WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOLKS, MY
NEXT GUEST IS THE UNFILTERED RADIO AND TELEVISION PERSONALITY
YOU KNOW AS THE COHOST OF "THE BREAKFAST CLUB."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW, MY FELLOW SOUTH
CAROLINIAN, CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> JON, WHAT UP, BROTHER?
>> Jon: WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU.
LOOKING CLEAN, I SEE.
>> PLAID PANTS, TURTLENECK.
ALL I NEED IS SOME GLASSES AND I'M GOOD.
HEY, I BROAT YOU A PROMO ITEM.
THAT'S FROM MY NEW BOOK.
"SHOOK ONE: ANXIETY PLAYING TRICKS ON ME."
IT'S A STRESS BALL.
YOU FE SQUEEZE IF YOU FEEL STRES OR ANXIOUS.
>> Stephen: THAT IS THE NAME OF THE NEW BOOK.
IT'S CALLED "SHOOK ONE: ANXIETY PLAYING TRICKS ON ME."
>> SO IF YOU EVER FEEL ANXIOUS OR STRESSED, JUST SQUEEZE MY
BALL S.
>> Stephen: WHY WOULD I EVER FEEL ANXIOUS--
( LAUGHTER )
I LIKE-- BEFORE WE GO TO THE BOOK, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: LAST WEEK, WAS IT WEDNESDAY-- WEDNESDAY, YOU HAD A
SOLD-OUT 1200-SEAT EVENT AT THE "NEW YORK TIMES."
THE TIME TALK.
>> YEAH, TIME TALK.
>> Stephen: AND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GO UP THERE AND HAVE
A CONVERSATION WITH KANYE WEST.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND YOU CANCELED ON HIM.
>> YES, YES.
>> Stephen: WHY DID YOU CANCEL--
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
KANYE?
>> ME AND KANYE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
NOT AS CLOSE AS HIM AND TRUMP, BUT WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> AND EVERY INTERVIEW HE'S DONE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
INCLUDING THE INTERVIEW I I DID WITH HIM EARLIER THIS YEAR, HE
TALKED ABOUT HIS MENTAL HEALTH AND BEING ON BIPOLAR AND BEING
ON MEDICATION.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD A VERY SUBSTANTIVE CONVERSATION WITH
HIM.
>> HE WAS ON HIS MEDS THEN.
I FELT LIKE EVERYBODY WAS BYPASSING THAT CONVERSATION,
EVEN WHEN HE SAT DOWN WITH TMZ, AND HARVEY LEVIN HE TALKED ABOUT
NOT BEING ON HIS MEDS, AND HE BREEZED PAST IT.
THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT AFTER THAT.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, WHY ARE YOU NOT ON YOUR
MEDICATION?
WHEN I SAW HIM AT THE WHITE HOUSE, HE SAID HE WASN'T ON HIS
MEDS.
HE GOT MISDIAGNOSED.
HE DIDN'T HAVE BIPOLAR, IT WAS SLEEP DEPRIVATION, AND I FELT HE
NEEDED TO FIG THAT YOU ARE OUT.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION OF MENTAL
HEALTH IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND ERADICATE THE STIGMA WHEN
MENTAL HEALTH.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD CONVERSATION.
IT WOULD BE A DISTRACTION.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE-- IS IT
BECAUSE YOU THINK-- YOU HAVE A SENSE HE'S IN DENIAL AND,
THEREFORE, IT WOULD UNDERMINE THE MESSAGE THAT-- THAT THERE
IS-- YOU SHOULD GET HELP?
YOU SHOULD BE WILLING TO FACE YOUR MENTAL PROBLEMS.
>> YEAH, I WAS TRYING TO HAVE A CLEAR CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE POWERFUL
THAN WATCHING TWO BROTHERS LIKE ME ON THERE TALKING ABOUT MY
ANXIETY AND P.T.S.D., AND TRAUMA FROM THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND HIM TALKING ABOUT BEING BIPOLAR.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A STRONG CONVERSATION FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR
AND PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, OH, IF THOSE TWO CAN EXPRESS
THEIR VURKTS AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE, IT MAKES IT
EASIER FOR ME.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU DO IT?
DID YOU CALL HIM UP?
>> I REACHED OUT TO HIS TEAM FIRST.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG AFTER YOU SAW HIM IN THE WHITE HOUSE
TALKING TO DONALD TRUMP SAYING HE WAS FINE.
HE DIDN'T NEED MEDICATION, HE JUST NEEDED A HAT.
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I TOOK A DAY.
I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE A KNEE-JERK REACTION.
SOMETIMES WE SEE EVERYBODY WITH THE BACKLASH IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND
WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE FIGHT AND DON'T THINK FOR OURSELVES S.
>> Stephen: SAY MAYBE YOU HAVE A SHOW THAT NIGHT AND YOU
HAVE TO COME UP WITH A JOKE RIGHT AWAY?
>> YES.
I WAITED A DAY AND THEN I REACHED OUT TO HIS TEAM AND
REACHED OUT TO HIS PEOPLE.
AND THEY WERE ALL KIND OF RELIEVED.
>> Stephen: WHY?
>> THEY JUST FELT LIKE THAT WAS THE BEST THING.
YEAH.
AND THEN THEY WERE LIKE, "BUT YOU GOTTA TELL HIM."
I'M LIKE, "OKAY.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH TELLING ANOTHER GROWN MAN, HEY, I DON'T
THINK THIS IS THE BEST THING RIGHT NOW."
WE JUST HAD THE CONVERSATION.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE CONVERSATION WHEN HE WAS IN UGANDA, BECAUSE
HE WAS SCHEDULED TO COME BACK FROM UGANDA THAT TUESDAY NIGHT--
WHICH HE STILL DID.
SO I TOLD HIM THAT WEEKEND.
AND IT WAS ALL GOOD.
>> Stephen: HE TOOK IT WELL?
>> HE TOOK IT WELL.
HE TOOK IT WELL.
HE DEFINITELY TOOK IT WELL.
>> Stephen: DID YOU QUESTION HIS SELF-DIAGNOSIS AT ALL?
>> UHM, NO I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT WAS THE TIME TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE.
I SAY HE TOOK IT WELL.
HE WAS IN UGANDA.
HE WAS ON VACATION.
WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO TAKE AN EXTENDED VACATION.
HE WAS ONLY COMING BACK TO DO THE TIME TALK.
HE CAME BACK THE TUESDAY BEFORE THE TIME TALK.
>> Stephen: I ONLY CAME IN TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU.
>> I APPRECIATE IT.
BECAUSE I HAVE A BOOK TO PROMOTE.
SO THANK YOU THE BOOK IS "SHOOK ONE"--
>> "ANXIETY PLAYING TRICKS ON ME."
>> Stephen: YOU SAY IN THE BOOK ANXIETY AND BLACKNESS SEEM
TO GO HAND IN HAND.
>> I HAVE A CHAPTER IN THE BOOK CALLED BLACK-AINOID.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ANXIETY THAT COMES WITH BEING BLACK THAT
I THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BY "AVERAGE PERSON" I MEAN WHITE PERSON.
>> Stephen: SOME PEOPLE DON'T THINK BLACK PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN, HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A LEG UP.
>> WHAT.
>> Stephen: ON WHITE PEOPLE.
AND THEY'VE THOUGHT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THIS MAN.
>> A WELL-EDUCATED BLACK HAS A TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE OVER A
WELL-EDUCATED WHITE IN TERMS OF THE JOB MARKET.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES A BLACK MAY THINK THAT THEY DON'T REALLY
HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OR THIS OR THAT.
BUT IN ACTUALITY, TODAY, CURRENTLY, IT'S-- IT'S A GREAT--
I'VE SAID ON OCCASION, EVEN ABOUT MYSELF, IF I WAS STARTING
OFF TODAY, I WOULD LOVE TO BE A WELL-EDUCATED BLACK BECAUSE I
REALLY BELIEVE THEY DO HAVE AN ACTUAL ADVANTAGE TODAY.
( BOOING ).
>> Stephen: MAY I REMIND YOU, THAT WAS 1989, SO IT'S ALMOST 30
YEARS BETTER NOW.
>> HE'S TALKING ABOUT PENIS SIZE.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK, RIGHT?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> DONALD TRUMP WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE A BLACK MAN.
NOT IF HE EVER REALLY WANTED TO BE PRESIDENT.
BECAUSE IF DONALD TRUMP WAS THE EXACT SAME PERSON WITH BLACK
SKIN, HE WOULDN'T BE QUALIFIED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF ANYTHING.
IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT BRAZER IS.
>> THEY KNOW.
THEY'RE SITTING BY THEIR WIVES.
>> Stephen: "SHOOK ONE" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.