Writer, rapper and social commentator Darren McGarvey joins Origin Story to unpack the “trauma economy,” working-class rage, AI warping our narratives, and the safeguards every storyteller needs.
Content note: This episode includes discussion of addiction, withdrawal, violence, and mental health.
00:00 Welcome, why Poverty Safari mattered to me
01:02 Pollok in the 80s, safety, and the two-minds dichotomy
04:00 Structural poverty, jobs disappearing, trust collapsing
10:34 Working-class anger, different tribes, same material pain
12:17 Social mobility loneliness, West End vs Pollok
12:51 Hip-hop as agency, finding a community
16:23 Brokenness, comedowns, and what you run from
20:16 Sudden success, visibility shock, family trade-offs
24:04 When your pain becomes a product
27:04 Safeguards before you share, prevention beats cure
30:06 Accountability, making amends in public and private
33:10 Your story isn’t only yours, many truths, many versions
36:37 Going public can re-activate perpetrators, stay safe
37:07 Viral fame without guardrails, modern public safety
39:03 Boundaries, being an introvert in public
41:05 Harassment, threats, and learning to de-escalate
42:10 Reward systems, status, and identity labels
56:00 Getting triggered, the buzz, and stepping back
62:18 Advice to younger Darren, alcohol, and timing
66:13 What he hopes this new book does, and why