The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Charlamagne Tha God Part 1

Episode Date: May 3, 2023

Charlamagne Tha God sits down with Questlove Supreme in New York City for a special two-parter. In Part 1, Charlamagne speaks openly about his vision, career, and plenty of humorous discussions with Team Supreme about everyday life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're 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, unfills of 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. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand

the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon. And this is my friend, is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far. But I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.

Listen to The Away End with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Ceno Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon, Danny Trail, talk about addiction, transformation, and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

I'm an alcohol. And without this group, I'm going to die. Listen to the Cino show on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of IHard Media, and I'm kicking off a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the frontiers of marketing. Math and Magic takes you behind the scenes of the biggest businesses and industries

while sharing insights from the smartest minds in marketing. Coming up this seasonal Math and Magic, CEO of Liquid Death Mike Cesario. People think that creative ideas are like these light bulb moments that happen when you're in the shower. It's really like a stone sculpture. You're constantly just chipping away and refining. Take-2 interactive CEO, Strauss-Selnik.

and our own chief business officer, Lisa Coffey. Listen to Math and Magic on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. All right. Let's do it. Let's do this again. Suprema, Subrema, Role Call.

Suprema, Subima, Subt, Supremma, Roll Call. Supremma, Submma, Submina, Role Call. Supremea, Subrama, roll call. We back together. Yeah. Something out of a dream. Yeah. I so forgot.

Yeah. We once had a theme. Ro call. Suprima, Subrema, Subrema, Role Call. Supremma,

Subrema, Roca. My name is Fonte, back with the squad, with my Carolina brother, Yeah. Charlemaine the God. Ro Call.

Supreme Suc, Suc, Suprema roll call Suprema Subrara Roca My name is Sugar Yeah

Back in the booth Yeah My rap's destroy you God's honest truth Broca Supreme Superma Roll call

Supremma Subrama Subrama Rob Call I'm on paid bill Yeah Getting random with y'all Yeah

Because it's been three years Since I have done a Roll call Okay. All right. Damn, right. Supreme Role Call. Supreme Role Call.

It's like I. Yeah. And I'm really black. Yeah. But the Black effect, Damn, Charlamay, that's black and that. Role Call. Supremma,

Subrema Role Call. Supremma Role Call. Supremma, Sub prima roll call. My name is Sharla. Yeah. I'm not a scholar. Yeah.

If I'm Broke Quest, Love got a couple dollars. Roll Call. Supriama roll call. Supriam. Submah. Suprema roll call. Suprema, Subrema, sub, subprima roll call.

Suprema, sub, subprima roll. Reverved snare drum at the end, too. Yeah, you know, I learned a lot during the pandemic, so I learned where all the effects were. Don't Fonte got a cheat code with the Supremma roll call? That's not fair. Yes.

Yes. That's not fair. And we ain't said shit about it for years. But yes, he has. It's totally true. What kind of pressure is that? I got to admit. Your Fonte lecotte.

When Bill said three years. Yeah. Like, I remember the Dawn Lewis episode was the day that we found out that this thing was real, like in real time. Oh, wow. It was either Cecilie Strong or Dawn Lewis in which we were, like, having a normal conversation, but we were texting each other, like, are we going to die? We're going to die. We're not. We're not.

We're not. Like, literally like NBC told me to go immediately home and don't talk to anybody and stay locked up in my crib. Yeah, it's been an interesting. We thought it was going to be three months. It's three years. We didn't know New York since everybody left. Fonte came back to New York. Fonte came out of the house.

Wow. Went to get cigarettes. Got COVID. Right, right. And Bill became a new Fonte. I think we actually needed roll call to remember each other's name. Yes, exactly. Not to mention

I guess we Well you know If you guys are still listening with us Right now That's that bad No Are you still listening That was fine

Oh And we are When I are getting nervous When like the algorithms Start falling off When I start rambling Excuse me Questlove

Charlemagne Let me present us With the iPod Remember we are the Pop music podcast of the year So do not Yeah I'm not I'm not gonna

Downplay it with self-deprecate All right New way of thinking Yeah No but we should We should also take the time to thank the squad that held us down for three years to make it happen.

Like we were thinking in real time to keep the show alive, even though we weren't in the same room. So shout out to Laia for holding it down. Laia. Shout out to Brittany Benjamin. Yeah. In the house. He wrote the names.

He means. He's Jake. I know. He's mean it. He's named it. I know these people. I know. Brittany is to work at Fallon.

Yes. Yes. Yes. You know. And cousin Jake's her cousin. Now she's running our lives. Yeah, shout out to Cousin Jake, man. And, you know, Brian Calhoun also, shout out.

Yes. Tip of that, that's Sean G as well. And our friends at Iheart. Am I missing anyone important? Yeah, you need to thank you. Shout out to our animators. Everyone at Zoom. No, you shout at Zoom.

Yes. I wish people saw how much goes into this, though. Because people think they can just grab a mic and just kick it with their friend and have a successful podcast. This is a full production. Yeah. Yeah, it's real. Well, in case, you wanted to know who that voice was, ladies and gentlemen.

This is probably the best way for us to jump back in the pool Because, you know, it's been a minute I can't think of a better guest just to sit around Talk smack or whatever Can I say talk smack without sounding like 50 plus? Say talk shit, man, just say shit, man. Unless you're trying out to curse. I mean, I go through those stages

I'm like, you know what, I'm not going to curse. But why? I don't like the vibration of the words sometimes. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, I feel that. Yo, I didn't realize that you're in the radio broadcast Hall of Fame. Yeah.

That is... 2020 during COVID, yep. That is major, major shit. They snuck all the black people in during COVID. Me, Sway, Angie Martinez. I want you to say the all their names. The whole breakfast club, N.V. Angeli,

sway, Donnie Simpson. Really? Really? I believe so. So it's just a mass exit? A mass exit? A mass exit is a black people. That's not cool.

It was like five black radio personality that all got in in one year. Oh, my God. Yeah. And it was the year that we couldn't even be there. And normally it's just like one every. five years. If that. If that. I'm surprised they just got Donnie Simpson in. That's crazy. Where they had in Tom Joyner.

I think Tom's already in. I think. I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure you, though. And he is still with us. Yes, of course. Very much so. Absolutely. Just wanted to make sure. Well, in case I didn't say his name, the legendary Charlemagne, the God, is with us. Greetings. Hello, everybody. Thank you for having me. So we actually, as with every QLS episode,

was, you know, kind of had the hors d'oeuvres before we started rolling the tapes that we were talking about the AI effect. And I guess we were observing that, yeah, in the beginning it's going to be cute, but in about five to ten years, five to ten minutes. Do you think this will actually force us to actually carve out private lives and boundaries again? No. Private lives and boundaries are only for people who remember private lives and boundaries. You got to be born in like the 1900s.

Like if you was born in the 1900s like me, 19708, then you understand private lives and boundaries. This era doesn't know anything about private lives and boundaries. Like think about it. We come from the era of even with like the artists we liked. It was a super air of mysteriousness. You didn't know anything about them. Unless you saw their real names.

That's right. And even that was a performance, right? But it's like now it's like your favorite celebrity is waking up with you in the morning on Instagram live. What they're bonding on. What they're bonding on. So privatizing boundaries, like, there's no such thing for this generation when it comes to that. That's why you'll be in the airport quest love and they'll run up on you with their phone. You know what I mean?

Like, you don't have any, like you really like that. Like, you just want to be, have a phone in your face all the time just to take a selfie with somebody. Being as though what I've seen with Twitter, because in the beginning, Twitter was fun and all that stuff. And, hey, I'm having a cheese sandwich or, you know, that sort of thing. But now, where now every damn near, every blue verified check is. That's what I'm saying. we can't even handle fake tweets. So how are we going to handle deep fakes?

And, you know, artificial intelligence voices. Like, imagine somebody calls you, Fonte, and it's Questlove, Questlove and Laia having a conversation about you. But it's not them. It's not them. So now you come in here mad and high, like, yo, y'all was talking about me? Does it make me morally wrong that I, number one, I actually like, there's, as of this taping, there's a second Drake's. song that just got released. Oh, yeah.

By the fake AI that I like and may have caught myself downloading. Wait, am I into a crime right now? No, no, no, no. Well, we should cut a deal with AI where AI gets the NFTs. They get to make NFTs and we get to make everything else. What the fuck happened to NFTs? No, right? That was fast.

Speaking of, like the mini-disc. That she was the Beanie Baby. Laser desk. Let me ask you just about AI because I really just got my, I got an immersed tutoring session over the weekend and it kind of changed my life. What's the first thing you did when you, like, what was the first thing you did? I feel crazy saying this out loud because I'm going to tell a seat. So I'm going to tell you all right.

Yo, I'm going to tell you what I did. All right. I put my TV pitch in there and to fill the gaps of what I thought that I needed. And then I spit it back to you. Yes. And I realized that the artist in your description because then I said, well, let me just describe what my show is and let me see what your version is. But then let me tell you what my demographic is.

I'm looking for black women over the age of 55. What does that look like? What does that pitch look like? And I got so overwhelmed. But again, I realize I feel like you, Charlemagne, maybe it's the end of the world. But I also feel like it's this weird moment just like when the Internet came in the 90s when we were in high school, when maybe encyclopedias came into the world. Like, are we overreacting in a minute? And it just has to settle down.

I think this is a little bit different because even with all of those other platforms, they needed us to. go. This needs us too. Not really. Like they're already having conversations about the AI could take a life of its own. And how much of us are we really using? Like if I can just go to chat GPT and give it an idea and then it gives me a whole pitchback. Like how much brain power am I actually using? I still believe that one needs, I'm not even plugging my book, but I still like to think that you need some sort of level of creativity. The script is described to tell them what to do. But then again, we also live in a society where like, The Instagram filter look is kind of the norm.

So I see using AI creativity will perfect everything and all that. But, you know, I'm a guy that like likes fucked up drum beats. And, you know, I worship at the altar of Dilla, which is pretty much like anti-A-I. Right. Is it? Have you tried to enter a Dilla-type beat? Did you ask AI to give you love? But even then you're still.

Okay. There's still, it's not nuanced. And, you know, this is like year one, year two. So you're saying it has to have flaws, basically? Like, I still feel like there is a level of human touch that is needed. Or maybe I'm just the last generation that wants a human touch. Like, for that part. Yeah, like your kids might not.

Yeah, they may not care. Well, isn't there a way to ultimately use it creatively as just another tool that we have? make stuff. Okay, so I won't. Yeah, no, you tell too. I told you tell. Come on. One time I was like, all right,

I'm having trouble writing a hook. Come on. Tell the truth. And damn, if this motherfucker didn't spit back 20 ideas of which four of them were actually perfect. Edit.

And I actually... What did you say? Like, I did it like, I'd close my computer like, no. Yeah, I can't go for me. No, I can't. I'm crossing into the void. What did you say, though?

Did you say like Roots-type hook? I literally, no, I was so explicit. I was like, I want to do... Better than Roots-type hook. I want to do a non-pretentious, I was like a non-pretentious political song that captures the mood of, and I, maybe just as an example,

I was like, I gave like Ford, specific situations. But my thing was like, I want to stress how tired we are of protesting, but not too heavy-handed. And I said, make it 20 hooks.

It has to be four lines each. And of the 20 of them, four were like, ah, shit. None of them were we going be all right? They didn't give you nothing at all? I mean, but it was something that made me like,

yo, that would be something I would think of. That's when it got scary. So I don't like it. I'm thinking about the presidential election next year. Have y'all thought misinformation ran ramping in 2016 and 2020? Like, we don't want that. Like, that's what I'm thinking about. But what can we do about that?

Unplug it or whatever. Go out. Like, I don't know. Like, I hate when people have these conversations and they're like the robots are going to take over. I'm like, well, just turn the robots off. Right. I mean, you can turn them off.

You can turn them off, but that don't mean the dead. That's not going to still happen. That's the scary part. Elon Musk and 1,000 other. the people in the tech industry wrote a letter, right, saying that, yo, we need to pump the brakes on AI because they feel like it's a threat to society. Yeah, they want to try and delay it.

Now I got to team up with him? Fuck me. He just want to make, he ain't, I don't know, I don't trust him, I don't know. Yeah. I just know that they're more smarter when it comes to tech than I am. So when I hear them saying that we might need to pump the brakes, I'm like, eh. But also, I just, we know people.

People are stupid. They are? Like, in this room, everybody seems to have, you know, a certain level of intelligence to a certain point, right? Our IQ is above room temperature. Exactly. Our IQ is above room temperature. But majority of people are stupid.

So if we live in a world that can't even handle fake tweets, how are we going to handle deep fakes and fake conversations? Like, I don't like what this potentially can go. I'll say this much, though. And this might be taboo. I don't know if it's too soon, but, you know, no offense to my two brethren over here. Of those four. He means us.

Yeah, he's talking about us, Bill. Of those four Kanye songs, Kanye A-I singing is way better than real Kanye singing. Really? I was like, if you ever, if you want, if you want a hell-mary, if you want a hell, no, you got to hear it. If you want a hell-mary pass back into the mainstream or forget,

like, I'm not saying that you have to pull an ignition remix, but I almost feel like the perfect song is the most disarming. I mean, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Naming facts. Nah, I'm on. History is shown that the perfect song has been a very dis- I know we were in a different mind state back then.

Yeah. But I will admit, there's like six AI Kanye songs out there, and I listened to the third one. I was like, oh, man, it's going to make me like this guy again. And I stopped. But it's AI Kanye, though. So AI Kanye, you know, probably. Well, that wasn't Kanye.

Yeah. I was like, yeah. It's a guy. I know there's going to be a moment in which someone is going to... Now that the possibilities are endless. Like, I would like to hear Prince again. You know. What about that Ruth's album you're waiting on?

Now you can get your Ruth's album that you've been waiting on. Yeah, I don't want to hear that. This is one of the moments in which ignorance is bliss. I don't want to reek knowing none about this shit. You think he don't know he got kids too? I don't. But I just, I don't want to talk about it. Okay, okay.

The playing with the dead is spooky. I saw somebody having a conversation with Tupac and Biggie. And they were talking like they were from the grade. It was like, so how's it feel to be dead? Like, it was that. Right. That was literally a question. Yeah, and they were talking back to them.

I'm like, and Biggie was like, I don't even realize I'm dead. Like, huh? This is Black Mirror, y'all. We are living. I don't know if we want this. Oh, come on. And I know everybody, they say, oh, you're old. You're just fighting against technology.

It's like, nah, man, no. In the past 30 years, we've seen, you know, because everybody's also like, oh, they can't clone you. They don't know what you're thinking. I'm like, we've given them 30 years of data on us. Yes. You're talking about Gucci Man being cloned. We gave them enough information over the last 30-plus years

that they can clone us, you know, virtually. Wait, that's what said on the Internet. That's the clone. Oh, yeah. Because he's too improved. Yeah, that's right. How dare you improve yourself? Because he's living in his insecurity.

That's right. That's right. Living his life. That's right. That's right. Oh, damn. Okay. I didn't know that.

All right. I feel like a lot of people are going to lose their jobs because of this. What will teachers do? What will teachers do? Well, yeah. Any research or assistant for anybody doing anything do. That's one of the top ones to go. Assistance, paralegals, attorneys, financial advisors.

Like, it's going to be bad lawyers. And the writers, oh, y'all sure you all want to go on a writer's strike? Right. Are you sure? Now it might not be the time. Oh, snap, I don't even think about that. I don't even think about that. And they do not like this AI shit.

I'm telling you. That's how I look. All it takes is one hit AI show. Yeah, I was what to say. You know it's coming. You know we're talking about it, but somebody's doing it. Is there an AI song on the charts? Did I miss that?

Well, right now, the Drake and Weekend song have gotten over like two billion listens, which they pulled it, though. That UMG pulled it. Yeah, but not. We all heard it. Right. Yeah, it's, you know, it's kind of like, you know, when Beyonce had her falls, like,

the best of her slips on stage, digitally removed from the internet. But they still there. People keep put them out there, you know. Our grandmother said it's the end of days, so maybe they finally write, I don't know. It's possible. It's not the end of days.

No, I'm just, you know, my grandmother's, they all keep saying it. Right. It's just the beginning of some crazy bullshit. You don't want it. I'm telling you. What we think we want, we do not want. And I just feel like we're,

it's mutually a short description. It's like humans can't help themselves. But what I do want to know, or you mentioned lawyers, and what I do want to know, now, if we remember way back in that trial over the Chicago figure that's now behind bars, where his whole defense was like, well, that's not me, that's, someone did a digital. Right. Now, what's going to stop someone else from, you know, in case they get videotaped, you know. I don't know if that'll work with videotape,

but it would definitely work with fake tweets and old audio and stuff. You're like, that's not me. That's AI. That's chat GPT. You can talk. You can do that now, actually. Okay. All right, so we definitely feel gloomy.

Come on, asking the question that makes me feel good. So, Sean, me. You said the initial remix was the best song ever. We talked his name. No, I did not say that. I did. If you said, AI told me that that's what you said. I know what I heard, and that's what I heard. And that's what I heard.

Of course, you might have to blame that on AI. You went from Kanye to R. Kelly. Yeah. And you didn't say R. Kelly. This is bad. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'll say it.

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. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters

when evaluating draft prospects. from hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcasts

on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault in Our Stars, and now I guess also is the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast.

I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team, very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, it's heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty.

Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts.

Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network

on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, Ernest, what's up? Look, money is something we all deal with, but financial literacy is what helps turn income into real wealth. On each episode of the podcast, Earn Your Leisure, we break down the conversations you need to understand money, investing, and entrepreneurship. From stocks and real estate to credit, business, and generational wealth, we translate complex financial topics into real conversations everyone can understand. Because the truth is, most people will never talk how money really works. But once you understand the system, you can start to build within it. That means ownership, smarter investing,

and creating opportunities not just for yourself, but for the next generation. If you want to learn how to build wealth, understand the markets, and think like an owner, earn your leisure is the podcast for you. Listen to earn your leisure on the I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

I'll ask you because, I mean, you're basically like leading the charge and out in the forefront. Is this, and I say this in air quotes, is this what you imagined life would be? Like, did you have a vision of the future, or is it for you just, like, one day at a time, like, oh, this opportunity came and that opportunity.

Oh, I have a voice. I have a voice stronger than the host of the show that I'm on. And then, like, for you, where was your mind state in 2003? I can go back farther than that. When I started off as an intern in 1998 in Charleston, South Carolina, at Z-93 jams. Like I remember being in there doing overnights, you know,

in like 1999 and just I was studying everybody, right? So I would study whoever was the big person at the time. Like, you know, the big tiggers, Angie Martinez, or Wendy Williams, a Tom Joyner, you know, Doug Banks. And it just took me down these rabbit holes where I started learning

about the Pedy Greens of the world. At the time, I think, you know, Steve Harvey was just getting in the radio. And I just always said to myself, if I'm going to do this, I want to be one of them. Like, I used to call those super jocks. I want to be a super jock. Like, I don't want to just be, you know, in a market, you know, doing time and temperature

and announcing the next Drake song. Like, I want to be one of those. So from that point on, that's what my intention was. Like, I said my intention in 1998-99 to have my name mentioned amongst those individuals. So is it limiting to call you, I mean, you know, I've heard the whole, like, you're the Black Howard Stern or the new. Oh, that used to get me in so much trouble. You're the new you. But wait, why tell me?

It got me in trouble because when I started seeing that, like, that's, that's like, as much as you think you're not influenced by these things that are said about you, but if you start seeing that in magazines and you start seeing that online, you start saying to yourself, oh, I'm going to give them more of that. But you don't stop to ask, well, what about me is the Black House turn? You know what I mean? It's just a controversial. All you run with is like all of the perverted, the frat-boy humor.

That wasn't in. Nah, that wasn't it. So, you know, you run with that for a while. So that definitely got me in trouble. Well, we can actually. At home. And by... That's what I meant by.

Okay. I'm sorry. Of course, it's my mom. Hi, Mom. Hey, Ms. Jackie. Hey, Ms. Jackie, what up? I'm actually live on the air right now doing QLS with Charleney and the guy. Are you okay?

Miss Jackie said it is 12 o'clock. I know where you are. That's what Ms. Jackie did. You have to. You got to pick that one up because mom. I'm going to call you that. Mom and wife, daughters? Did you ever hear Nick Crulls thing about when your parents call?

He's like, why is it that every time everyone's parents call, you're just like, fuck. No matter what, it's always like, fuck. It could be like, oh, I don't want to talk to you or like every time. Somebody died. Fuck. Or that. Yeah.

Anyway. Well, chances are we're going to keep this on the air. So I love one my mother calls me. That's right. That's right. Because she does listen to this show. She definitely listens to this show. No, no.

But for you, where you are right now, which is basically you are. are our go-to pundit. You're now the place where mainstream media, whatever that means in in 2023, you're their go-to tag team party. You get tagged in a lot of these things. Is that pressure to be

the sort of unofficial spokesperson of whatever generation we are or for people in general? Pressure? No, I wouldn't call it pressure because I'm smart enough to know that I'm not an expert at anything. And so if it is things that I feel like need an actual area of expertise, I'm going to go get that person and bring that person into the room with me. I'm going to go get, you know, an Angela Rye or a Teslin-Figuero or a Roland,

whoever it may be, I'm going to go get that person and say, hey, I want you to sit in on this conversation because I always look at the platform. Like, it's not my platform. It's not Envi's platform. It's the people's platform. So if it's the people's platform, let's have these conversations with the people. So, you know, I'll have my POV and I'll have the questions that I want to ask. But when you have the actual expert in there that can, you know, actually apply that real academic pressure, it's no pressure on me at all.

All right. So maybe I have you here just so I can get coached on how to not be more brash, but you kind of. to have a, you have a fearlessness that range a very direct crescent thing, which I'm still trying to like, I don't want to offend the person. That's because you're smart, quest. I'm stupid. No, he got the boomer. No, no, no.

It's a boomer. It's the boomer. And I think it's the fear is like, it's funny watching you because I was just thinking. I said, I wonder what was Charlemagne's first moment in radio back in South Carolina when he realized that he may be a little controversial. What did his boss say to him that was like, yo? Do you remember the first time you like poked metaphorically poke the bear?

Yeah, yeah. When's the first time you were like... Please tell me and please tell me the whole story. I do actually. It was a person who would call the radio station. They would call the 93 all the time and they would like do like these sexy phone voices and moaning and would be talking like really, really crazy to the guys

and then I found out that the person was actually a guy doing it. So it was a guy who would call into the station pretend to be a woman and he would get off by getting the guys off. And they didn't know. They didn't know. Nobody knew. And I didn't even know if the information I was receiving was true. Oh, because somebody told you. That's right.

But when that person called in, I was like, yo, your name is really such and such. And you are from such and such South Carolina. Doxton. And you're really a guy. And I was right. And they just hung up like Yeah, so I ended up getting put on I got put on liners

Like, you know, all before, you know, you could have your own opinion, you could, you know, talk At least in South Carolina they weren't doing that. I was doing that at the time. But after that, they put me on liners and all I could do was the time, temperature, and whatever the next Nelly song was. So you got reprimanded for that.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So that's why I'm curious about Charleney in that way because I know. I never even thought about that until you said it. Yeah, because as a radio person, you either go one or two ways. Like I was usually the controversial person in my radio mix or whatever.

But you usually go that way or you go, you get quieted down because you've been told so many times like, what the fuck are you talking about? Don't do that. You're offending. Get on the liners, that whole thing. So with you, there must have been a moment where you was like, nah, I'm going to keep going. Well, because number one, I didn't even really know any better, right? So it's like when I always say the best thing that happened to me when I got on radios, I didn't have any experience. Like I didn't go to college.

I didn't do college radio. I got, you know, blessed to be able to get an internship in Charleston, South Carolina in 1998, and you didn't need to be in college or have any college credits or anything like that. So I was literally coming into the radio station drunk. Nobody taught me how to, you know, do breaks and everything else. I literally learned on the job training. I did voice tracking, you know, on Sunday mornings, but I was scaring all the church folks. So they started putting me on Saturday night.

So I would voice track from 7 to 10 and go live 10 to 12. And all I would do was just- Wait, you were scared of church folks? Oh, Sundays, yeah. It's the Bible Belt. Charleston, South Carolina on a Sunday morning? So you would go rogue even on a Sunday morning? I was just talking.

I didn't know any better. Nobody said you can't do this and you can't do that. That all came later. Yeah, then somebody did, though. Yeah, and I wasn't with it because it wasn't fun. And I'm the type of person, man, if it's not fun, if it's not making me happy, like I don't want any parts of it. And so, you know, what happened was there was a new station that popped up in the market.

It was hot 98-9 in Charleston, South Carolina. My man, George Cook, was still a great mentor to me to this day. operations manager at K-104 in Dallas. He hired me to do nights, seven to midnight. So I left the big station, right? That would be like Power 99 in Philly. I left the Heritage big station in Charleston, which was Z-93, to go work for Hot 98-9 in Charleston,

which was like a 50,000-watch station with an OK signal for $19,000 a year. But they gave me free reign seven to midnight, yes. So how that nuanced into, like, you came into our radar, of course, through Wendy. But how did you make that move? I worked at Hot 98-9 in Charleston. I think I got five from there after like maybe a year. And then I was out of radio for a while, but then I started going to do radio in Columbia, South Carolina.

And that's when the whole Windy Connection thing happened because the stations in Columbia was called Inner City Broadcasting. And the city broadcasting owned the Big DM in Columbia, South Carolina, and WBLS in New York. Worked at the Big DM when they was hip-hop, then they flipped formats, but they ended up buying the other station in the market, Hot 103-3-9. I used to do nights on Hot 103-9, and Wendy was syndicated in the afternoons.

And at that time, I was using the Internet by then. So, like, a lot of my content and interviews started ending up on the all-hiphop.coms and the S-O-H-H-H-coms at the time. That's all we had for. So people started hearing me nationally. And even Vlad, I got to salute Vlad, Vlad, had the beef DVDs. So Vlad would take some of my interviews and put them on beef DVDs. So that's even how I got. Vlad started beef?

Yeah, it was called... Well, not... I mean... Okay. So that's how I even got on the radar of, like, Wendy, them. And then they would come into the market, you know, her and her husband, and we would just show them love. You know, we'd take them around to the clubs,

make sure they got whatever they needed from weed, the drinks, and everything else. So then we had a rapport. And so, like, one day, they invited me to come to New York, like, come up for a party. So I came up for a party. She asked me to come on her show. I went on her show for, like, 25. Five minutes. Next thing you know that night, they was offering me the position to be her sidekick.

Sounds like to be on the show. Word? Hey, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Bill was one of my... He was our first guest. He was our first guest, our pilot guest, and then we stole him. Bill, you know, he's a big deal in the production world, you know.

He's got Tony's and, you know, Emmys and shit. He's damn near an egot. Sweet. Anyway. Dope. It's a right. But now you're just one of us. Nope.

So, like, at that moment, did you feel like, okay, this is a chess move? Because, like, moving to New York, first, well, you know, moving to New York or San Francisco or any of those big cities, which require, like, you to survive in that city and whatnot. Like, what was your, was that part of your chest plan, like, eventually? Yeah, because, I'll see, I got fired from Hot 989, so that's one firing. I got fired from Hot 103.3.9. When you get fired, what is that feeling like? Do you feel like it's doom and gloom, like? Like, I'm going to get blackballed and it's over. The first time I did, because I didn't know anything else other than my hometown.

So I knew Monk's Corner and Charleston. Like, I didn't know you could even go do radio other places. Like, I didn't even know that was a thing, right? Like, I had no idea. So the first time I got fired, I really thought, okay, this is over. This is a rap. But then when I got hired in Columbia, I'm like, oh, I could do radio in Columbia. And then when I started having ratings and actually started, you know, garnering attention in Columbia,

I'm like, oh, I can go other places and actually be good at this. and the city will embrace me. So once I realized that, like, I had, I had no fear whatsoever. But the thing is, is that when you get interviewed, you're surely asked, like, okay, why did you leave? Oh, it's different to radio. And radio, they know. Like, they know pretty much why you got fired.

Like, they've already reached out to somebody. Or, you know, like, they know. Like, for me, it was always strange because you would think I would get fired for something I actually, like, did on air. I've never been fired for anything I've actually did. on there. I've never even been fined by the FCC or nothing. What were you fired for? How 989, it was literally just a regime change. So a new program director came in and, you know, I knew the guy at the time. It's kind of like he was another radio personality in the market.

And I remember they asked me what I, would I like to work with him? And I'm like, yeah, that'd be dope to have him on the air. But then they hired him as the PD. I'm like, yo, y'all ain't say y'all's hiring him as the PD. You know? That's something else. You know? So then he bought it. Territorial pissing. That's right. So he bought it as a whole new team. And it was The same thing, Hot 1039, they fired me because I had gotten with Wendy, right? So I was flying back and forth because I wasn't getting paid for Wendy my first, like, year and a half. I knew it. I knew that.

Oh, no, I never got a check. Really? That's radio. It was all an opportunity. Unpaid Charlemagne. They was like, word. You too. Like I said.

Like I said. And listen, when I say not getting paid, I don't mean like I was only getting paid a certain amount. I wasn't getting paid. No, no, no. No, no. No, no. No, no. Same.

All right, Bill. I didn't know. No. No. Look, the situation has been wrecked. but I just put it in the history. First of all, Bill, you're wearing those sneakers, which is more than our house payment.

Eco-friendly, though. I'm wearing a $40 plastic shoes. Okay, hold on. Before you turn into Mr. Crock, you wore really fucking expensive sneakers, too. Yeah, and then the pandemic happened. Right, you ramped up. Those are expensive sneakers.

These are my nursing home shoes. Those are the clean version, but most people, when they get those sneakers, it looks fucked up already. Like, it's supposed to look like... I've seen mad white boys with dirty versions, but I didn't know. They were expensive.

They were $1,200. Get the fuck out of here. Those are not, no. No. These are eco-friendly. I got a couple of pedals. Ha! Like, they're made out of like, um...

Because y'all rich. Oh, recycling material or something. I'm wearing plastic sneakers. I have those two. What the name of them? I'm sorry, I know we're talking about. They are. Did you always wear Crox Quest or after the...

No, pandemic. Oh, I thought it was after the Kanye tobacco. No, no, no. Because everybody was not. Right. We weren't sure of Jesus, symbol of hate. All my easies are just. If they never leave my house

I heard they still comfortable that You don't wear them because of you But they heard they're mad comfortable What? Yeezys I mean they were the most comfortable It's never close It don't matter Like a month before he got

kicked out the crib I got those moon boots Oh my God I felt like I could fly Like I was going to the store Like just jumping on spring Spring spring but Nah

We got to look up to crock people's politics You're right You're right Well, you know, some people just self-sabotized just because they can't help themselves. But anyway, so. Anyway, nice sneakers, Bill. Yeah, thanks.

Yeah, and you're rich. Anyway, so go. They don't look nice. I just don't think they look very nice. Because you're such a sneaker-oanato. Anyway, let's move on. I am. I wear all Quest loves used sneakers.

Well, okay. Those do look like Questlove used sneakers. Those are like the old North Carolina Tailed Air Force ones. They match nothing. Nothing else you got going on. Like nothing. If you're not a U.S.C. fan, don't need to fuck up. I know.

All right. Never mind. Let's talk about him again. Go Tarhills. All right, moving up. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm 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 podcast, dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits, teams look for, to the big

mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars. And now, I guess also as the co-host of the away end, a brand new world soccer. podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we

were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, the away end, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes. only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the Iheart radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the Buccanista Aliche to talk about what it really really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth,

starting with the mindset shifts. Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial education is not always about, like, I'm gonna get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family.

If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more. Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart the Chip.

I'm Tab Ramos. I'm Tom Boe. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team. And the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semium.

finals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. All right. So at one point are you like, how am I surviving in New York without? Well, that's why I used to fly back. I used to fly back every weekend and do parties, right? So I would fly back to South Carolina, do a party, have some money to eat, you know, maybe buy a plane ticket to next week. And it got to the point where Highway 139 in Columbia was like, you can't fly back and forth no more, you know, basically the operations manager was like, you can't have your cake and eat it too. So I was just in New York, which was probably the

best thing for me because now I had an opportunity to like really just focus on, you know, the city. And, you know, me doing that after a year and a half, I started to make enough waves to where they put me on payroll, you know, at WBLS because people were requesting me to read ads and things of that nature. So they put me on payroll at WBLS. And I worked there until November 2nd, 2008. Wow, you remember the date. You know why? Because President Obama became President-elect the next day. That's when you came to us in Philly.

No, Philly came. Philly was, I got to Philly in 2009. Yeah, 2009. After I got fired from Wendy, I was out of radio for like seven to eight months. And it was cool because my daughter was born. My first daughter was born June of 2008. So my wife was going to work to pay the bills and everything else. I was home with my newborn for the first seven to eight months.

of her life, you know? And then I got hired at 100.3 to beat in Philly. Can you talk about that time, too? Because I was always curious, you know, you and Wendy both did that. Like when Wendy was down for a second, she came to Philly and she did mornings. And then I'm not saying you were down. I'm just saying that people. Oh, I was down.

Okay, thank you. I was afraid to go get unemployment because I had too much pride. I was like, this was on Wendy's show and Wendy was on VH1. I'm like, I'm not about the going on unemployment line, you know. So which cost us an eviction because my wife couldn't afford to pay, you know, all the bills in the apartment and everything at the time. So we ended up getting... She's back in South Carolina during this time.

We moved back together. The interesting thing about 100.3 to beat in Philly, I worked there for like eight months, nine months, then I got fired from there. So that's the four firing. Me too. Okay. Now, you're recapping this nicely,

but what I need to know is when a firing happens, is there a lesson learned? Like, I'm a person that now sees failure as not a four-letter word, but as like, here's the lesson I learned. Yes. But for you, what is the lesson learned when you get fired? It was just all part of the journey. Like when I literally look back on it right now,

I used to always say to myself, this is just going to be another chapter in the book. I used to literally say that. And then... It's a chapter in the New York Times, bestselling book, which is my first book, Black Privilege. Like, literally, that's all I ever used to look at it as

because every time I would, you know, get fired, it felt like I would fail up, right? So I got fired from Hot 989. I ended up in Columbia, South Carolina doing radio. I get fired from Hot 103.9. I end up working with Wendy. I get fired from Wendy. I end up doing my own morning show in Philadelphia.

But for you, it's not a game of Russian roulette where it's like, okay, does that bullet. Now, let me make sure that I keep this job. Well, I mean, again, like, for you, is it about safety? Or is it about your dream and goal? I never got fired for anything I did on the air. So it's like nobody was ever reprimanding me for things that I did on the air.

I was getting fired for political reasons, you know, like even with Wendy, November 2nd, 2008, the economy was in shambles. They fired 25 people. They fired the legendary Vaughn Harper. God bless the dead. You know, great radio personalities like champagne the same day that I got fired.

It just so happened I worked with Wendy at the time. So my firing was highly publicized, which also let me realize like, damn, I really, I guess, been doing my time. thing in New York that if I get fired, it makes news. It makes news, you know? And it's kind of crazy because, you know, when you came to Philadelphia, the moves that they made to make room.

It's so funny, they kept you for eight months, but they moved everything around. Like, me and Pooch had a morning show. Right. Charlemagne's coming. Y'all ain't got it no more. So we're going to put, like, yeah, midday's in midday. You were midday, mommy.

Yeah, right. So it's just funny how radio, radio's so fucking fickle in that way. Kendra G come. Kendra G came after Poochooz. Kendra G was with us. She was a night show. She did nights. Okay, got you, got you.

Yeah, of course now Kendra's doing her thing too. That's right. But it's just interesting the way lives are shuffle and then all of that for eight months. What is the ideal slot for radio? Morning? It used to be mornings and afternoon. So you like getting up at three in the morning? Yes, I loved it.

Love it. You got to be wired a certain way. But then you've got to go to bed at 9 o'clock? I love it. It's not for you, Amir. It's great. You take naps. If you really got to go out and do something, you do what you got to do.

But then you be up in the morning when nobody else is away. You just feel like you're ahead, right? So I was going to ask, so how do you manage, like, your social life? Because, I mean, you have to go and do events and stuff like that. I'm married with four kids. I don't have a social life. Really? But you still a brand.

But you're still a brand. Well, right now, how many, between you and Andrew, like, between, like, how many jobs do you have right now? You're a network on my life. I mean, as far as hosting, I do breakfast club in the morning, and then we do brilliant 80s once a week, me and Andrew Schultz. But everything else I do, I thank God that I have a team to run it. Like, you know, we just had that. We literally just had the Black Effect Podcast Festival this past weekend in Atlanta sold out event, you know, first of its kind, where we literally had a festival full of podcast. Like, you know, I know that the roots, y'all do the podcast stage.

We did. Yeah, I'm steaming right now because I was like, we did the festival. And I can't do that on my own. Like, that's a team that does. That's a team that makes me look good. That's Dolly Bishop, who's the president of my network. Yes, Dolly, yes. Big ups to you for that sister, too.

That's my sister. That's right. So now in your current life, you make time, do you have boundaries like, okay, I'm carving out time to do this, that, like, these eight hours I'm working and then... Yeah, I feel like, honestly, for me, I feel like everything is carved around my wife and my kids at this point. You know what I mean? Like, to me, that comes first before everything else. And like I said, you got to have a great team. Like, we got a company at Audible with SBAH Productions, me and Kevin Hart.

We got a team. Like, you know, all you do is tell us what calls to be on. And we know we didn't. And we tell them projects that we want to do. Like, yo, I just found, you know, I just found this person or this person just reached out to me. Y'all should reach out to them. But, like, they handle all of that. Got some things to throw them.

I'm not standing. Okay. Please. How old are your kids now? 14, 7, 4 and 18 months. Jesus. Yep. But do you think that radio will ever make it come back to what we know it is?

Yes. Because the funny thing is the audience hasn't gone anywhere. So it's like the same amount of people. who listen to radio in 2003 is the same amount that used to listen to radio in the 90s. Like, there were 96,

97% of the country still listens, you know, the radio. And for the first time ever, radio has more QM and viewers and listenership

than cable television. Like in the coveted 18 to 49 demographic. They're watching it on YouTube. That's right. But are these Breakfast Club numbers?

No, these, just radio stats, period. Like, for the first time ever, radio has more cum than cable

television. Okay, so how do they measure that? Because I watch you guys via YouTube. So what numbers are the the gods watching to determine what your value is? I think for

radio, at least for us, like Breakfast Club has 8 million monthly listeners. And that's just on terrestrial radio, right? And then you factor in the I-heart radio app. I don't know what that number is, but then we come out of the daily podcast every day, and the podcast

does between like 15 and 20 million downloads a month. So then you got the YouTube, which is 5 million subscribers on YouTube, and, you know, the billions of views and engagement that they get on that, and then you got social media. I don't think they found a way to add it all up yet, but they know that

individually in all of these different spaces. So you're a green light. You won't be getting fired anytime soon. You never know. But yet and still make the point that those are like, those are Breakfast Club numbers, which Breakfast Club is its own anomaly, because like you said, y'all are syndicated all across the country, then to add YouTube and all the other things. But local radio, do you think, because I mean, I know syndication ain't going nowhere, but do you think that for local radio is radio as well? If they invest back into the greatest asset, which is,

which radio has always had, which is the personality. Because if you think about it, all radio did was give up ground, you know, to everybody, because when that stupid-ass PPM meter came out 15, 20 years ago, which was terrible. PPM was a rating system that literally Wendy Williams was number one one day and then the next day she was like number 25 in the market like come to fuck all. Like you know this is a, you know this is a

flawed system, right? But everybody got so scared of PPM that they turned radio into a jukebox. Like literally it was just music. They didn't even have imaging in sweepers. It was just music. So what happens over the last 15 years? Podcasts. So now radio's greatest asset personality isn't on radio

anymore. It's all on podcast. So people gravitate towards that. Music, why would I sit around and listen to you play the same Drake songs 20 times in a row when I can go to Apple, title, Spotify, and pull up what it is I want to listen to, you know? News. Radio's not breaking news no more. They won't even let us. You got Twitter for that.

And live events, every single festival from Lollapalooza to Coachella. So now the big radio shows don't even matter anymore. But community, that's the one thing I said was missing, Charlottom. But that's why you got to invest back into the show. personalities. That's why it starts there. You got to have these personalities in Philadelphia. You got to have these personalities in Sacramento. Absolutely.

Podcast people can't touch people. They can't go outside and whatnot like that. Absolutely. So you're saying that, yes, at one time when I grew up with radio, it was like a community thing where you see a local da-da-da-da-da, and it was a good feeling. And then something happened in 1996. I guess, from what I learned,

especially like being an artist on a label trying to figure out how real paola was and all that stuff. But we realized, I think, going to Hot 97 once that I learned, I came there on a Sunday. Like, I think DJ Premier's show was like on a Sunday, whatever. And in the next room, these people are like, yeah, we're loading in the songs for the week. And I was like, what are you talking about?

He's like, oh, yeah, all this is predetermined. We don't play music anymore. Like, all the playlists are predetermined a week in advance. Like, you know, I can add, I'm going to add, you got me. Nine times for it and literally saw them. But it's going to play it two in the morning. So, right. But my whole point is like, will that system ever let up?

It needs to. It needs to. And they'll let the DJ be the tastemaker. Well, we'll have to improve it, right? Like, it's not going to, when it does come back, it ain't going to be what it was, but hopefully to have some of those same elements, correct? Yeah, I mean, radio will never lead in anything ever again. No, it just won't.

But it can be the perfect compliment because there's not a. greater amplifier than radio. I just feel like sometimes these programmers make their job more difficult than it needs to be because of what Quest is saying. Nowadays, just pay attention to what's happening on Spotify. Pay attention to what's happening on Title. Like, it's right there for you.

So you can still, you know, program your gold and oldies or your A-sides or whatever they call them. But throwing some of the new records just because, you know what I mean? I would have a drop that says, you know, from your playlist to R-Radio. Like, just because, by the way. I would have that as a drop just because, you know, because now if you're in your car and you of a certain age, or even if you are just, that's it.

You're just somebody who always screams. You're like, but that is on my playlist, actually. In your mind, is the breakfast club just a wolf in sheep's clothing in terms of, do you consider it a radio show or is it just a platform that also happens to be live on the radio? That's a great question. I mean, we're definitely a radio show, but, you know, remember they used to say if you build it, they will come?

Those days are over. You got to build it and you got to meet people where they are. So it's built and now we meet people where they are. So we put it out as a daily podcast. We put it out on YouTube. You know, you see the clips on social media and we're on BT and VH1 every morning now. So we're literally meeting people where they are. And that's what you have to do if you're in radio.

Like if I was having a conversation with a radio personality in 2023 and they didn't have a plan on how to take their content and put it on all of these platforms, I wouldn't hire them. Wait, now I feel like Britt and Jake are like, this is what we've been trying to tell Amir to do with Questlo's Supreme for the last. It's the truth. They were just literally talking about that. It's the truth. This is why we made, I didn't even know that we were YouTube until like,

someone showed me a clip in my pajamas. I was like, wait a minute. Oh, you didn't know that? No, it doesn't. Yeah, we're on a soft lunch. But still, but it's hard when you don't have a team. As you say that, I'm like, you're right. But man, for the one person band of it,

And if radio isn't your main moneymaker and you still, you're trying to get a job with traveling and you still go do all that. It's a lot sometimes. Listen, I never had a team. When I was doing mornings in Philly, I was getting paid $75,000 a year. They didn't have no money for any for a producer.

So it was the local board op that was there who was my board up. Then eventually they hired my homegirl, Sasha, Katie. Me and Sasha used to get up every morning and drive from Jersey to Philly, not even South Jersey. I was living in, like, Rutherford. She was in, like, Rawaway. So we'd be getting up at like 3 o'clock in the morning.

The hours of Jersey. Wait, are you allowed to be late or traffic? No traffic that time of morning. What it happened was. So we'd leave at three. I'd be there about like 5.15 because one in point three to be wasn't in Philly. Charlemagne, you ain't ever oversleep.

I don't think I overslept in Philly. I couldn't. Period. Yeah, because I'd be up at three. Like, so I don't think I was supposed to do. Right, you oversleep. But what happens if you oversleep and like, I got to be on air in 10 minutes?

Like. Well, yeah, and I couldn't do that in Philly because I was the only, I was literally the only person. I didn't have no co-ho's. You got to be there before the mic break, like before the five. With Breakfast Club, you know, you got, it was envy and it was Y for all those years. So it's like, that was, you could be late, you know. Even now you could still be late because at least it's one person there.

Okay. Now. Eddie with y'all. Y'all got Eddie, right? Eddie's over there, yep. Eddie's, Eddie's with us at Breakfast Club. Yeah. And then Sasha, me and Sasha literally used to drive every morning to Philadelphia, and it would just be me, the one man band.

But those are different times. Now you're asking for YouTube, Instagram, all the things. Well, all I needed was a camera person. So give me the camera person. camera person and then give me the footage. And we would upload it to YouTube. We put it up on 100.3 to Beach website. I would send it to the blogs personally

myself. Even when we got with breakfast So you were your own... Absolutely. You would throw the party, be the DJ, be the host. Absolutely. And then you're the guy outside the club handing out flyers. 100%. Because I'm used to that. I was doing that when I was doing radio in South Carolina. I was sending my stuff

I would go on all hip-hop. And do your own edits and... Oh, I can send this to I'll see. I was doing that. Like I was getting the email and sending them myself. When we got with Breakfast Club, same thing. We didn't have no promotion and marketing budget. It was literally me, N.V. Angela, our producer, Q, our board up and easy. After about a year, they let me hire another producer.

I went and got Sasha, bought Sasha back from Philly. But prior to that, I was like, we need a cameraman. We need a cameraman here interviewing, I mean, recording every single interview. And that's literally all we did. And then we would take those interviews and shoot them out to all our connections that we had in the internet world. All the radio started following them and doing it. Yeah.

Are you telling me that the mothership, the top brand doesn't know that you are LeBron or Jordan and that you need a team to work that where you go, there will be numbers, there will be ratings, the algorithms will be up and all that stuff? I think in 2010 they didn't know because in 2010 they were still using the dot com. They weren't even putting content on YouTube yet. Like literally, in 2010 it was still power 105.1 FM.com. And then, like, those numbers started to get so crazy. But we didn't get YouTube until 2016.

I had been telling them, like, yo, we need to be on YouTube. They only wanted to put clips on YouTube and bring people back to the dot com. It wasn't until the week of we had Hillary Clinton and Birdman in one week. Ah, okay. So that Birdman incident was... Hillary Clinton was that Monday. That was the hot sauce in the bag. And then that Monday was Birdman.

And somebody took the clip and put it online. And like in 24 hours it had like 72 million views. And then it was like, you know what? We just start putting our videos on YouTube. I'm like, you think? What up, y'all? Okay, so that was part one of our conversation with Charlemagne the God. You got to come back for part two,

where we get more into that Birdman interview. And we speak with Charlemagne about his relationship with family and hometown. He's done some amazing things at his hometown that nobody else has. Also, don't forget, Charlemagne and Questlove Supreme will be live. at this year's Roots picnic. Come see us. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHartRadio,

visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 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 Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else.

If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. This is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast The Away End, with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Cino Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon Danny Trail, talk about addiction, transformation, and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more. I'm an alcoholic. And without this group, I'm going to die.

Listen to the Ceno show on the IHare Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your. podcast. On paper, the three hosts of the Nick Dick and Poll show are geniuses. We can explain how AI works, data centers, but there are certain things that we don't necessarily understand. Better version of Play Stupid Games, win stupid prizes. Yes. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift, who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong. But hey, no one's perfect. We're pretty close, though. Listen to the Nick Dick and Paul show on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast.

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