The Breakfast Club - FULL SHOW: Clipse Paid Millions to Leave Def Jam, Offset Goes Offline, Cardi B Claps Back at Haters + Mara Brock Akil & Lencia Kebede Interviews

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Mara Brock Akil talks about her new series Forever, the beauty of Black love, and lessons learned through storytelling, including an update on the Girlfriends movie. Lencia Kebede joins to discuss playing Elphaba, Black representation on Broadway, and her personal journey of growth. Plus, Charlamagne Tha God gives Donkey of the Day to Pete Hegseth for ordering the Navy to strip a ship’s name honoring a gay rights activist. Listen for more!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. What's the export impact? For Colson Aviation, it's when your business from Port Albany, BC takes off globally. It's fighting forest fires from the air while protecting yourself from financial risks on the ground. Turn uncertainty into your next business opportunity with Export Development Canada's Market Insights, Connections, and Financial Solutions. Discover the export impact today at edc.ca slash export. Good morning, USA! Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo front. The whole gang is late and I just walked in. I don't know what their

excuses. I think Charlamagne might have overslept. I think Jess couldn't find her car keys. But for myself it's them damn puppies I just purchased. The dogs are getting you late. Yo, them dogs are kicking my ass. Now you know I haven't had a puppy in a long time. Probably since I was a kid, right? My last dog Chuck Norris, who I still have, I bought the dog as an adult. He was house trained, he went outside in the woods. There was not really much to do. He didn't chew up furniture.

Not these puppies. These puppies bark and whine all night. I know what you're thinking, them be their puppies. Yes, then when I wake up, you know, they had a little accident in their crate, which is not a problem. I cleaned it up, so I put them on the porch right fast while I cleaned it up. Then when I go back to get them, there's poop on the porch. That's like two days in a row now, right?

Yes. So then I got to clean up the poop, put them back in, make sure that they're bathed and their paws are clean because I'm walking them back in the house. And now I'm running for time. And that's such a tough thing to do at like three in the morning. Yes. Three in the morning, you're trying to be quiet, the whole house is sleeping, but now I beat today. I'm getting a dog run I'm gonna build the dog one so I'm going to track the supply

I'm a build on and I'm gonna put them out there for a little bit because this is getting a lot Let's salute to anybody that has a puppy and notice pain, but it's fun man Seeing the kids just enjoy the puppy and play with the puppies is like everything But I shouldn't have just got one my wife wanted to and yeah, whatever wife wants wife kids It is what it's a boy and a girl right two girls two sisters two girls. Yes two girls. All right Well, let's get the show cracking now. Like I said, the gang will be here in a second But we have Mara Brock Akil joining us this morning. She's a of course a television producer She has written on the Jamie Foxx show. She has done being Mary Jane the game

Friends so many different things that we're gonna talk to her. She has a new show on Netflix called forever So we'll talk about her and that's from Judy Bloom's book I'm not sure what the name of it. I'm not a Judy Bloom fan Charlamagne is Charlamagne would be cursing me out right now But yes based off a Judy Bloom book and we'll be talking to her and also But yes based off of Judy Blume book and we'll be talking to her and also Lindsay a Kabidi I'm saying that wrong, but I'm trying I she is the first black actress to play in wicked Alpha book so she plays out for but I'm wicked what? Good I said girlfriends. I said friends. I'm sorry girlfriends as

Sim walks in hands and corrects me. Yes, she did girlfriends. All right Yeah, so and also also she like I said, let's see it She was the first black ass just to play alpha but on Broadway So we'll talk to her got a chance to take the kids to see that and it was amazing All right, let's get the show cracking. We got front page news Morgan to be joining us. Don't go anywhere It's the breakfast club. Come on. Let's go morning. Everybody is DJ envy Jess hilarious Charlamagne the guy we are the breakfast club Let's get in some front page news morning Morgan Shalemane the guy we are the breakfast club. Let's get in some front page news Morning Morgan Hey, hey envy. So look, you know, you like to start with sports. So you heard about what happened with a New York Knicks coach Yes time to go. Yeah, so he got fired after five seasons

So the team announced on Tuesday that tibetto led the New York to its first Eastern Conference finals appearance this year led the New York to its first Eastern Conference finals appearance this year. For the first time, of course, since 1999 in the 2000 season from nine, nine to two thousands in his five seasons with the Knicks, he won 226 regular season games and the team went 24 and 23 and four postseason appearances. Now the 2021 NBA coach of the year led the Knicks to consecutive 50 plus win seasons for its first time since the 1990s. Now, to but Oh has been an NBA coach since 2010 between New York, the Bulls, Chicago Bulls, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. So what do you think about this move? I think it was needed, although Thibodeau was probably the most winningest coach since 1999. I just felt like there was a lot of things that he did that he was exposed early his playoffs that I think Should have been handled a lot better for instance the first game versus the paces

I mean we were up 14 with like what a minute and change left. There's no way we lose that game People have been real critical of the fact that he plays his players a lot his players get a lot of minutes and a lot Of times that runs the players down. They don't have enough energy to close out So he's been they criticized him a lot So I don't know who they bring in to but oh, like I said, he was the winning winning his coaches 1999 He got us further than any coaches got it. So we'll see what the next happens though as far as who's next All right, the building blocks. We love to hear it moving on So Elon Musk criticism of President Trump's so-called one big beautiful bill is being downplayed by the White House

of President Trump's so-called one big beautiful bill is being downplayed by the White House. Yesterday in multiple posts on X, Musk said quote, I am sorry but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive outrageous pork-filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it. You know you did wrong. You know it. Now he went on to post that it will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to 2.5 trillion. And he also said it will American it will burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt. And he did went on to add that Congress is making America bankrupt.

Now White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt addressed the criticism during a briefing. And here's what she had to say. Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big beautiful bill and he's sticking to it. So House Speaker Mike Johnson says Elon Musk's criticism of the Republican Party's massive tax cuts and spending bill is very disappointing and terribly wrong. Now Johnson shared that he spoke with the tech billionaire on Monday and told reporters Elon is missing it, but he noted that it's not personal. Now, must criticism also comes just days after his White House departure as a

special government employee for Doge Department of Government Efficiency. Meanwhile, not all Senate Republicans are on board with Trump's so-called one big, beautiful bill as well. Marjorie Taylor green posted on X that she didn't know about the part of the bill that strips the state's rights to make laws or regulate a I for 10 years, adding that she is adamantly opposed of that because we have no idea what a I will be capable of in the next 10 years. Now, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says he's a no unless the bill is changed to cut down the deficit more. Let's take a

listen to his comments. You know, I think there are three or four of us. If there are four of us who want it to be more fiscally conservative, I think we can reduce the spending levels and perhaps separate out the debt ceiling as well. But it takes four people with courage, and four people with courage can make the bill into anything we want it to. He also posted on X that we can and must do better. And Utah senator, also Republican, Mike Lee, wrote, the Senate must make must do better. And Utah senator also Republican Mike Lee wrote, the Senate must make this bill better. Again, the multi trillion dollar tax and spending package narrowly passed the house

and Senate and is taking, and the Senate is taking up the measure this week where Republicans can only afford to lose three votes. Now Trump went after Paul on social media posting that he has very little understanding of the bill. Democrats say the bill. Democrats say the bill cuts Medicaid and other social safety nets by billions of dollars. And Republicans are saying there are much needed reforms to the bill and that it will

cut the deficit. Of course, we the American people are waiting to see what Congress is going to do. There's a projected July 4th deadline to get this measure passed and on the president's desk. So I do like the fact that he did check the president or he's not, I shouldn't say check the president, but he's going against the president, right? Cause everybody's saying everybody on the president's team rides with him and dies with him and whatever he says goes. And he's saying, I don't like this bill.

And it's, it's weird that he's not riding for the bill because it seems like the bill is beneficial to a lot of millionaires and billionaires. So the fact that he's saying he doesn't like the bill It makes me smile a little bit because he's going he's going against what you know What people are assuming or think that he would go for he just spent 130 days, you know Thinking that he just rooted out waste fraud and abuse. So I'm sure he felt like he wasted his time. That's right You know, so but That's your 6 a.m. Front page news at 7 a.m. We'll talk about what's happening with ICE. So stick around.

All right. Everybody else, get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. If you need to vent, phone lines are wide open. Again, 800-585-1051. And the gang will be here in a second. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning.

The Breakfast Club. This is your time to get it off your chest. Keep calling 800-585-1051. We want to hear from you on the Breakfast Club. Hello, who's this? Hey, good morning DJ Envy. This is Tameka, y'all. Resident's Hub.

What's up, y'all? What's up? Happy Pride, Tameka. Happy Pride. Good morning. Happy Pride to all my people out there. What's going on? I just wanted to call you guys and get off my chest that I'm changing my schedule and I ain't gonna be able to holla at y'all no more. How you gonna do that to us? Why are you changing your schedule? Well you know they getting

rid of the third shift so you know I'm gonna go work on the second cause I can't mess with that first shit. They be snitching too much. They be snitching on you too much? Yeah, they be snitching on everybody, not just me. You gonna get a little bit more sleep though. Yes, oh yeah. And I'm gonna be able to rub on my baby ass at night. Hey.

Overnight in a bed. So that's the greatest thing about it. Shout out to my girl for being beautiful. I love that that's happening for you during Pride Month too. Go ahead go on. What you do for pride? Do you celebrate pride? Do you do something special for Pride Month? Um, I'm pretty you know, I'm an old You know, I'm this is my birthday month so I'll be turning 43 this month Okay, so I'm just gonna celebrate my birthday and and my girls taking me to go see Bernard Durant tonight

So we gonna have some fun. Okay, well enjoy and we speak to you soon. You better call us before your last day I'm a try to I'm a try to but shout out to y'all. I love y'all and y'all have a beautiful day Yeah, you too. Now. Hello, who's this? Dingo what's this? man what's up y'all this is Dingo what's going on back to the club Dingo what's up get a little free chest brother morning morning morning, you that Lauren? yes hey Lauren how you doing mama? I'm doing good how are you?

excellent excellent excellent we're uh we're uh the Charlamagne and Jeff they here? nah they be there in a second they they they're a little late this morning we was all a little late this morning they're bogus, they're bogus this all good this one's for you to any anyway every Shame on you or green with this firing of Tom tiptoe one of the best coaches the NBA has right now It was not coaching it was the players and Carl Anthony Towns making stupid files

Really with a whole your whole squad making stupid files really with the whole your whole squad making silly files Stupid mistakes and just it was not it was not coaching Tom Timberdow solid he was a great coach for the boys great coach for the mix probably one of the best coaches to make ever had and Firing him is putting y'all in the wrong direction I disagree, you know the first game in the paces you believed we up 14 with a minute and change left We're supposed to lose that no, y'all shouldn't have lost that but it wasn't coaching that was definitely that was definitely coach You can't blame cat for 14 points And then also the fact that he plays the play is the most in the league and the players seem like they burped down

At the fourth quarter. You don't think that's strange either Okay, but you don't think your bench could have picked up the slack? Um, I think if the bench was played the right way I think they would definitely help. I mean, you look at the last couple of games, a lot of the players on the bench I didn't even know their names until the last couple of games. I'd be like, who the hell is that? Who is that? Because they just never played. But, you know, we'll see what happens.

We'll see what happens though. Like, this is crazy. This is not going to get y'all back into the finals. So, I guess man, but yeah, I just It's not going to get you back into the finals. So I guess man, but yeah, I just don't think I don't agree with this fire. I respect him. He was a great coach for Bulls. He's got your coach for the Knicks.

I just don't think this is a good move for the Knicks, but that's all I wanted to say, man. All right, brother. Well, have a good one. You too, brother. Get it off your chest. 800-585-1051. The gang is a little late. Lawrence here, we're holding it down.

It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. The Breakfast Club. Ray, Ray, Ray! Yo, Charlamagne. Envy, what up? Are we live? This is your time to get it off your chest.

I got an indoor pool, an outdoor pool. We wanna hear from you on the Breakfast Club. We can get on the phone right now, we'll tell you what it is. We live! Hello, who's this? I'm DJ Envy, this is Stacy, the one who brought up the cupcakes for y'all.

Hey, happy pride. What? Wait, why you said that to me? I'm just saying, I'm just saying happy pride. And your cupcakes are the craziest, the craziest sayings, like swallow right now cupcake and eat it from the back right now cupcake. Right.

So wait DJ Envy I have one question. Yes. How did y'all like it? I didn't get any feedback from y'all. So if you're just joining us Stacey actually brought us a bunch of cupcakes with the wildest names ever and the cupcakes were amazing. I'm not gonna lie Sorry, I can't curse

I was waiting for y'all. So wait, let me just tell you real quick I've been so blessed since I've been on a graphics club You know people come up to like me and be like, yo, you're like graphics club Stacey You know people come up to like me and be like yo, you're like perfect club Stacey So yo, thank you so much for giving me that opportunity to meet y'all I didn't realize how tall you was and I didn't realize how short Charlamagne was That's that's what people usually say But your cupcakes have like one of them had a little liquor in it So I was scared to bring it home because I want the kids to take the one with the liquor in it Yeah, and then I'd be on the news and then I got to blame Stacy.

So I was scared. No, no, no, no, no, right. See, but that's why I explained all the flavors to y'all. Jett hilarious. I'm so mad that you wasn't there because you didn't get to experience Stacy's cupcakes. I'm so mad too. You going to come back up, you going to spend a bin,

come back up here, I need to meet you too. Yeah, of course I will. Just let me know when. Did you add the edible stuff too? Yeah, he had the edible stuff. Yeah, because Jett was. Come back up you want to spend a bin come back up here. I need to meet you Oh, I took my jealous out on the way in the court it was great. Thank you Like if Jess was here she would have wanted to have a little oh, yes, you know me I definitely will want some edible. So I'll be in the same Oh, yeah, she know me. I definitely will want some edible. So I'll be here to say Whenever you ready because you know, I'm up in the kitchen right now bacon Oh whenever you ready, I would love to bring you some because I was so mad like yeah I'm like what that oh, I can't say what the hell he

Did leave her cup in the fridge and we ate her cupcakes and just wasn't It wasn't me Oh, oh wait, I'm sorry one more thing I know I can't stay long but no I wanted to give a shout out to your staff everybody there Treated me like I was like, okay. Wait, not diddy but like a I was like, okay wait, not Diddy, but like a celebrity. Damn! See, goodbye. Happy Pride, Stacy, goodbye.

Like he was Diddy. That's hilarious that he even thought about saying that at first. Wow. You know what, he did give edibles, but I wasn't sure, because he makes them at the crib. So he don't know how much, how strong it is. Right, right, right.

So I wasn't messing with the edibles. I figured I'd let you try it first. Damn, hey yo, you could be the test dummy. Hello, who's this? Oh, hello. How you doing this morning, man? What's up, man? Hello. What up? Get it off your chest, bro. Man, I was calling in the positive vibes and saying what's up with y'all and showed y'all

that I looked up at my TV, seen Queen Latifah die. What? What? Yeah, and I to be watching. Oh, I'm watching. Oh, bro. I'm gonna smack you. Everybody from here to Africa.

Don't do that. Oh my God. I hate this part. I got to go. I'm like, what are you talking about? I hate this part, man. It always does. I gotta go. I swear to God. I grabbed the- I'm like, what are you talking about? Maybe you're good. Justice here.

I need a break. That just stressed me out. It just made me so- I cannot- But this one is a fact checker. She said, what are you watching? What did you get? She just literally made you reach out. What news is putting that on TV?

A TV package means that Ben happened and why didn't I see that on my feed and my alerts? Oh my goodness. Oh my God. She wanted to immediately make sure that it was fake't I see that on my feed in my alerts? Oh my goodness. Oh my God. She wanted to immediately make sure that it was fake. I love that. She's like, we all looked at each other like what? I know like what the hell?

Damn. I hope you stomp your big toe Sean or whatever that is. I hope you stomp your big toe this month. And hit your elbow and it feel like it's vibrating. That's right. All right. Well, we got the latest with Lauren. We do.

We gonna get into a little bit more of this Pusha T Drake, him having to leave the label because now we finding out it was a couple of dollars that needed to be paid. I told you that yeah. You assumed that it made sense because I'm like they just gonna let them go. Envy said something to me but I couldn't find it anywhere. You didn't remember who told you when we called a couple people, no one said anything about anything. I knew I heard it and I knew somebody said it but I just didn't know where it came from. We're gonna get into the money that was paid, the big name who paid it, and some more of the allegations that are being thrown out there against Drake. So all right are you going to court today? I am not going to court today. I'll be back Thursday and we'll have a conversation about what's happening in court today still though. All right

we'll get to that next it's the Breakfast Club good morning. The Breakfast Club. All right, we'll get to that next. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ, Envy, Jess, Hilarious, Charlamagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. The whole gang's here now. Yep. And let's get to the latest with Lauren. Lauren be coming with straight face. Tell her, tell her. Man it.

She gets in from somebody that knows somebody. She gets the details. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything in it. She be having the latest on this. Say I'm the biggest. Okay, so yesterday we talked a bit about Pusha T, him leaving or being released from Def Jam and the clips and going over to Roc Nation and the Kendrick Lamar verse that we've not heard, but you know that the Def Jam was scared to allow him to put out allegedly. And that's the whole reason behind this. But Stephen Victor, who is manager to Pusha T, he also he's worked with a ton of artists, but manager to Pusha T spoke to

Billboard after that article release and got into some more details. He revealed that it wasn't just like they released him and they had this parting conversation. He alleges Def Jam said that they needed $200,000 or something like that in order for Pusha T to be able to, in the clips, to be able to walk away from it. 200,000? I thought it was millions. I think it was millions. I think it was millions, I think it was a certain figure. They said it was millions, they said they thought,

in that article, they said they thought it was gonna be like something like that, but they was like, no, it's gonna be millions. I think it was seven figures. I didn't see that. What? They had 200,000, they would've did that immediately. That was definitely the article,

they said it was millions of dollars, they said a ton of money. It wasn't no 200,000. I knew I had to be a pretty big. I don't even see millions in here. Y'all sure y'all read the article? It wasn't 200,000. I knew I had to be a pretty penny. I don't even see millions in here. Y'all sure y'all read the Art of Ice and Drugs? It wasn't 200,000. That is crazy.

That changes the whole, look right here. Pusha and Malice would have went in their back pocket for 200,000. That's that, they was millions. I thought it said seven figures. Yeah, the headline literally is Sean Victor on the insane amount of money it took to push it. Yes, but I'm talking about the actual numbers.

Scroll down to the question where they asked where he says... You should have did all this research before you started doing the latest. I did do it. I just I literally just read it again before I came up. And I just searched the word million. Yeah they didn't say the number but they said millions. It wasn't no 200,000. Yeah, I literally just read this twice. Now I'm gonna find the exact line because... So you had to pay seven figures to get out of the deal. Yeah, that's millions. Oh, I didn't see that. I wanna find the exact line because... So you had to pay seven figures to get out of the deal. Yeah. That's millions. Oh, I didn't see that, sorry. But he said that he thought it was gonna be like 200,

they thought it was gonna be like 200,000 or something because there was like three, he said he didn't really wanna get into it, but he said that he thought that it was gonna be like three albums that they owed and they were trying to get out of it by just being like, okay, we released this new project. Can y'all take profit from the new project

and we'll give y'all this right here, what we have right now. And they were like, no, we want our new project. Can y'all take profit from the new project? And we'll give y'all you know, this right here what we have right now. And they were like, no, we want our money, we want it now. So they went to Jay Z and told Jay Z what was happening and I look, here's a situation we're in, we need to figure this out. They'd already had a relationship. So Jay Z was like, well, you just made my day, like, what do we need to do to get it done? And they got it done. And they were able to come over. But another part of this article that I thought was important was that basically, you know how when Drake dropped the lawsuit and was claiming all these things against Universal, right? And everybody, including Charlamagne and us here in the room, we're like, we're sure that these are things that the label

has done to protect you at one point, right? He is alleging a lot of things, but a lot of what Pusha T and Steven Victor are saying in their articles is what Drake is saying, Universal Music allegedly has done to him when it comes to Kendrick Lamar. Like Pusha T says And Stephen Victor saying in their articles is what Drake is saying, universal music allegedly has done to him when it comes to Kendrick Lamar. Like Pusha T says that there was in Stephen Victor went in more detail about songs that were beat that was supposed to be released a song that was supposed to be released with a pop smoke paranoia. And then there was another song Rick Ross, a song with Rick Ross on Maybach music, on

one of the Maybach music installations and Pusha T's verse was removed from both of these because they thought that it was a shot at Drake and Stephen Victor is like, it wasn't. They just interpreted it that way and they came to me because Stephen Victor was also Pop Smoke released to him and was like, look, if he doesn't- He signed Pop Smoke and Pop Smoke was his artist. Yes, Pop Smoke was his artist and he's like, if, and they told him like, if he doesn't remove these like lyrics or that you guys don't remove the verse, this album's not coming out. So they wouldn't clear it.

Yeah, they wouldn't clear it. Stephen Victor's like, well, what about free speech? Like how you and then even with this new project, he was telling Def Jam, like you guys can't keep doing this to Pusha T. Like you want him to think about what you guys are going to think or what you guys are going to interpret before he releases music That's not fair to him because according to pusha T and to Stephen Victor There's no direct shot at Drake on this song on this kind of in this Kendrick Lamar verse There was a shot at Drake who cares it's freedom of speech Like what happened to the days where you can take a shot at an artist and it isn't just a shot on wax on record

Well, we never seen an artist sue like this either. I would love to know the exact dollar amount that the clips and pushers spent because they said it was, you know, seven figures. Does Def Jam even invest that kind of money into artists like Pusha T and the clips anymore? Like it often seems like those legacy artists don't get that kind of an investment. So I'm just asking today, did they spend more to get out of the deal than Def Jam would actually have spent on them? I was going to say.

That's a good question. That's a really good question because I... What's the export impact? From Meadowlake Tribal Council, it's when your homegrown lumber supports housing markets abroad. And when global opportunities strengthens your community back home. Turn uncertainty into your next business opportunity with Export Development Canada's Market Insights, Connections and Financial Solutions.

Discover the export impact today at edc.ca slash export. But I feel like the last, mm, yeah, that's a really good question because the last time that Puncha TV... How long they been with them? How long? I feel like the last yeah that's a really good question cuz the last time that I feel like the definitely with them it was new for a while I'm not looking I feel like it I feel like the the death gym deal that they did it was like a year but you gotta remember a signing bonus is it's also the money used for budget as far as producing and studio budget anymore that's what I'm asking because when I hear Stephen

Victor them say it was a ton of money. I'm sure they gave clips of rack of money to sign and I'm sure they gave Pusha Tia a rack of money to sign with Def Jail. In fact the article, the Billboard article says we paid them the money an insane amount of money. It wasn't like $200,000. It was a lot of money for an artist. It was a lot of money for an artist to come was a lot of money for an artist to come up with. They bought themselves out of the deal. Yeah and that sounds like a lot of money. The clips they were signed to Def Jam from

2001 to 2009 and then really? Yeah it says from 2001 to 2009 with their last album To The Casket Drops. When that released in 2009. However they recently signed a new deal with Def Jam for their upcoming album, Let Guy Sort Them Out, which would have marked their first studio effort in 15 years under Def Jam, according to Hypebeast. I'm sure Def Jam gave them a rack of money. I'm sure Def Jam gave Pusha T a rack of money, so they had to pay that back and I'm sure... I didn't know the clip was on Def Jam that long.

I didn't either. I thought that it was all new. But we do, speaking of big numbers, congratulations to the Breakfast Club. What we do, what we do, what we do. The Breakfast Club surpasses a major milestone with the 1 billion downloads. Wow. Yes. Drop a bomb for the Breakfast Club. Yes. So today we are celebrating the fact that the Breakfast Club podcast is surpassing 1 billion downloads, joining a very short list of other podcasts to reach this impressive milestone. So DJ MB said we're incredibly grateful to everyone who's tuned in, supported and helped to make this milestone. A billion views is more than just a number. It's a testament to the culture, the conversation in the community we built together. Thank you for riding with the Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club, the world's most dangerous morning show launched in 2010 in New York. Y'all been around for a long time.

We're seasoned. You're very seasoned. But to do a billion. And I know you guys talked, we've been talking a little bit behind the scenes about this, but explain to the people a billion downloads, what that milestone means. Well, it's like my biggest dream. I just want to thank God. Shut up. Thank you to the listeners, man. We appreciate y'all. You know, whenever you can't listen to the Breakfast Club early in the morning here on the radio, you can always go listen to the podcast. But the clip signed with Def Jam in 2024. Pusha T been signed with Def Jam since 2011.

This literally says, according to Hypebeast, the clip, look at what I'm reading. They don't give a damn about a billion downloads. Read that. This literally says, according to hypebeast, the clip, look at what I'm reading. Damn, about a billion downloads. Read that. Now, a billion downloads is definitely dope and we appreciate everybody for coming with us. According to hypebeast. Well, that does say AI overview.

I don't know if that's correct. It says, according to hypebeast, it literally links who it attributes it to. It's not just a random AI overview. I don't think the clip's been there. I don't know how we did a billion downloads because we went over the place. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. It was probably that Live because we went all over the place. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. It was probably that Live.

It went Live. It wanted to tune into Fair East Side High. It was a scarf. No. After one of the students went live. We've been, no. You've been cooking? No.

Okay. Alright, well. Now we've been cooking! Yes. Long time. Oh, yeah. Oh, they need before you put the scarf on. Yeah.

Yeah, before. But again, salute to all our listeners and supporters. We appreciate you guys so much. We do it for you guys and we're thankful and grateful. Thank you so goddamn much. We appreciate you guys out there. If you're gonna listen to misinformation, might as well listen to us. Shut.

Yeah, we've been cooking. All right, when we come back, we got front page news. And then Mara Brock-Akill will be joining us, all right? She has a new show on Netflix forever And we'll talk about all that when we come back. So don't go anywhere. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning You're checking out the Breakfast Club Morning everybody is DJ envy just hilarious Charlamagne the guy we are the Breakfast Club. Let's get in some front page news Now if you missed it earlier

Morgan broke down that the Knicks fired head coach Tom Tibbado after five seasons It was five winning seasons, but they feel like he wasn't a great fit. How do you feel about that? Um, I do feel that that Tibbado I feel like he worked his players a lot. I felt like he didn't trust the bench The game one where they lost the paces. I felt like that was a coaching problem You can't be up 14 and lose with with you know a minute and change left You can't trust what you don't have though Hey, everybody say you can't trust the bench if they had the bench players They would have been playing them like if you like the Celtics can go nine deep

The OKC Thunder can go nine deep the Paces can go nine deep you ain't got it. You ain't got it It's like penis. Wow Somebody tell you go deeper and you ain't got it to go deeper You do see players on other teams and they're doing well and they were our bench players like O.B. Toppin and even McBride, it took him a long time to get him out. Toppin was young though and that system, and that system later. Must have gotten him later and he's busting ass and he's doing well. There might not have been a system for him though.

Yeah, but they never even played him. And then you got that new white boy that's shooting threes like crazy, I don't know if he's white or what his background is, I can't even think of the man's name, but he gets, we found out in the last couple of games that he could actually shoot, you know? So we'll see what happens, but what's up Morgan? Well, what's up is congratulations to y'all because apparently, you know, y'all active. I mean, you sad on one thing, but getting 1 billion podcast downloads and counting, that's something to celebrate, right? Drop a clues bomb on yourself and big up your sales. That's pretty to celebrate, right? Hey! Drop a clues bomb on yourself and big up yourself. All right.

That's pretty dope. Shout to all the listeners for supporting, riding, and listening to us. If it wasn't for y'all, we wouldn't be here. We appreciate y'all every day. You know what happens. We reached a billion. Congratulations to the Breakfast Club. Took us long enough.

Yeah, period. All right. Coming up, in other news, family members of the man charged in the fire attack on Israeli hostages supporters, excuse me. In other news, family members of the man charged in the fire attack on Israeli hostage supporters in Colorado have been arrested by ICE. Now Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and said the wife and five children of Mohammed Sabri Salomon have been taken into custody to find out if they were involved or knew about the attack in any way. They are also being processed for expedited removal from the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the announcement. Let's take a listen.

Today, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE are taking the family of suspected Boulder, Colorado terrorist and illegal alien, Mohammed Solomon, into ICE custody. How do you hate people more than you love your family? Like if you got a wife and five kids, why would you throw that all away just because of your bigotry and your prejudice towards another group? I don't understand that logic.

So this comes as Salman is in the United States illegally from Egypt. He faces federal and state charges after at least 12 people were hurt in Sunday's attack. Now police said Salman dressed as a gardener to get close to protesters when he used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails on the crowd. Now this story does inspire me on a personal note to encourage everyone to check on their family and the mental well-being of those around you because if something like this can happen, you could be considered guilty by association. This is crazy that the family is now being taken into custody as well.

And so I would think that, you know, that that ignorance is bliss era has left and it's you better know what you need to know. Yeah. And your actions always impact your family. I didn't know that they could do something like this. Go arrest your whole family, because of something that you did. Yeah, that's crazy.

Because I don't see how they would be accomplices. But yes, what you do does impact your whole family in more ways than one. Yeah, so check in with your loved ones, y'all. Speaking of ICE, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, is suing one of President Trump's top lawyers over his arrest at an ICE facility last month. Now, Raz Baraka filed the federal lawsuit against interim US attorney for New Jersey

Alina Habba on Tuesday, accusing her of defamation and false arrest. Let's take a listen to those comments from Ras Baraka. All right, I was cuffed, fingerprinted, took pictures of twice, once there and once in court for a classy misdemeanor, which you send summons to people for. You don't lock them up and take their fingerprints. Trespass is a state offense, it's not a federal offense. These guys need to find out the law before they begin running their mouth about what

is right and what is wrong. So just to note that trespassing can be a federal offense when it comes to, when it involves federal property and restricted areas. So I anticipate much of this court case will come down to whether or not Mayor Baraka had access to that ice facility. Now he responded to criticism of his actions by Trump administrator border czar Tom Homan saying he may have to sue him too. And of course all of this comes as Baraka was taken into custody outside an ICE detention center when he and members of Congress demanded answers about the facility's conditions. He was charged with trespassing, but the case was later dropped by Haba.

A federal judge criticized Haba's office for the arrest during a hearing last month saying it suggests a worrying misstep. And switching gears, the first black mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma is proposing a multi-million dollar reparations plan for descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Mayor Monroe Nichols says, one can only imagine what the Greenwood District, once known as Black Wall Street, could have contributed to the region had there never been a massacre. And of course, he's looking to establish a private trust that would be used to provide scholarship and housing to the descendants of those impacted by the bloodshed.

Let's take a listen to his comments. Imagine what it would have meant for outcomes for our children. Imagine what it would have meant for public safety and most importantly, imagine the trust and faith we would have built in each other over these last 104 years. My office has been working alongside our legal department on the establishment of the Greenwood Trust, a private, charitable trust that will raise and facilitate the investment of $105 million in private funds along our road to repair, restoration, and life

insurance. So, Nichols says the trust will not involve direct cash payments and the City Council would have to approve the transfer of any city assets to it. The push comes just weeks after Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee of Pennsylvania announced plans to introduce the reparations now resolution which calls for the U.S. to spend trillions of dollars on reparations for black Americans. I know we've had this conversation many a times about what reparations could look like for black Americans. So that's your front page news.

Y'all can follow me on socials at Morgan Media. For more news for coverage, follow at Black Information Network, download the free iHeart Radio app, and visit us at BINnews.com can we get some of them downloads at BIN y'all I'm just saying thank you Morgan did we tell the people that the icon living Mara Brockie kill is joining us this morning yes we did talk to her next I heard you say that she wrote on friends no sir I fixed it girl it was a legendary show one of my favorite shows of all time, Girlfriends. I fixed it immediately, sir. You said friends. I fixed it immediately. I was talking. I was by myself.

Nobody was here. I ran up here and I just started saying stuff. And she's here to talk about Forever. Forever is a reimagining of Judy Blume's 1975 novel, Forever. You know I'm a huge Judy Blume fan. So when two of my favorite storytellers come together, Judy Blume and Mara Brockett kill, magic happens. And that's what happened with Forever.

And we'll talk to her about it coming up next. Next, that's right. So don't move, it's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Naga. We are The Breakfast Club.

Lala Rosa is here as well, and we got a special guest in the building. The legendary. That's right, Miss Mara Brock, a kill. Welcome. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, good morning. Nice to be here. How are you? Less black and highly favorite. How's right, Miss Mara Crock. Okay, welcome. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.

Nice to be here. How are you? Less black and highly favorite. How's your energy? It's great. Okay. I'm really, I'm floating. How does it feel to have yet another hit TV show?

Another. Another hit TV show. But this is global. This is like the first time I have been on a stage this big. Normally my shows are on up and coming networks. So I'm I feel like an ingenue actually. I feel both veteran and both. I'm also an off, you know, it's just this dude, an idea is a global conversation. That is kind of I'm sitting in that. Mostly my career I've been thinking

about a national conversation, but this is a global one. And I've always known that our stories are global, but for it to be a reality is pretty special. And another hit, right? To be at it. 30 years in the game. 30 years in the game.

I love that. But let's talk about it. Of course, for people that are just tuning in you Created shows like girlfriends the game being Mary Jane you've written on the Jamie Foxx show and so many others But this one is a show So many So many you this one's on my legs. Yeah. Yeah, this one's on Netflix Yeah, so how did the Netflix play come together?

We're doing forever. Well, I had a deal. You know, my career did garner me a really wonderful deal out of that deal. I did Stamped from the Beginning. I hope you guys all saw that amazing documentary that Roger Ross Williams directed about Dr. Abraham Kendi's work about the myths of racism. That was my first offering in my deal, and this was the second. It was special from the beginning.

I met Judy Blume, somebody else's, come on, come on. Two of my favorite storytellers coming together. I know, come on, I mean, and that's God. First of all, I didn't even realize that the book was gonna be 50 years old by the time we released. It was not even in my thinking of that time. Yeah, it came out in 75. 75. It was a beautiful synergy. One thing I will say about Netflix, when they're behind something, they are behind it completely

supported, resourced. I think that's what's important to me in this moment of this hit show is that it was my vision was supported financially. And it was amazing to feel like, wow, I'm supported. I got money to have the vision that I want and to get the people that I need, the collaborators. It's been amazing. You said Judy Blume was your first permission slip as a storyteller. Oh my goodness.

So how does your inner child feel knowing that you have done such justice to one of her iconic works goodness. So how does your inner child feel knowing that you have done such justice to one of her iconic work? Well how does my inner she feels on cloud nine. She is twirling. She is cartwheel. I used to cartwheel back in the day. I could cartwheel, backbend, all the things. She's doing all of that. I'm very proud of myself. When the opportunity to reimagine one of her books, there was no thinking. My hand just went up. And I feel like it was a little protective as well. It was like, I wanna protect that story.

I wanna be able to tell that story. But my little girl is like, she's cabbage patching. She's like, nah. Does she feel like she made it? Do y'all feel like you made it, Miley? She's felt like she's made it a long while ago. I think this is different in that it's a full circle moment. I often say that you become a writer as a reader first.

And so I used to get lost in the pages of Judy Blume. And so for me to be just the divinity of it, like the divineness of it, that I would come full circle 50 years later, like those kinds of things, right? It's almost like it was written for me. It was written for me and Judy. Matter of fact, I'm gonna get a chance

to meet her personally. I'm so excited. Did you go down to Key West? Yeah, yeah I am. Okay. Yeah, I am. You live this life once and I'm gonna live in that dream. So yeah, I'm excited to meet her. We met at the time on Zoom and talked on the phone

and emailed, but just to meet her and say thank you and have her sign my book. I'm just that 12 year old girl is running to Key West. I've done it a couple times. Yeah. Just to go meet Ms. Bloom. Absolutely. Yeah just to what I really would love is for people to honor more of their story. The craftsmanship sitting in the chair and writing. That woman sat in the chair and wrote, I mean, like, it's like she never got out of the chair. Just writing and that and what it would do just someone sharing a story just like my own testimony is it ignited something in me. And I think that even the feedback I'm getting from the show, not just the show, but the shows I've had in my career, it has ignited other storytellers. I want us to do more by that.

We have so many stories in us that will die in us if we don't even start crafting them and writing them down. Her book is still, through this show now, it still lives. It's universal. It's forever. Ba-dum-bum. See what I did there? The original book was written in the 70s.

Yeah, 75. Why did you choose to specifically set this story in 2018? Well, I had to look at what would make it fresh today and what to maybe have to look at where the kids are today. And Judy and I talked about, well, they know a lot about sex, intimacy, connection, those things. I think we're further away even though we're more technologically advanced. We don't have, though these tools are meant to connect us, we are using them in very disconnecting

ways. And I think that to bring the phone into the conversation, it's an opportunity to talk about something unique to this culture. I mean, excuse me, culture, but this generation, excuse me, what it is doing to them personally, emotionally, their emotional self, and then how it's even affecting their physical self, and then affecting their future. And that's what the book was about. How do we explore our emotional self, our physical self, while maintaining a healthy future? I also wanna talk about in the black family,

by changing the white family to black, it allowed me to also talk about a time that I think is very important for us to document between Trayvon Martin's murder and George Floyd's murder. We as black people, we as black families, as mothers and fathers, we were screaming into a vacuum about the fear over our children. And there was no amount of fancy zip codes or education that can save your child, you know, and that was scary. And I wanted, I needed a place for me as a mother to release all of that fear.

And then also then look at how much we are out of love, but we are raising our children from that fear. That's right. And how that is hurting our children and their inability to have a natural rite of passage to explore again, their emotional, their emotional self, their emotional maturity, their physical self, their physical maturity to have sex or not have sex, who to have it with, what's the right conditions, all of those choices that they're supposed to be making right now to protect

a beautiful future. And that's another thing. We need to open up some space because our children also need a future and it's tough out there And I I couldn't imagine being them today thinking about what do you want to be we should grow up? Well? What's out there? And so and we adults need to get it together and so this is a part of my my offering We're still kicking it with Mara Brock a kill her new show new show, her new show, Forever, is on Netflix right now. Lauren.

And back in the 70s, it was controversial because of the things that it explored. Today, it's not controversial because we are so open, like what you talk about. When you were crafting, like, what the storyline would be and how you would redo it, were there things that you were like, I wanna make sure I get to,

or make sure I get in this storyline? Cause you also made it feel closer to home for like black teens. Like, Now Forever feels like it's our story, but you had to do it a different way. You know, I think it's controversial. Black male vulnerability. It's just there's no room for it. I think there's no images for it.

And yet when I'm looking in the world and within my own children, their friends and the community beyond that, a lot of boys, and more specifically black boys, they're not all that hard. They don't have any room for their complexity. They don't have any room for their feelings. It's always funny to me, especially by the group of boys that I'm around, they're all privileged. They live a great life.

Time to take a picture. They were laughing two seconds ago. You try and take the picture and then they get that stoic face. What you mean mugging for? You realize how much that's imparted on young black boys all the time about what is manly. What are those images of what a man is? I wanted to make room for their real reflection. I'm actually looking at the real thing. It's just what gets on that bigger screen and how important it is. I know we talk about representation matters. That's why it matters. You got to see yourself in order to decide is that beautiful? Is that how I want to look?

You know, is that right? Is that tight? You know, can't see it. And I think boys are getting their heart broken a lot sooner. I felt so bad for adjusting the whole time. Why? Because I just felt like a lot of times the characters, they were yearning for this space of like, I don't know, to just be okay and then things would be going good and then something else would happen. It'd be something small. It'd be like for Keisha, the video gets sent to her phone and she's finally in this relationship. You know what I mean?

Things were just happening. I'm like, they ain't no kids. Why can't they just be and not deal with these things? It's life. Yeah, it's life and it's also technology. We got some freedoms that they're not afforded. That's what I want to talk about. It's like, are we making any room for them?

One of the things that I love, every production meeting, I said we're making an epic and intimate love story within a love letter to Los Angeles, right? And what that meant to me is that we need to see them in scope, in scale, in epic. I need to see them, their bodies in the space, in Los Angeles. What that means is that it's a feeling, cinematically, that I'm making you feel that they belong here and when they belong here they belong to us and so you will engage with our children differently psychologically emotionally those things are important in our image on the details the details on anyone makes them feel more human to you so I

want to make just room for their humanity so that we we think about the measures around technology we think about what the rules are for these kids. I mean, these kids are being told today that you make one false move, you won't get a scholarship. I mean, come on. It's the truth. They follow them for the rest of their lives. For the rest of their lives.

Which is sad. There's no humanity in that. That's how I felt. Maybe that was the humanity part. I'm like, yo, she's young, she made a mistake. Now I was following her and it's like, he's in love and he just doesn't know how to navigate it. And now he feels like he's not a good person or not a good person. He doesn't feel like he can win the girl in the beginning

of things. And I felt bad for that. Like, but you know what? Back in the day, back in the day, boys had to walk across the room to ask you to dance. And that was tough. And have you ever done that? Of course. Yeah, how did, do you ever get rejected? No. But never got rejected. No. Even before you was like, in. Cause I'll be honest, I only went when I knew

I was gonna be received. If I knew I was gonna get rejected or there was a 50-50 chance, I wasn't gonna try. Oh. Because remember, it wasn't, you know, back then it was a party and everybody standing on the wall. Yeah. And you have, like you said, you have to walk across. And if I knew this person wasn't you know back then it was a party and everybody standing on the wall Yeah And you have like you said you have to walk across and if I knew this person wasn't feeling me didn't wake him

He didn't have a crush on me didn't write me a letter I wasn't going but if I knew that got that little stare that little smile. I was gonna go So you see all of those social cues that you have to learn in real time. We're not learning that There's no space for that. So I'm advocating for, I want the kids to be back outside. Like it's even sad we shot on Fairfax Avenue, right? It's a ghost town right now. But back in 2018 where it was depicted, that was a place for them to be.

But there's, where are kids allowed to be? But that's why I love the scene, I love the scenes at Martha's Vineyard. I love the scenes at the prom. Oh, God. Especially at the prom because I feel like in that moment, Justin was, you know, everybody talks about he's chasing the young lady. To me, it felt like he was chasing his blackness. Yes. Yes. Yeah. That's what it felt like to me.

Thank you for seeing that. Yeah. One of the things I was trying to say, trying to keep your son, trying to keep our children safe, sometimes we're isolating them. He had a pretty prison, to keep your son trying to keep our children safe. Sometimes we're isolating them. He had a pretty prison, but it was up on a hill isolated and he's looking for more. But I can also understand Dawn. She's so scared to put them outside, you know,

also scared. Is he going to measure up to where they are? You know what I'm saying? She's probably not saying that, but that psychologically it's kind of, it's under there. But fun fact, I was so proud as a producer to put all those black and brown kids taking over the Santa Monica Pier.

I don't, you know, I found one location, I think that's, I think the last time someone took over the pier at that scale was Tom Cruise. I was like, okay. But that means something to me. That means something that we, how we take up the space, the. But that means something to me. That means something that we how we take up the space, the epicness and the beauty of us. These these kids are looking like this all over our country. And we see it on Instagram or TikTok or things

like that. But to put it on that scale, that level of beauty, Anthony Hemingway directed his butt off in that, you know, the kids were just beautiful. Our costume designer was amazing. Our production design was amazing. Our cinematography was amazing. You know what I'm saying? We had the thing lit up. I was on Cloud 9 that day that we shot, and we got out of there safe and sound. That's also important. But it's our kids having space in the world, chasing themselves, figuring out who they are, including of their blackness, including of what they like, just who they are, even making room for, I know I get a lot of comments around,

oh, he likes Naruto, yeah, a lot of black kids love Naruto. We're a part of the world, so that was fun. And as much as it's a story about the kids, it's a story about the adults, right? Like the way Judy Blume made people feel seen at 13, it feels to me like you're making us feel seen at 40 something, 50 something. So what do those ages need that nobody's writing about?

I'm gonna keep saying this over and over again. Just more complexity, more of our human side. Like I've said before, I don't really believe in positive images. I think they can be just as damaging as negative images. What do you mean? Expound on it. Yeah, break that down.

Because, so the negative image is a, is, is, is a product of, of a lie, going back to my documentary. Like it's, it's the perpetuating the lies and the myths of us that's been out there. So a lot of black people want a positive image because they want to rewrite the wrong of somebody else's view of me. But what that does as an artist, it keeps me behind the eight ball. I'm chasing up and trying to clean up somebody else's mess. I'm from the Zora Neale Hurston School of Thought. I know my people.

Dear Canadian exporters, what you do matters more than ever. I'm from the Zora Neale Hurston School of Thought. I know my people. risks, we can help you overcome the challenges. It's what we've been doing since 1944. Because the world needs more Canada. Together, let's give it to them. Visit edc.ca.export for more. I see my people, I want to be able to talk about them fully and in the spectrum of our humanity, there is light and dark. We are not perfect. That's just as hard to be perfect as it is to be bad. I want the spectrum of my humanity. I want to be able to make a mistake and have my village patch me up and put me back out there.

I deserve that. You deserve that. We deserve that. And so I want the spectrum of who I am. And sometimes I'm not great and sometimes I am in the same day in the same hour and I deserve that that sort of exploration of who I am as a human being and I give that to my characters I think Dawn for instance you know people there's a lot of conversation about her as a mother

but that black mother has raised a lot of kids to get them, to keep them alive. Does she deserve looking at herself? Yes. Hi, my name is Mara Brock Akil and I'm a former Don. I put my pain on the screen. I think, you know, I wanted to out of love, I'm trying to over protect my children. We're still kicking it with television producer, screenwriter, you know her from Girlfriends and now she has her show on Netflix forever,

Miss Mara Brock-Akeel. Charlamagne? What emotional space does Forever occupy that none of your previous shows have? I think the cross-generational idea. I just think the complexity of family and the generational connection and that I just really enjoyed that.

I think also the scale, emotionally it allowed me to really scale us. I enjoyed that. And you know, the kids say take up space. It allowed me to take up space for us and for myself. It's forever about love you've had, love you've lost, or love you still believe in. All the above. I believe in love.

One of the things I'm really proud of with the ending, I know there's controversy about the ending, but what I love that Justin and Keisha showed us is how love endures and it shapeshifts. Its dynamic can change, but love can stay present. And they showed us how to let go and keep love in that ending. I think we could learn a lot from Justin and Keisha. The question, is this a forever love or the one you remember forever? And I would like to think that we as we move through our lives as human beings That when we choose to use that word, right?

I Loved you that you there's a present that you were so present and so loving that even if you don't Last the couple doesn't last the love can last it just it might to, wow, it might just shift to we always just sort of text each other on each other's birthday. That you matter to me. You know, one of the fun things you realize when you're revisiting the work, especially as young people, oftentimes that's where our big dreaming happens. Those young loves, a lot of times the best part of you is packed in somebody else's memory

of you. To have access back to those people actually is good for you to remember who you are when you lose your way, because you don't lose your way. Love holds you there. It is about the past, the present, and the future. And I think that love can take many different forms. You know, I have my young one plays baseball, and I've learned a lot about watching him sit in the stands, play baseball.

Long days, long games. Long games. But what's beautiful about it is everybody who walks into that batter's box has a different fight. So I often think about relationship, right? Did you swing the bat? Did you have a, they call it, did you have a good at bat? And sometimes you're at bat, you strike out but you still had a good at bat. And I think that's what I think love is about. Are we having a good at bat? Are we swinging? Are we using our technique? Are we using all the knowledge we've spent all week learning for this one to two times

we get to walk in that batter's box? And are we using it? Are we, do we, you know, do we whatever the shoulders and the hips and all that guys, do we- Eyes on the ball. Eyes on the ball. All those things. All those things you got to do with this ball coming at you 80, 90 miles an hour. That's love. And I think that I would like to

think that we can all approach it at a good at bat. And you know what season two is going? I have ideas. I still have to go through the process. You know, part of what I think another thing that makes me successful is how I honor my partnerships. And I come into it respectfully, and really to also garner that energy back to me. But I have a concept of what I need to do. I won't share it until my partners are signed off on it. But my next steps are me coming into a meeting ready to talk to Netflix around, hey, this is where I see it. And this is where I think it should go. Hearing their feedback, their concerns, taking that in consideration, sometimes debating it for a while, but finding a way to communicate why I think it's the way it should go. And if not, where's the compromise in that? And feeling good about the artistic flexibility that I have to craft story to figure that

out. So I'm looking forward to that and success especially. You know, sometimes success can make people tighten up too. That's right. Stop playing with Mara okay. Mara's had hit after hit in multiple decades. Okay, Screamin' Services, Delinia Television, give her what she wants.

Including the $50 million for girlfriends. Come talk to me. We need closure. Okay, it's that simple. It's that simple. We've been talking about this. It's really that simple. And I'm excited, I think it's gonna come. I don't know, I feel it. Like I don't know, last time I was here we talking about this. It's really that simple. And I'm excited. I think it's gonna come.

I don't know, I feel it. Like, I don't know. Last time I was here, we talked about it. And I think what was beautiful in my journey at that time was for me to claim the value and understand the boundaries and understand what it is. I don't know, I just, I think, and also this success breeds more success.

So I kind of feel, I don't know, I kind of feel like feeling. I think it's time. And the success girlfriends has had on Netflix. Oh my God. Yeah. Oh my God. Like they should see it.

Generational success. I know, yes. I watched that, I rewatched the whole thing with my mom and I was like, this is so different. But you know, it's fine finding out people are putting girlfriends on for their go to sleep. This is their, they call it their comfort TV show that they put on and they just let it run and some people let it run while they go to sleep. This is their they call it their comfort TV show that they put on and they just let it run and some people let it run while they go to sleep. I

don't know if people know but 9-eleven of this year marks 25 years of girlfriend. 25 years ago. This year. So we need to make that announcement right? It's time. That would be the announcement to make. It would only make sense. It has to happen. It's gonna happen. I know it's gonna happen. Yes. Because it's like the one black sitcom that we really did not get any closure on whatsoever and there's so many loose ends to tie up you know it's really it's not just loose ends it's actually very relevant I think it's a very karmic idea to have the show have a ending and a film I just want to do a movie so you really I know you do, Charlene. You are very clear about wanting to see a movie.

You already know. 16 years he's been clear. You don't have that one. I've been working with him for 16 years. And I have seen you. I want to also say, I'm always going to take a moment to say thank you because you also, that means a lot to me as a storyteller. Like, wow, that level of impact on you.

And even the fact that you, me and Judy Blume are in the same thing. So I'm a, thank you. Thank you. 16 years. But now you three, you want to, are you going to go spend some money at the theater to go see a girl? I walk to the theater. I'm trying to be in the damn Yeah, I agree it gave us a lot to have a conversation about and I think that's really where everything is that is communication Have conversation share ideas. We're not all gonna agree but I think we all get to know each other.

Well what do you want forever to give people permission to do and that's my last question. Love. I want people to think more about love in every aspect of their life and actually even if we're older that it's okay to to want that first love kind of feeling. Like, what do we need to do to get back to that first love kind of feeling? I don't know, I just think it's, I think as a human, a spirit having a human experience, dancing with love all the time has got to be our top endeavor. So that's what I want. Mara Brocker-Kill, the icon, the legend.

We appreciate you so much. We love you, we value you, appreciate you and all your work. That's right. Thank you. I really appreciate being here. Thank you, Breakfast Club. That's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

Morning everybody. It's D, J, N, V, Jess, Hilarious, Charlamagne, the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get to the latest with Lauren. Lauren will be coming with straight facts. Tell us, tell us. She gets into somebody that knows somebody. She gets into details. I'm the homegirl Lauren. Lauren becoming a straight face. Tell her, tell her! Man!

She gets into somebody that knows somebody. She gets the details. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything. Everybody. She be having the latest on this. I say sound the bings. The largest. The latest with Lauren LaRosa.

Sometimes she have facts, sometimes she have details, sometimes she have a little bit of everything. Well, it's the latest. On The Breakfast Club. Talk to me! So there has been some more things with Offset and Cardi. Offset has now deleted his Instagram and his ex account. His ex account currently pulls up as the, this account does not exist and you can't

even go to his Instagram. So what happened was there's this photo, a side by side photo of Offset Sun, Offset and Cardi Sun wave and Stefan Diggs. And people began to point out, and this is an older side by side photo of Offset Sun, Offset and Cardi Sun, Wave and Stephon Diggs. And people began to point out, and this is an older side by side, but people began to point out that Wave's hair is braided very similar to Stephon Diggs. The only difference is the part in the middle and where that starts to be honest. But it is very similar, almost the same hairstyle. So people are, you know, were making jokes about it and they were, you know, saying, trying to make it seem like Cardi did this on purpose and

just it must have been a lot for offset. And I must, it was a lot for offset because he actually responded to it. He said now once he tweeted before he deleted his account, now when somebody died for playing with my son, then they're gonna call me a crash out. I don't care how I look trolling with my kid ends bad. Then after this he deactivated his accounts. Now following that or previous to that earlier in that day, Cardi B actually went on Twitter spaces and she talked about just the fact that because she's now out and doing all the things with Stefan and she responded to the sponsor support conversation, men in particular are calling her a hoe

and she's like, I don't understand why I'm getting all of this, like all of this smoke. So let's take a listen to Cardi B on the trauma she says she experienced at the hands of Allset. Let's take a listen. Do not understand why I'm getting so much disgusting hate from men. I'm even being called the whore.

It is so crazy, I don't understand how I was a whore. I was married for seven years and I was faithful for seven years. The constant lies, constant lies, the gaslighting, it was really messing up in my head. It got to the point, like last year, last year, I really felt like I was going crazy. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. Like my baby came out five pounds. I was so depressed, because the lies, the constant drama. I would wake up every single morning paranoid.

If I was still there, I was gonna end up going to jail. Because I was gonna end up killing them, seriously, with my own bare hands. Cardi's not a hoe. Nor should anyone be calling her that, nor should anybody be hating on Cardi. I a hoe. Nor should anyone be calling her that nor should anybody be hating on Cardi. I just think that us as men we watching the situation and saying damn that hurts. We're sick. We're just as sick as probably offset Phil's when he sees it

because she has moved on. She looked damn good moving on. And that's what you're supposed to do right? Like you know when you get out of a situation and it wasn't the best situation You're supposed to be on social media looking good with your new book, but boy it hurts Yeah, both of them got fans. You know what I mean? So yeah, what's the ones calling her a hoe? I mean obviously are are his fans, you know, and imagine what her fans calling him You know what I'm saying is is both sides. What is saying all said lost? That's the thing like, you know, they say W Set in the chat and be like L set the chat. That's what they're saying. That's the reality There's no hole she's married for seven years. She moved on. She's dating somebody new and she's happy. She said she was depressed

She was upset now the fact that she's happy. I'm just glad that she's happy It should just be a learning lesson for men more so than anything Yeah, because boy and then women will move on and when they move on they're gonna look damn good doing it And you're gonna be sitting around doing what all said doing right now tweeting is social media And so you're leading this social she put up with a lot before she moved to like she put up a whole lot Put it with a whole lot before she moved on and then look what she even said our baby came out five pounds She was stressed out and everything. You know what I mean? So like that that that's crazy. That's crazy But I am glad that he

Deactivated or deleted Hopefully he can get some time for himself. He can think about it He can you know before he does, you know do something stupid you can hopefully he's just unplugging and clearing his mind Yeah, that's what I would tell off said to don't make permanent decisions based off temporary feelings Don't crash out and lose your freedom because the internet playing because as crazy as it may seem now this too shall pass. Don't let the internet chuck you out your position and fellas if you out there this texture lady this morning good morning I love you you know just hey just say I'm sorry even

if you ain't did nothing. I'm sorry I appreciate you something. I want it. Because them men out there with them three year sixty nine million dollar contract. Wait. You know what I'm saying. Speaking of the wait. Waiting in the wait.

Speaking of the sixty 69 million dollar man carly b I know your face are you smacked yourself hard exactly carly b talked about you know her new dating life and where she is now let's let's take a listen to that well I'm in a place right now I'm in a place right now that I'm very happy and I feel like I'm crawling

like is like I'm in a place right now, I'm in a place right now that I'm very happy. And I feel like I'm crawling, like, is like I'm learning how to do things. You know what I'm saying? Dating is new to me. You know what I'm saying? Dating is new to me. It took a long time for me to open up to somebody because I just feel like I'm like a baby and I'm crawling again and I'm learning again. Right now I'm in a good space.

Everything is lined up perfectly in my career. I love my kids. I'm learning again. And when you know this man runs a 4.46 in the 40 yard dash, you know what I mean? Why don't you see the video of him on the Pilates machine? You act like you in that position, like you hurt him. I know, he got his hands on both of them. He's holding his chest, he's holding his arms. Did you see the video of him on the Pilates machine? He fell off, but did you see that video of him, the back? I was like, whoa. That's what I'm saying as a man.

Men should just be learning from this situation because these women will move on. I don't care how many kids you got with them. I don't care if you thought that you were the love of their life. I don't care if y'all were married. When they are fed up, they fed up and they will move on to somebody who runs a 4.46 in the 40 with a three here, 69 million dollar contract. Text your wife, your lady, your girl this morning. Just say, I love you.

I'm sorry. I appreciate you. That nigga got that girl on his side. I'm learning how to crawl again. Like, that's how she crawling. Yes, look at her. I'm learning how to crawl again. That's what I'm saying.

So also please, Cardi, don't think that men are hating. Really, men are hating. Some of them are. Some of them are hating. They are, they are. Some niggas just sick. Yes, they are. That's all.

It's just sick, I can't even sit there. It makes my back hurt just thinking about it. And then they projecting because them guys, them same guys lost their women. You know what I'm saying? Now their women was crawling first. Now their back hurt now. Now she crawling. But just do right. That's all right. Y'all should have learned this from Tyler Perry movies a long time ago. What? Just write about a woman cause they won't move on. Remember when the rock that's locked up at the end of the rock, where the hell the rock comes from? The rock?

And we ain't even get a number two after that. We ain't even get a second movie, no a third movie. We ain't get a third movie to rock. And he died. He drove off, who was that she was dating? Malik Yobo. Malik Yobo. Drove off from Janet and died.

And then come to rock with flowers. Sheila ain't going up that mountain too many times. We gotta get out of here. Sheila ain't gonna go up that mountain too many times. We gotta get out of here, y'all. Sheila ain't gonna go up that mountain too many times, okay? That's all I'm saying. Men in the Puerto Rican in the room have no idea what you're talking about, do you? You don't watch Tyler Perry? The Minnicans and Puerto Ricans don't watch Tyler Perry?

I'm not Dominican, but alright. Alright, well that's the latest with Lauren. Charlamagne, who you giving that donkey to? Man, before I have to the hour, we need a pizza heckseft to come to the front of the congregation. Would you like to have a word with him, please? Alright, we'll get to that next. It's the Breakfast front of the congregation. Would you like to have a word with him, please? All right, we'll get to that nexus. The Breakfast Club, good morning. You're checking out The Breakfast Club. Don't be out here acting like a donkey.

Tee-haw, bitch. Tee-haw. It's time for Donkey of the Day. I'm a big boy, I can take it. If you feel I deserve it, ain't no big deal. I know Charlamagne got gone have some funny sweet s*** out of his mouth. If you say something you may not agree with, doesn't mean I'm mean. Who's getting that donkey?

That donkey, that donkey, that donkey, donkey, donkey, donkey. Donkey of the day right here. Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha. It's at the breakfast club bitches. You can call me the donkey of the day, but like, I mean no harm. Yeah, it's Donkey of the Day for Wednesday, June 4th, called the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth. You know Pete Hegseth, the same guy who was sharing details

of a missile attack on Signal. I don't know why he just didn't download WhatsApp like the rest of us, but Pete Heksef, the man who provides the president with expert, and I put expert in air quotes, advice on national security and defense matters, is clearly bored. There is a lot going on in the world that I'm sure he could be focused on, but yesterday we found out that he is focused on renaming ships. Yes ships okay Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to review the names of vessels honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk, Harriet Tubman and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Let's go to ABC 7 for the report please. The Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship. The ship is named for murdered gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk.

Military.com first reported the timing of the announcement during Pride Month is intentional. Harvey Milk was forced to resign from the Navy in 1955 because of his sexual orientation. The USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of oiler ships that are named after civil rights leaders. Okay, we all know that the Trump administration wants to purge all programs and policies and books and social media mentions of any references to diversity equity and inclusion. They are literally trying to erase anything they consider other out of the history books. Okay, it makes no sense. they consider other out of the history earned their legacies. They all earned their reputations. The reason they have their names on those ships, the reason people wanted to name those vessels after them is simply because they're

trailblazers who actually did things that people should recognize and honor. And you want to erase that? Why? I need to see the signal chat about this Pete. I need to see what your real reasoning is, not the politically correct reasoning you give into the media. Just tell us the truth because the truth is you want to erase the legacy of civil rights leaders and gay icons like Harvey Milk. In America, we cannot heal from what we don't reveal. Hiding our history is just simply going to hurt our future. Now Pete, you are the Secretary of Defense. Focusing on your job is crucial for the safety of not only this country but the world. Secretary of Defense. Okay focusing on You could be focused on that. What about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine Pete? You were absent at a recent NATO meeting on Ukraine and had people questioning the US's

engagement in the conflict. Don't tell me you was absent from the meeting because you too busy worried about ships being named after Harriet Tubman. Okay, yo Pete, Department of Defense has proposed significant budget cuts, which I'm happy about because anytime you want to talk about wasteful spending, you should start at the DOD. But if these budget cuts reduce senior military ranks by 20% like they are proposing, then that could impact the military's strategic and operational readiness. And y'all definitely not going to be ready if the Department of Defense is too busy worried about renaming ships. Okay? PeteXF, I don't care what a ship is named

when there are headlines in the Economic Times that read World War III looms. Global leaders given two weeks as the clock ticks toward catastrophe. See, while we worried about the ditty trial, others are preparing for World War III. Okay, I was reading an article this morning. The headline was Britain's biggest companies are preparing for a third World War as various conflicts threaten to erupt. Bosses are taking steps to ensure their businesses survive.

The Deputy Chief of Russia's Security Council said last week, hold on, said last week, I don't remember everything, it was a blur, I don't think it was last week. Yes, but he said and I quote, regarding Trump's words about Putin playing with fire and really bad things happening to Russia. I only know of one really bad thing. World War III. I hope Trump understands this. That was a direct quote from the Deputy Chief of Russia's Security Council and Pete Hexf you worried about the name of ships? No you're not you're trying to distract from some of the things I just said but what you will learn Pete is truth is like the Sun you can shut it out but it is not going away. Please give Pete Hexf the sweet sounds of the hematomes. Oh now you are the donkey of the day.

You are the donkey of the day. Yeehaw. So dumb. Beyond. It's a distraction though. Stay focused right World War 3 is apparently around the corner I don't see that either I hope you don't see that either others are preparing for it so I think you just pay attention yes

all right well thank you for that donkey today now when we come back we have the first black actress to play Alphaba full-time and wicked on Broadway Lindsay a cabita She'll be joining us when we come back. I checked out the play. Play was amazing. My kids loved it. What's her name? I'm not gonna say it again. Lincea Cabeta. Cabeta. Lincea Cabeta will be joining us. All right. And we're going to talk to her next. She killed it on Broadway. Wicked Wicked was amazing on Broadway. Absolutely My kids loved it. They enjoyed it and we'll kick it with her in a minute. It's the breakfast club. Good morning

the breakfast club Envy Jess hilarious Charlemagne the guy we are the breakfast club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes indeed Lencia Cabetti, did I say right? Welcome who guests in the building. Yes, indeed. Lencia Cabetti. Did I say it right? Pretty close. Well, what is it? Cabetta. Cabetta. But you got it. Welcome. Thank you. Welcome. Welcome. Now, if you don't know who she is, she's an actress and the first black actress. Oh, wait, wait, wait. Look, let me say something,

because she because she off had before we just started. She said, how did you all find me? I said, you're the first black actress to play Elphaba full time. How can't we find? She said, how dare I? Exactly. How dare. There you go. She is the first black actress to play Elphaba full-time on the Broadway wiki. Well congratulations first and foremost. Thank you so much. I mean it's a dream come true. It's like surreal sometimes and sometimes

I'm like, oh yeah, this is exactly where I always thought I would be doing something like impactful for our community and our industry, but most days I'm just dumbfounded. I can't believe I'm singing these songs. What did it mean for you personally and what did it mean for Broadway? Personally, it was an opportunity to tell the story of my community,

our struggles, our strengths, our power. For our industry, for our industry, for the entertainment industry, I think it just opened the eyes of who can do what and who is capable of what, and just brought a more creative outlook to art. Now you were in Hamilton before, but I wanna start from the beginning.

My birth, okay. How did you get into the arts? Like what was so special to you? You said this is what I want to do. You know, it's funny. I started at church and I hated singing. My parents saw something special in me and kind of like thrust me into music. And you're Ethiopian, correct? Correct. Both my parents are from Ethiopia, immigrants, so I'm first generation. And I loved playing outside. I love playing sports. I was super into my academics too. I was just like a really hype kid. I feel like I was just, I couldn't be stopped. Perfect for Broadway. Lots of energy, especially for

this role. But like being inside rehearsing and like, I just was like, I want to be outside and I want to be playing. But I started to see like how music affected people specifically in church and how that moved people spiritually. And I was like, wait, I think I'm good at this. Something I don't know what it is. I don't know how to hone in on it, but I know that it just feels special. So I wanted to keep trying. And then I started doing like community theater and middle school and high school. And in in college I decided I wasn't gonna study it. I had other interests. I studied diplomacy and world affairs and undergrad and politics. All different angles to make like positive change to

the world around me. And then you got to Broadway. So explain how you got to Broadway and those feelings. Midway through my five year run in Hamilton, the audition for Elphaba came up and I already actually had another job offer that I was very excited to embark on. And my team was like, I mean, it depends on what you want to do. And I was like, well, no black woman has ever played this role. I'm not going to pass up this opportunity. So auditions, it was like six rounds

across maybe like four months of me flying to New York from LA, on Zoom, just lots of different, it's a long process if that's such a technical skill. Would that... What's the export impact? For Metal Lake Tribal Council, it's when your homegrown lumber supports housing markets abroad, and when global opportunities strengthens your community back home.

Turn uncertainty into your next business opportunity with Export Development Canada's Market Insights, Connections and Financial Solutions. Discover the export impact today at edc.ca slash export. Is required for this character. So after all those rounds and the up and downs of the emotions, I got it, I don't, I got it, I don't. Am I gonna, I don't know, just like so much inner turmoil.

I finally got the call from my agent and I started cracking up. I like, I couldn't even like emotes. I was just like, this cannot be happening right now. So you thought it was a joke or you didn't know what you felt? I think I didn't know what I felt. So you just laughed.

I was like in shock. Yeah. At that point I think I had convinced myself that it was highly possible. I was in the final like four people maybe but I was like universe God mother earth. I receive whatever is mine However, I want this and I feel like I would be great For this moment, but like I accept the outcome So I think I was I was playing both outcomes internally so well that no matter what that call Would have what whatever the outcome of that call would have been I would have been ready No matter what that call would have, whatever the outcome of that call would have been, I would have been ready. So I think my body was like, oh, okay, this is happening. I had to like go on a walk and like ground myself to remember what was real. I couldn't believe it. It's crazy.

Wow. How many times did people try to gaslight you? Like, is America ready for a black Elphaba? Right. Like the damn green face isn't fantasy enough? It's so silly. And it's, people say things like, she's green. Like it doesn't matter what her race is. And I'm like, she's green, it doesn't matter what her race is. And I'm like, she's green, exactly. She looks different than everybody else, that is the point. So I do think the world was ready.

I do think the world was ready and I feel so grateful that it was me. You know something interesting, I took my nine-year-old and my six-year-old to see Wicked on Broadway and they saw the movie. So to them, Elphaba is black. To my eyes, it's black. Isn't that crazy? If I say that to them, you know she's black, right? Ofphaba is black. And isn't that crazy? If I say that to them, you know she's black, right?

Of course she's black. That's all they know about black Elphaba. That is crazy. That this generation gets to live in this climate and see it as normal. That's what they get to grow up experiencing and that's my favorite part of this, is this whole generation that is just just this is their norm. Why do you think it took decades for a black woman to get this role full time? Like what does that say about Broadway?

If anything? I think art is a reflection of the society it represents. So I don't think Broadway was particularly doing anything outside of what our country represented. And as times have changed, so has art. Art has shifted. So I feel like it's exactly, the timing is exactly right. And again, like I can't speak to why it took this long, but all I know is I'm happy I'm

here. Do you get a lot of love or do you get a lot of hate? I get a lot of love. I mean, haters are haters. There's always haters. There's always critics. The reason I ask is like I took my kids too to and of course the majority of people in there are others well I should say a white

but I was wondering others you're another I'm green okay and what type of hate do you get is it letters is it you know because I thought the other actually. I'm green, okay? You're green, you're the other. I'm other. I was just saying, and what type of hate do you get? Is it letters? Is it, you know? Because I thought the play was phenomenal. And like I said, when I seen you in the hall, I took my three-year-old and then I took my 23-year-old. Wow, and they both enjoyed it. They both enjoyed it. That's what's crazy.

Across the generations, people relate. I mean, the hate, I don't know. I wouldn't even call it hate more than just like, strong opinions. Because less so about race. More just because this is a long running show, 22 years, everyone who has seen, who comes to see Wicked has seen Wicked more or less. The amount of people who are new to this piece of work is very little.

So everybody knows every word, every intonation, like everywhere, every single line goes or every vocal part goes. So it's not it's less like why is there a black alpha? But I don't really get that. There's more celebratory energy about the racial thing. But people just like what they like. And you know what? That's fine.

I cannot be for everyone. And I think that's what this show is teaching me, especially this character who has to fight with the world around her not trusting her and misunderstanding her. But she always stays true to who she is. And that I think is my biggest takeaway from playing this role. We're still kicking it with Lindsay and Cabetta. She's the first black actress to play Alphaba full time in Wicked on Broadway. I took my kids there. Amazing show. Jess. What was the most challenging part about playing Alphaba? if there are any. I would say a mental and emotional fatigue. The show is very emotionally taxing.

I am constantly faced with like the biggest most complicated inner feelings that specifically a black woman can experience. Feeling othered, feeling misunderstood, not being trusted, disillusionment, believing in someone, trusting in someone, and then realizing that it's not what it seems. So I think there's a lot of times when I leave the show and I have to just, I don't even turn on the lights in my apartment for hours.

I have to be dead in my head because it's just the emotional roller coaster of what the character requires also requires me to plug in and charge when I'm not there. But let's stay there for a minute because Alphabet is one of the most demanding roles in theater. If not the most. So what's your pre-show ritual to get into that headspace and voice space every night? I think I definitely take stock in how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling like more tired, maybe I listen to like hype music or like take a walk or

like take a hot yoga class, something to get me my energy going. But if I'm feeling particularly stimulated that day, so when I was listening to like jazz and something calmer, I usually do like a 30 minute warm up, half of it physical, half of it vocal. And then while I'm getting the greening, which takes 30 minutes to do my makeup every day, when they're doing that for me, that's when I play music. And music, I feel like, is what drops me into whatever emotional space I need

to get into the character. Makeup only takes 30 minutes? 30 minutes, yeah. Damn, I expected more. Right, people usually think it takes like hours. It's probably just do your face, neck, and hands, right? Right, and like a little bit down my back. But like it's only a little bit down my arms.

So it's so bad. Do you have a life on Broadway? Can you have a life on Broadway with the amount of shows that you shoot? Let me tell you. Do you compress it? Eight a week. We have one day off yesterday.

I could say you can have a life on Broadway when you're Elphaba, though, which is a different beast. There is no life. This is very difficult. I think I try. I'm a communal being. I need the energy of others. So I try to balance it,

but most states I do spend chilling on my own. Cause like I said, the mental toll is really, I really have to like relax in order to bring my like whole heart and soul emotionally to the character. So everybody has a life, but I have less of a life. But you know what? Sacrifice is worth it. Let me tell you, it is worth it. What's harder, hitting that defying gravity note eight times a week or carrying the weight of representation every time the curtain comes up?

Ain't that the question? Definitely the representation. It's just, it means so much to so many people. And like, I think another back to what you're saying about the hardest parts of the role, like I put a lot of pressure on myself to make every interaction I have through this period of my life has something meaningful to audiences, black, brown, white, it don't matter. Like I just, I think that that opportunity can sometimes feel like pressure to me just because I care so much. I really want all like, especially the kids. I want kids to go away feeling empowered. So

Define gravity is like it's like a science. It's like this is how you sing it is vocal technique, but with the cultural racial Emotional aspects of it like those those things take real care care and I really put a lot of effort into how I present myself and what I share with my community. So you feel actual pressure to represent? I do feel pressure in that I feel like it's more self-induced just because like I said, I care so much about positively impacting the world around me. And I feel like that's been one of my dreams since I was a kid. Like I never knew what I would do growing up. But like that's kind of why I went into politics for a little while too, and still have a passion for it, is that I care so much about

just like positively inspiring people. So yeah, I do feel pressure only because that's what I choose to care about. I don't think anybody puts it on me besides myself, which is why this role teaches me to stay, you know, connected and true to who I am, regardless of what's happening around me. besides myself which is why this role teaches me to stay you know connected and true to who I am regardless of what's happening around me. Because I feel like if you just bring your full self to the role that's enough. That's enough. I completely agree and that's exactly what the character does.

She brings herself to all these crazy life situations and that's how she survives and thrives. Have you met Cynthia Arrevo? I haven't met her yet. She did send me flowers on my debut, my first show, which was sweet. But I think we should probably be doing some stuff soon. I'm excited. How do you navigate being celebrated but still feeling like you're breaking through systems that weren't designed for you? I celebrate myself because what I'm doing is a literal revolution and I believe art

is a part of social change and political growth. I believe art shapes culture and culture shapes art. It's sort of symbiotic in that way. So I feel like the fact that I have the opportunity to break through these barriers also like strengthens my relationship with myself. I'm like, yeah, you did that. Who was your alpha growing up? Like who made you believe you can defy gravity? That's a great question. I would say seeing Cynthia for sure. I mean, Cynthia has done so many amazing projects, which like haven't just inspired me

endlessly. Audra McDonald, also how she has crossed over to different industries too, within the entertainment industry. So seeing black women be sort of like multi hyphenated artists inspired me so much and made me feel like like if they can do it, you know, I can do. Are you and Cynthia gonna do anything together at the Tony Awards? Because you said you were going to do something. I pray, honey. That's what I am asking the universe and doing all the networking I can.

She's hosting this year, right? She is hosting. I pray, I pray. So if anyone can hear me, bring me to the Tony's. I would like to be in attendance. I think it would be really great for our community. You haven't been nominated yet? I can't be nominated for Wicked because it's not a new show in this season.

I didn't know that. Yeah, that's a thing. That's crazy. But if you're an actress or actor that takes the role to another level, what you've done. Well thank you, one. Two, I agree. I do think that long running shows should have the opportunity to award particular performances in that way.

But from my knowledge of how it works, it's about the new works of that season there's like a maybe you know September of the last year till March of the current year something some timeline that the show has to open from what I understand. So the first week your first week on Broadway after you realized okay this is really eight shows yeah what was that feeling on that Sunday? You know, this is probably gonna be surprising to you maybe but I was like no I got this. Hmm I was like I was so Concerned with my ability to sustain this and I was wrong for doubting that I really was I finished the week

And I was like look it's a lot of work. I'm tired. My body's tired. My voice is tired. My mind is tired. But like, I'm equipped. I feel like I've had a lot of work experiences that have built me to be able to sustain this and like my body is strong.

So long as I take care of her, she serves me. So I finished that week and I was like, so impressed with my own ability. To be honest, I was shocked. I was shocked. The right person got the job. Thank you. You all are amazing. You keep killing it.

Like I said, my family loved it. We had a great time. I'm so glad. Candy was expensive. I ain't going to front. My kids want every piece of candy. No. Nine dollars but regardless.

Because they know the kids will eat the snacks so they won't charge them. That's right. But they had a great time. Loved it so much. Thank you so much man. My pleasure. Keep killing it out there. Thank you all you. You gotta go check it out. I am I'm the only one has not seen I'm coming girl. I know about you. So I'm like I gotta come and support you appreciate it. Thank you. Y'all amazing Thank you. All right, let's see ya. Let's see ya. Let's see ya. You got it. Last name Cabetta Cabetta

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Let's get to the latest with Lauren.

Lauren be coming with straight facts. She gets them from somebody that knows somebody. She gets the details. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this.

She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this. She be having the latest on this.. She gets the details. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything. She be having the latest on it. The latest with Lauren LaRosa. Sometimes she have facts, sometimes she have details, sometimes she have a little bit of everything.

Well, it's the latest. On The Breakfast Club. Talk to me. Well, yesterday in the courtroom, a man named Eddie Garcia took the stand. So Eddie Garcia is the guy that I mentioned to you guys a couple days ago when I said that somebody got on the stand, got their immunity, and then was supposed to come back and testify, but they didn't end up getting to him. So Eddie Garcia worked at the Intercontinental Hotel, which is the hotel where the Cassie

beating video went down. At the time of the video, he was the security supervisor. So he got on scene and testified that they received $100,000 from Diddy to get rid of the Cassie beating video. That is what he alleged went down. He says that it was split three ways. It was split between one of his bosses at the Intercontinental who received $50,000. Eddie Garcia alleges that he then took 30K and he gave another one of the employees 20K. These are all people who were involved

and actually saw the video, erased the videos off the server. One of them is a manager who actually allegedly had the conversation in addition to Eddie Garcia with Christina Caron and Diddy. So the way he says this went down is is he says one day he received a phone call and this was following the Diddy incident that happened on March 10th, 2016. He says he got a phone call from a New York number and on the phone he alleges was Christina

Karam who was an employee of Diddy's and on the phone she's at the time she was chief of staff for Combs Enterprises. So he says on the phone she then asked him about the video, the security video. And he says that, you know, she claimed that Diddy was intoxicated at the time of the video and that he didn't remember the event whatsoever. So then she goes on and she's like, she's asking for the video to be deleted. And Garcia is like, well, I don't have any control over that. I want to like, I can't let you see the video.

I can't talk about things being deleted. I can't talk anything about this video. You have to speak to hotel management. So then he says he was later informed that Christina Karam allegedly was in the hotel lobby looking for him and she was asking for the video. So he says that again, he told her to talk to hotel management or that they would have to file for a subpoena, like something in court where they could for the video. So he says that, again, he told her to talk to hotel management or that they would have to file for a subpoena, like something in court where they could get the video. So he does admit though that he told her like, look, off the record, the video is really

bad, but there's nothing that I can do for you. So then Eddie Garcia says that he later got another phone call from Christina Caron, but at that time, Diddy's on the phone. So when he gets on the phone, Diddy's on the phone asking to again get the video and he's like, you know, Diddy was nervous. He was fast talking allegedly but again, he denied the request to give them the video. After that phone call, they then called him again. But this time it was from Diddy's own personal phone allegedly and Diddy was basically telling him like, look, this video could ruin my career. So

Garcia's like, listen, I don't have access. Eddie Garcia is like, I don't have access to the server anyway, but if you wanna make something happen, my manager is a person that you would have to talk to. And Diddy told him, like, look, if you can figure this out, we'll take care of you. And Garcia at the time says that he interpreted that as, you know, a money offer.

So they then connect him, or he then goes and talks to his supervisor, his manager supervisor. And this is the guy that he says name is Bill Medrano. That's the guy that got the 50k. Now he says that when he talked to him, his supervisor originally said, look, I'll do it for $50,000. Just tell Diddy allegedly like, you know, $50,000. Put me on the phone with them. I'll take care of it. So he gets back on the phone with them. He says Diddy refers to the Modrano guy as like his angel because he's willing to do it. So then Eddie

Garcia, they go and meet up with Diddy at this like high rise building in West LA. He says that Diddy is counting like money through a money counter and the money counter rang up $100,000. He gave him the money. He said that Diddy said to him, be careful how you spend all the money or whatever. But there were NDAs that were brought to him. Diddy allegedly also asked for their IDs of everybody that was involved. Diddy asked, allegedly, if there was other videos on the server, if that was the only copy, if there was anything on the cloud server, if that was the only copy, if there was anything on the cloud,

and he told him that was all that was there. And he says that Diddy, he alleges that Diddy actually FaceTimed Cassie and put Cassie on the phone, and she also allegedly confirmed that she did not want the video to become public. She had a movie coming out, and she just didn't want it to become public. So.

So question, what does this have to do with his case? Like, what does this fall under? Like, his rackete. So question, what does this have to do with his case? Like what does this fall under? Like he's racketeering, what charges does this apply to? I believe that this is gonna go to him using money and his influence to be able to cover things up and move around. So you have all the domestic violence videos which show the whole forced coercion and their legend.

This is why Cassie was scared to stay in a relationship. But then you have him number one if you're Yes bribery, but also if you're if you are knowingly right if this is proven that he did this That means you knew you did something wrong and then and after you know, you do something wrong You then go and use your power you're influencing your money to then cover it up. It's bribery. Yes The guy asked for the money though didn't did he just say hey, I want the video Yes. But I'm looking at it's bribery. Didn't the guy ask for the money though?

Didn't Diddy just say, hey, I want the video deleted? And the guy said it'll take $50,000. So is that bribery if the guy asks? But prior to that, Eddie Garcia says Diddy told him, I'll take care of y'all. So he interpreted that as a money offer. And then there was the other hotel security guy weeks ago. Yeah. I'm looking at the New York Post article and the New York Post article says Sean Diddy

Combs bribed hotel security. So if you look at the racketeering charge, bribery is one of the things. When I hear Lauren explaining all this, I'm just trying to figure out what exactly does that have to do with his case and his bribery. Yes, but so the bribery, the physical, because people keep, people are upset. We know the physical abuse, we saw the video. No, no, no, I'm not saying that we know it. I'm saying people are trying to figure out why do they keep even going back to this incident?

Like, why do you care to prove that there was money paid? Why do you care to talk about bribery? Because he's not being charged for domestic violence, but the bribery, the physical alleged violence, all these things are things that the government is saying this is an entire conspiracy that he uses his employees and his businesses to successfully do. And people are scared to get away from it. So in it allegedly, so if they're're scared you can make them do anything. Quick question, this is the same thing that Trump was convicted for like when he bribed

old girl, this bribery regardless. Yeah, the porn star girl. Yes. And now next question, then how did the video get out? Did they know how the video got out then? Because if they wiped all the clouds and nobody else had a video, how did that video come out? So Eddie, Eddie Garcia says that one day they just saw the video in the media. He says that

he got Screenshots sent to him. They just literally he said the video years later They just saw on a news outlet one of the guys who was involved Who responded during the time of the the actual incident? Text them a screenshot of the video on CNN, and Eddie Garcia said when he got all these text messages, he deleted all of the related messages because he didn't want nothing to do with it.

But he didn't go into exactly how it made it. He just said it popped up on CNN. They said another hotel guard testified that he recorded the footage on his phone so he could show his wife. That's the first guy, we talked about him a minute ago. That was the very first guy from the Intercontinental Hotel who's now an LAPD officer.

You know, it's great that dude only ended up with $30,000. But he broke it because he busted down $30,000. He bought a car. Yeah, he gave he gave his boss 50 grand. He gave another security guard 20. Because it was there were multiple people involved. The boss had to say, Yeah, we'll do it. That's who said the 50k. And then then you have this other guy who was involved because he's seeing the video he knowing the

conversation he's knowing that they came to the hotel so they're all involved at the point we guys negotiators bro yes video like that is worth a few million are y'all crazy but did he say but they also they recognize who did he was so I'm sure that there's like a fan element to that, right? But also at the time, Eddie Garcia is making $10.50 per hour. And that's why, that's why you shoot for the moon. You got a negotiator and you got to have a bird around you because a bird would have went to Google and be like, yo, this

dude is worth such and such hundreds of millions of dollars, $100,000. We shooting too low guys. And Diddy told him this is gonna ruin my career if this ever comes out. What? You got eyes. You can watch that video yourself and know that could ruin Diddy's career. is gonna ruin my career if this ever comes out. What? You got eyes. You can watch that video yourself and know that could ruin Diddy's career. And in 2016?

Yeah. That's the thing. There's no difference between the trouble between if you get a hundred thousand and a million. No. It's the same trouble. But I think the first security guard, I really think that there was a fan element to this because the first security guard that you're talking about that we talked about a couple

weeks ago, he literally recorded the video because he's like, no one's gonna believe that this is happening. Like, if you see Diddy in this video, it's like, oh my God. Have you seen Austin Powers? I need one million dollars, okay? A piece between all three of us. And then when Diddy would have been like,

yeah, that's a lot of money, more money, more problems. TMZ, Harvey Levin. But what movie was Casey in? She had the perfect match coming out. She had testified that, remember she did the perfect match coming out she had she had testified that Remember she did the perfect match with my remember. Oh, no. Yeah, so she um she had the perfect match coming out or whatever and she testified that that week and remember she did the freak off because She didn't want to get into any physical altercations or whatever allegedly with Diddy because she wanted to go to her movie premiere

so she's She said I don't want this come out because my movies coming blah blah blah But the man is making $10 and 50 cents per hour and then after that he said that even after the money exchange happened Diddy that year had texted him like happy Easter. So you know he feels like he has like a relationship now with Diddy or whatever but. Did he take him into that Easter? According to. Yeah told him you my angel.

He tested the waters. Well he told the guy you my angel before he gave him the money. That was the 50k guy. That was the supervisor. But yeah, because now they're getting rid of the video. So I mean, outside of that, the courtroom is self exploded because there was a lady inside of the court who started yelling at Diddy that they out to get them and she dared the security guards to pull out their guns and use them.

And y'all court is getting crazy. It's just a lot going on over there. It was Craighead Barney that sent that? No. It was just another just a random woman. Yeah, it was a random woman inside of the courtroom because people- So they just let random people in there? Yeah, because you people of the public can come to view it like they have a right to come and view it and they do like there was people in there with their families the other day when I was there.

Well happy birthday to Quincy Brown. Who's Quincy Brown? Diddy's son. Ohhhh. What the hell? We've never heard his last name. Yes, when? Yeah, we've never heard his last name.

I don't know. You guys know his last name for sure too right? I was like what did he do for sure but I'm sure it's not his real name. Quincy Brown. Alright well salute to him. Yeah sure it's not his real name. Quincy Brown. All right, well salute to him. Yeah, I've never heard his last name. Damn, that's it. Well, thank you for the latest with Lauren.

You're welcome. All right, when we come back. And look, it's also King George III's birthday. He would have been 287. He was born in 1738. Okay. Jesus Christ. All right.

1738 is a liquor. Yes, Jesus Christ. Alright. 1738 is a liquor. Yes it is. When we come back we got the People's Choice Mix as the Breakfast Club awarded. Morning everybody it's DJ Envy, JustHilarious, Shalemane the Guy, we are the Breakfast Club. It is Pride Month and it's time we rap a gay a day. Yes y'all so we gonna go on this gay ride for pride today and we're gonna rep my best friend Sheena. She is the most humble stood that I've ever met in my life. What's so funny? I don't understand. Hello?

Humble stood is crazy. Yes, she is a humble stood. And I'm happy because she is now dating someone nobody has ever because she is now dating someone nobody has ever dated her for a long long long time I was even questioning if she was gay but she is back from the gay graves and she is dating and I love you Sheena she's dating she's dating a woman okay I said she's back from the gay grave I want to make sure yeah I felt like you know her gay was expiring you're like she was like single for like a good ten years Sounds like oh my god, but my girl is down there She probably driving the bus listening to us right now

And all the bus drivers out there we appreciate your service Why you don't know about a group of the bus drivers know this is just her moment I want can I can I have a picture she with the rest of the bus drivers. No. This is just her moment. I want, can I have a picture of Sheila driving the bus? No! What are you doing? I asked her for a picture, she won't send me one. Yeah, because what is that? I just want to see her in her uniform.

No, no, that is... Is she driving public or no kids or... No, public buses. Public transportation, yes. Oh, so you could just wait on the bus and see her. Baltimore's finest credit kids go on the bus and mess with her every day. But she's cool though, like so she's, her driving the bus look like a character in an Ice Cube movie. Like yeah Miss Sheena! You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? I love you Sheena, I love you so much boo. Salute to Mara Brock Akil for joining us this morning. Man the legend man. That

lady is so beautiful. Oh my god. You know what I was thinking? When I see women like Mara, Brock and Keel, why would any, why are you old men want these young girls when black women age like that? She looks so good. What are we talking about? Yes. What are we talking about?

That's probably why she's married. Oh, she's married. Yes, absolutely. Amazing, yes. And also, Lincea Cab amazing. Yes, and also linsea kabita Yes, the first black actress to play Kadeva knows that cabeta cabeta cabeta keep putting the dc in cabeta She's the first black actress to play alphaba full-time and wicked on Broadway. So look to help with your now. Yes Yes. All right. And also I gotta remind you guys father's Day weekend. I'll be in Atlantic City with vibes cartel

We're doing a huge vibes called a tell Father's Day weekend performance So if you haven't got your tickets get your tickets, it will sell out the venue is not as big as the Barclays So it will sell out fast. I think they're almost gone So if you want to see vibes cartel in Atlantic City get your tickets ASAP. That's gonna be crazy stupid. Yo Oh, wow people be outside everything people love That's right. I need to get y'all tickets also Pittsburgh. I will be there Friday and Saturday That's June 13th and 14th get your tickets if you have not yet just hilarious official comm I'll be at the improv the improv the improv the improv

I know I was saying the funny bone, but they all about the same person my bad Pittsburgh I'll be there at the improv me and my brother Desi Alexander Friday and Saturday June 13th and 14th get your tickets now All right. Well, we got a positive note. Yes, the positive note is simple man You can run with a lie, but you can't hide from the truth. It will catch you. Have a blessed day This is an I heart podcast but you can't hide from the truth, it will catch you. Have a blessed day. Breakfast club, bitches! You want to finish or y'all done? This is an iHeart Podcast.