Diggin' In The Digits

The DITD "Retrospective" series continues with Chicago's own Common. On the back of his latest Studio Album "Let Love", Common has long solidified his place in Hip-Hop history. Multiple classics, iconic songs and a model of consistency.

Now, in recent years, he's evolved to become the signature lyricist to *sound* like he's pushing 50. Themes of Love, introspection & life experience has always been in Common's wheelhouse but being an "elder statesman" in Hip-Hop has only made him better, or at least helped keep his high level with no creative slip-ups.

The DITD duo gives their thoughts on his latest album, rank his many projects and take account of how unprecedented Common's career really is.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly music Roundup - (2:05)
Topic Intro - (15:35)
Thoughts on "Let Love" - (17:23)
Comments on Common's artistry - (22:45)
Ranking Common's albums - (25:49)
What do you look for in a Common album? - (36:33)
Statistics on Common - (45:18)
Don't forget, Common isn't a pushover - (51:53)
How many "Classic Albums" does Common have? - (54:54)
Final thoughts - (57:55)
Lighter Note - (1:08:00)

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

Storytelling is a foundation in how we communicate. It gives us the ability to inform others of the past. But past that very basic understanding, we can use Storytelling to however we see fit. We can tell the outright truth, we can give a completely fabricated recount. We can make it funny, make it sad. It's all up to the storyteller.

So imagine that ability to mould a story and then throw some beats on it. Maybe stretch the story over an album? Maybe over several? The possibilities are endless. Ben & Charlie explore storytelling in Hip-Hop and more specifically, how it's changed over the decades.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (2:25)
Topic Intro - (12:21)
Hip-Hop's ability to tell stories better - (17:02)
Rap names as defacto author pseudonyms (20:19)
Storytelling as a pillar of Hip-Hop music - (22:42)
How has Hip-Hop Storytelling evolved? - (25:44)
A slight tangent into the "Golden Era" conversations - (29:25)
We relied on stories more back in the day - (39:35)
The similarities & differences between Storytelling & "Concept" - (44:57)
Storytelling in the 00s - (46:18)
Storytelling in the 10s - (48:22)
Is "Vibe" enough to tell a story? - (50:40)
Lighter Note - (1:05:55)

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

The DITD duo continues their "Retrospective" series with one of the most visible figures in Hip-Hop history. Snoop Dogg.

There's plenty of ways to hail Snoop Dogg, from his music to his cultural ubiquity, to his business acumen, to his activism. Ben & Charlie cover all of these (In a "We are not worthy" fashion) and more as they figure out why Hip-Hop fans don't rate him as heavy in today's landscape. Is it because he's constantly evolved his persona? Is it because of his diverse portfolio?

All of that & some words on his latest release "I Wanna Thank Me". With one of one statistics & an oxymoronic "Lighter Note", both from Ben. Enjoy.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:43)
Topic Intro - (11:41)
Thoughts on "I Wanna Thank Me" - (12:59)
A look at Snoop's discography - (21:39)
Why are people throwing stones @ Snoop's music? - (26:26)
Statistics from Ben on Snoop's success - (35:48)
Snoop's 00's run - (40:17)
Snoop's diverse portfolio - (44:45)
Snoop's activism - (48:13)
Final thoughts - (52:16)
"Lighter" Note - (57:32)

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

Dr Dre is a consensus Top 5 Producer in Hip-Hop history. Where some try to cement their legacy by either being business geniuses or creative geniuses, Dr Dre has done both. A residency on Forbes' Hip-Hop cash kings and countless artists that have Dre to thank for their careers are testaments to that.

Ben & Charlie continue their retrospective series with a breakdown of Dr Dre's accomplishments and trying to quantify how influential he is, how he's done what he's done and how is he still a creative force after all these decades?

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly music roundup - (1:02)
Topic Intro - (11:59)
Where is Dre ranked in the All-Time Producers list? - (14:05)
Ben's stats on Dre's commercial & creative success - (16:34)
What we hail Dre for... And the things we don't but should - (21:10)
What were the ingredients for Dre's rise? - (27:24)
Dre's ability to stay on the pulse without "Wave riding" - (34:33)
The Ghostwriter conversation (& the difference between ghost & Co-Writing) - (40:53)
Ben's story about Dre's creative skeletons - (51:35)
Lighter Notes - (59:35)

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

It's been a week since the release of Chance The Rapper's much-anticipated debut Studio Album "The Big Day".

But the responses towards the album have been... Mixed, to say the least. There are people saying it's trash, (Ben) there are people that don't like it but can find positives in it (Charlie) and there are people that are ready to put on the capes to fight for their boy Chance. It's been a while since an album this highly touted has seen all sides of the opinion spectrum.

So Ben & Charlie decided to investigate. WHY is it so polarising? Why doesn't it work? How do other albums that focus on one broad topic fare? Are we all haters of happiness? Or is it like stand-up comedy where it's hard to make people feel consistently positive for an hour?

The duo comes to an interesting conclusion by dipping into character development terminology, typically used in the storytelling arts.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly music round-up - (1:23)
Topic Intro - (7:52)
Thoughts on Chance's "The Big Day" - (10:07)
The lack of tonal variety is a big problem - (22:03)
We need conflict as consumers - (24:35)
Statistics on "The Big Day" - (29:06)
Comparing "The Big Day" to "EVERYTHING IS LOVE" - (30:30)
Charlie's 2nd Tier of "Classics" - (33:56)
These albums demand indulgence - (35:36)
Ben's "Love Doctor" seminar - (38:53)
Why Faith Evans' & Biggie's "King & I" didn't work - (42:17)
Why Jhene Aiko & Big Sean's "TWENTY88" worked - (46:02)
Flat character arcs work... Flat STORY arcs don't - (47:31)
Has Chance accidentally created a new sub-genre? - (52:28)

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

If you're into Hip-Hop in any format, whether you follow certain artists, writers, YouTubers or even just your mate that's really into Hip-Hop, you know about the yearly content dump that is the XXL Freshman List.

10 artists who are on the come up get the opportunity to say "Hey World, I'm here!" They drop a quick freestyle, attend the Freshman Cyphers and of course, join together for a cover shoot.

But why is this still a thing? Is the List simply moonlighting as something for Hip-Hop fans to talk about in the Summer months? Goaded by the virality that Social Media has? Or is it a genuine attempt to try and hail 10 artists that are responsible for pushing the art forward?

This is a rare episode where Ben & Charlie start off on different sides of the fence, but they find a middle ground by the end... And then Ben tries to put Charlie's business out on the street. Big mistake.

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Round-up - (1:11)
Oh yea! The ACTUAL topic of the show! - (19:28)
Ben gives numbers on the importance of The XXL FL - (21:15)
Charlie's contention with the List - (24:36)
What is the criterion of the List? - (26:45)
Does the fact that artists have rejected the invitation make it less 'definitive'? - (30:52)
The *possible* negative Ben has - (34:52)
More numbers explaining XXL's possible change in motive - (45:31)
Is it simply just something to talk about & nothing more? - (55:08)
Lighter Note - (1:01:33)

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

Nas has recently dropped "The Lost Tapes 2", which is considered a breath of fresh air, especially after the terrible project that was "NASIR".

So, in celebration of this, the DITD duo explores Nas' music that's not named "Illmatic". What are the best ones? Why doesn't Nas get respect from the "Genius Generation"? Is the tired "Nas picks terrible beats" comment the real reason why people don't put Nas in their Top 5? Ben & Charlie give a retrospective of Nasty Nas, Esco, Nastradamus, one of the best pens in music history.

TIMESTAMPS:
Music listened to in the past week. - (1:08)
Topic intro - (12:32)
Charlie issues a challenge to Ben - (15:12)
Thoughts on "LT2" - (18:31)
Should we be expecting less "Solid" projects from Nas? - (20:20)
Stats on "LT2" & other Nas projects - (24:11)
Nas Album Tier List - (28:47)
*That* Production conversation - (41:28)
Is Nas' high-quality lyricism & persona a gift & a curse? - (52:26)
Lighter Notes - (1:00:28)

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 a few months since Lil Nas X's explosion onto the mainstream. Since then, "Old Town Road" is now the longest-running No.1 Hip-Hop track on the Billboard Hot 100 and is quickly closing in on the All Genre record.

Memes are the most fluid element of Social Media, which in itself is the most fluid form of communication. So what happens when that meme is based around an artist we've never heard of? Like a Lil Nas X or Blueface?

Ben & Charlie explore Meme culture in Hip-Hop. How the viral nature of Memes may seem harmless on the face, but maybe they're influencing how we think? And stifles exploration, discovery & individual tastes... Yep, it's one of *those* episodes!

TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly round-up - (1:52)
Topic Introduction - (11:00)
Charlie's general thoughts - (14:33)
Ben on "Old Town Road" & what people want - (18:25)
Do Memes affect our decisions? - (23:46)
What's the difference between "Viral" & "Memes"? - (31:37)
Do Memes affect established artists? - (39:42)
Tekashi69, The bright but brief flame - (44:43)
"DJ" Akedemics & focusing on negatives (46:09)
Lighter Note - (1:04:31)

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

One of the most anticipated releases of 2019 has come & gone. "Revenge of The Dreamers 3", led by J.Cole, has been received very well.

So well in fact, that it got Ben & Charlie thinking about the concept of "Label Albums" or "Collaborative Albums" to word it differently. If we look back at albums such as ROTD3, they're rarely remembered as being high-quality projects. They're more remembered as moments in time, moments in an artist's career, not as a great album that people will listen to as they do with regular albums.

So what are "Label/Collab Albums"? And what purpose do they serve? That is what Ben & Charlie explore whilst also trying to gauge what they liked & didn't like about the album and the overall concept it's housed in.

TIMESTAMPS:
Charlie vs Procrastination - (1:18)
Weekly round-up - (5:30)
General thoughts on ROTD3 - (12:54)
What is a "Label Album"? - (22:33)
What is the purpose of them? - (30:52)
Do people even want these albums from notable labels? - (44:56)
Charlie's main problem w/the concept - (49:05)
The "Analogy Assassin" is born - (54:33)
Lighter Note - (57:58)

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

With the 2010s edging closer and closer to its end, it is a consensus thought to say that Drake has owned this decade from a commercial standpoint. He came around just before the start of the decade and the (commercial) rise has been at a steady upward trend.

But you know the deal, commercial success isn't everything. But unfortunately, the commercial success, for some reason, has gotten people comparing Drake to Jay-Z. This prompted a collective shaking of heads from many people (Ben) but Co-Host Charlie wanted to think about it differently.

The theory is this: Obviously, Drake blows Jay out of the water commercially, but artistically, its the exact opposite. But what if there was an artist that has had a near identical stretch of success that Drake has had in this decade.

Enter Nelly, who, like Drake, owned the decade he was relevant in. Both commercial beasts with a plethora of bangers but you're not listening to their albums front-to-back in the decades to come. Nelly's 00s vs Drake's 2010s, who had the stronger decade? This is what Ben & Charlie explore, plus some deeper context on the artists and what makes them so similar. (& dissimilar)

TIMESTAMPS:
Music blasted in the past week - (1:48)
Topic setup - (12:09)
Nelly vs his peers - (18:10)
Drake vs everyone - (19:24)
Will Drake fall off as Nelly did? - (28:50)
Quantifying why Nelly fell off - (31:43)
How weird the 00s were - (34:59)
Ben's "Fanboy" shows - (45:40)
Lighter Note - (55:40)

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