My love for media has been a constant throughout my life. My passion for the industry was sparked by my love for radio, inspired by Tom Joyner’s unique mix of comedy and meaningful discussions on politics, health, and culture. Even back in grade school, I felt like a media insider. Teachers and classmates would ask for my thoughts on the radio industry, and I even began writing blog articles, sharing my unfiltered opinions about it. This passion is what ultimately led me to pursue a career in media.
My passion for the media and radio industry naturally drew me to The Breakfast Club back in 2011, when the program aired exclusively on Power 105.1 in New York. Their chemistry, dedication to Hip-Hop culture, and Charlamagne Tha God’s sharp humor had me tuning in daily through the iHeartRadio app. Even as a high school student in Georgia, I dreamed of one day hosting my own radio show and making an impact in the world.
Around 2022, I started to lose interest in The Breakfast Club. There were a few reasons, but mainly it felt like they had reached the top of the radio industry and stopped striving for the greatness they once had. They often discussed topics they didn’t seem fully informed about and relied more on inside jokes than on comments that could engage or entertain the audience. The Radio Hall of Famers appeared satisfied with their success and no longer seemed to have the same drive they once did.
Loren Lorosa is an asset to The Breakfast Club
The addition of Loren Lorosa as a regular voice on The Breakfast Club got me tuning in more often. Her entertainment reports and insights caught my attention, and I found myself listening to the episodes where she cohosted. Her wit and journalistic skill stood out, and it felt like she was a natural successor to Angela Yee’s role on the show. Loren brought a calm, collected presence, delivering news with depth and nuance while asking thoughtful, well-researched questions during interviews and segments.
Her status as an HBCU alumna, graduating from Delaware State University, made me even more supportive of her. Her connection to Delaware State even sparked an interesting conversation with Kevin Hart, which DeSean Jackson leveraged to gain Hart’s support for his coaching journey at the university.
But, ultimately, Jess Hilarious was selected to be the third cohost after a year and a half of guest hosts once Angela Yee officially left the program to host her midday syndicated radio show Way Up with Angela Yee. Jess becoming the cohost made perfect sense. She put in effort to join the show, making multiple appearances and performing well when she was given the opportunity. She certainly worked for the spot on the show, but it didn’t seem as if she was the right person to be selected.
Kendra G always seemed like the ideal choice for succeeding Angela Yee. With years of experience in the radio industry, she cohosted an iHeartRadio morning show in Chicago at affiliate WGCI, a major market, and shared a similar age and experience level with Charlamagne and Envy. Plus, she’s a Hampton University graduate, which would have given her something in common with Envy, who proudly represents Hampton University as an alumnus.
Electing to go younger with the acquisition of Jess Hilarious was an interesting move at this stage of The Breakfast Club. While Jess clearly is talented, she didn’t properly fill the void left by Yee with her departure. Loren Lorosa seemed to be a better fit for the role.
What Loren may lack in age and experience, she makes up for with sharp wit and journalistic skill. Jess isn’t a trained newswoman, which often showcases itself during her ‘Jess With The Mess’ segments as well as the guest interviews. Because of that, Loren seemed to be perfect to include in the flow of the show, especially once Jess returned from her maternity leave.
Jess Hilarious’s anger seems misplaced
Jess clearly still was a member of the show and still had the billing as the official successor to Angela Yee. Loren then started to star in her role as both a news producer and an on-air entertainment news reporter, reaping the benefits of her success as a “Brown Girl Grinding” from Delaware State to TMZ and now on a nationally syndicated radio platform with a vast digital footprint.
However, Jess Hilarious chose to make private matters public, dragging Loren into a feud she didn’t ask for and exposing her to undeserved negativity despite simply doing her job well. Jess is valid in her feelings of it being odd that Loren’s role seemed to grow more on The Breakfast Club and someone that she felt was a fill-in for her role seemed to be ever-present on-air, even in her ‘Jess With The Mess’ segments.
But, that has nothing to do with Loren based on the information we have on the inner workings of The Breakfast Club. Jess seemingly has a broader problem with how the show is being operated. Putting Loren Lorosa in the comments seemed petty and spiteful, especially when Loren appeared to be ingratiating towards her and wanted to make sure she didn’t feel slighted by her inclusion.
No Charlamagne, the criticism is valid
But, the criticism and comments aren’t from random bots and trolls on the internet. Fans of The Breakfast Club didn’t like Jess Hilarious in the position of a news presenter. They liked how Loren approached the topics she covered, getting her own sourcing and adding even more context to the stories that she presented on the show. Loren’s reporting goes beyond how Angela Yee handled the ‘Rumor Report’. Instead of just presenting the story, Loren adds depth by incorporating supplemental information and original reporting.
That criticism is valid. Not every negative comment is irrelevant or just trolling, which is why Charlamagne Tha God’s perspective on the situation was puzzling. Not everyone who disliked Jess’s delivery of the news or supported Loren was a bot or maliciously trying to create conflict between two Black women on the show. Honestly, it wasn’t the internet that led Jess to go live on Instagram or let the situation escalate publicly. It was the industry.
Corey Holcomb and DJ Akademiks, both prominent figures in the media industry in their own right, recently shared their thoughts on the situation. Corey’s remarks, in particular, seem to have prompted Jess to go live on Instagram and publicly air her grievances.
This isn’t about random comments from Twitter or YouTube stirring the pot—Jess genuinely feels this way, and Corey’s comments appear to have pushed her to speak out. If Jess feels strongly, she should address these feelings constructively. However, the idea that Jess and Loren can’t work together is completely off base.
There’s clearly a path forward
The Breakfast Club producers need to find creative ways to showcase Jess’s talents and give her opportunities to shine. Meanwhile, Loren and Morgyn Wood, the Black Information Network talent that does the “Front Page News” segment, normally covering more serious news topics, should continue excelling in their roles. If Jess Hilarious wants to continue to find success on the show, she should further look to find ways to star in her role and make her mark as the official third host on the show.
But, one thing is for sure: this situation highlights how vital Angela Yee was to the show. Her role wasn’t easy, and now listers can appreciate her contributions more as she continues to grow her Way Up With Anglea Yee midday radio program.
The post Putting the Loren Lorosa and Jess Hilarious beef into perspective appeared first on ClutchPoints.
