Charlamagne Tha God Says He Thought HOV Lanes Were for Jay-Z

Charlamagne Tha God says when he first moved to New York City, he thought that HOV lanes along the local highways were named after Jay-Z.

In an episode of the nationally syndicated radio show, The Breakfast Club, that dropped on Monday (July 11), longtime co-host Charlamagne Tha God explained that when he saw signs on the highway that read “HOV,” Jay-Z was the very first thing he thought of. In true hip-hop head fashion, Charla mistakenly took high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV), also referred to as carpool lanes, as a symbol of Jay’s high-profile status in his home city.

“I want ya’ll to keep in mind that I know nothing about the HOV lane,” explained the South Carolina native at the 26:45-mark in the clip below. “First time I ever saw a HOV lane was in New York City and I said to myself, ‘Damn. Jay-Z got his own lanes in New York?’ I did. When I moved here in 2006, that’s the first thing I thought. ‘He really is the King of New York.'”

The topic that sparked the conversation about HOV lanes on the esteemed morning radio show is the story of Dallas, T.X. resident Brandy Bottone. Bottone was recently pulled over by police while driving solo in the carpool lane, which is typically a violation of highway laws. What makes the story notable is that when the officers pulled up on Brandy, she explained that she was not in fact driving alone because she is 34 weeks pregnant, citing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that women have no federal right to receive an abortion.

Since Charlamagne is known for his comedy on the popular radio show and other ventures, it’s not exactly clear whether or not he truly believed HOV lanes were in honor of Jay-Z or if the comments were simply a clever play on words.

Hear the Full Episode of The Breakfast Club below.