The Breakfast Club BEST OF (Cardi B, The Clipse, 803 Fresh Interview)

Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Host: iHeartPodcasts (DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God)
Air Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

This "Best Of" episode features standout interviews and guest appearances from 2025, highlighting three musical forces: 803 Fresh (with Young Guy), Cardi B, and The Clipse. The hosts dive deep into Southern soul’s explosion, Cardi B’s long-awaited sophomore album, rap beefs, musical legacies, mental health, and the evolution of the hip hop landscape. The recurring theme is growth—musically, personally, and culturally—as guests share insights on artistry, the music business, and what it means to represent one’s community.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

[13:30] 803 Fresh & Young Guy: The Rise of Southern Soul

Origins & Musical Movement

• 803 Fresh discusses being from Wagner, SC, and how starting in the church shaped his music.
• Southern soul music is spotlighted—a genre blending gospel, blues, and soul, rooted in the South.
• "Boots On The Ground" becomes a viral hit, energizing HBCUs, uniting diverse age groups, and symbolizing joy amid political and social challenges.
• Young Guy shares his parallel journey—from rap, a decade-long music break, returning with southern soul, and going viral on social media.

Viral Success & Community Impact

• Southern soul’s current boom is tied to its communal essence:

  “You got the two-year-old, you got the 82-year-old, you got the grandmama’s aunties… that’s what makes it more genuine.” —803 Fresh [15:50]

• The role of TikTok and line dances; learning the dance created organically by the crowd.
• Importance of staying independent:

  “We started this company...from the bottom up...we all learn from each other as we move, we learn, we grow.” —803 Fresh [20:25]

Genre Advocacy

• 803 Fresh aims to legitimize southern soul as a mainstream genre, noting its chitlin' circuit history (Tyrone Davis, James Brown, Muddy Waters).

  “We call it the chitlin’ circuit...but really what I call it is the heart and soul of Black America.” —Charlamagne [29:03]

• The message: unity, real life stories, and joy over violence.

[35:45] Cardi B: Second Album, Resilience, and Realness

Why the Eight-Year Wait?

• Cardi candidly details why it took eight years to deliver her sophomore album, Am I the Drama:

  “It was never because I was pregnant...I’m just very, like, picky. I think I overthinked it.” —Cardi B [36:53, 37:28]

• Balancing high expectations, label pressure, and her own perfectionism.

Proving Herself & Responding to Critics

• Cardi responds to online debates about her relevance and “lateness”:

  “Now with this whole second album thing...I kind of have to prove it to them, but...I don’t have to prove nothing to nobody.” —Cardi B [38:04]

• She’s motivated, not discouraged: “If you want it bad, you get up and you go get it...Ain’t no complaining.” [40:50]

Mental Health & Motherhood

• Honest about taking breaks due to sadness and stress, not family obligations.
• Breaks meant to be "a couple months" often stretched to a year due to emotional exhaustion.
• Motherhood is described as beautiful but hard, fueling her determination not to quit:

  “I don’t ever want my kids to be like, 'Why you ain’t do this?'...I don’t want to be a quitter.” —Cardi B [52:59]

Addressing Rap Beefs & The Album’s Themes

• The album’s confrontational tracks (e.g., "Dead," "Killing These Hoes," "Pretty and Petty") respond to real antagonism and shots at her kids:

  “...When my kids grow up...they’re gonna ask me...I violated...You see how I violated.” [48:08]

• Explains why certain beefs are reignited: “Because you mentioned my kids trying to be cute.”
• The album is partly therapeutic, helping process grief and ongoing challenges with Offset.

Navigating Fame & Social Media

• Admits to curbing online "spazzing" but sometimes feels compelled to clap back to relentless commentary.
• Chooses to do podcasts and appearances only with those she likes, rejecting platforms that contribute to negativity:

  “I’mma do podcasts with people that like me. Why do I gotta sit with podcasters that I don’t like?” [64:05]

On Solitude & Relationships

• Shares the emotional complexity of being alone despite success:

  “You can be cool with being alone...But today I just feel so lonely and I feel like am I gonna be like lonely forever?” [60:53]

Notable Quotes

• “Maybe I am blessed or maybe I just...I don’t know.” —Cardi B [71:04]

[76:30] The Clipse: Brotherhood, Rap Legacy, and Industry Evolution

Origins & Breakthrough

• Malice and Pusha T recall their beginnings, formation with Pharrell and Chad, and breaking out via Philly radio with "Grinding."
• Importance of proximity to industry (via Teddy Riley, Timbaland, Missy) in believing stardom was achievable even from Virginia.

Art, Faith, and Family

• Malice discusses stepping back due to a spiritual revelation, likening his experience to Mase:

  “To be in this industry and then to have a real live revelation of God and who he is, and then have to navigate your way...” —Malice [82:41]

• Family, especially their mother’s wishes, brought the duo back together.

Creative & Industry Challenges

• They faced label resistance—including Def Jam not releasing their project, especially given their collaboration with Kendrick Lamar. Hov helped get them released from their deal.
• On dealing with leaks: “The game goes how it goes…As long as they enjoy [the music], it’s good.” [100:30]

Beef, Restraint, and Keeping It “Real”

• Pusha explains selective engagement in rap beef and how the “internet era” inspires clickbait diss tracks.

  “You can’t just entertain everything man. You just can’t.” —Pusha T [93:33]

• Discusses Kanye West’s changed energy and why he stepped back from Ye’s circle.
• On Travis Scott: “Just stay the hell away from me...I'm only dealing with the real.” [104:16]

Brotherhood & Safe Space

• Malice and Pusha reflect on their musical reunion as a sort of divine protection—a purpose they honor by making meaningful music together.

Notable Quotes

• “When you’re in your purpose, if anything fall on you, then it fall on you. At least you knew where you were supposed to be.” —Malice [105:49]

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "Don't get outraged, get organized." —Charlamagne, on activism vs. social media noise [11:24]
• “Southern soul...it changes the environment totally. We advocate for good time, we advocate for unity.” —803 Fresh [14:58]
• “If you want this to be successful, you gotta get out there. Like, it is what it is.” —Cardi B, on balancing work and motherhood [41:04]
• “I’m not going to go to podcasters that I don’t like. Why am I gonna go sit down with you?” —Cardi B [65:38]
• “I got a lot to rap about. The creativity is ever-flowing, and it don’t ever have to be about an individual.” —Pusha T [95:27]
• “Once you get [faith], you gotta sit down for a minute…You can’t get the revelation and then try to keep going in this world.” —Malice [101:07]
• "I ride with my brother...I know what my purpose is." —Malice, on navigating industry and loyalty [105:35]

Suggested Listen Timestamps (For Deep Dives)

• [13:30 – 26:16]: 803 Fresh & Young Guy on Southern soul’s viral rise, musical independence, and community uplift.
• [35:45 – 71:26]: Cardi B’s full interview: The album delay, motherhood, beefs, mental health, fame, and resilience.
• [76:30 – 108:58]: The Clipse: group history, spiritual growth, industry challenges, beefs, and reunion.

Tone & Atmosphere

As always, the show’s vibe is candid, lively, and personal—with humor, vulnerability, and real talk from both hosts and guests. Charlemagne injects wisdom and humor; Envy offers industry perspective; Jess Hilarious adds levity. All guests speak authentically about their challenges, motivations, and communities.

Summary

This "Best Of" episode is a rich collage of culture, struggle, and triumph in Black music and beyond. 803 Fresh and Young Guy show how rooted Southern Black music, social media, and local party culture can electrify a nation. Cardi B bares her soul about fame, family, and personal demons while confidently stepping into her next chapter. The Clipse offer reflective, grown-man rap energy—touching on brotherhood, faith, and the music business’s treacheries.

If you want a snapshot of what’s reshaping hip hop and Black culture as 2025 ends, this episode delivers, with both heart and edge.