The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Latest with Loren LoRosa

Episode Title: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Host: Loren LaRosa
Date: December 20, 2025
Podcast Network: The Black Effect & iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Latest with Loren LaRosa" centers on two major themes: the host’s personal journey in media and podcasting, and a deep dive into the breaking news of Charlamagne tha God’s $200 million deal with iHeartMedia. Loren reflects on the year’s milestones, shares behind-the-scenes insights into the grind of building a podcast and media brand, and unpacks what Charlamagne’s historic deal means for Black media and the greater culture. The tone is candid, motivating, and celebratory—a perfect wrap-up as the year ends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recapping the Podcast’s Journey and Year-End Reflections

• Loren celebrates nearly a year since launching the podcast.
  • “We have been going together since March, y'all. Like, it is literally almost been a year for us here at the top of the new year.” (05:01)
• Importance of being vulnerable through content and how personal experiences—especially her mother’s illness—shifted her approach to vlogging and podcasting.
  • “I realized how much the content I was putting online, although it was meant for good and my mom wanted to document her journey...it was triggering.” (05:01-06:30)
• The loyal listenership—her ‘Lowriders’—as a community and motivation.
  • “You guys, the Lowriders, my community over here and y'all being kind of like my diary to a certain extent sometimes has like, lit that fire under me again to want to...open up a bit.” (07:26)

2. Loren’s Upcoming Plans & Expanding Horizons

• Plans for holiday season and international travel.
  • “I’m also going to be taking you guys to Ghana with me. So we’ll be going to Ghana at the end of the year, bringing in the new year.” (09:10)
  • Loren encourages listeners to subscribe to her YouTube channel for vlog updates from Ghana.
• Consistency through the holidays.
  • “We ain’t going nowhere. You still get your uploads and your news and all the things, but I’m going to be...very, very, very transparent and showing a lot of my journey there.” (09:45)

3. Breaking News: Charlamagne tha God’s $200 Million iHeartMedia Deal

A Focus on Black Leadership in Media & the Business of Podcasting

• Charlamagne’s record-breaking contract is positioned as both historic for Black media and indicative of larger industry trends.
  • “Today it was announced this guy, I may know him a little bit, Charlemagne the God. He covered Forbes magazine…He recently signed a 200 million dollar deal with iHeartMedia.” (15:18)
• Comparison to Joe Rogan’s $250M Spotify deal.
  • “To put it in perspective…Joe Rogan recently signed a deal for $250 million…Charlamagne goes and does the same thing. That’s the new playbook. And let me tell y'all, I'm paying attention.” (17:30-19:10)
• Changing landscape: the move from traditional TV/radio to streaming and multiplatform deals.
  • “We just talked in our last episode about the fact that the Oscars, right after over 50 years on ABC, is having to create a partnership with YouTube. The world is shifting and the world of podcasting is shifting.” (19:25)
• The power of leverage and building value: Black Effect’s impact on iHeart podcast revenue.
  • “Since 2020, Forbes mentions that Black Effect has launched over 60 shows…iHeartMedia reported podcast revenue of $448.8 million in 2024, up from $101 million the year prior.” (27:58)
• Lessons in discipline and substance from working with Charlamagne and Envy.
  • “I learned a lot about discipline and what it takes to keep something working. If you want a well-oiled machine, you have to be in the machine.” (16:00)
  • “It’s not just about give and take…It’s the substance piece...You’re at the table, you’re learning, you’re in the conversation. You’re in the room, and then from there, you’re able to go off and build your own tables.” (24:25)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Vulnerability and Content Creation
  “That definitely changed the journey. But this podcast journey, I think has really gotten me back into the swing of that...I have a lot more that I want to keep a little bit more closer to the chest just, you know, as things grow.” (07:04)

• On Charting Your Own Path
  “I remember being told, like, don’t go be the black girl at the black outlet. It’ll pigeonhole your career...When I come to the Breakfast Club and I see Envy and I see Charlamagne and I see how successful they are...it’s just the honest truth. It’s just different.” (16:50-18:12)

• On Business and Value in Media Deals
  “It’s not just about that transactional give and take. It’s like, yo, when you pull up, I don’t care if nobody giving you nothing. Make sure if you’re in the room, ask why am I here? And if you can add value, add that b****. Like, don’t add it halfway.” (28:32)

• Celebrating Black Media Leadership
  “I don’t even know who is the last person in the space in the hip hop, like, really from the hip hop space...This is like NBA contract numbers. Us, black, us. Shout out to the guys. Congratulations, Charlemagne!” (33:28)

• Big Picture Perspective
  “If $200 million is on the table to talk about it, when I get to that point, it'll be more though. It'll be more because...the market will be so different. We will be leading that space. Mark my word.” (35:00)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:44 | Loren officially kicks off the show, reflects on holiday break | | 05:01 | Reflects on podcast origins & vulnerability in vlogging | | 09:10 | Announces upcoming trip/vlogs to Ghana | | 15:18 | Charlamagne’s $200M deal, reaction, industry significance | | 17:30-19:10| Comparing Charlamagne’s deal to Joe Rogan’s Spotify agreement | | 19:25 | Major shift: TV moves to streaming, future of podcasting | | 24:25 | Lessons & substance of building a media brand | | 27:58 | Black Effect’s role in iHeart revenue growth | | 33:28 | Loren’s pride in Black entrepreneurship & culture | | 35:00 | Loren’s vision for the podcast’s future |

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Episode Tone

The episode is energetic, celebratory, honest, and motivational. Loren’s storytelling is personal and direct, especially when discussing lessons learned in the industry and her pride in seeing Black creators and executives succeed at the highest levels.

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Summary Takeaways

• Loren uses the occasion of a major industry deal to reflect on her own journey and the future of Black media.
• Charlamagne tha God’s $200 million deal is framed as a tipping point for podcasters—especially for Black media voices pushing the culture forward.
• Building value, maintaining discipline, and being authentic are the keys to success not only in podcasting but in any space.
• Loren teases her vlogs from Ghana and assures listeners the content will keep coming, with an emphasis on transparency and community.
• The episode ends with Loren encouraging all listeners to “stay inspired. Stay black. If you are black. If you’re not, don’t try. Just leave it. Talk to y’all soon.” (35:50)

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A must-listen for anyone interested in the business of media, Black entrepreneurship, and the passionate, behind-the-scenes work of building something real in the culture.

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human hey, what up y'? All?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy and the holidays are here. The time of year that's all about connecting with loved ones in person or over the phone. In fact, hearing someone's voice can emote a similar emotional response as a hug. And while most of us can hop on a video chat to really bring that connection to life, using tech isn't easy for everyone, especially some of the older folk in our lives. And AT&T has been doing something special here to help. They offer digital literacy workshops that help older adults learn how to use technology to do things most of us take for granted, like video conferencing and sharing photos. Take Nancy Shand. She joined one of at&t's workshops to learn how to video chat for the first time this holiday season. Nancy won't just be hearing about family gatherings, she'll be a part of them, sharing stories, opening presents, and making memories all through a screen. Nobody should have to go through the holiday season alone, so be sure to connect and stay connected to your loved ones this holiday season.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Connecting changes everything.

[AT&T Announcer]

AT&T.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Everybody needs a break and that's why Diet Coke is the perfect reset. The crisp, refreshing taste turns any pause, whether it's after work, running errands or kicking back with your crew into you time. It's that signal to slow down, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. However you choose to recharge, an ice cold Diet Coke makes that break even better. Make time for a Diet Coke break. Diet Coke this is my taste.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage on top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages? Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business IBM. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything.

[DJ Envy]

And everybody knows you don't lie about that, right?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Lauren came in hot. 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 world. Room, baby. Now today, checking in behind the scenes of the grind, I am finally able to say Christmas break has begun. Well, Breakfast Club Christmas break anyway. But there will still be things uploaded over there on the Breakfast Club digital side, so make sure you guys are checking it out. But we'll be right here with the latest every single weekday until we get back into the new year. Let's go on my break. We'll go. But yeah, so I'm excited. We are gearing up for a lot during the break, so I will be taking you guys number one. We'll be recapping the biggest moments of the year. Just generally the biggest moments of the year. And we will be recapping the biggest moments here on the podcast. The Latest with Lauren LaRosa. The podcast. So that is, you know, really exciting because there's a lot to look back on. Like, I don't know if you guys realize, but we have been going together since March, y'.

[DJ Envy]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, it is literally almost been a year for us here at the top of the new year. So excited to go through, like, number one episode. Number one to look some of the biggest moments. Some of the moments. I was like, oh, this is cringe. I don't even want to Watch or hear this back. But it's just been. It's been a labor of love becoming a podcaster, and. And it's really been like a journey. Before I got to the Breakfast Club and was podcasting, and a lot of the things that you guys met me doing, I was vlogging. And I've always been really, really big on vlogging. We do recaps and vlogs over on my YouTube channel, LaurentHerosa TV. I have a whole playlist full of vlogs that document my journey, literally from the first day I moved to LA, back in 2015, 2016, to the day I decided to not be there anymore, come on over to New York, and just some of the things in between in podcasting, which is so crazy because after my mom got sick, because I was vlogging, that process, like, I vlogged all the way up until we found out that my mom had cancer. Because in the beginning she was just having strokes and we didn't know what was happening. When we found out that it was cancer and we found out how serious it was, it was just really tough to record stuff on camera. There was a lot of stuff I recorded that we never posted. I don't plan to put up. Um, and it became just kind of triggering. So that honestly made me take a step back from vlogging. As much as I was, like, just documenting my day to day, I was uploading probably like at least two to three times a week. And then I took a step back and kind of, once I came back into it, I don't know, things were just a little bit guarded, a little bit differently. Way differently. And I think it's because I realized how much the content I was putting online, although it was meant for good and my mom wanted to document her journey, that was like, you know, she wanted to do was triggering. Like, it was reminding me of things that, like, we had already gotten over. And when I was experiencing that, like, people calling me and talking to me about things that, like, we were literally, we were good off of it, right? We had moved on. It would mentally take me back. And at that time, I was trying so hard. Once my mom got better, you know, I was trying so hard to just, like, get life back together, move back to la, get back to work, all that. So I was mentally just, like, protecting myself a lot. I was, you know, trying to protect my mom because people. I started hitting her up about stuff as well, too. And I don't know, it just changed, like, my perception of, like, being vulnerable in Content like, y' all hear me here on the podcast. Y' all know I share everything with y'. All. I take you guys everywhere with me. But that definitely changed the journey. But this podcast journey, I think has really gotten me back into the swing of that. Although still a bit guarded and like, you know, I just know a lot more now and I have a lot more that I want to keep a little bit more closer to the chest just, you know, as things grow and all, you know, however many million of y' all at that point, I think we're over 8 million downloads, so we have over 8 million low riders in our community. Yo, like, starting from like zero listeners to that, that's just. It's been a labor of love and such a journey that I've enjoyed taking you guys step by step, y' all. Learning with me, growing with me. Like, I remember at one point we were doing behind the scenes of the podcast just to show y' all us trying to figure it out, because we were really just trying to figure it out for a while. But in that, you know, it's. It's like you guys, the Lowriders, my community over here and y' all being kind of like my diary to a certain extent sometimes has, like, lit that fire under me again to want to, you know, share, be vulnerable and things and just, you know, open up a bit. So I appreciate you guys a lot, not only for that, but as we begin to recap at the end of this year, you guys will see that I appreciate you guys because you've been a consistent. The Lowriders. The latest with Lorena Rosa has been a consistent in this journey from the day I turned on this microphone. Yeah, I mean, there's. There will be a lot to talk through and a lot to talk about. It's a. Wow. It's almost been a year and I'm also going to be taking you guys to Ghana with me. So we'll be going to Ghana at the end of the year, bringing in the new year. I can't promise you, you know, full blown out episodes, because I do want to. I mean, we will still be uploading, but I don't know exactly how much I'll actually upload in Ghana. So, you know, don't worry, we ain't going nowhere. You still get your uploads and your news and all the things, but I'm going to be, you know, very, very, very transparent and showing a lot of my journey there because I'm excited to go to Africa for the first time and I want to take you guys with me. So make sure you are subscribed to my YouTube channel, Lauren LaRosa TV for the vlogs. So we got a lot to do before the new year comes in and I am excited. So that's been, you know, my feeling all day of just like o holiday break over at the Breakfast Club. But like, now we get to really lean in and just focus on the latest with Lauren. The rose of the podcast, y'. All. Yes. Okay. All right, y'.

[DJ Envy]

All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So it was announced today that Charlamagne tha God got 200.

[DJ Envy]

Hey, what up, y'?

[Lauren LaRosa]

All?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. And the holidays are here. The time of year that's all about connecting with loved ones in person or over the phone. In fact, hearing someone's voice can evoke a similar emotional response as a hug. And while most of us can hop on a video chat to really bring that connection to life, using tech isn't easy for everyone, especially some of the older folk in our lives. AT&T has been doing something special here to help. They offer digital literacy workshops that help older adults learn how to use technology to do things most of us take for granted, like video conferencing and sharing photos. Take Nancy Shand. She joined one of AT&T's workshops to learn how to video chat for the first time this holiday season. Nancy won't just be hearing about family gatherings. She'll be a part of them. Sharing stories, opening presents, and making memories all through a screen. Nobody should have to go through the holiday season alone. So be sure to connect and stay connected to your loved ones this holiday season.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Connecting changes everything.

[AT&T Announcer]

AT&T what's up?

[Lone from It's Up There Podcast]

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[Coca-Cola Announcer]

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[Lauren LaRosa]

All.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Mmm.

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[Lauren LaRosa]

Million dollars to sit up there on that mic and spit. I know the mic stink, but baby, he has paid. Let's talk about it now. Speaking of podcasting, today it was announced this guy, I may know him a little bit, Charlemagne the God. He covered Forbes magazine. The title of the COVID is a. It says daily cover How Charlemagne became a media guide radio personality. Charlemagne the God recently signed a 200 million dollar deal with iHeartMedia. Now he has ambitions to ambitious plan to turn his Black Effect network shout out to the Black Effect Podcast Network where y' all are listening to me at, into the bet of podcasting. So damn, like I don't even cuss on the podcast. But yo, let me just tell y', all, first of all, like working with Charlamagne and working with Envy has been one of the most inspiring things I've ever, ever, ever experienced in my life. Like, I've gotten to work with a lot of people and I tell people this all the time, you know, good or bad, win, lose or draw. I don't know how he might feel about me at this point, but I even give Harvey Levin from TMZ his props often because I tell people like, you know, there was a lot that I learned there. Like I became really polished about certain things at tmz. But most importantly, watching him get up every single day, you know, three, four o' clock in the morning, seven days a week, actually work, you know, like he's not just like, oh, this is cute. I own this little media company. He's in there, he's working, he's calling sources, he's breaking stories, he's doing all of that, right? That was very inspiring to see. And I learned a lot about like discipline and what it takes to keep something working. Like if you want a well oiled machine, you have to be in the machine. You have to understand the inner workings of the machine, the people who are at the machine. What you need, what you don't need, what's working, what's not, everything. Okay, eyes closed, right? But when I went over to the Breakfast Club and I started working with Charlamagne and DJ Envy, like it was a different type of inspiring that I've never experienced that up close to my life because Number one, of course they're black. Like, it's completely different than watching a Harvey no Shade, but it's just the honest truth. It's just different. And then also two, they come out of the hip hop space. Like, so. You know, I remember when I moved to la, my goal was like, okay, I want to be able to act and talk show and all these things. And I'm just really interested in like, pop culture and television and music and everything. Black is what I know because it's what I grew up on. It's not even like, you know, I was purposely just only trying to talk about black news and black music, but it's just like these are the things I know for real. I could talk about it in my sleep. I can talk passionately about it. It's natural. It's me. It's. You know what I mean? So in doing that, I remember being told, like, don't go be the black girl at the black outlet. It'll pigeonhole your career. You'll never be able to get anywhere. You'll be in a box. Don't do it. When I come to the Breakfast Club and I see Envy and I see Charlamagne and I see how successful they are, and I was going to say coming out of the hip hop media space, but they're still in it. And I think that's what people don't understand. Like, when you look at the big names like in this article, Just to put it in perspective of how major Charlamagne's deal is, and I'm gonna break down as much as I can, there's not a lot of details about how to deal with structure. I was surprised that this number was even in here. The way Charlamagne, like, he, he don't tell nobody nothing about nothing. I was surprised that this number was in here. But I will talk a bit about that as as much as we can. But to put it into perspective, Forbes talks a bit about how Joe Rogan recently signed a deal for $250 million. There are reports that I'm looking at from back In July of 2025, Joe Rogan hosted the world's leading podcast. The Joe Rogan Experience is set to return to YouTube after inking a new deal with Spotify worth $250 million, signaling a shift in the streaming services podcast strategy. He captioned the post. I am very happy to announce that I will extend my partnership with Spotify, the largest podcast platform in the world. The deal, which spans multiple years, includes an upfront minimum guarantee and a revenue sharing arrangement based on advertising sales. So that's normally like the back end conversation. Under the terms of the new licensing deal, the audio streaming giant will broaden the distribution of the Joe Rogan Experience beyond its previous exclusivity on the platform. The show will now be available on various podcast platforms, including YouTube, Apple and Amazon. Here goes that streaming again. We just talked about Breakfast Club expanding to streaming and Netflix. I don't know if y' all see what's going on here. You have Breakfast Club that does this deal with Netflix. After all the news about the streamers and the podcasting market coming to streaming. And then Charlamagne announced a $200 million deal. Do y' all see, like that is becoming the ABC of podcasting? Like, of course we know traditional television is out the window. We just talked in our last episode about the fact that the Oscars, right after over 50 years on traditional television on ABC, is having to create a partnership with YouTube. The world is shifting and the world of podcasting is shifting and people make it seem like podcasting is like dying out and, you know, the money's all messed up. No, it's there. You just have to understand where to go get it and how to position yourself. And if you're watching a playbook, I'm watching you got the Joe Rogan, you know, playbook. It's the streaming with the, the deal where you can see him and hear him as many places that make sense. And then the money comes in and the money he has the minimum guarantee which he's going to use to just like keep up in his business, the deal on the back end. So I'm sure he probably, the minimum guarantee is probably nothing crazy. I mean, it's crazy compared to what a you or me would be making, right? But for a podcast as large as Joe Rogan's is, I'm assuming, I don't know this for a fact, but I'm assuming that his upfront guarantee would be something that isn't too crazy. So that, that back end situation that he has figured out on the advertising side and you know, the, the promotional side, he's going to yo the way that he is going to clear profit off of that deal easily because of how big he's built up the podcast and how readily available to your eyes and ears, he now has positioned it and then boom, Charlamagne goes and does the same thing. That's the new Playbook. And I'm, I'm. Let me tell y', all, I'm paying attention. So Forbes continues Right. So they, they, they're, they're talking to Charlamagne. He is in, like, a comic book store. And they're basically, like, going through, you know, just some of what has made him who he is today in the media space. This is what John Stewart from the Daily show says about Charlamagne. He says, no fear. He has an incredible ability to distill conversation to its salient center. And it's not all about clicks. It's real. Bob Pittman, who is the CEO of iHeartMedia, says, does he say stuff that a lot of people don't agree with? Of course, but that's Charlamagne being true to Charlamagne. And he has consistently been rewarded for that outrageousness. Now, this deal that Charlemagne signed actually took place from what we're learning today, because there were also reports out there that he hadn't signed the deal yet. And I sit right next to him and I know what was going on, if I'm being honest with y'. All. But again, this is not stuff that they just like, readily, like, you know, anybody, just whatever. If you, if I, if I need to call Envy or Charlamagne and say, hey, what do y' all think about this? Money wise? This whatever, whatever. When you were at this point in your career where I'm at, would you have done it, like, anytime I need to. But I don't be all in the business like this. I know these niggas doing well, but like, damn. Okay, so they then get into kind of some of the specifics. So back in August, this Charlemagne signed a five year, 200 million dollar extension with iHeartMedia. So this deal, now, this is the only breakdown that we have. This deal means, of course, he'll stay on the Breakfast Club, which Charlemagne always tells me, keep the main thing. The main thing. Okay? He is keeping the main thing. The main thing, and it is allowing him to walk away with 200 million freaking dollars. Okay, heard you. So it'll extend his time on the Breakfast Club for the near future. It puts him in the same league with Joe Rogan. Again. I told you guys that they did that comparison because of the amount of money that Joe Rogan just signed his deal for last year. And, and they don't say this, but realizing what Joe Rogan did in reading and researching for this episode, I'm like, oh, the deals are kind of the same. You got the streamer, the structure, all the stuff. But even more vital to this deal and what I think people don't even realize is happening right in front of Their face is Charlamagne is literally using I heart media. When I say using, I don't mean it in a disrespectful way. I mean it in the most respectful way. Because business is a give and take. It is a two way street, is an. It is an exchange. You take care of your people, they take care of you. So Charlamagne is using his position and the leverage that he's built at iheart from his sweat equity, right? So all of the time, energy, brand building, notoriety, type of leverage he's brought to iheart. He went back to them during the pandemic and said, yo, we need to start this podcast network called the Black Effect Podcast Network. Right? The Black Effect Podcast network has been on or in partnership with Iowheart since. And let me. Okay, let me just say this as well. One of the things that I've learned, too, from working up close and personal with a Charlamagne or with an Envy, it's not just about give and take in the sense of, okay, I work here, so I need to run it up on y'.

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All.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I need to get as much as I can out of this. It's about the quality and the substance of what you're bringing to the table as well, too. And I think, you know, you know, we talk about recapping the year. One of the. This has been a crazy year for me. Like, man, I could have never imagined some of the things that God allowed me to just literally gracefully walk into and to fall in my lap. And, you know, all I had to do was be ready and prepared. And even on days where I slipped and I didn't do the best, God was right there. And I was so clearly able to hear him say, up, tighten, up, up, discipline, up. One of the things that I've been honestly able to learn up close with them is, again, it's the substance piece. It's like anybody can pull up a seat to the table. People talk about, I want a seat at the table, I want to build my own table. Sometimes building your own table starts with pulling up a seat to the table. To even be able to break bread with people who are doing things the way that you want to do them, or even if not the exact same way, but like, on the levels you want to do them on, or sometimes on the levels you don't want to do them on, or doing things you don't want to do so that you're able to learn. But you, you're at the table, you're learning, you're in the conversation. You're in the room, and then from there, you're able to go off and build your own tables. I've watched them, you know, not. I mean, they're still actively building their own tables. Because another thing y' all need to realize is this is just Charlemagne's day job. Like, when I was reading this article, like, we joking. We play around all day. Like, y' all know, you know, me and Charlemagne got. It's like a very. Like, you get on my nerves, but love you to death. And no one could tell me anything about the guys. Like, you cannot tell me anything about Envy or anything about Charlotte at all, period. Won't ever let you. And it gets on their nerves, too, that I defend them so much, but it's because I see how much work and effort they put into building their lives outside of the Breakfast Club. And then people see numbers like this, and they're amazed. And I'm like, y' all don't get it. I get to see that every day. $200 million. And it's just your day job. We're not even talking about. Cause, you know, in this article, they mentioned Black Effect, right? And I told you guys, people were not even peeping game. That Black Effect is literally, like, it has built so much over the time that it came up under I heart in the podcast space. Charlamagne started Black Effect with Dolly Bishop. Shout out to Dolly Bishop, who is the president of development and production, and basically like, okay, Dolly gonna make sure you need something done, honey. Dolly gonna get it done, okay? She is the girl. Not a girl. It girl. The girl. Like, don't play with Dolly. But Charlamagne and Dolly built this network, right? And when you think about it, on a. Just a small scale. So they brought in podcasts. They wanted to build these shows. They wanted to house, you know, things that Charlamagne was already doing. They did that from there. They then began to be like, okay, how can we look out here in the world and build other podcast networks under Black Effect Podcast Network to do exactly what we did? They've now begin doing that with Drink Champs, Noriega and Drink Champs. DJ Effing is a. Is a podcast network. Black Effect. I heart moving for. They. They. In this Forbes article, they mentioned that they want to bring on 10 more shows just in 2026, but not even just shows. Like, there's so much business to be done, and I heart is leaning all the way in. Not just because, again, of the give and take, it's like, okay, he's giving Us, you know, the leverage, the notoriety, good business. But the fact that it's good business, let me tell you guys the numbers that they mentioned in here. So this is one of the biggest things I've learned from the UNK Squad. That's what I call DJ envy in Charlemagne. It's not just about that transactional give and take. It's like, yo, when you pull up, I don't care if nobody giving you nothing. Make sure if you're in the room, it's why am I here? You always asking why? And if you can add value, add that bitch. Like, don't add it. Okay, so the Forbes article says since 2020, Forbes mentions that Black Effect has launched over 60 shows, right? They say iHeartMedia reported podcast revenue of $448.8 million in 2024. So this is four years after the Black Effect was active, up from $252.6 million in 2021 and $101 million the year prior. So what this means is in 2020, when the Black Effect Podcast Network began partnering with iHeart, who was already doing podcasting, the Breakfast Club and the Black Effect Podcast network contributed tremendously to a lot of the popular podcasts and culture and our culture being on this network. So in 2020, they made $101 million in their podcasting space, revenue wise. In 2021, iHeart made $252.6 million in their as far as revenue in their podcasting space. So in 2021, Black Effect would have been with them for a year. In 2024, Black effect would have been with IHEART on the podcasting space for four years. With the help of the Black Effect, I heart grew over $200 million in revenue in podcasting as long as 196. So just with that being said, right, Think about it. I create this podcast network. I'm like, yo, come over here. Believe in culture, believe in podcasting. Believe in the black man that got these shows on his black back, his black bag. Woo. That sounds a little racist, but I'm black, so I can say it. That got these shows on his back that wants to come over. Add to, I'm pulling up a seat to your table. I'd have been at the Breakfast Club. I'm in the mix of it. I see how things work and I want to add to it. So I come with my shows in the matter of a little over three to four years of my network being a part of your conversation, your revenue conversation when it comes to podcasting. You guys are seeing an increase of over $190 million. That alone, like, people are, like, blown away by this $200 million number. I am too. Shit. But when I read the rest of this article, I'm like, y' all don't understand. Leverage is gooder than gold. And that is exactly what the Black Effect podcast network is doing. And then Charlamagne still walking away with his $200 million from his daily job. Shout out to him, okay. Rumble, black man, rumble. Like, this is so inspiring. As much as that man gets on my nerves. Oh, my God. And he is so tough on me. And I be having bad days. Like, it be days where, like, I feel like I'm not as prepared as I should be. And I feel like you could tell there are days sometimes where, you know, life is happening and I'm still learning how to, like, you know, experience that and still, you know, show up and personality turn on. And they're so good at it. Yeah. There are just days where I'm not even motivated to talk about the things that are going on, and I might not have been able to produce anything exclusively the night before. So I feel like the way I talk about things isn't as, like, you know, I'm just not all the way fully there. Like, but there are days where I hit it out the park. There are days where, and I mean every single day. I don't care if it's a good or bad day, I'm not backing down. I'm going to continue to show up. And this is why. Because I see things like this every day. And I see what happens when you continuously build. And the best part of all of this, that I've been thinking about this whole freaking day, y', all, this man loves his job. They love what they do. Like, they sincerely love what they do in every aspect. I mean, inside of the studio and outside, so all of the side ventures and side quests and because we didn't even get to the production companies with Kevin Hart and the book imprints. And this is insane. But I love to see it. I love y'. All. I don't even know who is the last person in the space in the hip hop, like, really from the hip hop space. Cause that's another thing, too, that I'm so proud of is, like, they really from it. Like, they're really from the space of, like, culture and us and they outside with it. Okay. I don't know the last person that I can point to here, like, you know, you know, number wise, like, this Is like NBA contract numbers. Us, black, us. Shout out to the guys, Congratulations, Charlemagne. I know you probably gonna watch this or listen to this, and you're gonna be smiling with that look getting on my nerves. But congratulations, though. And that Forbes article is now live. You guys can take a read. If you're not familiar with Charlemagne's background story, they do mention a bit of it here. But I was also talking today to one of our producers, Sim, who just recently got promoted to music director of Power1051, which is the radio station that Breakfast Club is on in New York, which is a major thing because New York is number one market, you know, in the space. And she's young. That's my dog. Okay? But I was talking to her today, and we were talking about how reading Charlamagne's first book, Black Privilege, that was probably one of the first books I read as an adult where I was like, oh, okay. You know that song, whose world is this? The world is just like. It made me feel like I was in that song. Like, yo, everything I'm experiencing is not happening to me. It's happening for me. And it's my privilege, like, showing up with all of this blackness and this experience and this non experience and culture that is my asset in the room. That is what's going to make my businesses successful compared to somebody else's inspo, y'. All. Now, at the end of the day, there's a lot to talk about. And, yo, if $200 million is on the table to talk about it, when I get to that point, it'll be more, though. It'll be more because the. The market will be so different. Like we where and how you consume the podcast, and everything will be different. Wherever it's going to be, we'll be there. And we're going to be leading the space. I'm market. Mark my word. Okay? We will be leading that space. Let me tell you all something. There's a lot to talk about every single day. And, baby, if people out here making $200 million to do it, I am going to keep on yapping. I appreciate you guys for being right here with me to talk about it. As always, I tell you guys that every single day. Episode by Low riders, I'm Lauren LaRosa. This is the latest with Lauren LaRosa, and I will catch you guys in my next episode. Stay inspired. Stay black. If you are black. If you're not, don't try. Just leave it. Talk to y' all soon.

[DJ Envy]

Hey, what up, y'?

[Lauren LaRosa]

All?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy and the holidays are here. The time of year that's all about connecting with loved ones in person or over the phone. In fact, hearing someone's voice can evoke a similar emotional response as a hug. And while most of us can hop on a video chat to really bring that connection to life, using tech isn't easy for everyone, especially some of the older folk in our lives. AT&T has been doing something special here to help. They offer digital literacy workshops that help older adults learn how to use technology to do things most of us take for granted, like video conferencing and sharing photos. Take Nancy Shand. She joined one of AT&T's workshops to learn how to video chat for the first time this holiday season. Nancy won't just be hearing about family gatherings, she'll be a part of them, sharing stories, opening presents and making memories all through a screen. Nobody should have to go through the holiday season alone, so be sure to connect and stay connected to your loved ones this holiday season.

[AT&T Announcer]

Connecting changes everything AT and T.

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A matchup we got y'.

[DJ Envy]

All.

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This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passion and fan fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work so grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

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That we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matter that we're here for you when you need us, day or night, and we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit [e-mail] or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.

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This is Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Sunday mornings I've got my game day.

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Ritual, Coffee, Lucky socks and now New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches.

[Lone from It's Up There Podcast]

It's all about that 12 gram protein.

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[Lone from It's Up There Podcast]

Berry or Up and Apple flavors.

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Bright Eye Berries got a feisty receiver.

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Energy up an apple. Your classic Do it all tight end.

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Whether you're on the couch, driving to.

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Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with New Morning Uncrustable sandwiches packed with 12 grams of protein.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.