My dream job is to be a part of legacy media in the form of radio. I would like to host a nationally syndicated radio show. Syndication is a license to broadcast a television or radio show. In hosting a show I would play music, interview different artists, report on entertainment news, and share my opinion on certain music.
Behind the scenes, I would like to play a significant role in the production of the show regarding editing the audio and adding the necessary effects. Ideally, I would like to have a co-host on the show to carry an alternative perspective while covering specific topics. With an additional personality and mind on the show, it allows for banter, which helps keep topics of conversation from becoming one-sided. This allows viewers of different perspectives to have more to relate to, expanding the number of listeners.
Currently, there is a trio based out of New York executing a very similar idea. "The Breakfast Club" syndicates its morning show from New York to stations nationwide. DJ Envy, the shows main DJ; Charlamagne Tha God, a radio presenter with a segment called "Donkey of the Day." Where Charlamagne gives an"award" to people he feels has done something dumb that was caught by mainstream media. The last person on this show is Angela Yee, who has a segment on reporting the latest entertainment news involving celebrities and also touches on the newest music releases.
Among the three, Charlamagne Tha God is the member I look up to the most. Charlamagne achieved his career as a nationally syndicated radio show host after years of entrepreneurial hard work. His journey began by going to night school and then working his way up to becoming a radio intern at the popular station in South Carolina, Hot 103.9. Not long after, Charlamagne began to gain attention incredibly fast due to controversial interviews he hosted on the show("About Charlamagne Tha God: The Breakfast Club"). From there, he moves to become second mic host to Wendy William's radio show, "The Wendy Williams Show." However, his relationship with Wendy Williams and her show did not last, and in 2010, Charlamagne left her show to begin working with "The Breakfast Club."
In addition to Charlamagne's radio career, most people may know of him from another for of legacy media, television. Charlamagne starred in a show that aired in 2011 called Guy Code ("About Charlamagne Tha God: The Breakfast Club"). The show highlights the "do's and don'ts" for men stuck in various situations that would require specific rules known as Guy Code. Eventually, producers scrapped Guy Code and it evolved into Guys Court, and Charlamagne moved to become the current host of the late-night talk show, "Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne."
Outside of the radio and TV industry, Charlamagne is also a renowned author. In April 2017, he publishes his first successful book, Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes To Those Who Create It, which became a New York Times bestseller ("About Charlamagne Tha God: The Breakfast Club"). Later on in October of 2018, he publishes his second bestseller, "Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me," securing his place in yet another industry ("About Charlamagne Tha God: The Breakfast Club").
Now, with a skillset broader than ever, Charlamange has the necessary knowledge and skills to execute any journalism task that he set his mind to. Along his incredibly diverse sequence of experiences bouncing from industry to industry. I believe the route he took was efficient in creating a roster of skills and knowledge from his parts in radio, Tv, and writing which allows him to live a successful life. While being successful, the path he took was quite unconventional for someone who had just been released from prison and aims to make his mark in the radio industry. By attending night school and focusing on his current skills, Charlamagne was able to cut down the time he would have spent in school during the day and looking for a job. Following a calculated start, he went on to have an incredible job right off the bat working alongside Wendy Williams, and then later moving on to having a successful career on the nationally syndicated radio show, "The Breakfast Club." With an impressive list of achievements, controversial statements and valued knowledge from radio, television, and writing, I believe that Charlamagne is not slowing down any time soon.
The more I follow the work that he does, the more I get a sense for the type of person Charlamagne is. He is a very cut and dry human being and will always stand behind what he has said. With that, many of the controversial statements earns him a few nicknames over time like, "Prince of Pissing People Off," "Ruler of Rubbing You the Wrong Way," and "Architect of Aggravation" ("Charlamagne Tha God"). Feud between Charlamagne and rappers like Nicki Minaj, Logic, and some so far as him getting jumped outside of his place of work for the comments he made, allegedly. Despite controversial behavior, I do admire how honest he is, but I believe his approach with being so brutally honest is a bit off and unneeded. When I am in similar positions, I plan to be as honest as Charlamagne, but with more empathetic behavior and sensitivity to the feelings of others. While blunt, dry cut honesty got him a career on a nationally syndicated radio show, I believe it is not always the correct approach for every scenario.
Personally, the path that I am going to take is the educational route. I want to become the leader of a radio station but, I would like to achieve my goal in a more conventional way than Charlamagne Tha God's approach. Most commonly, in this field up and coming personalities will follow the style of path chosen by the people inspiring their life goals. Given the inspiration, personalities can take what they have learned and implement it in a new way. Being able to see the success of others before me, and knowing those achievements will come from taking a more calculated and conventional route, is much more appealing and comfortable for me. To increase my chances and success and gain connects, I play to reach out to the producers of "The Breakfast Club." In reaching out, I hope to have an interview with them and learn more about the production of radio shows. With that, I cannot forget each person who gained their following by being individualistic and putting their spin on what radio is to them. Otherwise, it would all sound too familiar to listeners.
The educational path that I chose involves going through classes in the field of journalism, working in the radio industry, and learning everything I can along the way. Currently, I am the Production Director at Wildcat 91.9. During my time in this position, I aim to learn as many skills as possible even while my current job description may not require those skills. Once I complete college, my next step is to work with a radio station based in Colorado that primarily specifies in playing top 40's hip hop tracks. With this radio station, I would prefer to have a role in just about everything I can specifically: input in the production, influencing what music plays on-air, and being active in interviewing the music artists that come onto the show. After obtaining enough experience there, I plan to start my own radio station, which would focus more on alternative hip hop music — artists such as Oliver Francis, Lil Peep, and BROCKHAMPTON. Being part of a legacy media outlet and creating the opportunity to help expose more underground artists, will be much appreciated by the people who feel as though these artists do not receive the recognition they deserve.
In this field of work, its annual rate of pay can range from twenty-six thousand to eighty-four thousand per year. Charlamagne on the other hand, is in the next level of pay rate in the industry, earning roughly three million dollars a year with a net worth of ten million dollars ("How Much Is Charlamagne Tha God Worth?").
With all of the paths available to help me achieve my goal, I choose to listen to "The Breakfast Club" every day because I aspire to do and achieve the things all three of them have done. Beyond all else, I am profoundly intrigued by the level of impact their opinions and perspectives have in modern pop culture. For myself, to have an equal level of impact and helping shape an industry is one of my biggest goals for my career. Observing the path that Charlamagne Tha God and others like him have taken and knowing what I would do, and what I would not. I believe that this is one of the most substantial factors in helping me create and shape achievable goals for the success of my future career.
Works cited
"About Charlamagne Tha God: The Breakfast Club." Charlamagne Tha God, thebreakfastclub.iheart.com/featured/charlamagne-tha-god/about/.
"How Much Is Charlamagne Tha God Worth?" Money and Hip Hop, moneyandhiphop.com/how-much-is-charlamagne-tha-god-worth-find-out-his-net-worth/.
"Charlamagne Tha God." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Oct. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlamagne_tha_God.
