The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Ludacris Talks Hip Hop's Toughest Era, Katt Williams Comments, iHeartRadio Music Awards + More

Episode Date: April 1, 2024

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Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.

Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba.

All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people.

We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. And we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other, so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Wake that ass up. In the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. We got a special guest on the line, on the Zoom, on the whatever you want to call it. Ludacris, ladies

and gentlemen. What up, Luda? What up? My family, what's going on? Congratulations, Jess. How you doing? Jess is actually... She's pregnant, so she's in and out the room. Yeah, so she's in and out the room, so she's probably in the bathroom throwing up maybe right now, but yes. Well, congratulations twice. All good.

It is. Luda is hosting the iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 1st. That is not an April Fool's joke. It's actually happening. I was going to say that same thing, but you beat me to it. So it's all good. Yes, I cannot wait to do this. It's my first time hosting the iHeart.

It's been a minute since I hosted something, but you know, I'm a i'm gonna have a lot of fun we're gonna bring a lot of energy not an april fool's joke whatsoever because i like to joke around a lot too but this ain't no game it's fair fact that a lot than you know i think the billboard awards if i'm not the billboard awards three years in a row as a matter of fact now did you have more fun at the super bowl or when you performed in atlanta when you was hanging from the ceiling uh sliding all billboard awards three years in a row as a matter of fact now did you have more fun at the superbowl or when you performed in atlanta when you was hanging from the ceiling uh sliding all the way down which one did you have more fun envy that's a that's a hard that's a hard question but you know when i was sliding down the you know when i was when i was rappelling down repelling the dome

it wasn't over a hundred million people around the world me. That was just kind of a certain amount. I would have to say the Super Bowl, man, because that was just one of those moments in time where I was nervous for my friend. This boy was on roller skates and all type of stuff. And we know that he practices these things, but it was a little different, man. And I just felt the energy from around the world on that day a little bit more than I felt on that rappelling down from the Georgia Dome. Do you ever get nervous? And I know you perform every weekend and you've done these shows like that one time, the biggest stage and you forget a word or you stutter or did you ever cross your mind at all? You know, so you know what? Little John asked me that before we went on. And I'm going to say something that probably no artist probably ever says absolutely bro i get

nervous all the time the moment you stop getting nervous is the moment that you don't care and you know who told me that may he rest in peace dmx said that to me man and i took that to heart ever since i'm always nervous right before i hit stage because i care so much but as soon as i hit that stage as soon as my voice comes on that mic, all the nervousness goes out the way. But always, always nervous. You know, Luda, we're on Zoom, but, you know, I can see who's on the Zoom and I see the good brother Shaka Zulu on the Zoom, man. And it's incredible to see men, especially black men, have such a long, healthy relationship like y'all have.

What does it mean to still have Shaka in your life after, you know, especially after what he just went through? Man, listen shaka is is my mentor i don't know if y'all saw when i received my hollywood walk of fame man but it occurred to me at that moment that shaka and his brother jeff are like the the fathers that i've had since my father passed away man and i started breaking down in tears so i i could say a lot of things, but I hope that makes you understand how much it is, how much it means to me to have someone like Shaka in my life, man, as a mentor, as a guide, as a friend, as a figure that just continues to keep me on my best behavior and keep me on my toes, man,'ve been in the game over over two decades and been

rocking with each other no contract it was a handshake and it's been like that ever since and that started at radio right how 107 9 yes 100 wow and it was about 97 5 at the time so man this is it's a it's a radio family thing man and like we said this was in atlanta we just sold this to bet by the way this whole story so man it's for all the radio people no have they got the official green light i know you got the bet plus series they got the official green light we got the official green light man i'm gonna do everybody proud have you picked who playing you who playing shaka who playing jeff who playing a young lala maybe i don't know not yet but we ain't got to that stage yet but we taking all

suggestions we know you out there producing stuff too so man you know give us your list we gotta we gotta figure this out we gotta match the right people you know what i mean it's got to be as real as possible that's right you know it's funny i i got my new book coming out and i wrote about you in the book because i was a young intern at the time but i remember when you was at z93 jams in charleston and even though even though what's your fantasy was popping you came in and ran your own board and i was yes and i'll never forget that like you were doing the interview but you're like nah let me run the board and i'll never i just don't i'll never forget that bro that's crazy i never forget that and and by the

way you know i don't just say this man because i follow y'all on social media but my your first book um it was it's an amazing just piece of art and a piece of work and i'm just i'm proud of you because i know this ain't your this is like your third or fourth one so man congratulations on that i can't wait to read it now especially now knowing that i'm in the damn yes sir now i gotta ask you know you're a lyricist and and you will bite back anybody that mentions your name we seen it with kat williams but now that you're seeing the uh the shots going back and forth with these these lyricists do you enjoy it because you feel like hip-hop got a little too everybody's too cool with each other listen i don't care where hip-hop is i enjoy anytime people are coming at each other's necks in the right way.

I absolutely love what's going on. I was just saying that we're witnessing. You just talked about the Super Bowl. Super Bowl is all about who wants it the most. We witness in March Madness Live about who wants it the most, that competitive. We witness in history with LeBron James doing amazing

historic things. And everybody always talks about who's the greatest and who's the best and there's debates i love it hip-hop is of no exception i love in hip-hop when people just try to prove to each other and you got the best of the best and you know i'm loving what's going i can't wait to see how this plays out well luda what you saying that you know nelly mav mav and paul just up here, like literally just walked out talking about the shop. But, you know, Nelly was on the shop and he said that his era of rap was the toughest and most competitive. Like, so that was your era, too.

You gotta be in that. Yeah, J.M. Wayne, 50 and Luda. He said that, you know, you actually said your name, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. Do you agree with that i can't be at all mad at that statement because i was just on drink champs and i was literally talking about how you know that i went to the award shows and the grammys obviously year after year after year for the first decade i mean i'm over here outselling a lot of these artists and i'm losing and what i mean by that is i was

up against dmx i was up against jay-z I was up against Eminem in these categories every single time. And I just, you know, I had to keep my head held high. And, you know, subliminals flying, in terms of direct lyrics flying. It was just extremely competitive. Now, I'm sure anybody in their era is going to say that's the toughest era, but I can't be mad at that statement. I feel the same way. How important is family and your wife to you in keeping that bond fresh, spicy, and new? Like I seen recently when you gave her, I'm not sure what holiday it was. I think it was her birthday or Christmas when you made her do obstacle courses to get a bag

and she had to, she didn't get it. She couldn't climb. But how important is that for you in your relationship? It's extremely important to keep stuff fresh, man. You can't do the same things over and over again. You got to keep, that's just one thing that's in my nature though, man. I love

constantly just, you know, I love constantly trying new things, especially when it comes to exciting my wife. You know what I mean? So I think it was Valentine's Day again that you're talking about. I made her do a little obstacle course. I hate doing the same thing over and over again.

He made her do obstacles I don't think nobody could do. He made her climb rock walls after climbing rock walls. Like, you made her do a lot. I'm sitting like, damn, Lou. Well, he hosted Fear Factor, so that's on brand. No, that's on brand. I'm an innovator, man. I got to innovate in all walks of my life.

One question I got to ask you before you go. Was Cat Williams ever really offered you a role in Fast and Furious? No, he never. Not that I know of. You said, was he offered a role? Yeah, because he said, if I'm not mistaken, I could be misquoting this. I thought he said on Club Shea Shea they offered him the role, but he didn't take it because he wasn't willing to do the compromising things that they needed.

Allegedly. Allegedly. Yeah, yeah, and to answer your question, I wouldn't be the right person to ask that question i have no idea if he was offered a role in the fast or not i do know that i saw him at rick ross's crib uh some years back and everything was perfectly fine but he's a comedian you know he tells jokes so it is what it is you didn't take you didn't take offense to nothing even when he was saying things like oh you know it's about seven people with ugly light-skinned wives.

If you do this and you do that, you get an ugly light-skinned wife in movie roles. Salamayne, it was so laughable what he said that I was, to me, I was just like I couldn't believe what he was saying. You know what I mean? I took it as laughable because he's a comedian, and that's why I kind of responded with some laughable stuff. Absolutely. Could you beat him in a foot race? You know what? That's a comedian and that's why I kind of responded with some laughable stuff absolutely could you beat him in a foot race you know what that's a good question that's a great question I don't know we got to see because he is fast out there for sure well tonight April 1st Ludacris uh hosts the iHeartRadio Music Awards and uh we got to get you up here in person I know you you

running around doing your thing but next time you're in New York you got to get you up here in person. I know you're running around doing your thing, but next time you're in New York, you got to stop through, bro. Yeah, it's going to be on Fox tonight. Absolutely. I'll see y'all at the awards show, man. All love. Appreciate y'all. It's Ludacris. It's The Breakfast Club.

Good morning. Wake that ass up. It's in the morning. The Breakfast Club. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love.

I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, Thank you. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q Estan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet.

Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.