Diggin' In The Digits

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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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: Producers who rap.Rappers who produce."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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

In Part 2 of DITD's mini-series "Major vs Independent", we finally get to talking about the side that we cherish so much. The Independents.As independent writers and Podcasters, we value the fact that we don't have anybody to tell us what we should do because it helps the bottom line. The thing that we forget is that Hip-Hop is, was and forever will be a culture & lifestyle. NOT a business. With that in mind, we begin with defining "Independent". What is an Independent artist exactly? The differences between Majors & Independents. Why it may be beneficial for you to go with a Major in the long-run, you risk having your art pimped out to marketing ploys, advertisements & put plainly, put on things you don't give the time of day.There are a lot of long-winded answers on this one, it'll be the last big topic we'll do for a while, so strap in and enjoy. And don't hesitate to let us know where you stand on the monolithic Majors against the DIY Independents.TIMESTAMPS:Topic Intro - (7:25) Define "Independent Artist" - (12:13) Even Kanye feels the thumb of Major Labels - (17:07) Statistics on how rare charting Independents are - (20:45) What can a Major Label do for YOU? - (26:05) What it took "back in the day" to get your name up - (32:06) Independents are the tastemakers - (35:57) Charlie's final say on the value of Independence - (49:58) Ben's final say & what he wanted from this mini-series - (57:58) Lighter Notes - (1:04:30) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

Last year, Kanye West unloaded the clip. We knew that he was working on something, the hype train was picking up speed. He then announced three "albums" that we now know as "DAYTONA", "ye" & "KIDS SEE GHOSTS". A couple of weeks later, he announced two more! Nas' "Project That Shall Not Be Named" & Teyana Taylor's "KTSE".So since we're in the space of a year anniversary of the whole thing, Ben & Charlie decide to go through every project, give thoughts (& statistics) on them and with a reminiscent mindset, ask ourselves... Was it all worth it?Was it worth the clear rushing of it all on Kanye's side, was it worth handing Nas another stain on his discography? Was it worth shafting Teyana Taylor when this could've been her break-out project? All to maybe flex on Drake and force him to push back his album?TIMESTAMPS:General thoughts on the "Wyoming Sessions" - (11:19) DAYTONA - (20:17) ye - (27:20) KSG - (31:38) "Project That Shall Not Be Named" - (38:45) KTSE - (49:15) Was it all worth it? - (57:13) Guys... Desiigner was part of this... - (1:05:55) Lighter Note - (1:06:49) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

In a 2-part series, DITD tackles the one topic that has been clouding over every other topic Ben & Charlie has talked about so far on DITD.Major Labels.In the 90s, the US "Big Three", Universal Music Group, Warner & Sony consumed Hip-Hop as soon as it became a cultural force. From '86 to '96, there were 17 No.1 Hip-Hop albums, 11 of them were under Major Labels. It's even more clear looking at singles. Moving onto now, the numbers of Major Labels owning charting artists are in the high 90%. Artists may be able to start their own labels & host their own festivals, but they're still a cloud in the blue atmosphere that is the faceless Major Labels.Hip-Hop, as it is now, is more business-oriented. For some people, the soul of Hip-Hop has been sucked out due to how dominant the 'White Collars' have become over Hip-Hop. In the day-to-day, their influence is invisible, but if we broaden the scope, it's clear that Major Labels have made Hip-Hop into any other genre, a money machine.Ben & Charlie tackle Major Labels - (7:57)Trying to grasp the dominance - (21:56)Judging whether the positive growth of Hip-Hop is even positive - (43:05) Is the risk worth the reward? - (49:11)Next episode, we'll look at the other side of the coin, Independent artists & labels.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

In the times we live in right now, it could be said that we're in a golden age of protest. All around the world, there are protests of large numbers being held. They're so prevalent now, you could probably name a few of them. When it comes to Hip-Hop, it too is on the frontline. From Kendrick's Grammy performances to Stormzy's BRIT Awards performance. Music has always been a place to protest and Hip-Hop is definitely no different.Ben & Charlie (The main subject starts @ 5:23) take a look into protest in Hip-Hop. How the 80s birthed groups such as Public Enemy & NWA to a rousing commercial as well as conscious success and looking at the constant stream of protesting that Hip-Hop has done. They also look at now and wondering whether the political messaging in Hip-Hop is more subtle than the explicit political messaging of the 80s,(19:26) why Hip-Hop statistically is less political once 45 got into office (26:57) and how MC Hammer, MARKY MARK & THE FUNKY BUNCH and Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back" were the pioneers of political bars in commercial Hip-Hop. (48:59)And for "A Lighter Note" (59:25) Charlie talks about the "death" of iTunes and a quick salute to people that buy vinyl.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

Episode 8 of DITD is all about the women. In the '90s, there was a healthy contingent of women getting the job done in the Hip-Hop space. There were many female Hip-Hop artists to name, some of them got to the point where they had genuine, landmark chart success.But in the two decades since, the numbers have been cut by more than half. If we look at it from the broadest scope, there's only been six No.1 Albums from female Hip-Hop artists, it's even worse on the production side.Ben & Charlie get into the weeds of just how under-represented female Hip-Hop artists are, especially when it comes to chart success. Slicing the blame pie between the audience. Maybe the audience subconsciously doesn't want to hear females rap? And because of that, maybe the major labels don't sign too many of them for that subconscious reasoning? Why do we perpetuate the Highlander Theory that "There can be only one."Is it right to put some of the blame on the female artists that have household names? Should they have an obligation to further the culture and create opportunities for up & coming female Hip-Hop artists? We cover a lot of ground like we always try to do. It's a necessary conversation and something that we should always be cognisant of. 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

The subject of Mental Health is a conversation that has been increasing in volume in the past decade. Not just in society, but in Politics as well. (Although most National Jurisdictions are way behind...)But it's not just in day-to-day life, it's also becoming more and more prevalent in the music we love dearly. Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is historically been iffy when it comes to Mental Health, coinciding with African American culture & society not really knowing how to deal with such complexities. But the more black men & women in America learn more about Mental Health, so are the musicians coming out of those communities. Ben & Charlie take a deep dive into the very recent surge in Mental Health content, headed by the likes of Kid Cudi & Kanye West. Taking personal segues into why they gravitate to Hip-Hop and how it has gotten them through tough moments in their life.The duo also compares the recent embracing of Mental Health conversating to the lack thereof in the era's like "The Golden Age" and wondering why it has taken so long for artists to make the jump. The duo finishes by giving statistics in their native homes, justifying why music that reference Mental Health will always have a place in the culture.And on "A Lighter Note". Charlie goes off, wondering how we allowed DJ Khaled to become a force for being a glorified boxing promoter, doing the BARE MINIMUM artistically. (Can you tell Charlie is writing this description?)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

"Rap Unicorn" - Phrase - A Hip-Hop artist that rarely drops music, but when they do, everybody listens.E.g. Andre 3000 & Ms Lauryn Hill.Ben & Charlie explore another angle in the relationship between the artist and the fanbase. More specifically, is it right for the fan to demand an artist to drop music simply because they haven't dropped in a while?Ben gives statistics on the "Rap Unicorns" Andre 3000 & Ms Lauryn Hill and for context, gives numbers on artists on the other side of the spectrum, the artists that drop music frequently.This evolves into a conversation about art and wondering if the artists that drop frequently consider their work as art? Or as Charlie estimates, just a "factory" that they own in their own head?The duo also talks about fanbases getting out the pitchforks for artists (& labels) that take their time. Do they have the right to rush & berate an artist just because they want something new?This is an interesting talk about autonomy, service & how artists, at the end of the day, do what they feel.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

Out of the Five Elements of Hip-Hop, two of them are based on music.MC & DJ. Rapper & Producer. Both are important in equal measure.So why is it that in this age, where the Hip-Hop sound is bigger than ever and one could say that Hip-Hop production quality is as high at it has ever been... Why has the producer has taken the back seat in every facet of the game? Why do they get less money for producing in the Streaming age? Why does the consumer not tout Producers more, when (In an age where lyricism has dipped in quality) some songs are popular strictly because of the sound?Ben & Charlie explore the Producers' place in Hip-Hop. Their place in the Culture, the money lists & on Social Media. It's gone as far as Producers selling their stems & beats in the form of production kits. That was a Cardinal sin 10 Years Ago... It's clear that it's hard for Producers to get their credit, DITD tries to find solutions for it all.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

Religion and religious content is a staple in music. And when it comes to Hip-Hop, it's no different.Since it's inception, there has always been a section of Hip-Hop culture that is dedicated to looking for meaning and purpose. And in some walks of life, Religion has been the key.For Episode 4 of DITD, Charlie & Ben take a dive into Religion & Hip-Hop. Specifically, Christianity and Kanye West's relationship with it. We get into the numbers for Kanye's mentions of religion, which may underwhelm you considering how synonymous Kanye & Christianity has been over his career. Especially recently with his "Sunday Services".The guys also cover some Hip-Hop History, talking about the "5 Percenters" of the Golden Age and, more recently, Hebrew Israelites in which Kendrick Lamar dedicated some of "DAMN." to actually mention the offset belief.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

In recent Hip-Hop news, Dave East hopped on Instagram to call the viral Country/Hip-Hop track "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X "wack". Hip-Hop social media proceeded to swell up with defensive shots at Dave East.Shots like "NAME ONE DAVE EAST TRACK", "DAVE JUST SALTY HE DOESN'T CHART", you get the idea. People missed the chance to look at the context and the deeper conversation about inorganic fanbases.This is the catalyst for Ben & Charlie to dive into multiple topics, the main of which, Ageism in Hip-Hop. Why do we as Hip-Hop fans throw great artists with fuel still in the tank by the wayside because they're past the age of 35-40?This bleeds into many other avenues, such as seeing elements of "Stan Culture" laced into the defence of this one viral song by an artist we never heard of a month ago. How the major labels have "put stock" into Hip-Hop and the unique position Hip-Hop as THE genre of recent times has in this musical atmosphere. Compared to Jazz, Rock, Disco etc. that had their days in the previous Century, none had social media influencing the mainstream. Because of this, maybe the legacies Charlie, Ben and other true Hip-Hop fans hail will die out quicker? Has it already begun? Are we already too late to correct this? A lot of ground is covered and subject matter gets very impassioned but we always try to end it on a fun note. The first episode to crack an hour, and it's worth it. Be sure to peep Ben's blog post containing all of his statistics on Ageism.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

For Episode 2 of "Diggin' In The Digits", we talk about music reviewing and music criticism. In a perfect world, the average music consumer and the professional music critic would always be on the same page and could even see each other's viewpoint clearly when both looking at a body of work. But obviously, that's a rare thing.We dive into several angles for this one. Starting with Ben's statistics on average review scores for a handful of artists and the disparities between professional critics and the casual person that hops on Metacritic. We then get into biases, can professional critics be truly objective? Should they be 100% objective? Or should they make more effort in putting their own individual flavour on their reviews as YouTube music critics do? How has Hip-Hop music criticism changed since the days of the "5 Mic Reviews"? And how do we ourselves review music? Charlie presents his "10 Into 2's" system and Ben takes a trip down memory lane where he actually dabbled in being a professional critic.We go down a lot of avenues in this one, so strap in for this 55 minutes deep dive into music criticism and the "dah-ta" surrounding it.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

For the first episode of DITD, we wanted to take a deep dive into the numbers for Nipsey Hussle, who was recently taken from us.Ben delivers three sets of statistics to highlight how great Nipsey was, not from a music standpoint, but from a marketing and a business standpoint. Topics in the episode include Nipsey's selling practices early in his career, the percentage of conscious bars he laid down on his debut Studio Album "Victory Lap" and also how many motivational bars he dropped on the same album.We also link the statistics to other notable albums that are hailed for their conscious message, categorising "flexing" and how hard it is to have the grassroots business practices that Nipsey has now popularised in his untimely passing.CORRECTION: In the section about Nipsey's "Crenshaw" mixtape making $100k in 1 day, it was said an artist would need to sell 95k albums first week, the equivalent of 144 million streams, to make $100k. These numbers are under the assumption an artist makes about 10% of each album sale under a label contract. If an artist is independent and earns every dollar from an album sale, they would need 9.5k sales in 1 day, equivalent to 14.2 million streams.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @5thElement_UK5E Community DiscordChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence