true meaning of the season. Spending time with family and friends. We know it's a lot, but we're here to ease your mind and share some tips, so we'll make it through together. With the season getting underway, now is the time to shop early for amazing holiday deals at Amazon. Amazon has a wide selection for all your holiday needs. The reason I love this so much is because it is the holidays, and there's things that I've had family members and friends ask me for throughout the year that I simply would not give them the money to get. But I will get them the actual items. So whether it's laptops, hair steamers, dining sets, makeup, better wigs for Lauren La Rosa, whatever it is they need, Amazon got it. And please remember, you can find the best holiday gifts on Amazon. Shop great deals now on Amazon and visit Amazon.com black effect podcast for my favorite picks.

[DJ Envy]

What does it feel like to get the new iPhone 16 Pro with ATT? Next up, anytime. It's like when you first pick up those tongs and you're now the one running the grill. It's indescribable, like something you've never felt before. All the mouthwatering anticipation of new possibilities, whether it's making a perfect cheeseburger or treating your family to a grilled baked potato, which you know will forever change the way you look at potatoes with att. Next up Anytime you can feel this way again and again. Learn how to get the new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence on AT&T and the latest iPhone Everywhere with AT&Ts next up anytime ATT Connecting changes everything. Apple intelligence coming fall 2024 with Siri and device language to set US English. Some features and languages will be coming over the next year. $0 offer may be not available on future iPhones. Next up Anytime feature may be discontinued at any time, subject to change additional fees. Terms and restrictions apply. See att.com iPhone for details.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

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[DJ Envy]

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[Nissan Advertiser]

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[State Farm Advertiser]

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[Tika Sumter]

Well, you know, during. You know, you're in your dressing rooms, not anything crazy. Right, right, right, right. He. He had my makeup on. Well, Tyler has, like, a strict. Like, you do, don't mess up my stuff over here. Right. Because if y'all don't get along, my show must go on.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Tika Sumter]

And so he went downstairs to go on set, and his nose was brown. And Tyler's like, what black girl you been kissing? And he's like. He's like, he knows. He literally knows. And I was like, oh, my God. And then he came, he called me. He's like, what are you doing? What's happening? I was like, oh, you know, I don't know. We don't know. It's just hanging out.

[Justina Valentine]

Tyler Perry said we ain't got no blackface scenes.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah.

[Justina Valentine]

What's going on? What you doing there?

[Tika Sumter]

It's crazy.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

He called Tyler.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What's Shady Stains? What the hell? Okay.

[Tika Sumter]

It's crazy. When I. When I got pregnant, nobody knew that I was pregnant. I get a phone call. Tyler calls me. Are you pregnant? I was not even showing nothing. I just found out, like. Like, literally, like, I was probably two months pregnant or a month. So I was something early.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Early.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

He called me. He's like, are you pregnant? Something in my spirit is saying that.

[DJ Envy]

Jesus.

[Tika Sumter]

I was like. And my mom didn't even know. Nobody knew except me and Nick. It's crazy. So I did confirm it.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Was that the movie with Tiffany?

[Tika Sumter]

That was with Tiffany. Okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So who was that with? No, I don't. My timelines are.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah, I'm sorry. No.

[Tika Sumter]

You have a child. You're like, you know, it's like all.

[Justina Valentine]

Of it just running.

[Tika Sumter]

7, 6, 8. I don't know. It was. It was in the beginning, though.

[Justina Valentine]

So, yeah, you know, Dr. Umar, I just want to know if, you know, is he here?

[Tika Sumter]

I would love to hug him.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You and Nick watch Dr. How does Nick feel about that?

[Tika Sumter]

First of all, Nick loves you. He brought your book. He brought your book. And Dr. Umar. I don't think he know. I know Dr. Umar. I love Dr. Umar.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah, me too.

[Tika Sumter]

I think. Look, I understand empowerment to our community. It's not like I haven't come from. I have a black mom, a black dad. I have black siblings. I have a black child. Like, I have a lot of blackness in my life. I give back. I'm creating things for black people. So I'm like, I don't know what he wants me to do. And also.

[Justina Valentine]

Why can't your ancestors.

[Tika Sumter]

I don't know what he wants me to do. So I'll give to his school. Like, what do you want?

[Justina Valentine]

Tell me, is that. Is it coming out of your money or that white man's money that you.

[Tika Sumter]

I'm like, it's all green, you know?

[Charlamagne tha God]

So when is the first time you heard a Dr. Umar video and you was like, what the. Cause you gotta feel away when you first hear it.

[Tika Sumter]

I'm so interested in. I am so interested when I hear people are like, black people need to keep it black. You know? Like, it's like all, like, I'm always interested because I understand. I understand, like, a communal sense. I understand. I've dated many black men. And I get it. It's like, it's.

[Diet Coke Advertiser]

It's.

[Tika Sumter]

It's a great thing. But I feel like one. I know he would say, I'm like, people. Can't. People fall in love with who they fall in love with? But also, the percentage of black women to black men, there's way more of us. There's not one for. And there are people. Most black men are married to black women. And so. But also, there's a lot of single black women who are. The numbers don't match. It's just like, there's not enough of y'all. Where else are they supposed to go to? Who else? So, like, figure that out, doctor.

[DJ Envy]

So what do you tell a father of four black daughters that possibly might be dating a white boy? What would you tell that father? Look to the right.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

None of my daughters.

[Tika Sumter]

Do they go to private school? No. Okay.

[Justina Valentine]

They go to all white schools.

[DJ Envy]

What would you tell that black man?

[Tika Sumter]

I mean, I would say, look, the first thing I did ask Nick, I'm like, have you dated anybody other than black people? Because I'm not your fetish. You know what I mean? Like, you gotta.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, he might just have great taste.

[Tika Sumter]

He does.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Okay.

[Tika Sumter]

And so he Does. I would just. I mean, you know, if this person's a good person, just first of all, start there. Is he kind? Is he. You know, have him over, get to know him. Don't push it away. Like it's not gonna happen. Because it probably will.

[Justina Valentine]

Because then your daughter will rebel.

[Tika Sumter]

Rebel. Like, bring it in. Bring Dr. Umar to your house. But as much when you push it away, that's when it's gonna happen.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

Don't put. Just bring it in and allow your kids to talk to you. You know, she sees the amazing black man you are. It doesn't mean that she doesn't value that. It's just you like who you like at the moment, and it's moments in time.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I wonder if those other brothers you were dealing with stepped up. Did they ever. Did they ever? Because it seemed like Nick from the beginning knew, like.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, he knew.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, he knew.

[Charlamagne tha God]

When you making statements like, I can't believe you're not married. That's what's already on your mind.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my God.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I want you to be my wife.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my God. Yeah. I mean, I think people are. I mean, you. You are where you are in life. You're either ready for more or you're not. And I used to say. I say to women all the time, if you don't know where you stand, you stand nowhere at all, you know, with somebody. And so I knew. And you're either afraid to ask the question or you're like, where are we? If you don't. If you're asking that, you don't. You know where you are.

[Justina Valentine]

That's right. Nowhere.

[Tika Sumter]

And so, you know, and some people are ready, and then some people are not. And. And I was ready when I met Nick, and so. And so was he.

[Charlamagne tha God]

But the mother brothers weren't ready when they were dating you.

[Tika Sumter]

They weren't ready. And that's okay, though.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Cause they lost.

[Tika Sumter]

That's okay.

[Justina Valentine]

It was because Nick got you. Nick proposed to you with a peloton bike. How true is that?

[DJ Envy]

On a peloton bike.

[Charlamagne tha God]

No, no, no.

[DJ Envy]

He brought one.

[Justina Valentine]

Let our talent.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, no, he bought. He actually, he proposed when I had the baby. Because we already did all the things like we had. The people always think, like, it took us a while to get married because that was my choice. People are like, he ain't marrying. See that white man? You know, I'm like, that's not even it. It's me. We got together, I got pregnant, we bought a house. Like, there was so many things happening. I was like, slow, Down. Okay.

[Charlamagne tha God]

He was keeping it black. I like it.

[Tika Sumter]

I was. That those men who weren't ready for me.

[Justina Valentine]

That's right.

[Tika Sumter]

I was like, this is too much. Yeah. And then we. He proposed on Christmas, like, around Christmas. He put the. The ring under my daughter and told me to pick her up. And he had a note and he was down on. And I was like, are you sure? Like, I was like, I'm a lot. He's like, I am positive. I was like, okay, cool.

[Justina Valentine]

So where did the peloton bike come in at?

[Tika Sumter]

He just bought me a Peloton bike.

[Justina Valentine]

Okay. Because I've seen a lot. Like, he proposed with a bike.

[Tika Sumter]

He scavenger hunts during Christmas. And like, he hides stuff and put. You know, he does all. He's thoughtful.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

And where. I'm like, what do you want for Christmas? You know, he's very thoughtful.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You got a very black name if it's Tika something. James.

[Tika Sumter]

No, it's Euphemia Sumter.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, so it's no James.

[Tika Sumter]

No, it's his. His name is Nicholas Muscarella. I have the longest name. It doesn't even fit on, like, most of my. When I travel, they're like, the name doesn't fit.

[DJ Envy]

Definitely not on test. When you were a kid, what did your family think when they first met him? And what did they think? Because they're from Queens. I know family back then. Parents back then were a little racist.

[Tika Sumter]

No. Well, my mom. My dad passed away when I was 13, unfortunately. And my mom remarried a white guy, actually. And so when she first brought him, I never saw, like. I was like, what the hell is this?

[DJ Envy]

That's what you said.

[Tika Sumter]

I was scared. I didn't know. I was around black people all the time. And I was like, who is this? Like, I didn't understand. He'd be like, you want to go get ice cream? I'm like, what? You're scaring me.

[Justina Valentine]

You throw me in the back of the police car.

[Tika Sumter]

I didn't know. So my mom was fine with it. My mom got a divorce and she went back and she married a black man who's amazing, and they're in a great relationship.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I saw Dr. Umar frown and smile.

[Tika Sumter]

She said, so your mama dated white.

[Justina Valentine]

And you dated white?

[Tika Sumter]

It's like, no, Dr. Umar. She went back. So she was fine with it. We were fine with it. I mean, it's nobody that, you know. I think everybody was like, you know what? You know, what is this? And is he serious? And what does he want? And all that stuff. But yeah, they were. They were definitely supportive.

[Charlamagne tha God]

This might be a stupid question, but is there anything you learned on Mixed dish that you bring into your life now?

[Tika Sumter]

You know, I try not to bring any baggage that I've had onto my daughter because her experience is going to be so different than mine in a lot of different ways. Like, I'll. I'll be. We homeschool our daughter now. We took her out of our private school, and she. We read more than ever. We do more math than ever, but we've been reading these civil rights. You know, actually Nick reads them to her, and she's like, I love History Mom. And she's like, how could somebody not let people sit where they want to sit? And one day she came home when she was in school. She's like, mom, you know Martin Luther King Jr. Right? I was like, yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

She's like, no, she think you know him.

[Tika Sumter]

Yeah, one day she know you do know him, right? Like, she's like, that man who shot him looked like dad.

[Justina Valentine]

Damn right.

[DJ Envy]

Damn.

[Justina Valentine]

I was like, well, calm down.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Calm down.

[Tika Sumter]

She's like, he looked like dad. Well.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Oh, man.

[Tika Sumter]

You know, kids say the darnest thing.

[DJ Envy]

Jesus Christ. Damn.

[Justina Valentine]

How did y'all explain it to her? Like, what?

[Tika Sumter]

I was like, you know, I was like, people were crazy. I was like. And, yeah, I mean, that's what happened. And we talked to our child how we want to give her. For me, I remember, you know, you grew up like, you know, kids aren't meant to talk or just sit there and be quiet. But I think for me, what I struggled with was not understanding my own emotions as I got older, not being able to communicate with a guy and tell him what I actually want, because I'm like. Like, what do I feel? What do I feel? And I want my daughter to be able to express herself. And so I don't think she talks back to me. She just asks a lot of questions, and she's like, well, I need to understand why this is the way it is or all the things. And so I'm giving her the tools to be able to speak up for herself. And you want. You say you want your kid to have a voice, then you got to give them a voice to have. And so that's how I feel with my daughter. So we talk about a lot.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I love that we're just having that conversation earlier about emotions, because, you know, they love to say women are more emotional than men, which I don't believe. And I believe if you are a man that doesn't know how to, you know, properly express your emotions. There's work you can go do on yourself.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my God. For sure. And that's what I mean. I. I started Adventures of Curiosity Cove, which is a kids podcast that maybe. Well, your health is. Your. Your not.

[Justina Valentine]

Your son is 12.

[Tika Sumter]

He's 12, so he wouldn't. But it's about emotional intelligence, and it's about. We created all these stories for kids because Ella used to be like, tell us this. Tell me a story. Tell me a story. And now she's like, can you put on my podcast while she's in the bath? And. But it's these stories that, like, help kids.

[Justina Valentine]

She is living the damn life. Why she in the tub? Can you cut on my.

[Tika Sumter]

Yes, I know. That's right. Yes, yes, yes, she is. And she, you know, it's these stories that. For kids that help them with understanding social emotional intelligence. And so I'm excited about that.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Well, make sure.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Hold on. She got a children's book coming out, too, called I Got it from My Mama.

[Tika Sumter]

I got it.

[DJ Envy]

I got it from my mama.

[Tika Sumter]

I got it from My mama. Yeah. Comes out next year around Mom's Day. Mother's Day. And you can pre order it now. But it's really about the idea of, like, old school parenting mixed with new school parenting and when gentle parenting is not so gentle. And so it's this idea of, like, this little girl being like, I got this from my mama. I got this. And it shows all these things. Like, I love how she does her hair. And I try and she sprays this perfume, and then I spray my dream. She. All these things she's gotten from her mom. Her mom one day snaps at her, and she goes to school, and she ends up snapping at somebody like her mom. And her mom is basically like, where'd you get that from? And she's like, I got it from you, mama. And so it's the idea of mirroring what we see, and it's okay as long as you repair it. And so the mom basically takes responsibility and apologizes to her child for snapping. And I think for me, like, even to this day, my mom did something to my daughter. And she's like, I ain't apologizing. And I'm like, mom, it's okay. It doesn't take anything from you to just apologize, like, because you're teaching your child.

[Charlamagne tha God]

That's right.

[Justina Valentine]

What behavior?

[Tika Sumter]

Behavior. You know what I mean? Like, when you're all, I'm not apologizing. You're a kid. They're growing up thinking they don't need to apologize. You're. It's a cycle of, you know, chaos.

[Justina Valentine]

You have to break that.

[Tika Sumter]

Yes. And so for me, it's me. It's. It's the understanding of newness and. And what that means in parenting. And so it's called I Got it from My Mama. So I hope you pre order it.

[Justina Valentine]

Definitely gonna pre order that.

[Charlamagne tha God]

What's the greatest piece of advice you got for your mom?

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, man, I don't know if I got the advice, but I saw the advice, and my mom is super resilient, and I see her. I saw her struggle a lot, and she never gave up. She knew she had mouths to feed, and she knew that she had to work really hard. And so for me, I feel like the biggest thing a kid could have is resilience. Because if you have that, I feel like you really can. You're not so easy to give up on everything, you know? And I think nowadays, even for my own daughter, teaching her, like, girl, no, you're gonna do this. We made her stand piano when she didn't want to do it, and now she's like. She goes downstairs by herself and she just plays the piano and all that stuff. And I'm like, no, you gotta follow through. And so for me, it's never giving up. Like, my mom never gave up on us, and she never gave up on herself.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I saw you post this on Instagram once, and I thought it was good. You said, would you speak to your best friend the way you speak to yourself?

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, my gosh. I feel like. And. And I'm. I'm guilty of this. Like, the way we. We're so hard on ourselves nowadays and especially, like, the hustle culture and, like, you know, Jess is doing this and Envy's doing that, and you're. You have all these pod, like, you're doing. We look at all these people and thinking, I'm not doing enough or I'm not enough or I'm not smart enough to do what they do. Or it's like, do what you do and speak to yourself. You. I would never just. If we were best friends, I wouldn't be like, you know, I wouldn't be mean to you. Right. Or if you were talking about yourself crazy, I'd be like, are you crazy? You're. You're bomb. You're amazing. And then we go home and we're, like, beating ourselves up daily, and it's like, you just. You're literally whipping your own self.

[Justina Valentine]

Yeah.

[Tika Sumter]

You know, into a Frenzy. And so I just feel like, talk to yourself how you would talk to your best friend.

[Charlamagne tha God]

I got a home girl named Rachel. She would like, if she heard me talking crazy about myself, she'd be like, don't talk to my friend like that.

[Tika Sumter]

That's right. That's right. I. With Rachel.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Yep.

[Tika Sumter]

Rachel and Dr. Umar.

[Nissan Advertiser]

I know.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Nick, start doing some research. Be like, what you mean you agree with Dr. Umar?

[Tika Sumter]

No, he would probably be like, I'd love to have a conversation with him.

[Justina Valentine]

The first question Dr. Umar gonna have is, so you read your black daughter silver rights. How dare you let a white man teach her history. We both do.

[Tika Sumter]

We both do.

[Justina Valentine]

Love it.

[Tika Sumter]

Oh, lord. Doctor, after me.

[Justina Valentine]

Yes.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You want more kids?

[Tika Sumter]

I, I, I, I don't know if. I don't know if that's in the cards for me. I'm older now and we'll. We'll see what happens. My daughter wants a. She wants either a dog or a. She does want a sister, but we'll see. I do. I do.

[DJ Envy]

Well, check out Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in theaters on the 20th of this month. And thank you for joining us so much.

[Charlamagne tha God]

Always a pleasure.

[Tika Sumter]

I love you. Thank you so much, y'all. You guys do a great job.

[Charlamagne tha God]

You and Nick gotta come up here together one day. Day, I think you. And we have Dr. Umar. That be amazing fireworks.

[Justina Valentine]

Oh, Lord Jesus.

[Tika Sumter]

Actually, him and Dr. Umar might be best friend. Nick, can he somehow becomes best friends with people? You would never think he. All the blacks. All the blacks. Dude. Wait one, wait. We were at a club in Atlanta one time. This before we were together. And he's sitting there, you know, he has his drink, it's full of black people. Not one. There's probably one other white. And it was his friend who came and he's comfy. And I'm like, hey, you, you good? He's like, yeah. Why? What? Right?

[Justina Valentine]

What?

[Tika Sumter]

And I'm like, oh, no, he is comfortable. It doesn't matter who you are. He's very comfortable. So Dr. Umar, you, me and him for lunch, please.

[Justina Valentine]

What am I scared of? My ancestors used to have all.

[DJ Envy]

Jesus Christ.

[Charlamagne tha God]

And they gonna have questions after this interview, though. I got it from my mama. Oh, your mama was with a white guy and she left the white guy for a black guy. And you Want to meet Dr. Umar? What's going on?

[Tika Sumter]

Crazy.

[DJ Envy]

It's Tika Sumter. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Tika Sumter]

Good morning.

[Charlamagne tha God]

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

[Kate Max]

Hey, guys. I'm Kate. Max. You might know me from my popular online series, the Running Interview show where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tika Sumter]

Hey everyone, this is Courtney Thorn Smith, Laura Layton and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to still the place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Kate Max]

Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast Family Secrets. How would you feel if, when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child? These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our 11th season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tika Sumter]

Hey y'all, I'm Maria Fernandad Diaz. When youn're Invisible is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped me. Season 2 shares stories about community and being underestimated.

[Nissan Advertiser]

All the greatest changes have happened when.

[Tika Sumter]

A couple of people said, this sucks.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Let'S do something about it.

[Tika Sumter]

We get paid to serve you, but we're made out of the same things. It's rare to have black male teachers. Sometimes I am the testament. Listen to when youn're Invisible on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nissan Advertiser]

The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.

[Kate Max]

So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg Podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.

[DJ Envy]

Matters.

[Kate Max]

You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.

[Tika Sumter]

A lot of this Meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC. Follow the Big Take podcast on the.

[Nissan Advertiser]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.