UB ReVisit: Charlamagne tha God Talks South Carolina, Gay Community & Wendy Williams

We’re continuing to celebrate our favorite interviews in the last 15 years. In celebration of our 15 Year Anniversary, more on that this week, when an official press release will be issued.

Charlamagne Tha God has become a worldwide media personality and host. Before he was a media mogul, he spoke to UB.

Born and raised Lenard Larry McKelvey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Charlamagne began his career by landing a job as a radio intern while attending night school. After various on-air stints, he was offered a life-changing opportunity to become second mic to legendary radio icon Wendy Williams. He honed his trademark interview style, and quickly became known for his meticulously timed, groundbreaking questions, skillfully balancing stimulating curiosity and revelatory honesty.

Charlamagne Tha God has since risen to become one of the most potent, influential, and authoritative voices in media today. He is the widely coveted, outspoken, thought-provoking co-host of the hottest nationally syndicated radio show in the U.S., ‘The Breakfast Club,’ heard by over 4.5 million weekly listeners and televised each morning on Revolt TV.

He’s a cultural influencer, executive producer with his own production company, “CThaGod World,” and co-host of the popular podcast, “Brilliant Idiots.” His YouTube Channel, CThaGod, is one of the fastest-growing on the platform and features in-depth one-on-one conversations with artists such as Kanye West and Ed Sheeran.

As an author, Charlamagne has cemented his ability to translate his personal plight into sonic narratives that educate, empower and inspire. “Black Privilege,” in addition to being named a New York Times bestseller, was awarded Audible.com’s bestselling book of the year. “Shook One” has helped Charlamagne become one of the world’s leading voices in the mental health discussion, as he publicly shares transparent truths about his struggles with anxiety.

As a widely sought after guest, Charlamagne appears frequently on daytime, late night, and cable news shows and networks, including Seth Meyers, CNN, Tamron Hall, The View, MSNBC and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Just yesterday his interview with Joe Biden made headlines, when the presidential hopeful said “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

Charlamagne tha God is one of today’s biggest influentials and in a way was ahead of his time. This ReVisit goes back to 2006.

Charlamagne spoke to Josiah (known now as JDot.) from UB who’s also based in NY when he was at WBLS working with the queen of radio Wendy Williams. Charlamagne spoke to us about working with Wendy, being hated on for having strong opinions and Star & Buckwild.

Charlamagne also talked about growing up in South Carolina, the Laugh Factory and support from the gay community.

UrbanBridgez.com: How was it growing up in South Carolina?
Charlamagne: South Carolina is the place you want to go when you turn 70 years old. It’s a place that you go when you decide to stop working and retire. It has absolutely no industry for working people like myself. Brothers and sisters down in South Carolina are eager to be involved in this Hip-Hop movement but are not allowed to because of the lack of outlets. There has never been a rapper who has ever blown up or broken through on a national level from South Carolina. We have a whole lot of talent down there whether it’s rappers, singers or on-air radio talent. Well, then again nobody is better than me in radio down there but there’s a lot of talent (laughing). We have a bunch talent that I would like to showcase to the world. Growing up down there is dirt roads, possums and beers. Flags are still flying. There is nothing down there for a black man.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s so special about Charlamagne ‘Tha God’? Why would Wendy Williams hand-pick you and take you underneath her wings?
Charlamagne: Divine intervention is probably what you could call it. I feel like me and Wendy comes from the same cloth. Wendy is one of those rare people that is intelligent enough to recognize talent. A lot of these disc jockeys in New York are holding back the generation I feel. Wendy saw some of the same things in me that she possessed on her come-up. She and Kevin Hunter were my angels that said to themselves, “let’s grab up that dude.” There may come a time when she don’t wanna do radio on an everyday basis and if she ever does reach that point, I think she’s in more of a position to have someone to pass the baton too.

UrbanBridgez.com: You went from having your own radio show in Columbia, SC to assisting Wendy Williams on 107.5 WBLS here in New York. How does it feel to be called a sidekick?
Charlamagne: I love it. I pride myself on doing things that no one else has done. I feel that she’s the biggest radio personality in the country. You’ve never had a radio personality go and grab up another radio personality. It’s just something that has never been done in history. I feel great to have broken a record or started a “trend.” You know, when it comes to being a side-kick I feel like we are that unstoppable team. Ask Scotty Pippin how it felt to assist Jordan; Dawayne Wade and Shaq; they’re unstoppable.

UrbanBridgez.com: Compare the radio markets in South Carolina to New York City.
Charlamagne: I made a lot of noise in South Carolina. You could see the ripples in the pool while being on radio down there. New York is the pool. When I do something on the radio in New York, it hits them directly. Everything takes a direct hit. There’s no in between. Being that this is the number one market for radio, everything you say or do here makes an instant impact!

“I don’t plan anything in life. My goal is to reach my full potential as a black man.”

UrbanBridgez.com: How does it feel to be loved by some and hated by others?
Charlamagne: That’s been going on since I was on-air in South Carolina. You either love me or hate me. It’s just that simple.

UrbanBridgez.com: In your honest opinion, how do you feel about Star’s (formerly of the Star & Buckwild Show) recent departure from Power 105.1 FM?
Charlamagne: I think he was a major influence to me. He was intelligent and I liked his style of radio, diction. He inspired a lot of people in my opinion. But there are some subjects that you just don’t touch on-air and one of those things is kids. Children you just don’t touch. A mans or woman’s child is something very sacred, family is important. That was going above and beyond radio. That’s exactly what he did. There are cons and repercussions behind that. You witnessed that first hand.

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell me about the Laugh Factory and what that experience is like.
Charlamagne: The Laugh Factory is something that my manager, Kev Hunter and Wendy do every week. It’s located in the heart of Times Square right on 42nd street. We are there every Wednesday at 8pm. We are a public service. We are here to serve the public. We try to touch the public whether it’s Dons and Divas, mixtapes, MySpace or books (The Ritz Harper Chronicles by Wendy Williams in stores now). We love touching people.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s up with your monthly ‘The Chin’ Check’ column in Ozone magazine?
Charlamagne: Oh yeah, ‘Chin check’. I get a lot off my chest writing this monthly column. I like to put artist on blast. Star used to do something similar for the Source with his column, ‘Reality Check.’ That’s my way of putting a lot of these artists, celebrities and athletes in their place. There are different things that I sit around and talk about everyday. The pen is stronger than a sword at times and I love it.

UrbanBridgez.com: VH1 has cleared the green light and given ‘The Wendy Williams Experience’ reality show another spin. How does it feel to participate in the project’s second wind?
Charlamagne: You’re going to get to see the behind the scenes, antics and fun that goes on during the radio program. Nothing is staged or scripted. It’s just the natural, pure rawness of the show. The whole is crew is there; Trev Hollywood, Goose, Zoe, me, Wendy. Everybody is there.

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s the next big move for Charlamagne ‘Tha God’?
Charlamagne: Whatever God leads me to do, I will follow. My company is what’s next. Never So Deep Records/Stupid Dope Moves Inc. is making moves. I don’t plan anything in life. My goal is to reach my full potential as a black man.

UrbanBridgez.com: Has being on the Wendy Williams Experience increased your game with the ladies?
Charlamagne: I’ve always been a ladies man. As ugly as I am, I’ve always got the girls. I guess you can say it’s magnified now. I don’t gotta depend on radio for chicks though. Let’s be clear.

UrbanBridgez.com: Wendy has a strong alliance with the gay community as they make up a huge percentage of her listeners. How do you feel working in such a ‘gay friendly’ environment?
Charlamagne: I don’t mind at all. Gay people contribute to Arbitron ratings, buy books, watch TV, and buy mixtapes. I don’t care. I’m a black man in America. I have no room to be racist to anybody. Our people have gone through it. I try to deal with equality on all levels no matter race, gender, or sexuality.

UrbanBridgez.com: Any words for your fans?
Charlamagne: Well, I don’t know if I have fans yet so I’ll speak to those who ride with me; continue listening to the Wendy Williams experience everyday from 2-6pm. Even if the show doesn’t play in your City, hop online and check us out. We have some great things planned for the future and look out for us on VH1 in the coming months.

UrbanBridgez.com: Thanks a lot Charlamagne.
Charlamagne: Naw, thank you J! Peace.