3 chapters across the catalog
Enslaved Africans used spirituals as a survival mechanism and a tool for secret communication. While missionaries tailored Christian messages to justify slavery, the enslaved people created songs with coded meanings regarding hope and escape. Mo Facts notes that modern dictionaries have captured various acronyms for hip-hop, but emphasizes the original "higher power" aspect and the importance of call and response.
Charles Barkley discusses how the word "thug" has become a coded racial slur used by the media and politicians. The hosts also explore the word "punk," noting its different connotations in 1970s UK culture versus its more aggressive meaning in modern American street culture.
In a lighthearted moment, the hosts mock an interview segment where Imani Perry is asked to read from the "bottom of 66." Adam Curry initially suspects a coded conspiracy or racial reference, only to realize the interviewer was simply referring to a page number in Perry's book.
