The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Luke James & Jacob Latimore On Dynamic Roles, 'The Chi' New Season, Relationships + More

Episode Date: May 9, 2024

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Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God. We are The Breakfast Club. We got some special guests in the building. Yes. You know them from The Chi. The Chi returns May 10th. We have Jacob Lattimore and Luke James. Welcome. Yeah. What's up, baby? We feel absolutely welcome. Y'all been doing the show so long, it went from linear television to streaming. Hey, no, we super grateful, man.

Absolutely. Like, this is, man, this is beyond what we expected. You know, it's just every season, we're like, man, this is the last one, this is our last round. But, you know, it's been going. It's been going. We're really excited, man. Especially for a black show.

Yeah. We've been around for six seasons. Ain't no show like ours out here. Word. Not for sure. All of television, we still here. Yeah. I mean, that's, you know, that's a testament

to our writers, to our creator, Lena Waithe and Common, to our cast and to our fans, you know what I mean? It's just us continuing to expand,

you know? Yeah, and we still growing. Right. You know what I mean? That's like, usually on season six, you don't know,

like the decline is slowing down, but season six is our biggest season. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? And shout out to Paramount Plus. We excited to yeah be on a new platform man absolutely yeah you know who was here uh earlier this week khadim hardison yeah yeah yeah he was

saying that he's in the shot how was working with kadeem man we love we just we just love i don't have any scene i'm not bad not yet i don't want to say too much but yeah okay it is it is amazing to um just kind of be in the same presence with them and just for them to be excited to be on our show because we've been watching them. These are people who grew up watching. These are people who laid the foundation for us to even be right here talking about any of this. of reflecting, a moment to reflect, you know, just to be grateful and thank God just to persevering and having a dream and then look at making it full circle,

man, to be working with people that you've been watching forever. It's amazing. No, no, it's been awesome. And he spoke of y'all

the same way. Yeah, absolutely. Y'all are excited about working with him. Like, he was so excited to work with y'all.

Yeah, we just grateful. Like, another one of our guest stars that we haven't even announced yet, he texted me. He was like, bro, the set y'all have is just blessed, man. The energy from hair and makeup to wardrobe.

We just grateful because it's not always like that. Every set is different. You got people coming from all walks of life and coming together to work with each other for four or five months out the year. It's not always easy but we we bless with the guest that text you why can't you say we can't say I'm cuz yeah yeah he's special he's special it's a great reveal yeah during

the during the during the season but I mean you know we got the great the beautiful brilliant great Lin Whitfield yeah you know we got a Leon yeah great great we got I'll take that phenomenal I know there's something y'all got like the same aesthetic in a way I'll receive that these are the temptations definitely temptations I was definitely trying not to do that Ain't nobody Ain't nobody coming to see you In it I'm like I'm like yeah

Ain't nobody coming to see you In the outfit Man And he's brilliant man To be working with him I mean I've had a lot of scenes With him man

And it's just awesome bro Just to be able to sit Across from somebody And he's a cool brother He's a cool dude man Super cool I mean like It's really real

He come on to the He come into the Makeup trailer just He just got that thing He's just real smooth I'm like Oh it's really Leon Like it's him I He come on to the He come into the Makeup trailer just He just got that thing He's just real smooth I'm like Oh it's really Leon Like it's him

I'm gonna lean into that As I get a little You know get a little old I'm gonna lean into that How does the shot Change your lives though? What? Man

I got I could pay for a house Life insurance Yeah You know it's It's a show that's grounded in reality. It's not completely escapism. And so we get an opportunity to not only stretch as artists, but as human beings, you know.

It's definitely deepened my well of empathy, but just all walks of life to just be able to hold space for everybody um and and it's just opened my eyes to the world in a sense of how I thought you know I'm from New Orleans and I feel a way about my city in such a way and that we're so different from anywhere else and and to be able to be smack dab in the middle of a show that is, in a sense, a love letter to Chicago, to the South Side, to the people of the Chi, and also in a sense of protest to humanize black folks and the black experience. It's awesome.

I've been able to dive into a different culture, which is know kindred to mine you know and it that's i think the connective tissues and which is awesome about such a show that's what it does for us when we're when i'm in new orleans and i'm watching the shy i'm like oh that's like that's like here it's not that much different you know everybody is just looking for a space to be seen and felt and protected no yeah i mean just I mean, just going through the airports, being on an airplane, and just, I mean, going to a restaurant. Just also seeing different demographics even enjoying the show. Like, I was at a sushi spot.

I'm like, okay, ain't no black people here. We good. And then just the waiter was Asian. He was like, hey, man, you the guy from the shot? I'm like, oh, wow. Is that how he said it? Yeah, yeah. Like, he was like, oh, man. Come on now. That's what he said. The Chi I'm like oh wow Is that how he said it? Yeah yeah Like he was like

Oh man Come on now That's how he said it You the nigga from The Chi? No But it was like I'm like I'm shocked

That the show's growing No really And then like My name is like I really Like when they say Emmitt I'm like yo I like really

Yeah it's crazy Your character resonates I mean It's tough If you watch From really yeah it's crazy your character resonates I mean it's tough if you watch from season one all the way to season six I mean Emmett

like just the growth in the character and whatnot I'm just grateful to be a part of that part of this lineage part of this show I mean

it's been awesome thank you how much input does Lena let you have like with you know a script contributing to script or like the actual

story do you have any yeah i mean we definitely like if i'll ask a question you know i i like to respect the writer's room you know what i mean i'll definitely um because we here for a reason and and what we got is working you know what i'm saying so uh we let the writers do what they do we'll have questions and say hey uh, why did Emmett do this? And it'll give me a better understanding on how to approach that scene that day. And then they'll give me a better breakdown. But they're open to it. But I like to respect the lanes because I'm coming here to bring what they write to life.

That's the challenge. That's the work. And that's why you get paid to be able to interpret. But also, you know, we live with these characters and we have, you know, we can hear their voices and when we read something, we can, you know, it's pretty open in the sense of like, oh, maybe not that particular word or that particular phrase in that kind of way or that particular action. Yeah.

But for the most part, yeah, we let the writers do what they do and we do what we do. And also they see the full spectrum for us. Because that's why every season is different and they help us grow. Because sometimes you can just be stuck in this character, in this space where you just were. And when you read it and then when

you're able to talk to lena and everybody they help you understand oh okay it's a new chapter it's three years now it's you know months down the line so he's different you know so it you just gotta let everybody do their job and we don't actually i never feel like i'm coming back to the same character every year you know because that could be redundant you could feel repetitive like right every season of emmett has been different for me is there anything that you didn't want to do like uh kadeem hardison was saying he was like he hated those glasses he was like i hated them they made me look goofy i could say maybe the first the glasses were one of the biggest things right but he hated and he was like oh and i think he only said they kept the glasses for one season

or two seasons it was two the two but it had so much impact on him. And then it was like, when it was time for him to grow, they were like, we want him to grow. And he was cool with that. So is there anything that they were, we want you to do and you was like, ah, and then it wound up like, oh, it really worked for them. I probably haven't had something like that since season one. When they was like, had my hair blonde,

tipping my hair is blonde. I was like, we got to go blonde. And they were like, nah, we want him to go blonde. It feels young and youthful. But other than that, you know, we definitely get some say. So I'm like, hey, I don't really like what I'm wearing for this. You know, why am I wearing this? I'm in the house.

There's a collaborative effort. But also, you know, they also have an initiative for all of us. And, you know, we got a lot of youth on the show as well. And I hope they're from Chicago. That's the biggest thing. Majority of our cast is from Chicago. Shout out to Shemar and mikey hannah they're all natives you know but there's also initiative there's an initiative if you want to direct if you want to write you know there's they they've given us programs that we can align ourselves with when we're off or when we have time

that we can shadow um other directors writers producers um and so that's that's the that's the vibration on the set it's a different it's a different ball game when you say i want to produce something you know because i'm even learning yeah uh like because we we show up to set the red carpets rolled out for us our trailers are set our the lines are there the wardrobe is there but it's so much that goes on it's it's prep going on way before we get there and that's the work that um that's that's the tough part that's a different you can't just walk into that and be like oh i got it you know it's something you gotta learn how much is lena still involved like she's completely ain't nothing going down without what in a sense of like yeah the creative aspect of it

um lena has her hands on it on it all you know she just keeps us in line in line with everything going on and keep us motivated too like

Six Seasons is like you know we can people can get comfortable you know she's like

yo yo yo table reads let's not sound lazy let's sound up we up y'all need to pick up we had to chop some things

cause someone you know, she's, you know what I mean? She keep it real with us. That's what you want. And that's why the show lasts because there's no, nobody's just like sugarcoating anything. They're really asking for excellence out of all of us.

You know, if you're going to be on here, you're going to give everything you got. Absolutely. Now, is this the final season? Because that's also been a rumor that this is the final season. Man, we don't know. Y'all know. Y'all shot the last episode. No. Now, is this the final season? Because that's also been a rumor that this is the final season. Man, we don't know. Y'all know. Y'all shot the last episode.

No. Well, no. We literally just finished like maybe two months ago, but we don't know. No, we don't know. Because I'm hearing that every year, like that was the last season.

No, we really be like, yo, man, because I'm always prepping. I'm always ready to pivot. I'm ready for that next job. You know, acting. You got to stay ready. Man, we just blessed

to be working. Like, this is, we understand that a ready. Man, we just blessed to be working. Like, this is, we understand that a lot of actors are not working in the game right now and it's heavy. So we just, you know, if we get another season,

we grateful. If we don't, you know, we just, we grateful. We grateful. The experience has been awesome. To get past four or five is crazy.

You get past a pilot, bro. Yeah. No, no, that's true. Okay, let's let's just hypothetically if this was the last season are you happy with how it turned out i'm happy with how it ended yes my thing is i've always wanted for me as a fan i've always wanted to see the kids at least move out like Just go on I thought they should got their own spin-off and I'm saying because that's how much they mean to the show never know and you never know And it's good that you say that out loud, you know, because people listening. Um

But you know for me I just want just wanted at least if we go in, let's get the kids out the house into a space where it's like, as an audience, if we think about the show, our imagination can go into a peaceful place where the kids survived. After all the things for six seasons, they survived. You know what I mean? Yeah, bro. And with that being said, what was the hardest scene that you had to shoot, like, emotionally for both of you? I want to say this is definitely my toughest season. Yeah, same.

This is... My heaviest. It's just, it's a lot of emotion. It's, yeah, the fans are going to be on the edge of their seat with this one. Nobody's safe. Nobody's safe. It's a struggle for power. It's a struggle for safety, to protect your family. I mean, there's a struggle for power it's a struggle for safety to protect your family

I mean there's a lot on the line and we all all are tethered together and in a sense we all have a common enemy

and we all got our ups and downs like every season but this one is really like asking a lot of all of us all of our characters it's pretty it's pretty heavy

I even felt some days I had to kind of come in method because i'm usually high energy every day yeah he is early in the morning so it was some days i'm like man i gotta really just put them headphones on and lock in today because it's this scene is gonna require a lot yeah yeah it's i'm happy though i'm happy to do it on this show because most of the time, Emmett's been very high energy and jokes and laughs, but it's getting real. It's getting real for him. It's a new chapter for him, for all of us.

Yeah. Now, Luke, your character has a type on the show. Yeah. The transgender women that he likes dating. Was that a conversation? What was that conversation like when they presented that to you? That was the role. When the request for a self-tape came, that was the breakdown of the character.

So it's given to the artist that this is who he is. For everybody, you choose to do it or choose not to do it. For me, I look at myself as an artist in totality, and it's a matter of asking yourself, what type of artist are you? Yeah. You know? Because, you know, it's a matter of telling the truth.

For me, if I can breathe life into a character and be honest about everything that I'm reading and needing to say, go for it. If it moves me in an emotional way, I'm all about it. And that's what I love about the show because it's just grounded in the reality of what our lives are,

what they really look like. And it's not trying to be this fantasy of what someone thinks it should look like. You know what I mean? No, I was geeked about it. For me, overall, in totality, I think that the role for me i've never i had never played a thug figure in that sense and nobody understands how hard that

is if that's not really who you are that's a great point you just brought up because nobody will say luke you had to play a thug was that tough for you but when it comes to the transgender it's like luke is it hard for you to be in look is it hard for you to be in love is it hard for you to be kind be a loving person who is just searching for safe space and it's not a thing it's not even on the table this character

that for him it wasn't a thing on the table for him he had just been living his life and if you think about all the characters we all have these ups and downs which is so cool about this season, why we talk so much about mental health within the season. We're not preachy in our show, but we're just going through the motions as everyone does in real life.

Because we all value a safe space to be seen and heard and felt and protected. That's right. I really like the nuances of such a character. How do you protect your pieces of man? I totally understand everything you're saying as an actor, but we still live in a dickhead era. We got all these digital dickheads who get online and say, oh yeah, that's what you into, yeah, yeah.

So how do you protect your pieces of man? Bro, I really don't subscribe to it. You don't pay no mind. I don't subscribe to that is I'm beyond that like I they're probably been there was there was a moment in my life where that this I wouldn't I would not have done this role there's a moment in my life where I'm like I'm not but never from an aspect of homophobia or anything like that from an aspect of my artistry I don't know if I don't know if my well is that deep enough to be as honest and truthful

and as great as I need to be in order to tell this story and be well-rounded. But, you know, over time, experiences, you know, more experiences of doing and and then the questions of asking what type of vessel what type of artist i i want to be yeah you get the opportunity and and then also you have a creator that will text you as soon as you send a tape in and tell you i'm hold i'm i'm gonna hold a safe space for you you know i got you natalina yes you know i i this this is going to be awesome i got my hands on all of this and this is this is going to be a beautiful thing and i'm grateful for you to take a chance on this and for me it's done again it's deep in my well of empathy i i just see the world differently bro um and i have no judgment as an actor yeah you can't really have to be able to

tell the truth and tell that character's story you can't really judge it you just have to look at what they're what they're going through and say damn that's that's where he is but you know the thing is like what he said is you look at actors before your time they didn't have to deal with the social media no right but now you every day like even somebody didn't like your character or let's say you did a bad job it was one day and gone but now you got social media every single day everybody's a critic everybody feels like they can do a better job or they did it or they can tell you what to do so that's where the mental comes in so to make sure that that doesn't affect you is the thing because you want to do the character you don't want to be thinking about what are they going to say you just want to do

a great character both of you and we just understood acting back then I remember having a conversation with Megan Good once and Megan Good was saying how she had to be conscious

of the role she plays because nowadays people think that's actually you yeah very true I'm like huh that's very true

I'm completely different from Emmett like I have no kids I don't deal with no baby mama drama you know what I mean like that's pull out productions I don't deal with no baby mama drama. You know what I mean? Like this. It's simple.

At heart. Pull out productions. I mean, but it's like, you know, it's definitely that, though. And I've been learning that on this show. Like, man, people really approach us in that way as if they know us because we live in their homes with this show. It's crazy. It's crazy. And I mean, you do it so well that part of that got to be true.

Yeah. But people don't understand about acting, the beautiful therapeutic point of it and the fun of it is the transformation. Like seeing a role and not seeing yourself in it and seeing someone else in it and in in in seeing the challenge of um understanding who this human being is that is probably far from who you are your experiences or everything you the way you think of the world you know i i think i think it it just helps it helps the it helps the part and when you take the challenge of accepting it.

Yeah, it's two sides of that. Like you said, you did such a good job, but it'll be like, oh my God, is that really who he is? And then you, as a critic, because I was a critic even when I was younger, I couldn't stand Lawrence Fishburne after watching What's Love Got To Do With It. I didn't until I seen him in Matrix.

He played that well. He went crazy. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes people just do their job so good. He be like, oh my God. And as an audience member, you gotta, we gotta give the audience grace. We understand what it's like to be in the audience and watching, you know, some of our favorite classics. Because I believed it. You know what I mean? I believe it so much. But not like the social media people. I mean, I didn't want him to be beaten on Angela Bannister like that. That's just what it was for me. How much grace should actors get? Because there's been rumors that there were actors who either left the Chi or got fired from the Chi because they didn't want to play a role where they had to date a transgender.

That's fine. Give them grace. Yeah, give them grace. A lot of grace, man. It's a lot of pressure. It's their body. It's their choice. them grace. Yeah, give them grace. Yeah, a lot of grace, man. It's a lot of pressure. It's their body. It's their choice. You know what I mean?

It's their mind that they got to allow to take that ride. Because it is a thing that you have to have a hold of who you are. You know, you're playing these roles, and these things can get on you. Yep. And no one really trains us for this superstardom. You know what I mean? Like to all these eyes on you

and your mental and being young and being famous. We're breaking a lot of stars on this show. You know, this is a lot of our cast members'

very first big projects. A lot of our first big projects. So we, you know, we support that. We give them grace. For sure.

There's been a lot of people who've come and gone on this show. Like, which character or actor do y'all wish was still on the show? I miss them all, man. Controversial. I miss them all, man.

I miss them all. I miss everybody. I'm not going to lie. I was a fan of the show before I even got on it because this is my bro. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So our second project together. Yeah, second. You feel me? our second project together. Yeah, second. You feel me?

I miss everybody because everybody really did their thing. Yeah. For me as a fan watching the show, I was just enamored by everybody's position

in the show. And so when I came to the show and people weren't there, that was a shock for me. But that, you know, that's the business. It is what it is. And we move we

move forward and fully support the brothers yeah always well I miss Jason Mitchell's character hey he killed he was killing that role hey I said New Orleans hey definitely all love to my brother I try to stay in touch with him and give him a lot of love always Always. Man, we love you, brother. For real. And, man, Jason is a fine, brilliant actor. Yeah, he is. You know what I mean?

And only time will tell. You feel me? We all make mistakes and whatnot, and that's why we gotta give each other grace, and that's why we talk about it, and that's, you know what I mean? Yeah.

Has there been any talk about bringing back any of those characters? Just in case this is the end. Well, that's above our power. You feel me? You know what I the end. Well, that's above our power, you know what I mean? We employees of the shot, you know what I mean? So it's a – I'm moving to the producer realm if I –

I mean, it might be too late, but I don't know. That's above our pay grade, man. Luke, has acting surpassed your love for music? No. No. He came in here singing. You ain't him? I didn't hear him, I know.

Guys, what I just wanna know is when he is in his acting bag. Thank you. Okay. Them was crazy. What? That's what I'm gonna bring up, but you know, I'm gonna focus on the show right now. No, no, no, no, no, no.

I'm gonna break it, I'm gonna break it. I love, but. So he having a great year, he having a great year. No, I, music got me here. Yeah. Music, new addition, all of that, that is from a, that's my bridge. Yeah. And also, it's my meditation.

It's my, it's my prayer. I can't not do music, you know. Every other month, I always say it, Johnny Gill hits me up just to make sure I'm still recording, still nurturing that gift because that helped me get here and helped me understand everything. You know, I can't not have it. And now I just can't not have both because financially, what this new medium has done for me, not just, you know, personally as a human being and as an artist stretching and whatnot, but financially has just put me in a better space where i could have a family and i can make music how i want to make

music absolutely i can provide you know what i mean and i'm grateful i'm i'm truly blessed and i do i do not take it for granted i'm really i really i mean we're doing exactly what we love every day putting our music when we want to is like, it's incredible. Yeah. Especially when you got to. You step in music a few times and all that. What's up with you and music? No, I dropped an EP like five months ago called Closure.

I'm real proud of. And then I have dropped the Connection Series album. So I haven't really dropped a big body of work in a while. But I told myself, I'm like, every year to drop something. You know what I mean? I think that's important because there are music fans that want to hear it but you know

it takes time and you got your own fans and your own brand and it doesn't have to look like everybody else you know and for me that goes into like

the Prince realm and to all those artists who found their people and then their people stay with them whenever they put music out like Maxwell, like D'Angelo, like Frank Ocean, like anybody. They got their people and they're able to do other things and then dibble dabble back

into music when they do and they got that core fan base that will always be there. Rob Markman So why close it? Sound like you broke up with somebody very harshly. Hey, I did. Man, I did. Rob Markman Man, he's soft, man. He be crying about things. up why close it sound like you broke up with somebody very harshly hey i did you know i did man you know he's soft man he's gonna stay close he'd be crying i think matter of fact i think the first time i came to the breakfast club i was getting out of it i'm a relationship person i love it i love it i love love man so it's you don't need to hear that on the album hey i had

to put it out there yeah where else he gonna put it where am i gonna do that that's his that's his diary i actually i actually put it out during the strike because it was just time. I think, you know, the show consumes our schedules like crazy. So I was like, you know what? It's actually time to just, you know, put Jacob out there versus Emmett. You know what I mean? And, yeah, put that out there for one time. How does she feel about that?

I don't know. I don't know, man. He don't care. I wish her love, though. You know, it's all love. Are you the problem in the relationship? I don't know. I don't know, man. He don't care. I wish her love, though. You know, it's all love. Are you the problem in the relationship? I wouldn't say I'm the problem. I wouldn't say I'm the problem.

I'm the problem. I just, you know. I'm the only problem. It's just timing. Timing is everything, you know, and I'm happy where I'm at. You're still learning. I'm still learning. I'm enjoying my singleness and dating.

I was going to say, are you at least dating? I'm dating. Yeah, you know my singleness and dating. I was going to say, are you at least dating? I'm dating. Yeah, you know, it's cool. It's different, you know, like actually planning dates and going out. Hey, let's meet up for dinner. Let's talk. You know, let's get to know one another. How can y'all even trust women at this point?

Man, it's tough. How do you know people want y'all for y'all and not Jacob and Luke? I talk with God every day. Like, just give me that discernment. Give me that discernment to just know who am I? Who is this? Who is this? Yeah. You know, I got to God every day. Just give me that discernment. Give me that discernment to just know who is this? Who is this? Yeah. I got to get to it.

And I got to really get in that girl business too. What you do for a living? Yeah. You know what I mean? Not that I'm not a 50-50 guy, but I need to know what you're doing. I got a lot going on. I got to know that you got a lot going on too. And you got some aspirations and things and goals and things that'll hold you accountable to your actions and whatnot and and that you see that i'm i'm

moving forward and you want to move forward in your realm and and if we can keep that in harmony and peace and love we'd be all right so they have to be in the industry no okay okay no yeah i don't know if i want to do the industry no i think think you just need a person that just sees you. That understands. That understands. And is open because we are in a fickle business. It's up and down, you know? So understanding that part, understanding what we got to go through in our psyche is a lot of rejection.

It's a lot of no's. It's a lot of just us pushing ourselves. We got our teams, people that surround us, that love us, that keep us. But, you know, this don't happen if he don't make it go. Yeah. You know what I mean? If he don't audition, if he don't put himself out there. Yep.

And, you know, if you're with someone like that in this business, you have to understand that there's ups and downs. You know, depression is be a big thing. You know, just making yourself, putting yourself out there in the world. You know, you got to sell yourself. And so you need somebody that's going to hold you down no matter what. My mind must be clear. Yeah.

So, Jackie, you said you'll never date a woman from the industry again. I wouldn't say that. I just, you know, it was just, it's tough. It's tough. I think, I don't know. I don't know. I it was just, it's tough. It's tough. I think, I don't know. I don't know. I mean,

it's hard to say. It's hard to say. You still love her, don't you? Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. It'll never go away.

Whenever a man looks in the air when he's talking about an old relationship. Yeah, he sees somebody. He sees my specific face. There's a, there's a thing. I still love her.

Absolutely. It's happening right there in his head. Jake, don't be offensive, please. No, it's all love. No, I do. I do nothing wrong with the business last night I wonder if she's gonna watch this did you hit her up but you know she knows she killing it yeah yeah yeah i wonder if she knows she knows she's killing it jesus she's not gonna tell her all that yeah i know she's watching this you know this is all absolutely okay okay okay okay yeah it's all love it's all i wonder if she knows why are you playing i hope she's happy you ain't put out album in four years? Has it been that long? No, it's been maybe three. Three, okay. So I put a studio recorded album out, and that was Grammy nominated.

That was To Feel Loved. And then I reimagined that album with an ensemble by the name of New Deco, and we put that album out. with an ensemble by the name of New Deco. And we put that album out. I've always wanted to do a live album, and that's what we did. And so yeah, it's been three years. It's been three years, man.

But bro, I'm that type of artist. Time to drop! I'll put things out, but I've grown into that type of artist I played the game of you know trying to stay on the horse and and be out there and put your name out there and and music music music music music and whatnot but I'm grateful to still be here um sustained and and constantly growing and expanding and it's humbling because you know people don't there's a lot of people that don't know i sing yeah really man man it's it's it's it's humbling because like when emma started dancing and singing and stuff people don't know

that's a new generation that's not it i'm not even new generation bro that you'd be surprised how yeah big the world is and how much other people got things going on and it humbles you and you're, you know what I mean? You be like, everybody know me, should know me. Right,

you gotta keep grinding. No, but there's nothing wrong with that because it's like, oh, there's so much more to be discovered and that's,

that reinvigorates an artist that's been doing it for a while, you feel me? Yeah, it keeps you hungry. Absolutely. Let's dive into Edmund Gaines.

Yo. You sure? Please, listen, let me tell you so season two well it's them the scare season two of them i've been trying to get them to watch the first season i love it i watch it this is i'm i'm now watching it re-watching it because i wasn't supposed to watch it without my boyfriend but i act like i didn't and i did and then i had to watch it again i'm watching it I'm on episode 8 right now again

watching my little sister watching it with her what did it take for you to get into that that role is so many layers to Edmund it's so it's crazy

yeah and shout out to Lil Marvin and Lena Waithe for that as well and some other writers that I do know Malcolm Mays oh yeah Malcolm

amazing right yeah what did you have to do Debra Iurende Pam Greer and some other writers that I do know, Malcolm Mays and all that amazing, right? Yeah. What did you have to do? Debra Iurende, Pam Greer. Yeah, the legendary Pam Greer. Joshua. Yeah, I mean, we got Iman Sumter.

We got a lot of people on there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's, oh, you know, that role came to me, man, and, you know, every artist is, I mean, is hoping for such a role like that, such a challenge, something that's beyond you and scares you in a sense. But also it just seems like so much fun. Yeah. To stretch.

When I read it, I saw the human and I saw the heart of him and what he was going through. And that resonated with me just my life people i know um and i'm a fan of the show season one i mean shook me right and it's just it's top tier television is one of the best shows on all of television i don't care quote me on that at me on that all that it is you can't beat it and So to get an opportunity to be a part of it the second installment of it. I Jumped to that, you know, I'm an artist who wants to continue to stretch. I want to move forward I want to do one character and do something beyond that character beyond anything. So, um, I

Just had to let go you can do anything i'm grateful and then and then it's so funny because you would ask them about like playing a thug nobody would ask him if you know like if playing a thug was really hard and i don't want to give it away but that is like that that's actually what the character caters to like he wants to be an actor yeah in the so edmund's amazing edmund is an aspiring struggling actor in los angeles um is it's i mean this is crazy it takes this takes place in uh 1991 you know in los angeles this is the height after the trial of rodney king uh beaten um dudes getting off um so much going on and we we're following uh detective reeves um who is a black woman uh uh detective the only black woman in her uh in her uh her unit robbery homicide played by

uh deborah urende yes who's from first season um and she goes down this road of trying to figure out um this killer at this at this foster house foster home did something crazy and they're trying to find who did it and the more and more she goes down that road she realized the biggest mystery is is herself and i play a character who is aspiring actor and just trying to get his big break, but also has a void within him searching for his identity. And, yeah, it's a ride. Yeah, I don't even want to. It's a ride.

I can't. I can't because I'm into it. I was tapped in. I was tapped in. I was like, yeah, this nigga crazy. Yeah, right. That's why I'm like, how? And did you find yourself staying in

character after i mean you know once you're in it you're in it for me i there's no turn completely turning it off because that's just me that's because he's a hundred you know what i mean it's not like you know 50 or you know even 70 he's a 100 type of character. So it's like you to stay in that, to be honest and stay true to it all. I just had to live in it. But I'm surrounded by love and whatnot. And it was fun. Lil Marvin created such a safe space for me to dive into the unknown. And I mean, we just had a ball creating something brilliant. And I'm just grateful that it's resonating with people in all the different ways. Definitely.

How long did it take to shoot that season? It was, from, when I came in it was four months. Okay, so four months

of you doing that tapping into that character. Yeah. It makes sense too because I remember, I remember him pulling up to set on the shot

and I'm like, he acting different. That's scary. I'm like, look, look, I'm like look I'm like look what's good

it is the craziest thing I've ever done it was I didn't even know what he was doing outside of Broadway it was the most intense the hardest thing

I've ever challenge I've ever met but I'm grateful I did it man I mean it's just you know

when you do something that just really challenges you your entire fiber and you get to pour into it and you do all of this work and at the end of the day my experience was everything and you don't know you know the rest of it you don't have no control of so to receive this love man I'm I'm I'm just grateful yeah yeah because before them I knew you as a singer I knew you as Victor and that was it. And then I was like, how the hell, what the hell? I didn't know he could tap into this shit.

So congratulations. You did phenomenal. Thank you. I'm grateful. That's what it is. Y'all gotta watch it, bro. I do. I'm gonna be honest with you.

It was just the pronoun that scared me. I hear you. Them. I hear you. I just made that up off the top of my head. I know you lying. That's interesting. I hear you.

That's interesting. That was it bro. I believe you think you're lying. That's interesting. That's interesting. That was, I believe you. Yeah, I had that in my head. Hey, you should be an actor. I heard it,

and then it just, and cut, y'all. Yeah, he on that Kendrick thing. It just went, it went over my head and then it come back

and then, oh, that's what you're saying? Who y'all got winning the beef? Who won the beef? I like, I think Kendrick won. There you go.

I like the hit. I like the hit. But I'm a Drake fan. I don't think it take nothing from him. Drake is one, Drake is one of the great, of our generation, greatest songwriters,

period. Like, I mean, as we, if I look at it from just an artist, a musician standpoint, dude is brilliant. You cannot deny none of that.

If we just talking about this moment right now, Kendrick did that. Yeah. And, you know, I mean, it's just, how do you go after a guy like Kendrick? You see that performance on Power?

Have we ever seen him do anything like that? You can't play with nobody like that. Yeah, absolutely right. Who can do all of that? I mean, yeah, he come from battle rap. That's who he is, you know? Kung Fu Kenny. Kung Fu Kenny.

I always knew that I felt like Kendrick could come out on top in this even though I wasn't sleeping on Drake in no way shape or form but we just didn't know how right

because we never seen Kendrick go to war yeah and how do you play with somebody who you don't you don't know that much about you don't see them

they don't they don't really play you don't really know he pop out when he want and drop great bodies of work and then he go back and you can't deny that and it's out when he want and drop great bodies of work and then he go back and you can't deny that. And it's interesting.

Artistry. You know, but I'm waiting for the documentary of this, of this situation because there has to be because there's such a show.

You want to know why Kendrick don't like him so much? No, not even that. Not even that. You know, there's,

I don't even get into that part. I just look at the social construct of it all. And they're having two different conversations, right? They're two different talking about something at each other, but having two different conversations. And we're realizing two different audiences listen to music and comment on music.

And their spectrum is so one and narrowed you know what's so interesting about that kendrick and drake uh like like kendrick gets the same type of critical acclaim he sells records he sells out toys and everything his just approach to music is different yeah but that don't mean that drake's approach to music is wrong right like it's not like you know like drake makes good music. Yes. Great records. The thing is, people have a hard time

because with comparison and competition, and comparison somehow has to be competition too. You know, like, I can't have one without the other. I can't have one and the other. Yeah.

But you can have Michael and Prince and you can appreciate both what they've done. Absolutely. It's just interesting how Kendrick has like a, I don't want to say a reputation, but he's almost looked at as an underground artist.

Yeah. Like he's not. He's like one of the most successfully commercial artists. He's in an arena. But he started that way. Yeah. Section 80, that had that. But he kind of is an underground artist.

And his records just cross over. Drake makes records to cross over. Kendrick just does himself and his records just cross over. Drake makes records too cross over. Kendrick just does himself and his records just cross over because people love it so much. Prince was considered in a sense at that time an underground artist. Raw, different than any black artist that was out. You know what I mean?

And that shook the world. I mean it's going to be controversial what I say but it shook the world so much that Michael changed his vibe. Four years later, came out with Bad, and he had long hair, buckles, and leather, and all of that. That Purple Rain impact, that Oscars. Influential.

That was crazy. I can only imagine he had the cool. But I just hate the fact that people can't love both artists, right? You can, though. A lot of people, they take sides, which is crazy. I don't. had the cool but i just hate the fact that people can't love both artists right yes you can though a lot of people they have a hard time which is crazy i don't but i've been a lot of kendrick and i love drake now in the battle see i look different than y'all right and this is just me and charlamagne was like we'll prove it yeah if i feed you information allegedly because we don't know if it's true this is we just with drake's this we just would drink and you go off that

information that kind of it doesn't it's not true guys I don't know I can't really say if that's true if it is it's like that's genius to me because it's nonsense why is it not we know it's nonsense stop it pull it back how do we know it's nonsense. It's nonsense. Stop it. Pull it back. How do we know it's nonsense? Because you would document it. Yes. It's really that simple. It's all documented on Twitter and all the news and all of this, that, and the third.

You've been doing this for how many years now? It doesn't matter. It's a rap battle. It doesn't have to be true. It kind of does. No, it doesn't. If I give you information and you fall on that information, I go back and be like, I got you. Back in the day, maybe. Right? But right No, it doesn't. If I give you information and you fall on that information, I'm going to be like, I got you. Back in the day, maybe.

Right? But right now, it doesn't. Now it's a different thing. It's how can I get you off your rocker? How can I get you off your game? Honestly, if both of us shoot everything about you in the world, people are like, and you can tell the truth as much as you want. That's whack. Is it?

It is. It's a game. If both is true, they as you want. That's right. Is it? It is. It's a game. If both is true, they both in trouble. That's right. It's a real battle. J. Cole won. He got out of there. Listen, J. Cole's sleeping good, bro. He on that bike that feels like, just to be like, you know, bro, that didn't go up, mess

with my spirit. and i'm so grateful that that came to me i had that that that premonition or whatever to say you know what i'm i'm backing out you can do whatever you want bro but i could just see this ain't gonna be good yeah for me maybe and i don't want to go down that road and i'd rather sleep good than yes sleep and then wake up wanting to go back to sleep because I don't know if there's another track about me. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived.

I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived.

I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived.

I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. I just arrived. Imagine that type of sleep, man. You ain't sleeping.

Or a lie. Kendrick, yeah. Nowadays, nobody cares about the truth and the lies. You might just hit me with a lie. Now, everybody think I'm this and that. I got to go home to my wife later on when she asks me questions that ain't true. That's the worst. You hit me.

Listen, I just hope they both watch the shot. Just watch the shot. That's right. The shot. Watch hit me. That's the worst. You hit me. Listen, I just hope they both watch The Chi. Just watch The Chi. Yeah, that's right. The Chi. Watch The Chi. Look at this. Look at this. This is amazing.

We learned a lot. We learned that there's a spinoff of The Chi coming. There it is. All right. We're going to look out there. Jacob still loves Soraya. Oh, my God. I have love for Soraya.

No, no, no. You said you still love her. It's fine. No, stop it. What else you learned? Stop her. It's fine. No, stop it. Stop it. It's fine. Stop it. Season six of The Chi is great.

And it might not be the final season. There you go. And we have to watch them. You have to watch them. I will watch it with y'all together. You watched it three times already. On Prime. Watch it two more.

Okay. Tap in. No, tap in. Tap in. Why not? She's really been talking about this show for a long time. I think you should tap in because when we talk about, as a community, when we talk about we want nuanced films and so on, this is nuanced.

This is different. I'm not saying it because I'm a part of it. I'm saying it because that's what it is and we have to support it we have to see it and and other artists will come about from this from this happening you know and why not enjoy it definitely well we appreciate you guys joining us thank you all for having us man breakfast club y'all flowers man this is this is this is a big deal man we uh you know we always excited to pull up on y'all yes sir thank you you for coming It took Febby, I didn't answer the call at first But thank y'all so much for having me Really?

No, I don't know Yeah, he said they lied like you lied One of our producers just said Season 7 has been greenlit I don't know how true that is I tried to Google it Real? No, they just want y'all to confirm

Y'all would know Stop playing What? We had said it is Team just texted me Shy, season 7 has been greenlit. Oh, good. Hey.

Y'all didn't know that? Y'all just finding that out? I swear we find out. We find out when y'all find out. Promise. Wow. Congratulations, brother. Thank y'all.

Absolutely. Wow. Wow. Dang. Wow. Congratulations. Slow airflow. Money, money, money, money.

Well, season six returns May 10th. Season seven has been greenlit. That's right. Congratulations, guys. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.