Play video content "The Breakfast Club" Power 105.1

Hillary Clinton went into her bag of tricks -- literally -- on "The Breakfast Club," telling Charlamagne Tha God she always carries hot sauce in her purse ... a clear attempt to snag New York's black vote.

Charlamagne asked the Prez hopeful what's in her purse, and she went for the sauce ... clearly a reference to Beyonce's "Formation," in which she sings, "I keep hot sauce in my bag, swag."

When asked if she was pandering to black people, she jokingly said ... "Is it working?"

She's been getting blasted for the comment, but truth is Hill's talked about her love of chili peppers and hot sauce since 1992, when she started using it to boost her immune system.

So basically, Clinton was on the sauce long before Bey.