Diggin' In The Digits

On July 2nd we will be exactly halfway through the 2020s! And whilst it's been an objectively terrible decade in many ways, there are some Hip-Hop gems that have come out. So, we decided to make our individual Top 5 Hip-Hop Albums of the Half-Decade and for once, we have NO overlapping works! So buckle in as we gush over 10 albums in a nearly 2 hour special! TIMESTAMPS: Honourable Mentions - (3:54) Charlie's No. 5 - (15:53) Ben's No. 5 - (23:54) Charlie's No. 4 - (34:33) Ben's No. 4 - (42:31) Charlie's No. 3 - (51:42) Ben's No. 3 - (59:08) Charlie's No. 2 - (1:05:58) Ben's No. 2 - (1:15:26) Charlie's No. 1 - (1:27:24) Ben's No. 1 - (1:37:20) Lighter Note - (1:46:51)

One of the mainstays of the burgeoning Hip-Hop Underground of the 00s and beyond, Sean Price was a reality rapper with plenty of humour, iconic one-liners and a discography that have aged pretty well. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:49) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (20:13) Monkey Barz - (26:35) Jesus Price Supastar - (35:06) Mic Tyson - (47:48) Imperius Rex - (55:57) Lighter Note - (1:06:56) 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

At 60 years old, Slick Rick dropped his 5th Studio Album and his 1st since 1999. He's a master storyteller, respected by everyone. So how TF is he still underrated?! TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:07) Ben: Charlie - Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (14:19) The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - (23:23) The Ruler's Back - (36:24) Behind Bars - (43:11) The Art of Storytelling - (52:05) Victory - (1:01:12) Lighter Note - (1:15:31) 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

G-Funk pioneer one of the most consistent dual artists in Hip-Hop history, it could be said that DJ Quik hasn't gotten the props his peers has, even though his quality of production and bars has (for the most part) been great, just as long as you jump over the mines labelled "Songs with oddly detailed sex bars". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:49) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (15:14) Quik Is the Name - (21:35) Way 2 Fonky - (30:38) Safe + Sound - (33:42) Rhythm-al-ism - (37:37) Balance & Options - (42:20) Under tha Influence - (45:33) Trauma - (52:26) The Book of David - (56:15) The Midnight Life - (59:12) Lighter Note - (1:03:15) 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

Whilst MC Shan spends a lot of his recent days lamenting the past in some form, he actually has a leg to stand on! Just not in the ways he thinks... TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:44) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (16:52) Down By Law - (23:40) Born To Be Wild - (33:27) Play It Again, Shan - (41:38) Bars Over Bullshit - (51:18) Lighter Note - (1:02:36) 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 legacy of dead prez - for better or worse - has been condensed down to their classic track in "Hip Hop". Zoom out a little and you'll find a classic song on a classic album that is definitely not talked about enough. Zoom out even more and you find... Actually, let's just stay at that first zoom out... TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - Let's Get Free - Revolutionary But Gangsta - Information Age - Lighter Note - 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 calling it a day being "The Fresh Prince", Will Smith went under his own name for his solo stint. The results are mixed; proving that Hip-Hop could go Pop, but even then managing to have frequent misfires within his music, creating a frustrating discography that gives more questions than answers... TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:10) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (14:28) Big Willie Style - (20:15) Willenium - (31:28) Born To Reign - (40:56) Lost And Found - (50:32) Based on a True Story - (59:38) Lighter Note - (1:14:32) 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

The legendary duo of Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince have been somewhat locked into this singular thought ever since their run ended in '93: That their music is squeaky clean, completely devoid of edge. But when you actually listen to some of the lyrics and subject matter told in the litany of storytelling tracks, they broach some interesting ground. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:07) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (8:18) Rock the House - (16:00) He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper - (26:26) And in This Corner... - (37:17) Homebase - (49:36) Code Red - (1:01:32) Lighter Note - (1:15:16) 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 discography of Schoolly D is one of the most diverse and lengthy that we've ever covered on DITD. Where he begins providing the seeds of what eventually becomes known as "Gangsta Rap", he then goes through a more pro-Black phase in the 90s and nowadays operates as a relative experimentalist for somebody whose debut came out in 1985. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:15) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (14:40) Schoolly D - (23:50) Saturday Night! – The Album - (30:37) Smoke Some Kill - (33:20) Am I Black Enough for You? - (35:41) How a Black Man Feels - (40:39) Welcome to America - (44:45) Reservoir Dog - (50:22) International Supersport - (53:41) Cause Schoolly D Is Crazy - (57:27) Lighter Note - (1:04:22) 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 what is probably our shortest retrospective in DITD history, we cover another Treacherous Three member in Spoonie Gee who is apparently a precursor to Gangsta Rap but when listening to his work, it seems to paint a different picture... TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:49) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (9:16) The Godfather of Rap - (13:28) Lighter Note - (25:13) 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

Hello DITD listeners! Charlie here. As a bonus for this week, I have an interview for you to step to! I - along with "In Search Of Sauce" alum, Music Journalist Miki Hellerbach - talk to Ryder who broke out a few years back with his now iconic #Skeptacore series. Now, he's dropping a new series of EPs named "RYDERHOOD", the first edition dropping this Friday. In this interview which is dropping simultaneously over on the "What's Good?" feed, we talk his beginnings in the North of England, being self-taught on production, his genuine success at the tender age of 20 and of course his Top 5. Hope you enjoy! Intro Music - "Baxter" By Brock Berrigan Interlude - "Her" By L'Indecis ChillHop Music Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN: Diggin' In The Digits 5EPN Radio Black Women Watch... In Search of Sauce The Beauty Of Independence

After covering Kool Moe Dee last week, it seemed right to go back and look at the pioneering group that he was a member of: The Treacherous Three. With two albums 10 years apart, they serve as great markers in how much evolution happened from '84 to '94. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:10) Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (12:00) The Treacherous Three - (20:38) Old Skool Flava - (30:25) Lighter Note - (44:54) 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

If you were to name a rapper that embodies the word 'confidence', you could probably name at least 10 rappers that fit the word. Is one of them Kool Moe Dee? A case could be made that he's the most confident sounding rapper on wax, all the way from his first album in 1986 to his last in '94. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Lords of the UndergroundCharlie: Lords of the UndergroundTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (9:32) Kool Moe Dee - (20:36) How Ya Like Me Now - (32:21) Knowledge Is King - (40:15) Funke, Funke Wisdom - (46:25) Interlude - (53:07) Lighter Note - (1:01:51) 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

Another year, another DITD Anniversary! For our 6th anniversary, we look back at some of our favourite moments, with clips for you newer listeners. Episodes covered will be below if you want to get into them proper. And as always, whether you've been listening since Ep. 1 or since last week, we appreciate you listening. Here's to six years! TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:39) Charlie: Chance - (19:23) Mac - (26:22) Black Eyed Peas - (31:17) Big Sean - (42:55) Ethan P - (46:57) Dilla - (50:24) Samples - (54:59) Hilltop Hoods - (1:04:17) Jay - (1:11:32) Dr. Wright - (1:15:25) Lighter Note - (1:35:55) 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

Jersey-centred trio Lords of the Underground represented a lot of what we now consider the hallmarks of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop: Youthful energy, fast flows and great sample-based production. This led to two great back-to-back projects and two other albums of varying quality. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:41) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:06) Here Come the Lords - (19:31) Keepers of the Funk - (25:45) Resurrection - (32:45) House of Lords - (40:01) Lighter Note - (54:10) 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

We finish our WHM celebrations with an artist that is never talked about. Maybe it's due to her not getting traction off her one studio album? Maybe the message fell on deaf ears? We get to the answer of course but regardless of reason, Queen Mother Rage is Hip-Hop history and we take this opportunity - to finish WHM - covering a small piece of the 90s Hip-Hop puzzle. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:05) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (17:08) Vanglorious Law - (23:00) Lighter Note - (45:22) 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 recent passing of R&B legend Angie Stone, we thought it was a good time as any - in the midst of our WHM celebrations - to celebrate her pre-solo career with Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondie" Chisholm as the early 80s all-female Hip-Hop trailblazers The Sequence. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:44) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (11:43) Sugarhill Presents the Sequence - (18:24) The Sequence - (27:14) The Sequence Party - (30:42) Lighter Note - (45:19) 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

Continuing our WHM celebrations, we get into MC Trouble who tragically died aged 21, leaving us with her 1990 debut studio album that featured her name on the production credits - a rarity for female rappers at the time - and provided a great thematic mixture of womanhood and Black solidarity. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:50) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (7:05) Gotta Get A Grip - (11:45) Lighter Note - (31:00) 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

Hello DITD listeners! I have a bonus episode for you, coming via my Podcast "What's Good?". I talk to Dallas born & raised EB Rebel now sharpening their craft in New York City. We get into their beginnings, talented & gifted programs; their queerness, being 'genre-less' and of course their Top 5. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?" Rate & Review E-Mail: the5thelelmentpub@gmail.com Twitter & IG: @The5thElementUK Website: https://medium.com/@the5thelement Photography: https://www.crt.photography Intro Music - "Baxter" By Brock Berrigan Interlude - "4:21pm" By Ian Ewing ChillHop Music Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN: Diggin' In The Digits 5EPN Radio Black Women Watch... In Search of Sauce The Beauty Of Independence

The story of Boss is one of subversion, devastatingly low levels of luck and an astronomical talent. How we only have one album and some hard-to-find mixtapes from such a skilled MC? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:19) Ben: Charlie: Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (14:55) Born Gangstaz - (22:41) Lighter Note - (48:36) 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