The Breakfast Club - It's Not the List Its The Impact

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

On this episode of The Latest with Loren LoRosa, Loren gets real about recognition, purpose, and what impact truly looks like in today’s media landscape. Fresh off landing on Complex’s 2026 Hip Hop Media Power Players list, Loren reflects on what the moment means—not just as a personal win, but as a reminder that the work speaks louder than the ranking. From breaking news and staying consistent to navigating a space that’s constantly evolving, she shares the mindset it takes to stay grounded while leveling up. Beyond the list, Loren dives into the state of hip hop media, highlighting key voices shaping the culture and unpacking what’s missing in today’s conversations. She also opens up about protecting her peace, being honest with herself, and why growth requires accountability—not just celebration.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a homeguard that knows a little bit about everything and everybody. You know if you don't lie about that, right?

Lauren came in hot. Hey, y'all, what's up? It's Lauren the Rosa, and this is another episode of the latest with Lauren the Rosa. This is your daily dig on all things Pop Culture, Entertainment News and all of the conversation that shake the room, baby. Now, as you guys know, we love a good check-in behind the scenes of the grind

here at the latest with Lauren LaRosa. We are counting down until it is Mother's Day and I will be with my family. We do a traditional mother-daughter sleepover that I'm really excited about every year when we do it because I just love getting together with family. So that'll go down this weekend. So I'm basically preparing myself to be able to just be relieved of all duties for the weekend.

To really enjoy my family, kind of not be at work-ish. It's a little hard for me because I still want to, you know, watch what's going on. But to really just enjoy, I've been having a lot of conversations about, like, peace. I'm reading this book. We did an interview at the Breakfast Club, which is already live with Tim Rawls, who is a, former pastor, former comedian, a podcaster, author, and Tim Ross wrote a book called The Missing Peace. So I was reading that book in preparation for the interview, didn't finish it before the interview,

but plan to finish it. And in this book, it's like, it's a work through kind of like self-help guide, but it's not your traditional self-help book where it feels like all the fingers are pointing at you. You know what I mean? Like sometimes you can read a self-help book and it's like, dang, like this book makes me feel like I'm the only person in the world going through this. Like, not even an author understands what I'm experiencing. So I love self-help books that don't make you feel that way.

I feel like the last one I read that was kind of like that, even though it's not self-help, I guess it is self-help. It's advice because she just ranked in Amazon's, you know, top, and number one, in a parenting and advice column on Amazon. Just hilarious is to Deaf Dube Parent, which was very much like, She was telling stories, but it made you, you know, be able to, like, set a list of priorities and things you want to do better. And I don't even have kids.

But this book is like that. So through stories about his life, Tim Ross is teaching us how to really understand, like, really protecting peace. I think we always talk about, I'm protecting my peace. I'm protecting my peace. I'm protecting my peace. It ain't for me. And we ain't be protected nothing at all.

And I think the reason why I can admit that, that all of this time that I thought I was protecting peace. I wasn't really protecting anything was because I really didn't understand what was driving me to a place of no peace. And I didn't understand that sometimes I was the point of no peace. So what am I protecting if I'm causing a storm? Like I, you know, and in turn, if I'm causing a storm, I'm living in a storm. So yeah, that has been something I have been just kind of sitting with and reading and thinking through. So I'm in a really good space after doing so and after speaking with him, please go check out his interview on the Breakfast Club.

I think it will give you a hug. I love interviews. I love interviews. I always said that about Angie Martinez's interviews. But I also think the interview that he did on the breakfast club combined with his book will help you be really, really honest with yourself. And that is my goal this year is to get better at being honest with myself.

And when I'm honest with myself, to get better at actually executing the things that I don't like when I'm fine and I'm honest about myself. and to big myself up about the things I do like and I do love when I'm honest with myself. So let's get on into the latest. Hey, I'm Tori Webster and I host That Digital Take. If you've ever wondered how the internet really works, from influencer culture to digital marketing and pop culture, this is your inside look. Each week, I share what's actually working online, the behind the scenes of building a career as a creator,

and real conversations with people shaping the industry. Think of it like your big sister guide to the digital world. Follow that digital take on IHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all. Embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Speaking of big it up, okay, honey. Okay, and conversations and conversations starters. Complex, the magazine, or Complex.com, the outlet.

however you remember them or referenced them as has dropped their official 26 power players list now this list is a list of the most powerful people in the media game right now in hip-hop media so it's the hip-hop media power ranking list now this is their fourth annual hip-hop power ranking list and the tagline of the list is in a year with no dominant stars and no breakout moments the people shaping rap conversations matter more than ever and guess who was on the list y'all girl i am on the list um i came in at number which is honestly amazing because 22 is my favorite number 11 and 22 i feel like those numbers are just like perfect numbers and whenever something in my life signals those numbers i feel like it's like a

it's a reminder that i'm on the right path um kind of like an it i was going to say an attention thing not an attention thing, like an alignment thing. Like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing because I'm running into my, you know how people say like your angel numbers. I feel like 11 and 22 are that for me. Even numbers altogether make me feel good, like 22. But yeah. So I made the list.

And for me, one of the big things in like, you know, anything that I do is I want people to talk about the work. and I want them to talk about it in a real way. So it was fired to me to be placed on this list because the way that I was ranked had everything to do with the work that I do every single day. And, you know, I think that it's dope. And a lot of times when you're in it and you're working and you're figuring things out, especially if you're new in a space, it's like you never want to,

you always want to remain teachable and you never want to be like, you know, like, you know those people who are just like things are going well for themselves. so they're too full of themselves and it's like yo bro relax like what goes up can also come down you never want to be one of those people um so that's like my goal is to never be that but i you know i told myself like you got to be okay with celebrating yourself as well too so my description on the list um they listed last year i was not on the list because i wasn't and i remember charlemaine um and nila having a conversation about this list and him mentioning that me and nila should have been listed on this When they list what I'm known for on Complex.com, they say I'm known for on the ground reporting, balancing out the breakfast club with some stone cold facts.

And there's like a small like, almost like a forward speaking of books written by Jordan Rose, who was one of the, who's one of the personalities over at Complex. It says, in a hip-hop media landscape cluttered with clickbait, Lauren Lerosa is doing the legwork. Her role on the breakfast club is to inform the audience and her co-host about current events. She got a start at TMZ, and her commitment to getting a story has taken her to the biggest stage. Bringing the same intensity to Slate Rumors. Will Drake pop up with Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl at Clocket? That was my exclusive when I shut that down completely. No, that was not happening, period.

And serious stories as seen in her insightful coverage of the Diddy Trial. Now, they did ask me some questions. They asked two questions. They said, what is one thing that I like about rap right now? I talked about the fact that I love that women are running rap. Like when you think about some of your favorite summer anthems, even some of your favorite songs with the guy rappers, like Luther with Kendrick Lamar, you think of Siza,

Dochi is out here, Lotto, Cardi B, Gorilla. I still play Old City Girls, to be honest with you. Like, I was just listening to that the other day. And I saw The Baby, who is, you know, he has a song Pop That is Climbing in the Charts. He went on Gorilla and Carisha, Young Miami are the Supergirls. of the super girls, of the city girls.

Like, the women are, they're where it's at. And not only are they where it's at, but they're making the music that makes you feel good. Like, I think we sometimes can get so into this, like, beef mentality of, like, the back and forth between, like, the drink and the kindericks and things of that nature and forget that. Like, sometimes people just want to have a good time.

Like, I feel like at one point in time in music, the goal used to be, who's going to have the song of the summer? I don't even know people care about that anymore. Like, it's 80 degrees outside right now, and I don't know what we put on when we get in the car unless we put on one of the girls. And it's nothing wrong with that.

I'm happy for all of the ladies and rap, but I'm saying, like, the new songs that are big, that are breaking, like, it's very few far in between. And Complex actually acknowledges this in the opening of, you know, this list and kind of explaining how they were able to compile the list as well, too. The second question they asked me is, what's one thing you hate about rap right now?

I said, how low the barrier of entry is. I'm a social media girlie. So basically, like, I'm not knocking social media. Don't get me wrong. But, and I live and thrive there. And I'm thankful to God that we no longer have to wait on the machines to power us up. Most of the stories that I break, I break them first on social media. Twitter is my, like, that's a huge platform for me in breaking news and Instagram.

And then I take it to hear the podcast the latest with Lana Rosa. and the breakfast club, right? And then it picks up by other outlets, like Complex. Shout out to them for always picking up my content. Shade Room, Hollywood Alack, Billboard, shoot, even TMZ has picked up a few of my stories. Yeah, y'all know how that go.

But I say, I continue, but I do believe there should be artist development and not just the tracking of an artist or their talents via social media numbers or engagement for a moment is what I meant. The writing of this is. all over the place. You got to have to have them at a day.

But yeah, so I'm excited. I'm excited to be on this list. And we're going to talk a little bit about the list and just some of the people that I watch a lot for what I do in news that I big up or my friends who made the list that I'm excited to see. Now, I told you guys that Complex talks a lot about the fact that there isn't really like in a,

like people that are making narratives in hip hop right now. So it's so important to have, you know, talking heads who actually do that. Complex makes the point that the storylines of the past years have gone cold. There's no new dominant star and no big singles or albums with true staying power. To make this list, a platform or a person has to regularly address issues and topics related to hip-hop. They have to be a place where news gets broken. Okay? I love to be known as that.

Or where rappers want to appear. It's the conversation you're causing. And to me, this is important because I feel like that was always the goal. Like, I have a platform called Brown Girl grinding, all common spelling, and we are like the group chat on Instagram. And I'm going to expand it to so many other places. But the tagline of the brand is by black women for the world, causing conversations that shake the room. That is the tagline of the podcast, if you guys have not noticed as well. Because that, I think when you're able to cause conversation, conversation carries.

It can carry from friend to friend, family members. member, the family member, generation, and generation, man to woman, but it lasts. It's not something that's like a flash in a bucket if it's a conversation that is like good, it's engaging, and it does what it needs to do. So speaking of people who do that, I do want to take a second to actually highlight some people from the list. In no particular order. Honestly, I started from the bottom of the list and just scroll down. So Rob Markman, who is listed at number 35, he is last on the list. I definitely think he should have been higher. They list his features as just. genius, just my thoughts, which is his own platform where he talks straight to camera,

just about some things in hip hop that are going on and giving his thoughts, providing very thoughtful information and insight. A lot of industry insiders as well, too. Wayneau is also a person who does similar content like this that didn't make this list, but should have. And then best interview ever. And they say that he's known for top-notch interview skills and integrity as a pundit. Now, when Rob Markman does any of his sit-down, like breakdowns, like, he's a person for

me in a time right now where a lot of hip hop personalities, and I was going to say journalists, but like I'm trying to think like who I consider an actual, oh, probably Frazier, who's on this list is probably someone I actually consider a hip hop journalist. Like I think, when I think of hip hop journalist, I think of like a B-Dai. I think of, you know, what B-Di-Di-Eleet Wilson used to do with Rap Raider. Like that is a very serious, like, title. And it's a very, like, I'm a journalist, but I can spend across various. genres, not just hip-hop. A hip-hop journalist, I feel like those are the people who they create

lists that actually, like, make sense or make you think, they're very deeply embedded into culture, into lyric, into song, into rap. They're like the, I'm a fashion girl. So as fashion girls, we love archive pieces because they're hard to get. No one knows much about them. You know everything about them. So there's a chance to educate, but they're also normally like very rare. They look good. they last. It's just, they're very sought after. Hip-pop journalists are like the archive, archivist. I don't even know if that's the word,

but they archive what is our culture of hip-hop. They make sure that we're able to find these pieces and these artifacts that matter, that are one of one that needs them explaining, that educate, that really, really, really matter. And there's not a lot of people who even understand enough about hip-hop and its history from the origin to where we are now to do that. And that's why I said,

I don't know who I would even think of in that category outside of like maybe very few people. But yeah, shout out to Rob Markman. Whenever I'm trying to break down something deeply, deeply hip-hop embedded, Rob Markman and Bda are people that I look to see the conversations that they're having as like research and things that I might not understand or I reach out to them and ask questions. And he says one thing he hates about rap right now is the way hip hop has been infiltrated with paid agitators who run up face. extremes and he used bots to give the illusion of something real. I hate the toxic side of stand culture and fans who pick their favorite artists against hip hop as a whole. Next one of this is Elliott Wilson at number 32. Last year he was number 17. He dropped on the list. He just

hasn't been around. I did an interview with Elliot Wilson last year sometime and he was telling me how he was getting back into the things. And I was telling him in the interview like your strong point is this. It's having the real conversations one on one with the artist you and b dot were an unstoppable for us but i mean i guess that's over um get back to this like because there was like trolling going on at one point and i'm like you know i was being honest with i'm like you're too old to be doing that like you're too respected and coveted and you should look at yourself that way and then he just kind of like disappeared but i know he was going through some things in his personal life that he shared with me off the record um and then i saw on this list

i did not know he announced he had twins and it's not with the person he had been married to for a very long time. So that kind of explains the absence. Elliot, take your time, get your real life where it needs to be and we will see you soon. So this is a podcast about video games. Kind of. It's also about friendship. Definitely.

And chaos. Unavoidably. Welcome to It's Dangerous to Go Alone. A podcast where we talk games, culture, nostalgia, and immediately go off topic. There is no gatekeeping. There is no skill check. If you win a game on easy mode, we support you. If you've never touched a controller, honestly, same energy for some of us. It's fun.

It's chaotic. It's friendship with a loose gaming theme. And somehow we keep getting away with it. You should listen. Stream it's dangerous to go alone on the free IHeartRadio app. Or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast. The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the AIDS. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now, so. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Next on the list is DJ Head and Gina Views. I am so proud of Gina Views. The Head is my bro. Always looking out. Always a phone call away. But Gina Views, and not butt, because it's not a butt. These two come together in a package deal. period. Gina views, however, me and her kind of left our roles at our last situations. She was at

No Jumper. I was at TMZ around the same time. And I feel like we've undirectly, like, you know, I wasn't calling her when I was going through the thing. She wasn't calling me. But as we were getting through it and like, you know, hitting different notches on the belt and being able to like put different, you know, points on the board we were cheering each other on because I think we just really understood what each other were going through. And I think, you know, I think, number one, we're just really good at what we do, if I do say so myself. And y'all know I don't really, I don't even get into all that are talking too much about myself.

But when I think about us, I think about what kind of helped us and is still helping us as we navigate this space, is that we're really good at what we do. But we also really care. Like, we're really passionate. We really live and breathe what our genres are. Gina is a hip-hop girlie. She is going to talk you through lyrics and, you know, all of the things. I can get into it, but that is not my ministry.

and she is so good at what she does, for real, for real. But I'm really proud of her, too, because I think that there are not a lot of women in the space who are as brutally honest as she is, while also being able to have such adult personality that people want to come and talk to you. They want to hang out with you. Like, she's fun.

She's the home girl. She's sexy. She's sassy. But, like, she's not with the bullshit. And she's not afraid to tell you. And she's not afraid to be honest. And I think that disruptor that we see in her is what I want to see in a lot of the other younger girls

in that space. doing because it is a very male-dominated talk space. DJ, who sits next to her, is, you know, amazing at just being supportive, but also amazing, and it's very obvious in, like, her rise, very amazing at, like, being a supportive, he's supportive and he's chill, but he's a force. Very well connected, not afraid to put his people on, not afraid to put her on, but I think he understood that, like, they were better together. And a lot of the opportunities that we saw, him get over this last like a year or two, he's always centered the two of them and not just himself. But he's also really good at what he does too. His understanding of music, especially,

you know, being ingrained in a lot of West Coast culture, which people were paying so much attention to at one point. I think he used that in a really smart way to build something that last beyond the Kendrick Drink Beef Moment. So shout out to them. Effective immediately available everywhere. Go watch them. It's one of my favorite shows to watch. It's one of my favorite shows to as well when I'm preparing, you know, for my artist interviews because they really get into the shits. Jim Jones on the list. Jim Jones, I want to mention, he's number 26 on the list and was not on last year's list. But I want to mention him because I think with the less rap about a podcast and artist to artist with the platforms that he has and what he's doing, people like to drag him and

like to, you know, come for him and dispute his takes when he talks about how relevant he is and who he thinks he's bigger than the music. But one thing that I will say is, is that quietly, he's building an empire in the media world off of that. He got tired of just being on someone else's platform responding to things or on Instagram responding to things. And he made it something. Like the less rap about a podcast, they're carving out their own lane, still very much growing. But it's working for them.

They have an audience over there, artist to artist. He has an audience over there and he's building out more. And I think he's one of the things I respect is that he took what he watched a lot of people do and he didn't say oh everybody's doing this or because i'm not the first to do it i don't want to do it um he would probably argue he was first in the space some way somehow because that's just what jim do but he wasn't afraid to say i'm going to do it now i don't care who's already doing it and i'm doing it my way because if i build it they will come and i think that that's what this genre of like that's what that's what you see a common threading and a lot of the people on this on this new list

It's like new media. Like things are changing. You then got Norie, Noriega, drink champs, number 25. I love Nori. He's such a sweet person. Every time I run into him, he always talks about how he gets his news from me, which is a lot of pressure when people tell me that. But I fuck with it because I know Norie has experienced so many generations of like personality, media talent, journalists, hip hop, music, culture. he's also dominating in the space.

And another person who's building business, very smart in the space. He just launched Rock Solid, which is Memphis Bleaks podcast, under his Drink Champs, like, network flagship that he's building as well, too. And I love to see people who are in hip hop understand the business and build the business because it sustained you longer than anything else. And he's been able to be relevant. Like, think about it. Norie, the rapper.

Norie drink champs. Now, Norie, the rapper, drink champs and businessman and podcast flagship. I'm Cynthia Lois. And I'm Josie Dye. And we're done pretending we have it all figured out. Each week we laugh, cry, and talk our way through life's messiest moments. The things you think about but would never say out loud. The questions you are always too shy to ask. Relationships, regrets, awkward moments, and the stuff no one warns you about. It's honest, it's funny, and sometimes it gets a lot. little uncomfortable. But that's kind of the point. This is Cynthia and Josie's unmentionables.

Listen on the free IHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is a is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. They're finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Up next we have Gillian Wallow at number 18. And I think you just put Gillian Waller on this list, not just like it's nothing. But they're consistent. Like, you know what you're getting from them. People love them. People love to sit down and talk about them. I will say, though, this year, I feel like I haven't seen their stuff circulate as much online, and I don't know why. I don't know if it's because they're quietly building other things.

So, like, they're still dropping. They're still doing interviews. I know they did push his first interview when he came home. But I don't know. They've just been very, like, it's been like they're dropping and they're consistent. And then they, like, they out the way. And normally with people as ambitious as them, we've seen their rise to, you know, everything. that they're doing a million dollars worth a game that means that they're working on something.

So I'm excited to see what is going to come next from them. But if you've got a list of people in the space that are impactful, it actually means something. Gillian Wallow have to be on the list because, first of all, their focus and what they actually care about and their why of why they're doing it, like really wanting to help people who are coming behind them, understand who they are so they're not throwing their lives away. That's always going to get them placed on a new list, in my opinion. And they're actually, I mean, it's a Gilly and a while.

They're entertaining as fuck as well. Like, let's just get that to them. Bootle Cave also on the list. Another outlet I watch a lot when I'm preparing for interviews. The guys from the Popcast Podcast, the New York Times podcast. I don't know how to say their name, so I'm probably going to get this wrong. John Caramanica and Joe Casacrelli. I like their interviews.

I like their interviews because I feel like they're always very well researched. They have a very good rapport with a lot of the artists that they report on. because they've been working in this space for so long. So this is not their first time meeting or reporting on or talking to the artist. But they're just, they're very well researched a lot. And they're not afraid to ask questions. Like, and to be honest with y'all, a lot of people that are white in the hip hop space that are doing these interviews and all those things, a lot of times I feel like they're like

either trying very hard, super disconnected, or their type of content is like, it might be good to watch, but it's not something I'm using to research because I don't know like it's a lot that's just going over their head they're really fucking good at what they do and it's very calm there's no gotcha moments it's not an attack

it's like an easy conversation to watch but it's very well researched Frazier Thorpe writer journalist for real for like actually he still a writer so big up to him especially for the JZ interview that he did which was everywhere it was a very well put together

interview again very well researched This is what I mean when I say like hip hop journalists. Like there's like a specialty. Like that's like an art or a gift because you have to like remember so much information, different years, different drops, different releases, lyrics, like, and be able to like effortlessly recited and, you know, turn it into questions. Like I don't think people understand that that ain't for everybody. Everybody can't do that.

But he does it very well. As we saw on display this year with that Jay-Z interview. Kaisanaat is on the list And I saw some people arguing when the list dropped That Kaisanat hasn't turned on his camera all year So why is he on the list? I don't ever want you all to mistake His power and his impact

With the fact that he has chosen to not play around with it And take a break and focus And figure out how he really wants to impact Kaysanat reached a pinnacle that A lot of streamers are still fighting to get to today To the point where he was able to do what he's doing now He's taking a break He stepped away

And when he chooses to come back and turn that camera on And whatever way he chooses to, we will listen. We will listen. And I think the beauty of it is that he actually cared for something deeper. Like it's not just about the streams, the Ws in the chat, the subscribers, the money. It's actually something deeper for him. And he's out right now trying to discover what that is so that he doesn't miss that. And I think people who have purpose in their journey, the impact is, that's legacy.

He's out of here. And then they, you know, we get to the top. five on the top five of course Joe Budden charlemagne this little man that works on the show called the breakfast club um jada kiss fat jo um yeah like it's i i think it's a there's a lot of people on this list i ain't even going to hold you that i don't even know who they are whatsoever um academics is number one on the list i don't think that academics should be number one on the list and no it's not because we had our little scruffle on twitter i really could care less about that at this point in my life have nothing against him. I always say I respect him out of what he's built.

I just don't agree on how he goes about things a lot of the times. But I don't think he should be number one. I think, and this is not because I work with him, I think Charlemagne is number one. They have DJ Academics as number one, Joe Budden as number two, Vlad is number three, Fat Joe and Jeddickis is number four and Charlemagne as number five. I will put Charlemagne as number one just because not only is his voice impactful and it impacts inside and outside of hip hop and that's important for hip hop but that might go over some people's heads but the business that he's built and in the way that he's been able to hire and employ and just change the lives of so many other people through hip hop and through a microphone that's like there nobody in the top five of this list is doing

that the way that he's doing it um i would then put joe button in at number two just because i think when you talk about elder statesman and impact voice-wise, that is him as well. And he's able to do a lot of the, you know, the callbacks to the lyrics and the conversation. Like, he really does this for real as well. I would put, if I'm choosing just from the top five, I would probably, yeah, I would probably put academics as number three. Only because I feel like, I feel like he, I'm a hate that I'm saying. is he's louder like i would put joe and jada there but i feel like their stuff isn't it's not at the forefront as much and i think that that matters with the people that i'm like how i think about things

like the disruptor like their things don't disrupt as much they did have the moment where they revealed that we were going to get the um the j cole birthday mix tape and when they did it you see how crazy it went but they don't do that often and but we love them because you You get a piece of hip hop history in real time and look back on things in a way that you just don't get it from other people because of who you're talking about. Like, Fat Joe is one of the best storytellers ever. And Jada Kiss is just so well respected and has experience so much that you put them two together and it's cold. But yeah, I think I would flop that. And honestly, the only reason why I wish that there was another option for top five, like is there somebody else I would actually take out to put.

I honestly might, I don't know, I would put the popcast guys a little higher. If I'm being honest, I put myself a little higher too. Not top five, though. Cameron is on this list. I don't know if I'll put him top five, though, but I do respect the way that he's been able to build a business model for himself as well, too. I think once he settles in all of the business that he's building, it's going to be up there like top five. But I see what he's doing with revolt, and I know how much they respect him because I dealt with them so much during all that Dane Dash. is he chairman of revolt? Is he not conversation?

But yeah, I don't know. I'm not mad at me putting academics at number three. I just feel like a lot of times he's loud, but it's for the wrong reasons. And I think that there, I think anybody in the top five of a hip hop list like this, where you're balancing out impact, virality, substance, but also like, who do people care to listen to? People do care to listen to him, but I feel like impact matters as far as like what you're choosing a platform. I feel like sometimes the things that he chooses the platform is still not. Like, I think that he could be, it could be, he could be doing so much more with the platform that he's built.

But he's built the platform and he did it early on before a lot of the streamers and things like that were being respected. And that's why I'm not mad at him in the top five whatsoever. Take a look at the list. It's on complex.com. Let me know what you guys think about it. I am honored to be on the list. I know people will be like, I don't care about lists.

I don't care about awards. It feels good to be recognized by your peers and to know that. that, you know, your work is not going overlooked. I'm Lauren the Rosa. This has been another episode of the latest with Lauren the Rosa, and I tell you guys every single episode, y'all could be anywhere with any old body, but y'all choose to be right here with me, my lowriders.

I appreciate you guys. I'll catch you in my next episode. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite, unhumored me with Robert Smygel and friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. Last week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform?

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On the Look Back at a podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. Eighty-four was big to me.

I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Thank you.