How Charlamagne Tha God Built His Empire and Is Using His Platform to Lift Up Black Artists: ‘If What You Build Only Benefits You, It’s Not Big Enough’

variety.com:

Charlamagne Tha God has a song on his lips. “Oh-oh-oh – it’s the Tom Joyner Morning Show” he sings, while sitting in a small conference room at iHeart Media headquarters, where he co-hosts the nationally syndicated daily radio show “The Breakfast Club.” Charlamagne, 46, easily summons the jaunty theme he grew up listening to as he discusses the influences who helped steer him into the career he enjoys today.

The South Carolina native, born Lenard Larry McKelvey, is a popular radio and podcast host, author, commentator, comedian and actor.

He’s a good example of how versatile talent can soar across disciplines in this media-saturated age. As his public profile has grown, so has Charlamagne’s determination to parlay his considerable following into the foundation for a portfolio of media imprints — from books to podcasts to feature films — designed to create artistic opportunities and jobs for Black people. “Literally, I live by the motto that if what you build only benefits you, it’s not big enough,” Charlamagne says. “I always want to live up to my full potential as a Black man on this planet.” The cornerstone of Charlamagne Inc.

is “The Breakfast Club,” which reaches many millions of listeners a week via radio, online, podcast and TV platforms. Five hours a day, from 6 a.m.