3 chapters across the catalog
The evolution of the N-word in American pop culture is examined, from its ubiquitous presence in 1920s sheet music and household products to the Blackexploitation films of the 1970s. Comedian Richard Pryor is credited with bringing the word into the mainstream crossover consciousness. The hosts reflect on how these media shifts served as different "updates" to the American social system.
The NFL is identified by Jason Whitlock as the most powerful showcase of black masculinity in American pop culture. The hosts discuss the Colin Kaepernick controversy as an entry point for ideologies seeking to emasculate the sport. An "inside baseball" anecdote describes the cultural significance of football in the black community, where church schedules are often adjusted to accommodate Sunday kickoffs.
Mo uses a clip from the 1990s TV show "Roc" to demonstrate that Black communities historically rejected drug dealers and criminality. The protagonist, played by Charles S. Dutton, confronts a dealer, calling him a murderer rather than a businessman. Adam Curry contrasts this with "Starsky and Hutch," where the character Huggy Bear began the trend of glamorizing "cool" criminal informants in media.
