Moncks Corner native and radio provocateur Charlamagne Tha God hosts a series of four interview specials on HBO set to premiere later this year.
The specials will be called “The Gray Area With Charlamagne Tha God,” according to Variety.
Charlamagne, who grew up in Moncks Corner, got his start as an on-air personality in Charleston on Z93’s “Breakfuss Club” alongside Tessa Spencer, who is now an anchor for ABC News 4.
[content-2] He now hosts the nationally syndicated “Breakfast Club” out of New York City alongside Angela Yee and DJ Envy. The show is best known for its candid interviews with major Black artists.
After Kanye West’s public breakdown (which featured the words “slavery” and “choice” a little too close together, and which eventually landed him in Charleston for dinner at Tu), Charlamagne was granted an almost two-hour interview with the rapper.
[content-1] “I feel extremely blessed to be able to announce my official partnership with HBO on a new conversation series which will provide a safe space for ‘unsafe’ people to curate their stories and control their own narratives,” Charlamagne said in a statement. “The reality is, when it comes to people’s stories, it’s not black or white, it’s always an area that’s a shade of gray and that’s usually where the lies end and the truth begins, and this show will give those people an opportunity to share their truth.”
There is no word on who the guests will be or what topics will be tackled.
The HBO special has historically been a momentous achievement for comedians and entertainers of all sorts, marking a person’s peak popularity. Recent specials include the podcasting duo 2 Dope Queens and comedians Amy Schumer and Michelle Wolf.
Major pop stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have also debuted exclusive content on the premium network.
Though Charlamagne’s positions can seem incongruous at times — he stands by the Black Lives Matter movement, yet denounced Monique’s stance that there maybe, possibly might be some racism and misogynoir behind her claims that Netflix’s offered her an insultingly low figure for a special — his interviews continue to turn heads and drive ratings.
“Charlamagne brings a provocative, thoughtful and always honest voice to all of his interviews,” said HBO executive vice president of programming Nina Rosenstein in a statement. “We think these specials will be surprising and enlightening and we look forward to seeing who he brings to the table.”
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