Jason Lee Names His Media Mount Rushmore as Byron Allen Expands

Frequent attendees to the Hollywood Unlocked Awards red carpet know it's an ideal setting for candid conversations, and this past Friday was no different. One of the evening's highlights was a conversation between Jason Lee, the founder and CEO of Hollywood Unlocked, and Sports and Entertainment Journalist Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson, discussing their respective work on the personalities who have had a profound impact on media culture.

Lee, known for his no-nonsense approach, was tasked with assembling his own personal list of media personalities. This response was thoughtful and passionate, reflecting his deep respect for the craft and his nuanced views on influence, voice, and longevity in an industry that continually evolves.

Jason Lee's Mount Rushmore of Media Personalities

Without hesitation, Lee started with Charlamagne tha God, a voice well-known in the hip-hop media realm. Throughout his radio days and into his current role as a multimedia influencer and cultural commentator, Charlamagne has consistently been a leader in unapologetic, bold, and impactful media. His spot on Lee's top tier was a no-brainer.

Lee then turned inward, positioning himself on the monument, an action that was more about embracing his role than about asserting personal pride. Through his leadership of Hollywood Unlocked, Lee has established one of the most prominent Black-operated digital media platforms nationwide, and the Hollywood Unlocked Awards clearly indicate the platform's cultural impact.

Third on Lee's list was legendary Angie Martinez, the self-described "Voice of New York" who has spent decades as one of radio's most beloved and respected personalities. Martinez's consistent success and natural talent in a tough field were compelling reasons for her choice.

Perhaps Lee's most revealing choice was slot four: Joe Budden. The rapper-turned-media personality has built a fiercely loyal audience through his podcast and uncompromising commentary, and he acknowledged it with characteristic candor.

"Oh, Charlemagne, tha God, me, you know, I'm gonna also throw Angie Martinez out there, and I would say, you know, as much as I don't really care for him, I think he's loud and has a voice, and that's Joe Budden. You know, Joe is undeniably a force, you know, we don't align on everything, but that's not what it's supposed to be about. But I don't like the fact that we have to limit the four, because there's so many amazing people. DJ Vlad, DJ Akademiks who I spoke to last week. I just love everybody that's out there getting it for themselves, and then collaborating, so we can get it together." — Jason Lee

The honesty in Lee's answer was striking. Acknowledging that he and Budden "don't align on everything" while still affording him a seat on the monument speaks to a media maturity that transcends personal beef. It's a recognition that relevance and impact, not likability, are the true measures of media greatness.

Lee also made clear that the four-person limit felt restricting, giving a nod to DJ Vlad and DJ Akademiks as fellow media entrepreneurs who are grinding, creating, and elevating the culture in their own right.

"I just love everybody that's out there getting it for themselves, and then collaborating, so we can get it together." —Jason Lee

Beyond the Rushmore: A Culture in Motion

Lee's Rushmore segment went beyond a lighthearted red carpet appearance. It conveyed the pivotal nature of Black media's standing in 2026: decentralized, entrepreneurial, and increasingly influential. The figures he identified have all managed to build audiences independently of conventional gatekeeping practices. They began blogging, podcasting, and setting up YouTube channels before these formats became standard. They took risks. They stayed consistent. Facing the board's decision, the industry has no alternative but to adapt to them.

The Hollywood Unlocked Awards, now a staple event in entertainment media, serves as an annual reflection of that power. Founded by Lee, this event honors individuals from various fields including entertainment, sports, fashion, and media, who have shown a significant impact on culture. It serves, in numerous respects, as a functioning monument; akin to a real-world Mount Rushmore, it is continually refreshed annually.

Byron Allen's Expanding Media Empire: From BuzzFeed to Starz

On Friday night, while Lee was curating his personal media mashup, the broader media landscape was grappling with another major shift: media mogul and stand-up comedian Byron Allen had just acquired the majority stake in BuzzFeed, a step that signals a significant move to challenge the streaming industry.

Allen, via his family office affiliate Allen Family Digital, purchased roughly 51% of BuzzFeed's total shares for a $120 million transaction — settling at $3 per share for 40 million shares. At closing, $20 million was wired, along with a $100 million promissory note maturing in five years, bearing an annual interest rate of 5%. BuzzFeed used $12.5 million in cash receipts to pay off outstanding debts.

Recently, Allen was named chairman and CEO of BuzzFeed with ambitions that are truly visionary. According to Variety, Allen proclaimed:

"Our goal is to build upon BuzzFeed and HuffPost's legendary base by exploring free-streaming video, audio, and user-generated content." — Byron Allen

As of this moment, with the power of AI, BuzzFeed is officially chasing YouTube to become another premier free-streaming video service.

That's a bold proclamation. Moreover, Allen has the infrastructure to back it. His Allen Media Group operates Local Now, a free streaming platform delivering hyperlocal news, weather, traffic, sports, and entertainment based on a user's ZIP code. The company operates a network of 650 free, ad-supported television (FAST) channels and about 400 local TV broadcast affiliates, a distribution reach that is hard for many traditional media companies to match.

Jonah Peretti, the erstwhile founder and CEO of BuzzFeed, has taken up the newly established position of "BuzzFeed AI President." In this role, he will focus on applied AI research, product innovation, and the development of new technology-driven media formats. Peretti was effusive in his praise for Allen, calling him

"a force of nature and an incredible media mogul" whose skills "are very complementary to mine." — Jonah Peretti

In the new structure, BuzzFeed Studios and the company's Tasty brand have been set up as independent entities but will remain wholly owned subsidiaries, allowing outside investment in those businesses.

Allen's media moves don't stop at BuzzFeed. Per LandonBuford.com, Allen's firm also acquired a 10.7 percent stake in Starz for $25 million — another signal that Allen is assembling a vertically integrated media portfolio designed to compete at the highest levels of the content ecosystem.

Connecting the Dots: A New Era for Black Media Ownership

Pair Jason Lee's Mount Rushmore discussion with Byron Allen's BuzzFeed acquisition, and a bigger narrative begins to take shape. In 2026, Black media entrepreneurs are not only producing content but are also acquiring, constructing, and owning the mechanisms through which that content is disseminated. Allen is on the lookout for streaming services and broadcast companies. Lee is organizing industry honors and influencing cultural discourse at its peak. Also, voices such as Charlamagne, Angie Martinez, DJ Vlad, and DJ Akademiks are demonstrating that authentic, rooted-in-community media perspectives maintain a lasting influence, one that traditional platforms find challenging to match.