The Industry Is Shifting

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club

Episode: The Industry Is Shifting
Date: February 9, 2026
Host(s): DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God (with segment host Lauren LaRosa)
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network / iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

This episode, titled "The Industry Is Shifting," dives into how cultural, media, and entertainment industries are evolving—especially in the context of talk shows, music rollouts, and celebrity interactions with their core audiences. Lauren LaRosa leads significant portions, offering reflections on the recent cancellations of major daytime shows, the career moves of J. Cole, and the deep ongoing influence of HBCUs on the entertainment world.

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Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Behind the Scenes: Fashion Week Prep & Merch Updates

[02:29 – 03:56] Lauren LaRosa

• Lauren shares her busy schedule prepping for NY Fashion Week and launching revamped "Brown Girl Grinding" merchandise.
• Notable focus on the importance of supporting Black women and the expansion of her production company’s offerings.
• Discount announced for listeners: "If you're listening to this podcast episode, you can use the code latest at checkout and receive 10% off your purchase." (03:55)

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2. Daytime Talk Shows: Cancellation Shockwaves

a. The End of Sherri Shepherd and Kelly Clarkson's Shows

[04:00 – 08:36] Lauren LaRosa

• News: Both Sherri Shepherd and Kelly Clarkson’s daytime shows are ending this season.
  • Clarkson’s exit is handled more personally, referencing past absences due to her ex-husband’s illness.
  • Sherri Shepherd fans left with questions due to more generic corporate statements about the show's cancellation.
• LaRosa on Shepherd: "I was very confused when I saw this news. And I'm still confused, to be honest." (07:14)
• Rumors about ratings circulations are countered by Lauren's own research: both Shepherd and Tamron Hall had strong ratings.
• Shepherd’s Statement:
  "Our show has not been renewed for another season. And I want to, I want to say to y’all, everybody, y’all, try not to faint or fall out. Cause health care is expensive and none of us have it anymore. So y’all don’t fall out. But ... I’m truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that I have received from all of you." (07:39 – 08:17)

b. Industry Takeaways – Is the Daytime Talk Show Model Broken?

• A recurring theme: high production costs vs. newer, nimbler podcast platforms.
• Lauren speculates, "Does the regular, everyday podcast format even make money anymore? ... You can do podcasts for way less, and way less overhead." (08:36)
• Points to a potential pivot for hosts and networks toward digital and streaming-first models.

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3. J. Cole’s ‘Fall Off’ and Cultural Roots

[12:52 – 21:05] Lauren LaRosa

• J. Cole’s Announcement: Declares "The Fall Off" as his last album and launches a unique "trunk tour," selling CDs out of his Honda Civic at live events across North Carolina.
  • Lauren praises the “full circle” approach of reconnecting with his roots and opting for grassroots fan engagement over typical big-budget rollouts.
  • Addresses fans criticizing the authenticity of J. Cole’s approach: "What else do you want from these people?" (13:51)
• Role of HBCUs: Personal anecdotes about discovering new artists (Wale, Meek Mill) at HBCU events, and the lasting trendsetting power of those communities in music and pop culture.
  • "They make things hot. Like HBCUs culturally, push what’s hot ... We let you know what’s cool. And that’s why hip hop ... will always be the leading genre in pop.” (16:52)
• Sales Success:
  • “J. Cole’s ‘The Fall Off’ earned 35.02 million streams in his first full day of release on Spotify. This is the second biggest album debut of 2026 so far.” (23:45)

b. The Humanity of Artists

• On J. Cole’s realness: “For some artists, their art doesn’t work unless their humanity does too. And J. Cole is one of those artists.” (21:00)

c. Dreamville Festival—Not Over?

• Candid fan interaction: J. Cole hints at Dreamville Festival returning, perhaps with a new name.
  • “It was a lot to ... yeah, we cooking up an idea, but it was ... is it going to be here in Raleigh? Yeah, if we ... Yeah, it was still staying Raleigh, but it was just a lot.” (25:17 – 25:29)

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4. Industry Reflections & The Changing Landscape

• Lauren closes with reflections on the adaptability needed in the entertainment business, from celebrities to media companies.
• Reiterates the ongoing shift from traditional formats to more direct, digital, and grassroots engagement.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Daytime TV:
  “Does the regular, everyday podcast format even make money anymore? ... You need a full staff and you can do podcasts for way less and way less overhead.”
  — Lauren LaRosa (08:36)

• Sherri Shepherd’s Response:
  “Try not to faint or fall out. Cause health care is expensive and none of us have it anymore.”
  — Sherri Shepherd (07:41)

• On HBCU Influence:
  “HBCUs culturally, push what’s hot ... so much of what is cool, what sounds good ... comes from us.”
  — Lauren LaRosa (16:54)

• On J. Cole’s Authenticity:
  “If he was doing anything else right now, it would so not be J. Cole, right? He is literally like, man of the people, like outside man of the people.”
  — Lauren LaRosa (22:20)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:29 — Fashion Week & Brown Girl Grinding Merch Update
• 04:00 — Industry shakeup: Sherri Shepherd & Kelly Clarkson show cancellations
• 07:39 — Sherri Shepherd addresses her audience after news of cancellation
• 08:36 — Lauren reflects on the future of daytime TV/podcast economics
• 12:52 — J. Cole’s “Fall Off” rollout and impact, HBCU stories
• 21:05 — Reflection on J. Cole’s influence and authenticity
• 23:45 — J. Cole’s streaming numbers and “man of the people” approach
• 25:17 — J. Cole hints at Dreamville Festival’s possible return and rebranding

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Tone & Style

The tone is conversational, lively, and deeply rooted in both industry analysis and personal reflection. Lauren LaRosa blends behind-the-scenes stories, cultural commentary, and audience engagement in a relatable, street-smart style, emphasizing authenticity and community.

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Conclusion

This episode paints a vivid picture of an entertainment industry in transition—where legacy formats like daytime TV are giving way to more intimate, digital-centric engagement, and where figures like J. Cole are celebrated for staying true to their community roots. It’s both an insider’s guide to current trends and a tribute to the cycles of reinvention that shape pop culture, music, and media.

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Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Julian Edelman]

This is Julian Edelman from Games With Names. Now let's get into the serious stuff. We're talking football food, specifically Daisy French Onion Dip. These are so delicious. They're like homemade dips made with real herb and spices. Also made with some Daisy Sour Cream. Daisy Sour Cream is a long standing staple for Taco Tuesday. They also have Daisy Ranch Dip. So get out there and give Daisy French Onion Dip a try. You will not regret it.

[Angela Yee]

This is Angela Yee from Angela Yee's Lip Service. One in four people in the US has been to a Planned Parenthood health center for life saving, life changing care. We're talking about birth control, annual exams, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more high quality expert judgment free care. And despite lawmakers efforts to shut them down, they're not going anywhere. Care care continues at Planned Parenthood so that you can get the unbiased, high quality health care that you need. To learn more, visit I'm4pp.org this episode.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

Is brought to you by the Burbs a new peacock original starring Emmy Award winner Keke Palmer. The mystery comedy series follows Samira, a lawyer and new mom who moves with her family into her husband's childhood home. While the peaceful suburb of Hinkley Hills may look picture perfect, it doesn't take long for the buried secrets of the cul de sac to be unearthed. Let's just say it's to keep your friends close and your neighbors closer to the situation. Every episode of the Burbs is available to stream now only on Peacock.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We all made resolutions in January, but let's be honest, February is usually when a lot of those goals start to fall off. Well, if you had a resolution around your business ideas, Shopify and I are here to keep that motivation going. Setting up your own store doesn't have to be hard. Shopify makes it simple. Whether you're just starting out or already have a business, Shopify can handle anything you throw at it. That's why we moved our stores over there. It was easy to do. We learned a lot. The Bronco grinding store has never had a better home. Don't let your dreams die with the rest of your 2026 goals. Let Shopify help you stick with it. It's time for you to invest in your own business, not someone else's. For a change, head on over to shopify.com ben and see what it feels like to be the one in control of your future. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Julian Edelman]

You know, she don't lie about that, right, Lauren?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hey, y'. All, what's up? It's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room, baby. Now let's get into checking in behind the scenes, the grind. It is Monday. It is Monday. This is actually the week that Fashion Week in New York starts. So, yeah, all the fashion, all the things will be starting soon. This week, I believe it's like Wednesday, where a lot of the shows and things like that happen. I don't know exactly where I will be and what I'll be doing. I'm still waiting on some RSVPs, but I am preparing. We just dropped new merch for Brown Girl Grinding, which you guys know is my medium production company. We have the I love a brown Girl Grinding Sweatshirts, hoodies. Why not call it sweatshirt hoodies? We also have the fact black women are effing gorgeous hoodies reimagined because we always have that classic merch on brown girlgrounded.com. we just got the site backup revamped. All of the shipping is going to be elite now. The inventory, like, it's just back and it's better. But we have the Brown Girl Grinding T shirt. We have the fact black women are effing gorgeous. The originals, which is like, you know, if you just want your plain, go to everyday tea. But then we have a puff paint more, I would say, artsier version of that fact.

[Angela Yee]

Black.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Black women are effing gorgeous [e-mail] as well. So go and take a look. Run on over there right now, y'. All. If you are listening to this podcast episode, I want to give you a little nugget. If you're listening to this podcast episode, you can use the code latest at checkout and receive 10% off of your purchase. And I'm only giving that to y' all because y' all are here and you're listening to the podcast. So go on over there. So that's what my days have been giving. These last like this last, like, week. I've been preparing for this week because I know that dropping new merch is tedious. Still staying up to date with work and the news and all the things are tedious. But also, I gotta get y' all outside. We gotta get to fashion week. We gotta get some interviews. We gotta get some things going. So you will be hearing a lot of that on the podcast this week, prayerfully as we are RCP'd and confirmed for various events. Now getting on into the latest. Speaking of, you know, just being outside and things and events, things that are happening. Sherri Shepherd. We talked about Sherri Shepherd's show and the fact that it was announced that it was canceled after four seasons. Now, at the same time, Kelly Clarkson, who, you know, has been on air longer than Sherri shepherd, she was on air for seven seasons. It was also announced that her show will no longer be moving forward. And in a previous episode, you guys can go back and check that out. I talked to you guys a bit about the fact that Kelly Clarkson had mentioned. Not even mentioned, but there were reports and it had been rumored. And I'd actually heard some time ago when Kelly Clarkson's ex husband gotten sick, he got sick from cancer, God bless his soul. He later passed away from cancer. It was the conversation then that Kelly Clarkson might be taking a step back from her talk show. And we talked about this at the time and several times because there were noticeable absences from the show. So there were reports that, like, she just didn't want to do it anymore. There were reports that, like, she just wasn't happy with her situation and her show. And then things came to hit the surface and the conversation and what was actually confirmed when she talked about it was the fact that because her ex husband was sick, who, you know, she shares children with, she had needed to kind of like take a step back for a bit and focus on family. And then she returned to her show. Now, when Kelly Clarkson's announcement was made about her show, it just wasn't a different tone. She was able to own it a bit more. You know, again, there's already been previous reporting about why she's deciding to step back, but she was able to talk about that as well with Sherri Shepherd. It just felt like we got a blanket variety, you know, something in the trades. The trades are the. Are the media outlets that announce, like, news about new shows, deals, and business. Right. All we got was, okay, the show is going to be canceled because daytime talk show is going in a different space. Sheri has been doing this for four seasons. Here's the company that produces the show. Thank you guys for tuning in. We'll let you know when the last day is. And that was it. And I know from, you know, doing my research for another Sherri shepherd show, the story that we had did because there were some conversations around Sherry's ratings plummeting months ago. And when I did some digging and talked to some folk and, you know, just wanted to get, you know, some information that we could reference. While talking about this, I was told that Sherri shepherd and Tamron hall are doing amazing in the talk show space, ratings wise. So I was very confused when I saw this news. And I'm still confused, to be honest, because Sherri shepherd talked about it on her show today. She just got back from COVID leave. And still I think that, you know, there's something missing. We need some more information. Let's take a listen to Sherry.

[Sherri Shepherd]

This is a hard morning for all of us here at Sherry. And I know that you have seen the news and I'm ready to address it. Our show has not been renewed for another season. And I want to, I want to say to y', all, everybody, y', all, try not to faint or fall out. Cause health care is expensive and none of us have it anymore. So y' all don't fall out. But I have to say, you know, in thinking about it, I'm truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love that I have received from all of you. So from the audience, to everybody on social media, to people who stopped me in the store and still talk to me despite me not having a wig on, they still talk to me. From the emails and the texts, the messages, I feel every bit of the love that you've been sending to me. And thank you so much.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And I mean, we hear her say, like, okay, this is going to look different. We're going in a different space, different direction. And that has been the conversation. It's like, does the regular, everyday podcast format even make money anymore? Because you need a full staff and you can do podcasts for way less and way less overhead. And honestly, you know, it sounds to me like Sherry maybe is thinking along that lane of things, but we don't know. We didn't get it in that clip in her conversation this morning about on the show. So there's a lot more questions to be asked here and a lot more to discover. But we finally got to hear from Sheri. Finally. And I thought, you know, of course, that is worth taking a moment for.

[Julian Edelman]

This is Julian Edelman from Games With Names. Now let's get into the serious stuff. We're talking football food, specifically Daisy French onion dip.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

That is serious.

[Julian Edelman]

Got to try these delicious new dips from Daisy. These are so delicious. They're like homemade dips made with real herb and spices and other ingredients you'll find in your kitchen. Also made with some Daisy sour cream. Daisy Sour Cream is a long standing staple for Taco Tuesday.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

You know what I do when I.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

Get my street burrito, I get the squirt Daisy.

[Julian Edelman]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And every bite. I know you. I know you.

[Julian Edelman]

I'm a huge sour cream guy. I love sour cream top. So I think burritos can't live without sour cream.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

I completely agree with that.

[Julian Edelman]

They also have daisy ranch dip. I love ranch dip.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

That's great.

[Julian Edelman]

I love it with crackers, wings, plain potato chip, the ones with the little crinkles, maybe some bell peppers. So get out there and give Daisy French onion dip a try. You will not regret it.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

This episode is brought to you by the Burbs, a new Peacock original starring Emmy Award winner Keke Palmer. The mystery comedy series follows Samira, a lawyer and new mom who moves with her family into her husband's childhood home. While the peaceful suburb of Hinkley Hills may look picture perfect, it doesn't take long for the buried secrets of the cul de sac to be unearthed. Let's just say it's to keep your friends close and your neighbors closer to the situation. Every episode of the Burbs is available to stream now only on Peacock.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisors Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosure is available at public.com disclosures.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

I've got Dan Morgan here on the pod. Say hi Dan.

[Dan Morgan]

Hey, how's it going today?

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

It's going good man. Tell us who you are and what you do.

[Dan Morgan]

I'm Dan Morgan. I'M an attorney and a managing partner at Morgan and Morgan, which is America's largest injury law firm.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

That's pretty awesome. I think I saw a billboard of yours recently that said 20 billion. Wonderful. 20 million is an insane number.

[Dan Morgan]

Yeah, 20 billion recovered. It's actually, I think somewhere north. Probably closer to 22, 23 after this year. And each year we get bigger and badder and our army grows. So the number will hopefully keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Awesome.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

So how does someone get in contact with Morgan and Morgan? What would I do if I got into an accident?

[Dan Morgan]

Probably the easiest way is dialing pound law. That's £529 from your cell phone. We are always open. Our call center is always waiting to take your call. 247-365- wow.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

Dan Morgan from Morgan and Morgan, America's large injury law firm. Thanks for coming by the show.

[Dan Morgan]

Thanks for having me. Visit forththepeople.com for an office near you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now, in other news, speaking of fans and, you know, conversations and shows, J. Cole was outside with the fans, okay. Because he recently dropped what is supposed to be his last album, the Fall off. So over the weekend he was in North Carolina during a listening party and he announced that he was going to be doing a trunk tour, which is where he's going to be riding around in these different places in his Honda Civic, you know, just going back to like how it all started for him and selling CDs out of his trunk. Now, I'm not mad at it. I felt like for the type of album that J. Cole just delivered, where it was very much rooted in where he was from, his roots, his come up after coming up, his ability to sustain after coming up, his mental through different phases of the come up and being on top and having success but still staying planted in, you know, his roots from the Carolinas. I'm like, this is the time for him. Like, you gotta finish what you like, finish as you started. I'm not mad at that. But I did see people having conversations about this and about the fact that they felt like he was like placating to his fans by getting in the Honda Civic, pulling up and I'm like, what else do you want from these people? Now one thing that I thought was so fire because I felt like HBCUs and the conversation around HBCUs. There is, there is, it's so trendy now. Like, it is so cool to be like, okay, I rep this hbcu. I'm a part of this Greek organization or for artists to Say, hey, I'm doing something with this hbcu. But it wasn't always that way. But I think for artists who really were out here having to get it out the mud, not just living off a viral moment and no shade to the viral art TikTok artists who, you know, get it off the gram or the TikTok, but for artists like J. Cole. And I'mma mention Wale because I remember being at Delaware State University, I fell in love with artists who were new first on my college campus. And I used to go down south a lot to the Carolinas, to Benedict, because I was dating somebody at the time that was going to that school and just being in those parties and hearing the music that they were playing at homecoming and even comparing that experience to the homecoming that I was experiencing in Dover. More up north where you have New York is a heavy population at my school, New Jersey, the DMV as well Philadelphia, like we really got to see some of these artists in the birth of what was their greatness because they were outside on the campuses performing at the. I remember Meek came to Del State and this is early Meek Mill days. And I. I had already been, you know, a Meek Mill supporter early on because I'm from Delaware, which is like 15 to 10 minutes. 10 minutes is crazy. It's like 15 to 20 minutes from Delaware. So we've been supporting him for a very long time. But I remember Meek went to Del State and did like, I think it was like a dollar concerts, $2 concerts at the time for the students. I also remember seeing Meek and going back to mentioning Wale on stage for the first time when they were with MGM and MGM mmg. And that was the first time that I'd ever seen Wale like in person. And like I heard of Wale and heard his music and Lotus Flower Bomb was so big on our campus, but I didn't really know who he was. I had never heard of him. I didn't really know too much about music from, you know, D.C. or especially not African music at the time. And seeing him on stage with Rick Ross and seeing the chemistry between him and Meek and hearing a song in person and hearing, you know, and seeing like the. Even the dancing that people were doing when he would perform, like the people from dc, just all of that culture, that was like the best way to sell an artist or a product period for me. Like I always tell people that are trying to figure out anything in entertainment. I'm like, yo, are you connected with the HBCUs in your area? Because they make things hot. Like HBCUs culturally, push was hot. Just how like we talk about, like, black people and black women. How we, you know, we, we, we are taste. We push taste. We, we let you know what's cool. And that's why hip hop, I don't care what numbers say, when people talk about what's on the charts or not, hip hop will always be the leading genre in the pop. And you talk about pop culture, popular culture, because so much of what is cool, what sounds good, what other sounds are derived off of, come from us. Not even just hip hop. I mean, us in a pop space, us in a jazz space. Y' all know there's a whole look. It's black history month. I ain't gotta give y' all a lesson.

[Julian Edelman]

This is Julian Edelman from games with names. Now let's get into the serious stuff. We're talking football ball food, specifically Daisy French onion dip.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

That is serious.

[Julian Edelman]

Gotta try these delicious new dips from Daisy. These are so delicious. They're like homemade dips made with real herb and spices and other ingredients you'll find in your kitchen. Also made with some daisy sour cream. Daisy sour cream is a long standing staple for taco Tuesday.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

You know what I do when I.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

Get my street burrito?

[Lauren LaRosa]

I get the squirt Daisy.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

Yeah.

[Julian Edelman]

And every bite.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I know you. I know you.

[Julian Edelman]

I'm a huge sour cream guy. I love sour cream pop. So I think burritos can't live without sour cream.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

I completely agree with that.

[Julian Edelman]

They also have daisy ranch dip. I love ranch dip.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

That's great.

[Julian Edelman]

I love it with crackers wings, plain potato chip, the ones with the little crinkles, maybe some bell peppers. So get out there and give Daisy French onion dip a try. You will not regret it.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

This episode is brought to you by the burbs, a new peacock original starring Emmy award winner Keke Palmer. The mystery comedy series follows Samira, a lawyer and new mom who moves with her family into her husband's childhood home. While the peaceful suburb of Hinckley Hills may look picture perfect, it doesn't take long for the buried secrets of the cul de sac to be unearthed. Let's just say it's a keep your friends close and your neighbors closer to the situation. Every episode of the burbs is available to stream now only on peacock.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

Support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

I've got Dan Morgan here on the pod. Say hi Dan.

[Dan Morgan]

Hey. How's it going today?

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

It's going good, man. Tell us who you are and what you do.

[Dan Morgan]

I'm Dan Morgan. I'm an attorney and a managing partner at Morgan and Morgan, which is America's largest injury law firm.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

That's pretty awesome. I think I saw a billboard of yours recently that said 20 billion one. 20 billion is an insane number.

[Dan Morgan]

Yeah, 20 billion recovered. It's actually, I think somewhere north. Probably closer to 2223 after this year. And each year we get bigger and badder and our army grows. So the number will hopefully keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Awesome.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

So how does someone get in contact with Morgan and Morgan, what would I do if I got into an accident?

[Dan Morgan]

Probably the easiest way is dialing pound law. That's £529. From your cell phone. We are always open. Our call center is always waiting to take your call. 247365 wow.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

Dan Morgan from Morgan Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. Thanks for coming by the show.

[Dan Morgan]

Thanks for having me. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But seeing J. Cole on the campus of North Carolina A&T I was like man, this is fire. It's fire to see. And it's fire because I think it's it shows you how connected to his core and to who he is. He still is. And it sounds like, you know like on this project with diss 29 and diss 39 cause it's broken up into two parts. One of the things that I think is so dope to hear him kind of battle between is like having success, amassing success, but still trying to figure out who you are within all of it and still trying to stay connected to, like, who you were before all of it. Even though a part of you has to die and change, what does that look like? And how does it change who you're inspired by what you're hearing them say? Why are you hearing them say it? Like, he talks a lot about, like, the older artists, and older artists at this point need into, like. I mean, some of them. He. He flat out says in some of the music, like, some of them have, like, almost like lost their way. And you can tell that there is such a fight for him not to be one of those artists who is, like, not understanding that the times are changing, but not losing their way. And the best way to do that is to put your feet on the ground where you from. Put your. Literally put your feet in the grass back at home. And that's what he's doing. So to see him at North Carolina A and T, and then he's talking about one of the first physical copies of a project he ever sold was on North Carolina A&T's campus. Oh, it was fired. So I couldn't believe when I was seeing fans complaining about the way he was going about this rollout. I'm like, yo, if he was doing anything else right now, it was so not be J. Cole, right? He is literally like, man of the people, like outside man of the people, literally on a bike sometimes, especially here in New York. I've been places multiple times where I've seen not. I didn't see J. Cole on a bike. I do know people who've seen him riding his bike here in New York, though. But I've been out, whether it's like lounges or restaurants or even like spots, like, not like clubs, but like kind of like lounges, places that would play music that are like, lit. Shout out to Saint, A black owned location here in New York. J. Cole, I've seen him frequent that spot a lot of times. And I think a part of it is, I mean, these celebrities are human, duh guys. But also, it's just. I think for some artists, their art doesn't work unless their humanity does too. And J. Cole is one of those artists. So I have no problem with the Trump tour. I think it's fire what he's doing. Um, I. I saw a really good first week out number for him with the Spy 5 streams. Let me see if I can look it up. Yeah. So chart data, which is a. It's a account that I follow on X. They tweet out, like, first week sales and stream numbers and things like that. Uh, so two days ago, they tweeted J. Cole's the falloff earned 35.0.02 million streams in his first full day of release on Spotify. This is the second biggest album debut of 2026 so far. And I think, of course, it's because the music was so long awaited. People wanted to hear it bad. Like, people wanted to hear J. Cole bad and hear how he was going out. Now, whether you love what you hear, you feel like, you know, he nailed how he should bow out of this or not. That's up to y' all to argue about. Y' all can get in the streets and get in the tweets and let me hear from y'. All. I'm Lauren LaRosa everywhere. Do you feel like this was the best way for Cole to sign off his pen with the Fall off album? But regardless of what we think, the people are listening. I mean, it's J. Cole. I don't know why people do that to J. Cole and make it seem like because he decided not to engage in a rap battle. He's not J. Cole. And people do it to Drake, too, because he didn't win the rap battle. He's not Drake, man. These artists have been working for a really long time and have built a really strong corp. And J. Cole, is he one of them. And he knows exactly how to touch his people. So please, when you pulling up in that Honda Civic, get out the way. Oh. And what I loved was the natural content that was coming out of him just being outside. He was in a parking garage just having a conversation with a fan about Dreamville Festival and end up telling her Dreamville Festival might not be over because that was supposed to be the last year. Last year. Let's take a look at it. What's going on with the festival? So the fest was a lot.

[Podcast Host (possibly Lauren LaRosa or guest host)]

We still, like.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It was a lot to. Yeah, we cooking up an idea, but it was.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

It was a lot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Is it going to be here in Raleigh? Yeah, if we. Yeah, it was still staying Raleigh, but it was just a lot.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

All right.

[Angela Yee]

It ain't over.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We waiting.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

We waiting patiently.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What you think about the name, though? Like. Like we was trying to change the name, maybe like call it something else.

[Angela Yee]

Boom, boom, boom.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Or you feel like it'll hit different if it's a different name.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

Do you feel like it's.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I got to think on that. All right.

[Narrator for The Burbs Ad]

All right.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm Lauren LaRosa. This has been another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa, your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and all of the conversations that shake the room. And I tell y' all every episode. Y' all could be anywhere with any old body talking about all of the things. But y' all choose to be right here with me, my low riders. I appreciate you guys for that. I'll catch you in the next episode.

[Julian Edelman]

This is Julian Edelman from Games with Names. Now let's get into the serious stuff. We're talking football food, specifically Daisy French onion dip. These are so delicious. They're like homemade dips made with real herb and spices. Also made with some daisy sour cream. Daisy sour cream is a long standing staple for taco Tuesday. They also have daisy ranch dip. So get out there and give Daisy French onion dip a try. You will not regret it.

[Angela Yee]

This is Angela Yee from Angela Yee's Lip Service. Every day, Planned Parenthood health centers across the country open their doors and provide high quality expert health care. That's no simple task when lawmakers are trying to block access to life saving care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing, abortion and more. At Planned Parenthood, care continues because they believe your body is your business and being able to control your own body, that's the most basic freedom there is. So Planned Parenthood won't back down. Visit I'm4pp.org to learn more and get involved.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

Sound familiar? At Mattress Firm, we understand there are many problems that can keep you up at night, like snoring, aches and pains or sleeping hot. Our sleep experts have the unrivaled know how to match you with a mattress that can help. And now at Mattress Firm, save up to $500 on Tempur pedic. Plus get a $300 instant gift for the great sleep you deserve. Visit Mattress Firm. We make sleep easy. Restrictions apply. See store or website for details.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Janice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

We host the podcast Mind the Business, Small Business Success Stories produced by Ruby.

[Julian Edelman]

Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We're back for season four to talk to some incredible small business owners.

[Dan Morgan]

The big thing about working at tech is that it's ever evolving, ever changing. Everyone's a rookie.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's how fast the industry is changing. So what I'm really excited about is to be part of that change.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice (Public Investing and Mattress Firm)]

So listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.