Diggin' In The Digits

With Little Brother now explored, we can now get into the work of the distant 3rd member: Producer 9th Wonder who has spent a couple decades now letting his music do the talking, with many of collaborators in tow. In the first of two parts, we do something a little different and pick out two projects each that exemplify 9th and his legacy.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:29)
Ben:

• Yelawolf - War Story
• Open Mike Eagle - Sir Rockabye
• KAYTRANADA - TIMELESS
• Vince Staples - Dark Times

Charlie:

• KAYTRANADA - TIMELESS
• SHY FX & Mr. Williamz - Rudeboy Design Soundtape
• Pip Millett - Tell Jimmy I'm Fine
• Celine Love - Colouring In

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (12:30)
God's Stepson - (23:54)
Black Is Back - (35:06)
Murray's Revenge - (48:08)
Cloud 9: The 3 Day High - (1:01:54)
Lighter Note - (1:12:39)

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 continue our LB miniseries with an exploration into the solo work of Rapper Big Pooh who - unlike Phonte - has dropped a lot of solo work in the past 20 years.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:20)
Ben:

• Dave East x Mike & Keys - APT 6E
• Big Hit x Hit-Boy & Alchemist - Black & Whites
• Crimeapple x Big Ghost LTD - Bazuko

Charlie:

• Wretch 32 - Moments of Silence
• Ian Kelly - ART
• Oddisee - And Yet Still
• JONES - Kaleidoscope
• Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn
• The Deli & Soupmakesitbetter - For Your Ears Not Your Belly
• namesbliss - Lived Experience
• Potatohead People - Eat Your Heart Out 
• Nascent - DON'T GROW UP TOO SOON
• Bugzy Malone - The Great British Dream
• Wolfgang Valbrun - Flawed by Design

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (17:18)

Sleepers - (23:05)

The Delightful Bars - (26:44)

Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 1: For Members Only - (29:43)

Dirty Pretty Things - (32:33)

"Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 3: Happy Birthday, Thomas" & "Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 3.5" - (34:54)

Everything 4 Sale - (40:46)

RPM - (43:20)

To Dream In Color - (45:02)
Lighter Note - (52:39)

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 exploring the music & story of Little Brother, it's time to get into the breakaway works. We begin with Phonte who spends the 2010s sporadically dropping works with a style not too distant from LB and with familiar names in tow.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:52)
Ben:

• Juicy J - Mental Trillness 2

Charlie:

• Halima - EXU
• Vince Staples - Dark Times
• Shenseea - Never Gets Late Here
• Opek - The Call
• Confucius MC & Pitch 92 - Stop Signs
• Loyle Carner - hugo: reimagined (live from the Royal Albert Hall)

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:56)
Charity Starts At Home - (24:18)
No News Is Good News - (33:31)
Lighter Note - (48:01)

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 head to North Carolina where a trio blooms out of a larger collective to become one of the biggest "if you know, you know" acts of the 00s: Little Brother with Phonte, Big Pooh and for a time, 9th Wonder.

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

• Rapsody - Please Don't Cry
• Mach-Hommy - #RICHHAXXHAITIAN
• A Boogie - Better off Alone
• Rio Da Yung OG - Rio Circa 2020
• Cities Aviv - Bernadette Leak
• ShooterGang Kony - OPPS CAN'T HAVE FUN
• Thom Yorke - Confidenze

Charlie:

• Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison - The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire
• Mumu Fresh - The Healing
• Kamaiyah - Figuring Out My Emotions
• Rapsody - Please Don't Cry
• Hit-Boy & Jay 305 - DON'T WAIT UNTIL I DIE
• Vinocio - Horizonte
• Blu - abc
• Terrace Martin - Grounded 

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (15:37)

The Listening - (24:56)

The Minstrel Show - (33:13)

Getback - (43:15)

Leftback - (51:35)

May the Lord Watch - (57:51)
Lighter Note - (1:06:07)

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

Ras Kass presents a discography that is vast, two iconic albums in the 90s, then a litany of mixtapes in the 00s and then continuing his consistent output in the 10s with a return to studio albums. So with such a gap between his 2nd & 3rd solo albums, does his story provide context?

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:42)
Ben:

• Conway the Machine - Slant Face Killer
• Ghostface Killah - Set the Tone
• Gunna - One of Wun

Charlie:

• Jorja Smith - falling or flying out (Reimagined)
• Jasmine Myra - Rising
• Nubiyan Twist - Find Your Flame
• A-F-R-O - The Drawing Board
• BigXthaPlug, Ro$ama & Yung Hood - MEET THE 6IXERS
• Yaya Bey - Ten Fold 
• Bryony Jarman-Pinto - Below Dawn
• Jordan Rakei - The Loop

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (16:00)
Soul On Ice - (23:30)
Rasassination - (30:16)
Barmaggedon - (41:07)
Intellectual Property - (46:53)
Soul On Ice 2 - (54:12)
Lighter Note - (1:06:51)

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 return for Part 2 of our retrospective of Ice-T, where we left him off the back of his legendary four album run and the "Cop Killer" controversy; where would Ice take his art as he leaned more and more into other forms of media?

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:53)
Ben:

• LeeV - Shadow Demon
• Boldy James - Trapper's Alley
• Partynextdoor - 4
• Ahmad Anonimis - Mnt. Snug
• 4Batz - u made me a st4r
• Ben Beal x Wun Two - gazebo
• Rome Streetz - Buck 50
• Spice 1 - Platinum OG 2

Charlie:

• amir. - Three Of Swords
• Cassie Kinoshi's seed. W/ NikNak & London Contemporary Orchestra - gratitude
• Slum Village - F.U.N.
• Liv.e - PAST FUTUR.e
• Rachel Chinouriri - What A Devastating Turn of Events

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (10:04)

Home Invasion - (15:30)

Ice-T VI: Return of the Real - (22:39)

The Seventh Deadly Sin - (30:15)

Gangsta Rap - (35:09)
Lighter Note - (46:04)

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

In conjunction with "What's Good?", this is a special DITD episode where Charlie heads to West London to talk with Garage pioneer and co-founder of Heartless Crew: MC Bushkin.

In anticipation of his film "The Story So Far" premiering @ Genesis Cinema the same day this episode drops, Bushkin talks his beginnings, notable moments in his Heartless Crew years but more broadly, get into the connections between Garage, Grime and beyond; also tracing the absurd rate of evolution Black British Music had in the 90s/00s, with Bushkin right there through all of it.

if you recently spun Narduwar's interview with Skepta, this'll be a great opportunity for you to go deeper into the history that made the likes of Skepta and his contemporaries.

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 

For this Hip-Hop Neighbours - linked to our Ice-T exploration - we cover the self-titled album Body Count and we also get into the first album from the UK based collective SAULT: "5".

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

• Backwood Sweetie - Burn One
• Berner - The Farmer's Market
• Gangrene - Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
• Hus KingPin - In a State of Nirvana
• Baby Rose x BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn
• Taylor Swift - Tortured Poets Deptartment

Charlie:

• Oscar #Worldpeace - Mum, Pray for Your Son
• Swank & King Draft - Vice City
• Blue Lab Beats - Blue Eclipse

Body Count - (9:29)
5 - (31:42)
Lighter Note - (44:17)

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 stay in the West Coast AND the late 80s/early 90s to do a two-parter on one of the most authentic voices to ever represent Hip-Hop: Ice-T.

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

• NappyHigh - Burgundy
• Future x Metro Boomin - We Still Don't Trust You

Charlie:

• DRAGG - Mixed Feelings
• NappyHigh - Burgundy
• Nia Archives - Silence Is Loud
• Terri Walker & Zed Bias - My Love Story (Zed Bias Remixes)
• Summers Sons - Still Nothing Still
• Shabaka - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace

Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:05)

Rhyme Pays - (26:00)

Power - (35:20)

The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say - (45:15)

O.G. Original Gangster - (54:47)
Lighter Note - (1:08:45)

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 

This week, we celebrate DITD's 5th birthday with a pop quiz from Ben, thoughts on the Pod in general and yes, we talk about the Cole response to Kendrick.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (0:46)
Ben:

• J.Cole - Might Delete Later
• GloRilla - Ehhthang Ehhthang
• Chris Patrick - The Calm
• Doja Cat - Scarlet 2 Claude

Charlie:

• Dizzy Wright - Harsh Reality
• Khruangbin - A LA SALA
• Keen - Feel Good. Do Better.
• Louis Culture - I Can't Wait To See U Again
• Amy Gadiaga - All Black Everything
• Reuben Vincent - General Admission
• SAMSON - UNDERSTAND.
• Marv Won - I'm Fine, Thanks For Asking
• IYAMAH - In Two Worlds
• José James - 1978
• Bryson Tiller - Bryson Tiller
• Nectar Woode - Nothing To Lose
• Akua Naru - All About Love: New Visions

Lighter Note: (1:21:00)

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