Charlamagne Tha God Biography
Charlamagne Tha God, whose real name is Lenard Larry McKelvey, is a prominent American radio and television personality, author, and podcast host. He gained fame as one of the hosts of the nationally syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club,” which airs on Power 105.1. Beyond radio, he has authored books like “Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It”, “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me,” and “Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks.”
Charlamagne Tha God Age
Tha God is 46 years old as of 2024. He was born on June 29, 1978, in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
Charlamagne Tha God Height
He is 1.68 meters tall.
Charlamagne Tha God Nationality
He is American.
Charlamagne Tha God Education
Tha God attended night school and obtained his General Educational Development (GED) after dropping out of high school. Later, he briefly enrolled in a broadcasting school in South Carolina but did not complete the program.
Charlamagne Tha God Parents
Charlamagne is the son of Larry Thomas McKelvey, a Jehovah’s Witness before converting to Islam, and his wife Julie Ford McKelvey, an English teacher and a Jehovah’s Witness. He grew up in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. As a teenager, he was arrested twice for “possession with intent to distribute” marijuana and cocaine. Charlamagne has mentioned that his upbringing was challenging due to his father’s strict and often tumultuous parenting style.
Charlamagne Tha God Wife
Tha God is married to Jessica Gadsden, a fitness coach and personal trainer. The couple got married in September 2014. They have known each other since high school and have been together for many years. Charlamagne and Jessica have four daughters together, but they generally keep their children’s names and personal lives private. Jessica supported her husband financially when he struggled to maintain a job in radio. “Literally, the first time I ever went to a radio station to fill out an application for an internship, my wife drove me because my license was suspended,” he said.
Charlamagne Tha God Career
Charlamagne is a radio presenter, television personality, and author who is best known as the co-host of the radio show The Breakfast Club alongside Raashaun “DJ Envy” Casey and Angela Yee. He was born Lenard Larry McKelvey in Charleston, South Carolina. Growing up around Moncks Corner, South Carolina, Lenard McKelvey got involved in selling drugs and was arrested twice for possession of marijuana and cocaine. He was arrested a third time after he witnessed a shooting from the backseat of a car. He remained in jail for 41 days until his mother paid his bail.
After he was released from jail, McKelvey, a high school dropout, started attending night school where he took a job as a radio intern. His radio career expanded when he became the second mic to radio media personality Wendy Williams on VH1. He decided to take the name “Charlamagne” after King Charlemagne, whom he learned about at night school. Charlemagne ruled much of Western Europe during the late 700’s and early 800’s. He also adopted the name “Tha God” because he thought it was cool. Charlamagne and Wendy Williams had a personal falling out in 2008 over his controversial questions to hip-hop guests on her show which led him to leave the radio program. In 2010, Charlamagne began co-hosting a syndicated radio show called The Breakfast Club alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee in New York City, New York.
As a co-host of the Breakfast Club, Charlamagne quickly gained a reputation as outspoken and controversial. He had heated on-air arguments during interviews with guest celebrities including Lil Mama, Birdman, Fredro Starr, Beanie Sigel, and many others. In a May 22, 2020 interview with Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Nominee for President, Charlamagne asked Biden to return to his show, the former Vice President said, “You’ve got more questions? Well, I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” Charlamagne responded “It doesn’t have nothing to do with Trump. It has to do with the fact that I want something for my community.” Interviews like this have earned Charlamagne the nickname “Hip Hop Howard Stern.” Adding to the controversy, Charlamagne was accused of raping a 15-year-old woman in South Carolina back in 2001. He later confessed to and was arrested for second-degree sexual conduct with a minor.
Despite these controversies, Charlamagne’s career continued to rise. In 2015 he hosted the short-lived MTV2 show Uncommon Sense and later made guest appearances on Guy Code, Guy Court, Girl Code, Wild ‘N Out, and Empire. In 2017, he released the book Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It, which ranked sixth in May of that year on the New York Times hardcover non-fiction bestselling list. A year later, Charlamagne released a second book, Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me. He also hosts a YouTube series, Emerging Hollywood, on the Hollywood Reporter’s YouTube Channel.
In 2020, Charlamagne co-founded the Black Effect Podcast Network in partnership with iHeartMedia. In August 2020, he and his Breakfast Club co-hosts, Angela Yee and DJ Envy, were inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Along with fellow MTV2 personality Andrew Schulz, he hosts The Brilliant Idiots podcast on Combat Jack’s Loud Speakers Network. Charlamagne became the host of the late-night talk show “Tha God’s Honest Truth” in 2021. In 2024, he released the book “Get Honest or Die Lying: Why Small Talk Sucks.”
Charlamagne Tha God Salary
The exact salary of Tha God is not publicly disclosed, but he is known to earn a significant income from his work as a radio host, television personality, and author. Estimates suggest that his annual earnings from “The Breakfast Club” and other ventures are in the range of $3 million to $5 million. Additionally, he generates income from various sources such as book sales, television appearances, podcasting, and business ventures.
Charlamagne Tha God Net Worth
Tha God’s net worth is estimated to be around $10 million. He earns primarily from his successful career in radio, television, book writing, and other business ventures.
