Diggin' In The Digits

As 2019 and the 2010s winds down, the DITD duo begins a four-part series, counting down their Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of the decade.

This episode covers numbers 10 to 8. These lists are 100% Subjective, this isn't about what album hits the hardest or the albums that sold the most or what was the most critically acclaimed. These are the albums that the duo loves the most, the albums that stuck to them in a way no other albums did. It's all subjective.

This is the longest episode of DITD yet but it's all worth it in our humble & completely unbiased opinion. We hope you enjoy!

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:22)
Topic Intro - (22:11)
Charlie's No.10 - (27:46)
Ben's No.10 - (35:18)
Charlie's No.9 - (46:05)
Ben's No.9 -(53:17)
Charlie's No.8 - (1:02:06)
Ben's No.8 - (1:14:51)
Lighter Note - (1:30:05)

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 concept of a duo is an interesting one. You have one-time duos that catch a vibe and decide to make a project together. (The Throne, Drake & Future) You have homegrown duos that grow together (Eric B & Rakim, Mobb Deep, OutKast) and you have anomalies like Run The Jewels that just find the rare camaraderie that is as if they were homegrown.

You also have the duos that rely on expertise. That's where the 1 MC, 1 Producer collabs come in. The DITD duo explores duos from all angles and also give their Top 5 Duos.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (3:32)
Topic Intro - (19:30)
The rare commercial success of Duos - (23:30)
Creative outlooks are always a factor - (31:38)
Why 1 Rapper/1 Producer collabs work more often than not (38:16)
Why 1 Rapper/1 Producer collabs get us excited - (49:06)
Top 5 Duos - (53:35)
Lighter Note - (59:05)

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

Mixtapes, in the classic definition, is a thing of the past. But since the turn of the Millenium, Mixtapes have evolved to become more and more about the artist and nothing to do with the DJ/Producer anymore.

So how did this happen? Did the DJ's fumble the bag? Has a fun essence of Hip-Hop gone away with the commercialisation of Mixtapes? Why does Charlie get so irked about Mixtapes sounding just like albums!? All will be answered in Episode 30 of DITD.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:58)
Topic Intro - (13:36)
History of Mixtapes - (18:33)
The low-key dodginess of Mixtape DJ's (27:55)
The short-term evolution is just as depressing as the long-term - (35:30)
Mixtape Marketing - (40:05)
Have we lost a piece of Hip-Hop with these DJ-less Mixtapes? (44:35)
Was it the Major Labels that created this "Mixtape/Album" evolution? (53:51)
A (con of a) Lighter Note - (1:03:27)

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

Hip-Hop as a genre of music is always evolving, constantly changing, year by year. But what about those artists or those albums that kind of straddle the Hip-Hop sound but takes significant inspirations from other genres?

The DITD duo talk about labels, (The things you stick on your chest, not the music ones...) genres and the foundations that Hip-Hop are built on. Is labelling something "Hip-Hop" too broad a term? Should services cater to sub-genres more? If so, how deep is too deep? And does this all matter when Hip-Hop is simply the perfect amalgamation of the Afro-American genres born before it?

Ben tries to find an opinion, Charlie gives his informed opinion, let us know what you think. This is a very broad & subjective topic and is worth nailing down.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup (5:00)
Topic Intro (19:44)
What is Hip-Hop? (26:14)
The positives, negatives & essentiality of categorising (30:05)
Is rapping essential to Hip-Hop? Even though it's one of the Five Elements? (41:14)
Examples of Hip-Hop albums that could easily be categorised as something else (49:35)
Lighter Note (59:55)

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

Beefs are some of the greatest things about Hip-Hop culture, watching two (or more) artists go at each other on wax. It's a win-win for every Hip-Hop fan. Even more so if the tracks are genuinely fire.

So the DITD duo looks at a couple of tasty rivalries that have produced some of the most ruthless tracks in music. We take a look at Ice Cube vs NWA (& Eazy vs Dre) and the recent beef that we still love to talk about to this day. Pusha T vs Drake.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:33)
Topic Intro/Cube-NWA Backstory - (16:33)
"No Vaseline" aside, Cube made a great career move - (23:26)
Eazy's shortsightedness - (26:18)
The All-Rounder Diss track, "Dre Day" - (30:04)
The grimey "Real Muthaphuckkin' G's" - (34:53)
Pusha vs Drake - (42:24)
The backstory way before "Infrared" - (44:53)
Drake does not have a "Career Ender" for Pusha T - (59:00)
Lighter Note - (1:03:35)

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

Hip-Hop indulges in plenty of things we can consider negative. Money, sex, guns, gangs to name a few. But none of those has been as contentious as the conversation around drugs.

Back in the day, Hip-Hop were the sellers of them because that's what Uncle Sam forced them to do. Some outright denounced it, some made positives out of the negative. Now, Hip-Hop are the buyers, the users, and people have died due to this tectonic shift.

The DITD duo ask when did this shift happen? Why did it happen? And why are artists so "on the fence" about drugs compared to the pioneers who made it clear that it was a stain on American society?

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (3:01)
Topic Intro - (18:55)
A quick history of Drugs in Hip-Hop - (28:01)
Let's talk about Future - (30:47)
Ben's personal experiences w/Drugs (38:12)
How do you judge authenticity? - (46:45)
Final Thoughts - (53:27)
Lighter Note - (1:02:04)

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 Part 2 of the DITD Mini-Series on "Dual-Disciplined Artists", the duo take a look at some notable D-DA's that have made the method their own. 

We create three designations: 

1. Producers who rap.
2. Rappers who produce.
3. "True Dual" Artists.

This is a very fast-paced episode that tries to get through a lot of artists and we chop & change a few when we get to them so strap in and cover your ears when Ben gets on J.Cole...

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:03)
Topic Intro & Criteria - (13:24)
Producers who Rap (Dre, Pharrell Q-Tip & RZA) - (15:47)
Rappers who Produce (Eminem, Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt & J.Cole) - (32:40)
"True Dual" Artists (Kanye, MF DOOM, Tyle, The Creator & Big K.R.I.T) (52:29)
Quick shouts - (1:02:13)
Lighter Note - (1:04:32)

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 a 2-Part Mini-series of DITD. The duo explores the concept of the "Dual-Disciplined Artist". (D-DA) An artist that produces as well as raps.

We all know that these days there are a plethora of artists that like to have a hand in the two most prominent stages of creating music. But what you might not know is that the late 80s/early 90s was stacked with D-DAs!

Ben & Charlie take a little trip back to see how being a D-DA was a necessity for some, a huge success for a few then started to die out & now has made a resurgence. As Part 1 explores the overall history, Part 2 will explore specific case studies. Be sure to check-in for the next episode.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:17)
Topic Intro - (15:03)
History of D-DAs - (15:59)
The first successes - (22:13)
Why isn't early D-DA success common knowledge? - (25:51)
The mass audience maybe aren't as invested into specifics? - (32:33)
Did Major Labels have a hand in the near extinction of D-DAs? - (40:10)
The resurgence of D-DAs - (49:33)
Lighter Note - (56:02)

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

It's been over a decade now when in 2007, two of the biggest names in Hip-Hop literally went head-to-head, to see who was the commercial King.

50 Cent dropped "Curtis" and Kanye West dropped "Graduation". Kanye won in a landslide and at that moment, changed Hip-Hop.

The DITD duo discuss the event in detail, looking at the albums themselves, the artists careers before and after the event and, of course, the statistics behind it all.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:39)
Topic Intro - (14:06)
Looking back at the event - (22:36)
Ben's thoughts on the albums - (28:49)
50 was in a dying vessel and didn't know it - (31:59)
The death of 'Gangster Rap' - (38:03)
How dominant 'Gangster Rap' was - (44:44)
The context of 'Gangster Rap' has changed - (49:27)
Final Thoughts - (50:15)
Lighter Note - (57:11)

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

"Trash" - Something that is of low quality.

There's a lot of words in the Hip-Hop lexicon that are used freely & frequently. "Classic" & "GOAT" have been think-pieced to death in recent years, but what about "trash"? Whenever an album, EP or song drops, there is always somebody to label it "trash". But what do we really mean when we say "trash"? Do we mean it's the worst thing ever? The worst thing by that artist?

The DITD duo dives into "trash" figuratively and literally. You're going to hear some names that'll make your face scrunch and, as always, find some good wholesome context to the word that everybody loves to use. (The word "Garbage" is also relevant if you live in a place that uses "garbage")

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:24)
Topic Intro - (14:42)
What is "Trash"? - (15:56)
"Tinfoil Hat Ben" RETURNS - (25:28)
"Trash" albums from legends of the game - (35:59)
People see "Trash" in different scopes - (38:02)
A final thought on "trash" - (51:08)
Lighter Note - (59:24)

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