10 chapters across the catalog
The episode concludes with James Brown's "Mind Power," featuring a spoken-word intro about the need for jobs and information in black communities across America. The song serves as the final musical bed for the series, listing various cities from Harlem to Watts as the show fades out for the last time.
James Brown is highlighted as a rare entertainer who controlled his own fortune, owning radio stations and private jets by 1969. Despite his success as "Businessman of the Year," the hosts argue his legacy was later tarnished by drug allegations and parodies by Eddie Murphy. Brown's own definition of "soul" as survival and realism is featured.
Adam Curry recounts meeting James Brown in a Connecticut recording studio in the early 1980s during the recording of "Living in America." Curry describes Brown as a consummate, sober professional who commanded absolute respect from everyone in the room. The segment also acknowledges Brown's "Funky Drummer" as the foundational sample for much of early hip-hop.
On the night of MLK's assassination, James Brown's concert at the Boston Garden was televised locally to keep people off the streets and prevent rioting. The hosts compare this to the "catharsis" provided by Blacksploitation films and modern social media "dunking." They argue that the establishment uses entertainment to provide a controlled release for public anger.
The discussion connects the preacher's "hoop" to the performance style of James Brown. The hosts explore how different cultures have unique time signatures and rhythms, such as the Samba or Hula. They note that while these styles can be learned by outsiders—citing "blue-eyed soul" artists like Justin Timberlake—the original essence often becomes commercialized.
Kenyal Brown, a suspected serial killer in Detroit, was revealed to be a federal informant who was released from custody despite numerous parole violations. Detroit Police Chief James Craig questioned why a dangerous individual was allowed on the streets. The hosts link this to the Buffalo shooting and other incidents where suspects had connections to federal law enforcement, calling it a "trauma-based economy."
The episode ends with a recording of James Brown reciting the poem "King Heroin," which warns of the drug's power to destroy lives and communities. Brown describes heroin as a "deadly killer" that makes men forsake their country and families. Mo Facts signs off by calling for a "revolution of the mind" to steer the community away from drugs.
The episode concludes with a look at Extremely Low Frequencies (ELF) and a call for producers to research the topic further. The hosts sign off during the pandemic lockdown, reminding listeners of the "Value for Value" model and closing with the song "Don't Make Me Over."
A psychic's definition of the color black as the "absence of color" with negative connotations is used to discuss the psychological impact of racial labels. The hosts reflect on the "Black and Proud" movement of the 1960s and how corporations helped create the "Black" identity. They also touch on how wealth acts as a control mechanism, citing LeBron James and the NBA's relationship with China as an example of not "biting the hand that feeds."
Judge Joe Brown asserts that the rifle on display at the Civil Rights Museum was not the weapon used to kill Dr. King. Brown claims a two-man hit team fired from a fire station dormitory, not the rooming house. He further explains that James Earl Ray never actually confessed to the murder but entered an "Alford plea," which allows a defendant to maintain innocence while accepting a plea deal in their best interest.
