The Untold Truth Of Charlamagne Tha God
For former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, success depends upon his ability to earn the support of minority groups across the country come November 2020's election. But on an episode of The Breakfast Club, Biden's history collided with his ignorance to spark a firestorm that consumed social media (via People).
On the May 22, 2020 show, host Charlamagne tha God pressed Biden on his long-term relationship with the black and brown communities. "Democrats take black voters for granted," Charlamagne explained. "Vote's a quid pro quo, right. It's not like I don't want to vote. I just want to know what candidates will do for us and in exchange for our votes." Biden proceeded to defend his work on the '94 crime bill and slam President Donald Trump's "terrible" coronavirus response.
However, as Biden exited the interview, Charlamagne invited the candidate to another sit-down interview once social distancing restrictions are lifted. "It's a long way until November, we got more questions," he said, to which the former VP replied: "You got more questions, but I tell ya, if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black."
While Biden ultimately admitted he "shouldn't have been such a wise guy," Charlamagne — once Biden's biggest critic — quickly came to the former senator's defense after backlash struck.
Charlamagne tha God thinks Joe Biden 'owes black people his political life'
Born Lenard Larry McKelvey, Charlamagne tha God has developed an infamous reputation for asking the tough questions, especially when it comes to politics. Once dubbed "hip-hop's Howard Stern," the host slammed former vice president Joe Biden earlier this year for not appearing on The Breakfast Club. "Joe Biden owes black people his political life, you know what I'm saying? So don't disrespect that base by not showing up, especially when all of your former opponents did," Charlamagne told MSNBC (via The Hill).
Despite previous criticism, however, Charlamagne immediately came to Biden's defense in the wake of the former senator's seemingly racist remarks. "We have been loyal to Democrats for a long time, black people have invested a lot into that party and the return on investment has not been great," he wrote in a statement to Mediaite. "As Biden said in our brief interview when I asked him if Dems owe the black community ABSOLUTELY was his answer. So let's see what you got!!! Votes are Quid Pro Quo. You can't possibly want me to Fear Trump MORE than I want something for my people."
Biden apologized on a call with the U.S. Black Chambers: "I know that the comments have come off like I was taking the African-American vote for granted," Biden explained (per People). "But nothing could be further from the truth." Biden will likely face continued backlash, but he still has Charlamagne's support.
Charlamagne tha God believes there's no such thing as the 'perfect candidate'
When it comes to politics, Charlamagne tha God's outspoken nature allows him to reach minority voters who might otherwise stay home on election day. Yet, while he remains an advocate for the process, the notorious radio talk show host continues to criticize the way political parties pander to black and brown communities. In particular, he believes the Democrats should "try to gravitate away from identity politics towards things that would actually bridge the gap" (per Fox Business).
"They say Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line with their interests," Charlamagne told The Final Call. "And that's what Black people need to start doing. We got to start falling in line with our interests. There is no perfect candidate at all. What I do, I find a couple of things that I like about a candidate and if they're in line with my interests, that's what I vote for."
"I think we just have to recognize our own power and actually start demanding something for our vote," he said. "Stop focusing on things that make us feel good and actually make these politicians implement some policies and legislation that can actually make us good." Our political climate continues to grow increasingly volatile but, with the guidance of engaged public figures like Charlamagne, citizens will find they have the power to enact positive change throughout their communities and beyond.
Charlamagne tha God once faced backlash for insensitive comments of his own
While Charlamagne tha God prides himself on being controversial, the radio talk show host crossed the line as he and comedian Lil Duval made insensitive comments about the transgender community.
During the 2017 interview, Lil Duval suggested he might kill a transgender woman if she didn't reveal her birth identity and "manipulated me to believe in this thing" (per BuzzFeed News). While Charlamagne did note that such action would be a hate crime, he agreed that "you are taking away a person's power of choice when you don't tell them upfront." Both men faced instant backlash, and days later, Charlamagne issued an apology for his role in the conversation.
"We don't condone those kind of hate crimes at all," he told Vibe. "Not even a little bit... another thing I learned this week is that 15 transgender women have been murdered in 2017 and 13 of them have been women of color, that number could be higher, but I do know the majority of them have been women of color... The Breakfast Club will continue to do what it always does and that is provide a platform for the voiceless."
Although some demanded Charlamagne's resignation, he told The Daily Beast that he's "gotten to know myself better, I have a little more empathy than I used to have." He's remained at the mic ever since.