4 chapters across the catalog
Moe uses Kevin Cruz's book "White Flight" to explain how historical decisions to build highways like I-20 in Atlanta and I-35 in Austin were used to physically segregate black and white neighborhoods. This geographical isolation reinforced the "trap" environment. The hosts also discuss the cultural significance of the 808 drum machine and high-powered car stereos as a "mating ritual" and form of attention-seeking.
Adam Curry and Mo Facts open episode 35 on May 4, 2020, discussing the "Rona time" atmosphere and their independent production process. They reference the song "The Loose Caboose" by Joe Tex and discuss how their families are faring during the pandemic lockdowns. Mo notes that his children have begun receiving unemployment benefits, which he views as getting their own tax money back.
The long-term effects of redlining allowed white families to accrue wealth through rising property values, while minority families remained trapped in poverty. In cities like Austin, Texas, interstates like I-35 served as physical boundaries for these districts. Today, the influx of wealth into formerly redlined areas is often labeled as gentrification.
The hosts examine the impact of Opportunity Zones in Austin, Texas, noting that most are located east of Interstate 35. They link these zones to the rise of "micro-apartments" and open-air dorm rooms that target young professionals rather than the poor. Kamala Harris's housing plan from the Essence Festival is also critiqued for setting income bars so high that it excludes the truly impoverished.
