Diggin' In The Digits

It has been nine years since Jay-Z & Kanye West did the collab album we could only dream of in years prior. Whilst some consider it a classic and some don't, it's undeniable that this is an important album for both artists. A fork in the road for both artists. We dive into the album, track by track, with WORLD EXCLUSIVE statistics from Ben.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:40)
Topic Intro/Ben's Research Corner - (21:44)
No Church In The Wild - (35:36)
Lift Off - (40:44)
Paris - (42:55)
Otis - (46:07)
Gotta Have It -(48:24)
New Day - (52:38)
That's My Bitch - (55:41)
Welcome To The Jungle - (1:00:54)
Who Gon Stop Me - (1:08:07)
Murder To Excellence - (1:11:46)
Made In America - (1:17:49)
Why I Love You - (1:20:42)
Final Thoughts - (1:25:05)
Lighter Note - (1:33:01)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Mount Vernon, NY was never a hotbed when it came to Hip-Hop talent. If you were about Hip-Hop, you were usually born & bred in the Five Boroughs. But Pete Rock & CL Smooth were an anomaly. Their work, while slim pickings next to other duos such as OutKast & GangStarr are some of the highest quality works you can ask for. Two albums & one EP of wonderful Hip-Hop that epitomises the Golden Age.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:25)
Topic Intro/Ben's Research Corner - (18:12)
Mecca & The Soul Brother - (27:46)
The Main Ingredient - (42:34)
Breakup & Final Thoughts - (59:37)
Lighter Note - (1:12:47)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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 DITD Bites, we conversate on some recent phenomena. This year, labels have been implementing Deluxe Editions weeks, sometimes days after the initial album release, why are they doing this and why is it working?

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has commented on wax his opinions on the lack of streaming pay for artists and his answer, whilst unsurprising, are really worrying coming from him.

Lastly, how much weight do we put on a rapper being "quotable"?

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:26)
Deluxe Editions - (20:38)
Ek Vs Artists - (39:51)
Being "Quotable" - (1:04:16)
Lighter Note - (1:18:25)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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 Streets, headed by Mike Skinner, is a British institution. Never has a musical concept gone so far as a poetically blunt force in commentary about regular life. Over the past nearly two decades, Mike Skinner has built a discography that covers all facets of life. From the colourful moments to the greyest monotony. From going clubbing and doing drugs to watching telly with the wife & kids. The Streets covers everything with wide-spanning production influences and endless Quotables through a no-nonsense voice that only Mike Skinner can do.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:25)
Topic Intro - (19:28)
Selling The Streets, to someone who hasn't spun The Streets - (22:15)
Original Pirate Material - (45:05)
A Grand Don't Come For Free - (53:00)
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living - (59:11)
"Everything Is Borrowed" & "Computers & Blues" - (1:05:23)
"None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive" & Final Thoughts - (1:14:17)
Lighter Note - (1:25:18)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Is 50 Cent a sociopath? A genius? An asshole? A troll? A trailblazer? Someone who changed the game as we know it? Let's just say that by the end of this episode, you'll say 'All of the above' and then some. Strap in, it's a wild one.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:26)
Topic Intro - (11:21)
Ben's Research Corner - (13:28)
50's Beginnings in Music - (23:11)
Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - (40:06)
The Massacre - (49:13)
Curtis - (59:09)
Before I Self Destruct - (1:05:14)
Animal Ambition - (1:11:11)
Final Thoughts - (1:20:17)
Lighter Note - (1:23:10)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Yasiin Bey/Mos Def is an enigma in every sense of the word. Who else chooses jail in a foreign country instead of just flying out? Who else pushes to talk about the current issue of the day instead of his career history? He's so principled, it's a surprise that he has four Studio Albums! Yasiin's career is a lightning rod for everything that's wrong with the music industry and through all the BS, has stuck with being a true artiste. For better or worse.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:28)
Topic Intro/Ben's Research Corner - (18:23)
Black On Both Sides - (28:25)
The New Danger - (36:59)
True Magic - (47:58)
The Ecstatic - (52:39)
Final Thoughts - (58:29)
Lighter Note - (1:12:07)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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 our 2nd edition of "DITD Bites", we only get into two topics out of the four we had and you'll understand why we only got to two, considering how bulky the topics are. The Five Elements of Hip-Hop (& their prevalence in the current landscape) and the good ol' conversation about misogynoir in Hip-Hop, after Janelle Monae tweets about it in depth.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:03)
The Five Elements - (17:43)
Janelle vs the "Not ALL men" crowd - (47:54)
Lighter Note - (1:20:38)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Please, just listen to this one and make our pain worthwhile...

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:23)
Topic Intro - (14:32)
BEP's beginnings, "Behind The Front" & "Bridging The Gap" - (18:54)
"Elephunk" & "Monkey Business" - (32:22)
"THE E.N.D", Charlie's meltdown & no acknowledgement of the other one - (48:06)
The slap in the face that is "MASTERS OF THE SUN VOL. 1" - 1:01:04
Lighter Note - (1:11:35)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Lamont "Big L" Coleman could have been one of the greatest MCs in Hip-Hop history, he had the potential to be. That's a word you're going to hear a lot from the DITD duo as they look at what could've been for the Harlem born & raised spitter. He didn't just have the potential to have one of the greatest careers we've seen, he showed signs early that he could've been a top tier Hip-Hop businessman, dedicated to putting his people on and not just being about the bars.

Unfortunately, all we have is the bars and testimonials from the likes of Cam'Ron & Lord Finesse, but the least we can do is appreciate how COLD Big L was.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:32)
Topic Intro - (24:49)
Ben's Research Corner - (26:20)
Big L's hand in the rise of "Horrorcore" - (37:25)
Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous - (43:35)
Big L, the feared Freestyler with sharp lyrical ability - (48:41)
The Big Picture - (56:27)
The importance of "Ebonics" - (1:03:39)
Final Thoughts - (1:09:09)
Lighter Note - (1:15:30)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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

Warren G. We all know him for that one song, that one, amazing song. But when you look deeper than "Regulate", you start to notice that Warren G is one of the most underappreciated pioneers in Hip-Hop history and his story is worthy of its own film.

Despite being one of the biggest architects in the moulding of celebrated West Coast subgenre "G-Funk", his calm persona along with a preference in being behind the scenes made him look smaller compared to the Gods around him; most notably, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg.

Add time to all of that and you got yourself a legacy that, whilst solidified in terms of credit, is very small culturally. Warren G is a legend of the game and we attempt to give him his flowers and etch his name in the Mount Rushmore of G-Funk pioneers.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:07)
Topic Intro - (17:45)
Warren's heartbreaking beginnings - (21:05)
Regulate... G-Funk Era - (35:32)
Take A Look Over Your Shoulder - (43:07)
I Want It All - (50:38)
The Return Of The Regulator (54:41)
213 & Warren's shadowed legacy -  (59:30)
Lighter Note - (1:09:40)

Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved. Be sure to let us know that you're supporting us!

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

HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK
5E Community Discord
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