Diggin' In The Digits

Happy New Year! We kick-off 2025 as we like to do, by talking about our favourite albums from the year that passed. Our Top 2 Albums of 2024.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:17)
Ben:

• Lil Baby - WHAM
• Consequence - Movies on Demand

Charlie:

• Hermanos Gutiérrez - Sonido Cósmico
• Konkolo Orchestra - Future Pasts

Charlie's No. 2 - (5:26)
Ben's No. 2 - (28:03)
Charlie's No. 1 - (51:58)
Ben's No. 1 - (1:04:27)
Lighter Note - (1:20:32)

Spin Charlie's Top 10 of his Top 30 Albums of 2024.

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

With it being the last episode of the year, we do our customary look through the Metacritic Album Score Review, looking at the works that were highly acclaimed and the works that were roasted into oblivion.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02)
Charlie:

• Novine - Daydreaming
• Sophye Soliveau - INITIATION
• SOUFSIDE KATHLEEN - Everything Under My Sun
• Kneecap - Fine Art
• Liana Flores - Flower of the soul

The Review - (5:38)
Lighter Note - (1:33:53)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

The story of Coolio is... a lot. But you know what isn't a lot? The variety in his discography once the 00s came around! Tracks appearing in more than one body of work and derivative tropes plaguing that weird decade would severely taint his first three albums that were bursting with personality and obviously "Gangster's Paradise". Lucky for him, it didn't.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:02)
Ben:
Charlie:

• Diani - Deion
• Vic Spencer - Being The Bigger Person Sucks 
• Iman Europe - Moneymorphosis
• Barney Artist & Miles Singleton - Strangers All Around
• Alici - Souvenir

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (7:38)

It Takes a Thief - (13:43)

Gangsta's Paradise - (21:58)

My Soul - (31:22)

Coolio.com - (38:32)

El Cool Magnifico - (42:23)

The Return of the Gangsta - (45:35)

Steal Hear - (50:12)

Lighter Note - (1:00:42)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

We finish our Westside Connection miniseries with WC who is definitely the more humorous of the three and is an underrated influence on where the West Coast went in the 00s and beyond.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:45)
Ben:

• Snoop Dogg x Dr. Dre - Missionary
• Roc Marciano x The Alchemist - The Skeleton Key

Charlie:

• Iotosh - FOR THE PEOPLE
• Kota The Friend & Statik Selektah - Once In A Blue Moon
• Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre - Missionary
• Vic Santoro - Clean Shoes Dirty Trainers
• Amahla - Ooooh Honey!

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (11:40)

The Shadiest One - (20:57)

Ghetto Heisman - (28:01)

Guilty by Affiliation - (35:15)

Revenge of the Barracuda - (41:14)
Lighter Note - (48:32)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

Before WC went solo and became one third of the Westside Connection, he was head of WC and the Maad Circle which featured a pre-solo Coolio, Big Gee and DJ/Producer Crazy Toones.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:54)
Ben:

• Rossy - Milwaukee Made Me / Wisconsin Worldwide

Charlie:

• Janset & IKHANA - PROBLEMS
• Shabaka - Possession

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (4:47)
Ain't a Damn Thang Changed - (12:39)
Curb Servin - (26:35)
Lighter Note - (36:41)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

After covering Westside Connection last week, it was only right to get into the two artists not named Ice Cube. This week: Mack 10 whose easy style was good enough to make a pretty decent discography considering half the output was during the dreaded 00s.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52)
Ben:

• duke deuce - tribe
• Ice Cube - Man Down
• Pete & Bas - Mugshot
• Boldy James - The Bricktionary

Charlie:

• Treasure Bloom - Passing Time
• Nejma Nefertiti, Double A.B. & Dub Sonata - Animal Barz II
• Knucks & K-Trap - Can't Decide 3P
• Deema - DOG WITH A £
• Jeff Darko - Merry Go Round
• Skyzoo - Keep Me Company

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (11:41)

Mack 10 - (17:28)

Based on a True Story - (24:29)

The Recipe - (29:21)

The Paper Route - (39:56)

Bang or Ball - (45:00)

Ghetto, Gutter & Gangsta - (52:13)

Hustla's Handbook - (55:54)

Soft White - (1:01:59)
Lighter Note - (1:09:47)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

The trio of Ice Cube, WC & Mack 10 comprised the group Westside Connection that dropped two albums filled with aggressiveness, anyone-can-get-it dissing and mentioned "Mount Westmore" before Cube, Snoop, Too $hort & E-40 got around to finally make that a reality. Whilst production was okay, their chemistry and lyrical ability raised the tide immensely.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:55)
Ben:

• Cordae - The Crossroads
• Kendrick Lamar - GNX

Charlie:

• Eva Gadd - I Don't Talk
• Zino Vinci - TFL Blues
• Baaba J - In Pursuit Of Happiness
• 84faces - Wasted Summer
• Pa Salieu - Afrikan Alien
• Adrian Younge - Linear Labs: Sau Paolo
• FLO - Access All Areas
• Kendrick Lamar - GNX
• K.Zia & Sedric Perry - TWIN FLAME
• Zenesoul - Is is fun for you?
• Poppy Ajudha - Poppy
• Dizzy Wright, Demrick & Mike & Keys - Blaze With Us 3
• Raquel Rodriguez - Housewife
• Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes
• Emile Londonien - Inwards
• Ice Cube - Man Down 

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (21:03)
Bow Down - (26:08)
Terrorist Threats - (39:47)
Lighter Note - (56:10)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

It's time for another Contemporary Cool in which Ben makes a YouTube video with his pick of Ab-Soul's "HERBERT" and Charlie gives love to Garage with DJ Spoony-led "Garage Classical".

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57)
Ben:

• Ab-Soul - Soul Burger
• ASAP Ferg - DAROLD
• Real Boston Richey - Richey Rich
• Natty - The Divine Trinity

Charlie:

• Common Saints - Cinema 3000
• Joshua Idehen - Mum Does The Washing
• Nectar Woode - Head Above Water
• Vibbar - Gyal Thoughts
• Mark Kavuma & The Banger Factory - Magnum Opus
• Ab-Soul - Soul Burger

HERBERT - (11:39)
Garage Classical - (44:26)
Lighter Note - (1:06:55)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

With the Young Thug/YSL RICO trial done & dusted, we invited Music Journalist & 5EPN Alum Brandon Hill to come through to talk about the trial, sentencing; the wider ramifications of this trial to Hip-Hop (& more specifically Lil Durk) and the implied silencing of Young Thug through his future musical content.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:17)
Brandon:

• Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce
• Joe James - BEAST LIVING
• EarthGang - Perfect Fantasy

Ben:

• Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce
• Big Moochie Grape - Eat or Get Ate 2
• Conductor Williams - Conductor We Have a Problem Pt. 3
• Westside Gunn - Still Praying
• Lloyd Banks - Halloween Havoc V
• Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake 2

Charlie:

• The Headhunters - The Stunt Man
• Vic Spencer & August Fanon - Psychological Cheat Sheet 5
• Nappy Nina & Swarvy - Nothing Is My Favorite Thing
• Maassai - DEC0N$tRUCT!0N
• Lin-Manuel Miranda & Eisa Davis - Warriors
• Kokoroko - Get The Message
• Braxton Cook - My Everything
• Astrocolor - Stargazing - AstroJazz, Vol. 2
• Ol' Burger Beats - Welcome To Norway

The Conversation - (19:28)
Lighter Note - (1:04:53)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

And be sure to keep up with Brandon's Journalism.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

For the final UKBHM retrospective of this year, we look at the career and solo discography of sonic nomad Neneh Cherry who has traversed the UK music landscape from the 80s onwards to now with a penchant for always doing it differently than her peers.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:58)
Ben:

• Kembe X - it's not that deep
• Nappy Nina - Nothing is my Favourite Thing
• DeJ Loaf - End of Summer
• Payroll Giovanni - Hustle Muzik

Charlie:

• Imperial & Awon - On Tempo
• The Doppelgangaz - G Pack, Vol. 6
• Ray BLK - A Forest Fire
• Samara Cyn - The Drive Home
• MORGAN - Emotional Gangster
• Joe James - BEAST LIVING
• Bawo - It Means Hope Where I'm From
• Che Noir - The Lotus Child
• Megan Thee Stallion - MEGAN: ACT II

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (16:22)

Raw Like Sushi - (26:44)

Homebrew - (37:11)

Man - (45:59)

Blank Project - (51:29)

Broken Politics - (57:02)

The Versions - (1:03:57)
Lighter Note - (1:12:06)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.

Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92

Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence