The Industry Is Shifting (Sherri Speaks on Show Cancellation and J Cole Fall Off Album)

Summary

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The Latest with Loren LoRosa

Episode: "The Industry Is Shifting (Sherri Speaks on Show Cancellation and J Cole Fall Off Album)"

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Loren LaRosa
Network: The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

In this episode, Loren LaRosa delves into the shifting landscape of daytime television and hip-hop, focusing on Sherri Shepherd's show cancellation and J. Cole's deeply personal "The Fall Off" album and his unconventional trunk tour. Loren provides sharp commentary, first-hand anecdotes, and cultural context, making sense of major headlines and their impact on both fans and industry insiders.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting Trends in Daytime Talk Shows

(Start – 09:19)

• Sherri Shepherd’s Show Cancellation
  • Loren opens up about the recent announcement that Sherri Shepherd’s daytime show is not being renewed after four seasons, surprising many due to Shepherd's solid ratings.
  • Loren discusses how the announcement for Shepherd's show was abrupt and businesslike, contrasting it with the more controlled and personal way Kelly Clarkson handled her own show’s end.
  • Quote from Loren:
    “With Sherri Shepherd, it just felt like we got a blanket variety, you know, something in the trades… All we got was, okay, the show is going to be canceled because daytime talk show is going in a different space.” (06:08)
  • Loren points out industry rumors about plummeting ratings, but notes her research indicates both Sherri Shepherd and Tamron Hall have been doing “amazing” ratings-wise, adding to the confusion.
  • Shepherd’s Own Words (audio clip):
    “Our show has not been renewed for another season. And I want to say to y’all… try not to faint or fall out. Healthcare is expensive, and none of us have it anymore, so y’all don’t fall out.” (07:40, Sherri Shepherd)
  • Loren reflects on the broader industry question: Does the traditional daytime talk format still make sense financially when podcasts can reach audiences with less overhead?
  • The episode highlights a lack of transparency from producers and networks, suggesting there’s more to the story.

Memorable Moment

• Sherri Shepherd’s heartfelt gratitude for her audience even as she addressed the cancellation head-on.

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2. J. Cole’s "The Fall Off," Legacy & Trunk Tour

(13:19 – 26:15)

• Album Release and Grounded Rollout
  • Loren discusses J. Cole’s surprise album “The Fall Off,” celebrated as possibly his final work. J. Cole’s rollout includes a “trunk tour,” traveling to various locations in his Honda Civic and selling CDs—mirroring the grind of his early career.
  • Loren defends Cole’s approach, praising his decision to remain accessible and rooted in his community rather than chasing viral trends.
    “I’m not mad at it. For the type of album J. Cole just delivered, where it was very much rooted in where he was from, his roots, his come-up after coming up… you gotta finish as you started.” (15:05, Loren LaRosa)
  • Cultural significance of HBCUs is highlighted, noting how artists like Cole and Wale built fan bases by performing on college campuses and engaging directly with students.
  • Loren underscores how HBCUs and Black culture drive trends not just in hip-hop but in mainstream pop, jazz, and more.
• Industry Reflection
  • J. Cole’s refusal to conform to mainstream expectations (e.g., declining to participate in highly-publicized rap battles) is presented as a testament to his authenticity and connection to fans.
  • His role as “man of the people” is affirmed with anecdotes about Cole biking through NYC and casually visiting Black-owned venues.

Notable Stats

• J. Cole’s "The Fall Off" earned 35.02 million streams on Spotify in its first full day, the second biggest album debut of 2026 so far. (24:14)

Memorable Exchange—Dreamville Festival

• Loren shares J. Cole chatting with a fan at a parking garage, hinting that Dreamville Festival might continue despite prior announcements:
  • Fan: “So the fest was a lot… Is it going to be here in Raleigh?”
    J. Cole: “Yeah, if we… Yeah, it will still stay in Raleigh, but it was just a lot.” (26:16 ff.)

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3. Cultural Commentary & Black Excellence

(18:00 – 22:00)

• Loren emphasizes the enduring influence of Black women and HBCUs in shaping what's cool and what becomes mainstream:
  • “HBCUs culturally push what's hot… We are taste. We push taste. We let you know what's cool… Hip hop will always be the leading genre.” (17:01)

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Notable Quotes

• “Does the regular, everyday podcast format even make money anymore? …Honestly, it sounds to me like Sherri maybe is thinking along that lane, but we don’t know.” (08:32, Loren)
• “For artists like J. Cole… their art doesn’t work unless their humanity does too. And J. Cole is one of those artists.” (23:44, Loren)
• “If he was doing anything else right now, it was so not J. Cole. Like, he is literally like man of the people.” (24:25, Loren)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:18 – Loren intros the cultural grind, Brown Girl Grinding merch, and teases NY Fashion Week appearances.
• 05:40 – Deep dive into Sherri Shepherd show’s abrupt cancellation.
• 07:36 – Sherri Shepherd’s on-air response. (Notable Quote)
• 09:19 – Loren analyzes the shift from traditional talk shows to digital formats.
• 13:19 – Transition to J. Cole’s "The Fall Off" album, the trunk tour, and HBCU influence.
• 22:02 – Loren describes J. Cole at North Carolina A&T and the importance of “feet in the grass.”
• 24:14 – Spotify stream stats and first-week performance numbers for J. Cole.
• 26:16 – Fan encounter with J. Cole, Dreamville Festival status update.

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Conclusion and Tone

The episode features Loren’s witty, conversational, and sometimes provocative observations on what it means to be relevant—and authentic—in today's entertainment industry. Her deep respect for Black culture and keen ear for industry trends makes this episode essential listening for anyone interested in the evolving intersection of culture, media, and music.

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For listeners anxious for the real story behind the headlines, this episode delivers perspective, context, and heart.

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Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

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.

[Mandy B]

Over the last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama? This Black History Month, the podcast Selective Ignorance with Mandy B unpacks black history and culture with comedy, clarity and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown act in New York was signed in July of 2019, and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B. From the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Higgins]

You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if youf Can Hear Me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people. Some have answers. Most are still fake. Figuring it out and if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hope Woodard]

What is something you've had to unlearn about love? That it's earned.

[Ben Higgins]

That I was unworthy of love.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That it needs to be forever for it to count.

[Hope Woodard]

February is the month of love. Whether you're in a relationship, casually dating, or proudly single, it's a great time to reflect on yourself and what you want. I'm Hope Woodard, host of the Boy Sober podcast, and each week we're looking at love from every angle. Listen to Boy Sober. That's B O Y S o B E r on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything.

[Ben Higgins]

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

[Hope Woodard]

Lauren came in hot.

[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 of the grind. Back on 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 car grinding, which you guys know is my Medium production company. We have the I love a brown girl grinding sweatshirts hoodies. Why do I call it sweatshirt hoodies? We also have the fact black women are effing gorgeous hoodies reimagined because we always have that classic merch on browngroundgrounded.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. Black. Black women are effing gorgeous [e-mail] as well. So go 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 Sher 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. 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 say to y', all, everybody, y', all, try not to faint or fall out. Cause healthcare 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 stop 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 gonna 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 it 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.

[Ben Higgins]

What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, me is where culture meets the soul. A place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks. And we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff. Identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore. Loss that changes you Purpose when success isn't enough. Peace when your mind won't slow down faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if youf Can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hope Woodard]

What is one thing about love you've had to unlearn?

[Lauren LaRosa]

That it's earned, that it needs to be forever for it to count.

[Hope Woodard]

February is the month of love. Whether you're in a relationship, casually dating, or proudly single, it's a great time to reflect on yourself and what you want. I'm Hope Woodard, host of the Voice Over Podcast, and each week this month, we're looking at love from every angle.

[Mandy B]

I don't know how to tell my partner, like, what I want in bed.

[Hope Woodard]

Think about romantic fiction.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I would say more than any other.

[Hope Woodard]

Genre of culture is that it's always put women first. My marriage stopped making sense. The connection started to feel off. The behavior started to feel different. This February, get in touch with yourself by listening to Boy Sober. That's B o y s o B e r. I'm like, I would love to not hate the man I'm sleeping with. I don't know what that's about. Listen to Boy Sober on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Segregation in the day, integration at night.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

When segregation was the law, one mysterious black club owner had his own rules.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We didn't worry about what was going on outside.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

It was like stepping in another world.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

Inside Charlie's Place, black and white people danced together. But not everyone was happy about it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You saw the kkk.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Yeah, they were dressed up in their uniform.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The KKK set out to raid Charlie, take him away from here.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Charlie was an example of power. They had to crush him.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

From Atlas Obscura, Rococo Punch and visit Myrtle beach comes Charlie's Place, a story that was nearly lost to time. Until now. Listen to Charlie's place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

This is Ryder Strong, and I have a new podcast called the Red Weather.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It was many and many a year ago in a kingdom by the sea.

[Ryder Strong]

In 1995, my neighbor Anna Trainor disappeared from a commune. It was hard to wrap your head around. It was nature and trees and praying and drugs.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So, no, I am not your guru.

[Ryder Strong]

And back then, I lied to my parents, I lied to police. I lied to everybody.

[Lauren LaRosa]

There were years, Ryder, where I could.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

Not say your name.

[Ryder Strong]

I've decided to go back to my hometown in Northern California, interview my friends, family, talk to police, journalists, whomever I can to try to find out what actually happened.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Isn't it a little bit weird that they obsess over hippies in the woods and not the obvious boyfriend?

[Lauren LaRosa]

They have had this case for 30 years.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

I'll teach you sons of come around.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Here in my wife. Boom, boom.

[Ryder Strong]

This is the red weather. Listen to the red Weather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[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 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 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 a 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. 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 of viral moments and no shade to the viral TikTok artists who, you know, get it off the gram or the TikTok, but for artists like J. Cole. And I'm gonna 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. 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'd 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 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 D.C. just all of that culture, that was like the best way to sell an artist or 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 what's hot. Just how, like, we talk about, like black people and black women, how we, you know, we. We are taste, we push taste. We let you know what's cool. And that's why hip hop, I don't care what numbers say and what 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.

[Ben Higgins]

What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me is where culture meets the soul, a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks, and we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff. Identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore. Loss that changes you Purpose when success isn't enough. Peace when your mind won't slow down. Faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hope Woodard]

What is one thing about love you've had to unlearn?

[Lauren LaRosa]

That it's earned, that it needs to be forever for it to count.

[Hope Woodard]

February is the month of love. Whether you're in a relationship, casually dating, or proudly single, it's a great time to reflect on yourself and what you want. I'm Hope Woodard, host of the Boy Sober podcast, and each week this month, we're looking at love from every angle.

[Mandy B]

I don't know how to tell my partner, like, what I want in bed.

[Hope Woodard]

The thing about romantic fiction, I would.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Say more than any other genre of.

[Hope Woodard]

Culture, is that it's always put women first. My marriage stopped making sense. The connection started to feel off. The behavior started to feel different. This February, get in touch with yourself by listening to voiceover. That's B o y s o B e r. I'm like, I would love to not hate the man I'm sleeping with. I don't know what that's about. Listen to voiceover on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Segregation in the day, integration at night.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

When segregation was the law, one mysterious black club owner had his own rules.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We didn't worry about what went on outside.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

It was like stepping in another world.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

Inside Charlie's place, black and white people danced Together. But not everyone was happy about it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You saw the kkk.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Yeah, they was dressed up in their uniform.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The KKK set out to raid Charlie, take him away from here.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Charlie was an example of power. They had to crush him.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

From Atlas Obscura, Rococo Punch and visit Myrtle beach comes Charlie's place, a story that was nearly lost to time. Until now. Listen to Charlie's place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

This is Ryder Strong, and I have a new podcast called the Red Weather.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It was many and many a year.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

Ago in a kingdom by the sea.

[Ryder Strong]

In 1995, my neighbor Anna Trainor disappeared from a commune. It was hard to wrap your head around. It was nature and trees and praying and drugs.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So, no, I am not your guru.

[Ryder Strong]

And back then, I lied to my parents, I lied to police, I lied to everybody.

[Lauren LaRosa]

There were years, Ryder, where I could.

[Atlas Obscura Narrator]

Not say your name.

[Ryder Strong]

I've decided to go back to my hometown in Northern California, interview my. My friends, family, talk to police, journalists, whomever I can to try to find out what actually happened.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

Isn't it a little bit weird that they obsess over hippies in the woods and not the obvious boyfriend?

[Lauren LaRosa]

They have had this case for 30 years.

[Peacock/Burbs Promo Voice]

I'll teach you sons of come around.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Here in my wife. Boom, boom.

[Ryder Strong]

This is the red weather. Listen to the red Weather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But seeing J. Cole on the campus of North Carolina A and 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 into who he is, he still is. And it sounds like, you know, like on this project with this 29 and disc 39, because 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, 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 Auntie 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 thought it was fire. 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 BJ Cole. Like, 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. 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. So two days ago they tweeted 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. 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. Lo and LaRose are 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 we was. That was supposed to be the last year. Last year. Let's take a look at it. So what's going on with the festival? So the fest was a lot. We still, like. It was a lot to.

[Hope Woodard]

Cooking up.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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

[Hope Woodard]

We cooking up something.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right.

[Angela Yee]

It ain't over.

[Lauren LaRosa]

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

[Hope Woodard]

Boom, boom, boom.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Or you feel like it'll hit different if it's a different name. Do you feel like it's. Yeah, I gotta think on that. 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.

[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 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 over the.

[Mandy B]

Last couple years, didn't we learn that the folding chair was invented by black people because of what happened in Alabama? It's a Montgomery brawl This Black History Month, the podcast Selective Ignorance with Mandy B unpacks black history and culture with comedy, clarity and conversations that shake the status quo. The Crown act in New York was signed in July of 2019 and that is a bill that was passed to prohibit discrimination based on hair hairstyles associated with race. To hear this and more, listen to Selective Ignorance with Mandy B. From the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Higgins]

You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins and if you can hear Me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people. Some have answers. Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if youf Can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Hope Woodard]

What is something you've had to unlearn about love? That it's earned, that I was unworthy.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Of love, that it needs to be forever for it to count.

[Hope Woodard]

February is the month of love. Whether whether you're in a relationship, casually dating, or proudly single, it's a great time to reflect on yourself and what you want. I'm Hope Woodard, host of the Voiceover Podcast, and each week we're looking at love from every angle. Listen to Boy Sober, that's B O Y S O B E r on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Lauren LaRosa]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.