Podcast Summary: "It’s Time To Be Intentional (Michael B. Jordan ready for kids, Jeezy wants a life partner)"
Podcast: The Latest with Loren LaRosa
Host: Loren LaRosa (Black Effect and iHeartPodcasts)
Date: December 11, 2025
Guests: TaylorMade (audio engineer, producer, podcast regular)
Episode Overview
This episode explores the importance of being intentional—in career decisions, personal well-being, and especially in relationships and family-building. Topics include Michael B. Jordan’s public musings on wanting children, contrasting celebrity approaches to parenthood and partnership (with a digression into LiAngelo Ball’s headline-making personal life), and Jeezy’s evolving stance on love and marriage after his high-profile divorce. Throughout, Loren and Taylor emphasize the need for conscious choices, accountability, and emotional preparation as life and priorities change.
Behind the Scenes: Checking In & Personal Growth
[03:18 - 10:00]
Introduction of TaylorMade
- TaylorMade (Taylor) returns to the show after maternity leave.
- Loren introduces Taylor to new listeners and explains her foundational role in the podcast and longstanding partnership on other media projects.
“She’s been actually the person that was producing and editing the podcast from day one.” — Loren LaRosa (03:55)
Adjusting to Motherhood & Adulthood
- Taylor shares the experience of re-entering work after having her first baby, highlighting the need to adapt to new routines and responsibilities.
- Loren and Taylor discuss the constant process of "levelling up" both professionally and personally.
Mentorship & Maintaining Focus
- Loren recounts a meaningful text from her mentor, Lori Hayes, encouraging her to protect her energy and stay intentional:
“Keep manifesting the glory that is within you. You were born for this. Remember to keep the main thing the main thing, whatever that thing is for you. Don't forget to take care of my baby girl.” — Lori Hayes (via Loren, 07:50)
- Loren admits to feeling burnt out when overcommitting and stresses the need for boundaries:
“I was showing up to this podcast with, like, the energy of a freaking nail.” — Loren LaRosa (09:55)
- Taylor and Loren agree on the importance of routines and self-care, even if it’s still a work in progress.
Intentional Parenting: Michael B. Jordan’s Readiness
[16:08 - 24:00]
Michael B. Jordan on Wanting Children
- Loren recaps a teaser from Michael B. Jordan’s upcoming Netflix interview, where he jokes about prepping for parenthood by first learning to care for plants and dogs.
“Yeah, I want kids one day. But, but I figured I gotta start off with like plants and dogs to see if I can...” — Michael B. Jordan (16:39)
- Loren contextualizes this within Michael’s career, age (38), and dating history (notably, Lori Harvey and rumored links to Taylor Russell).
Responsiveness to Social Media Critique
- Loren & Taylor defend Michael’s “plants and dogs first” logic, noting that building responsibility is a valid path to readiness.
“People are killing Michael B. Jordan for saying this... but I think there is some onus.” — Loren (20:25)
- Taylor draws from her own experiences transitioning from dog owner to mom, insisting that both demand real responsibility:
“My dog will always be my son. But honestly, when it comes to even, like, for your instance of wanting to start a family and stuff... I do feel like now having a baby, things fell together more than apart.” — TaylorMade (20:47)
- Both hosts point out the value of being intentional about who you parent with—an attitude they wish for across all relationships, not just for celebrities.
Relationship Accountability: LiAngelo Ball, Intent & Consequences
[24:35 - 30:47]
The Cautionary Tale of LiAngelo Ball
- Loren describes the ongoing drama between LiAngelo Ball and Ms. Nikki Baby, focused on allegations of abandonment after their child’s birth.
- The conversation pivots to the importance of not entering parenthood or relationships casually.
“Are you even friends with the person you’re lying down with just in case it happens? …I think there should at least be some responsibility on who you laying down with.” — Loren (24:45)
- Taylor shares personal stories, reflecting on her own parent's divorce and how children are impacted by parents’ choices.
“Your kid didn’t ask to be here. There should still be some play, support, or something in place.” — TaylorMade (27:34)
Notable Quote
“At certain big grown ages, we got to understand that there are accountability. And you lay down, you know, what's about... we know how to get there. We know one plus one equals two at 38, 35, 20. You know how to make a kid. And if both of you guys that are doing that, regardless of what happens, the baby didn't ask to be here is like my whole point of everything.”
— Loren (29:05)
Redefining Partnership: Jeezy’s Take After Divorce
[34:56 - 39:29]
Jeezy’s New Approach to Relationships
- Loren features a clip from Jeezy’s interview with Bishop T.D. Jakes:
“If two human beings can come together and come to some type of understanding and build this bond that doesn’t need a piece of paper to validate it... But I also want you to be okay if this doesn't work. What does that look like for you? Let's talk about that.” — Jeezy (35:28)
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Jeezy explains that his preference is now for a “life partner,” not a marriage in the traditional sense, influenced by his contentious divorce with Jeannie Mai.
-
Loren summarizes the complicated financial and emotional aftermath of their divorce, underscoring the reality that even with pre-planning and agreements, separations can become messy and traumatic.
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Both hosts agree that nothing is guaranteed in life except life and death, and underscore the need for personal accountability and honest communication about expectations and exit strategies.
“You luck up if you find a person who makes you want to grow through whatever happens.” — Loren (39:40)
Timestamps for Major Segments
- 03:18 – 10:00 | Behind-the-scenes, personal growth, mentorship, overcoming burnout
- 16:08 – 24:00 | Michael B. Jordan’s comments about fatherhood, intentionality in family-building, social media reactions
- 24:35 – 30:47 | LiAngelo Ball, responsibility in relationships and co-parenting
- 34:56 – 39:29 | Jeezy, revisiting traditional marriage, seeking intentional partnership post-divorce
Memorable Quotes
-
“Keep manifesting the glory that is within you. You were born for this. Remember to keep the main thing the main thing.”
— Lori Hayes (in a text to Loren, read aloud at 07:50) -
“People are killing Michael B. Jordan for saying this because… and I don’t know, I mean, I feel like he was jokingly saying it, but I think there is some onus.”
— Loren LaRosa (20:25) -
“But honestly, when it comes to even, like, for your instance of wanting to start a family and stuff… I do feel like now having a baby, things fell together more than apart.”
— TaylorMade (20:47) -
“Nothing is guaranteed in this world but life and death.”
— Loren LaRosa (29:10) -
“If two human beings can come together and come to some type of understanding and build this bond that doesn’t need a piece of paper to validate it and say, ‘hey, look, we’re going to do life together.’”
— Jeezy (35:28) -
“You luck up if you find a person who makes you want to grow through whatever happens.”
— Loren LaRosa (39:40)
Tone & Takeaway
The episode is lively, relatable, and honest, blending pop culture headlines and personal anecdotes. Loren and Taylor create a safe space for nuanced conversation about love, family, and selfhood, all while championing individual agency and real-world intentionality.
For listeners:
If you’re negotiating what “family,” “success,” or “partnership” means in your own life, this episode offers resonance, wisdom, and a reminder that no path is flawless—but with self-awareness and care, you can walk it on your own terms.
