PODCAST · music
Diggin' In The Digits
by The 5th Element Podcast Network
Welcome to "Diggin' In The Digits", where Creator of 'Hip-Hop By The Numbers' Ben Carter and Director of 'The 5th Element' Charlie Taylor deliver entirely unique retrospectives behind Hip-Hop's biggest artists, stories & its roots, discussing them in detail.From Australia to the UK and beyond.A 5EPN Original.
Episodes
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Ep.384 - #UKBHM 2026: Overlord X
Our UKBHM series throughout the month of October continues with rapper, producer and DJ Overlord X who used his background in the latter to fully produce and rap on two studio albums with inventive sample usage and energetic Hackney-based (tinged with American) delivery. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music...
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Ep.383 - #UKBHM 2026: Outlaw Posse / Brothers Like Outlaw
Continuing our UK Black History Month retrospectives: Outlaw Posse were yet another UK Hip-Hop outfit that went down the American accent route, albeit on very comparable early 90s production. Whilst they sounded better than other examples we've covered in previous years, it really takes away from...
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Ep.382 - #UKBHM 2026: Sway
We kick off our 2026 edition of UK Black History Month retrospectives on an artist that recently left us. Derek "Sway" Dasafo was making waves in the UK in the early/mid 00s, winning awards before he even dropped his debut album. Staunchly independent from start to finish, Sway was deft in flow…
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Ep.381 - Mellow Man Ace
Hip-Hop was not just built by Black people, there was also a Latin contingent that had a hand in the foundations of Hip-Hop. Enter Mellow Man Ace, Cuban-American pioneer of Latin Rap with a bilingual USP, wearing his inspirations on his sleeve and being an inspiration to many others, even the...
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Ep.380 - Busta Rhymes
With a fresh aesthetic and all the support you could want, Busta Rhymes took his solo opportunity and ran with it, becoming one of the most in-demand Hip-Hop voices of the late 90s/early 00s along with a visual track record that holds up to this day. However, being in-demand as a feature meant…
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Ep.379 - Leaders of the New School
Leaders of the New School - the group that now historically serves as the proving ground for a future Busta Rhymes solo career - was a peppy bunch of rappers with great chemistry. Surprising considering the creative differences that would eventually cut their existence short. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly...
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Ep.378 - Jungle Brothers
A foundational member of the Native Tongues collective - releasing two of the first three albums under that collective umbrella - Jungle Brothers were sonically ahead of their time and have kept steady up until this decade. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:10) Charlie: Denzel Curry & Kenny...
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Ep.377 - Black Sheep
The duo of Dres & Mr. Lawnge nailed a balance of ATCQ's production language with De La Soul's lyrical humour with their debut album. But after creative differences, the name was carried by Dres into the 21st Century, to mixed results. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:03) Ben: Hit-Boy -...
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Ep.376 - Chi-Ali
The story of Chi-Ali is one containing a few but ultimately pivotal highlights: Brought up as a talented teenage rapper - within the most notable collectives in Hip-Hop history - dropping one album before his career was derailed by label BS. One can wonder, what if he was better treated after his...
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Ep.375 - Nice & Smooth
There's certain names in music that bridge the gap between one era and the next. Greg Nice & Smooth Bee were one of those. Taking fun-natured Hip-Hop of the old and mixing it with new production practices: heavy on sampling and occasionally fusing R&B into their work. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music...
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Ep.374 - Jaz-O
Before Jaz-O's legacy was watered down to "the guy who put Jay-Z on", Jaz-O had a career of his own and highlights of his own that deserved be looked at with a fresh lens. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:21) Charlie: Chenayder - Outdated Yard Act - You're Gonna Need A Little Music Captains…
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Ep.373 - Hip-Hop Neighbours, Vol. 15
It's our 15th edition of Neighbours where we talk about records that aren't technically Hip-Hop but either share elements or are influential in Hip-Hop circles. This edition, we go full British, getting into a Trip-Hop essential and a Downbeat classic. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:59)…
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Ep.372 - Channel Live
Initially under the wing of KRS-ONE, the duo Channel Live made minor waves in the mid-90s but due to lack of sonic identity, their three albums all feel drastically different, even if their lyrical content contained a healthy amount of substance & social commentary. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music…
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Ep.371 - Mid-Year Report 2026
We're officially halfway through 2026, so it's time for our Mid-Year report where we take stock of the year so far - from the music dropped to some of the stories that transpired - and look forward to the rest of the year! TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02) Ben: Future - The Real Me Lance...
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Ep.370 - Scarface
In our Geto Boys double bill, we now get into the most notable artist in the group: Scarface. One of the least talked about legends in Hip-Hop history where Scarface acolytes can make a case for him being the GOAT. So, does the discography warrant such praise? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup -...
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Ep.369 - Geto Boys
Hailing from 5th Ward, Geto Boys went through a few line-ups before settling on the three we consider the full cast: Willie D, Bushwick Bill and Scarface. But a whole lot of music happened in the nearly 20 year run and a whole lot of movement between them and a supporting cast happened as well....
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Ep.368 - Arrested Development
What began as a Grammy Award-winning group out of the gate, Arrested Development - led by rapper/producer Speech - are still the same in their ethos even though many members have come & gone and the mainstream binned them after their sophomore album. Nearly 40 years later, they're still creating...
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Ep.367 - Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob is one of those interesting entities that make you ask yourself: Do I like [artist] evolving their sound & style? When it comes to Goodie Mob, for Ben it's yes, for Charlie, it's no. Who's right?* TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Vince Staples - Cry Baby Genesis Owusu -...
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Ep.366 - Blu & Exile
The duo of Blu & Exile came together out of orbiting similar circles in an 00s Underground that didn't have a 1 MC, 1 Producer duo of note. They in turn created a cult classic out the gates. Now - after an eight year hiatus in the middle - they're creating what could be considered their best…
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Ep.365 - Contemporary Cool, Vol. 19
For our 19th edition of Contemporary Cool, we get into the third instalment of Kid Cudi's "Man On The Moon" series and the most Bomb Squad sounding album from Chuck D in decades. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:51) Ben: Drake: ICEMAN, MAID OF HONOUR & HABIBTI Charlie: A-F-R-O - Blood Rain...
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Ep.364 - Talking R&B Groups & More W/ DJ Amani Roberts
In a DITD/WG double up, I talk to DJ & author Amani Roberts off the back of his book The Quiet Storm. In this talk, we get to know his background, his roots in DJing; how the book originated from a thesis, R&B and Hip-Hop groups; African-American Media and we finish off with a Lighter Note and a...
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Ep.363 - Prince Po
After covering Organized Konfusion last week & Pharoahe Monch the week before, we finish our OK explorations with the other half of the duo: The unsung Prince Po. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:59) Ben: Action Bronson - Planet Frog Kneecap - FENIAN Cookin soul x Estee nack - AL-ANDALUS…
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Ep.362 - Organized Konfusion
After exploring Pharoahe Monch last week, we now get into his pre-solo life with Prince Po as the duo Organized Konfusion. Three albums with unfaltering production, dexterous lyrics and flows that need to be heard to truly understand how good these two were as a rap duo. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music...
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Ep.361 - Pharoahe Monch
If you're like most people and only familiar with Pharoahe Monch when "Simon Says" is played, you're actually missing one of the clearest paths of evolution from a rapper in terms of subject matter and maturity as an artist. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:20) Ben: Blu & Exile - Time Heals...
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Ep.360 - Gravediggaz
RZA has always been a busy man and it was no different in the 90s where he featured in supergroup Gravediggaz - birthed by at-the-time veteran of the industry Prince Paul - unleashing a Horrorcore group with an essential debut, only for the 2nd & 3rd albums to change up in subject matter and in…
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Ep.359 - J. Cole (Pt. 2)
We finally get to Part 2 of our J. Cole retrospective. (Listen to Part 1 here) Whilst the first half of his discography speak for themselves, Cole finishes his stretch of solo albums with a litany of appearances outside of the albums that unfortunately colour his works, culminating in a…
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Ep.358 - DITD 7th Anniversary Special
On April 10th, we celebrated our 7th anniversary! To celebrate - emphasising the education we've given ourselves over the years - we picked seven albums that we probably would've never spun if it weren't for the Podcast. Happy birthday to us! And whether you've been here for this episode, the…
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Ep.357 - Women's History Month '26 - BWP (Bytches With Problems)
Continuing our Women's History Month celebrations (We know it's April, let it ride) with a duo in BWP - Bytches With Problems - that only had one album but with the content so brash, in your face and to the point, it's sad that this isn't a work that is celebrated more. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music...
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Ep.356 - Women's History Month '26 - Oaktown 3.5.7
Continuing with our Women's History Month, an eventual casualty of a mans brief but beautiful light. Tied on the rocket that was MC Hammer, Oaktown 3.5.7 - comprised of backup singers Sweet L.D. Terrible T & Lil P - was purposefully similar sonically to Salt N Pepa. Whilst they had a couple of...
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Ep.355 - Women's History Month '26 - Apani B. Fly
Continuing our WHM celebrations, we take a look at 00s Underground talent Apani B. Fly. Where the mainstream was going one way, Apani & her cohorts in the Polyrhythm Addicts shunned the commodification of Hip-Hop, staying sonically in the 90s whilst producing riveting lyrics. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly...
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Ep.354 - Women's History Month '26 - Nikki D
The 1st woman to put out an album under Def Jam, Nikki D seemingly had one of the biggest labels of her time behind her; with an absurd 10 album deal on deck. So why was only one album released? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:58) Ben: DJ Paul - Goat of all Goats Gnarls Barkley - Atlanta...
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Ep.353 - J.Cole (Pt. 1)
With the one and only Jermaine Cole now "retired" (We don't believe in artists retiring) after the release of The Fall Off, we thought we'd contextualise Cole's career as a whole. From the mixtapes to the albums, we take it all in. (We are aware it's March and we should be doing Women's History...
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Ep.352 - Capone
We wrap up the C-N-N coverage we begun all the way back in 2020 to take a look at Capone's solo work: A smattering of authentic storytelling & run-of-the-mill gun talk wrapped in very, very 00s production. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:18) Ben: Mumford & Sons - Prizefighter U2 - Days of…
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Ep.351 - N.O.R.E.
Whilst the music of C-N-N was pretty straight forward, N.O.R.E's solo work skews a little different. From mainstream 00s Hip-Hop to Reggaeton, N.O.R.E took his solo work as an opportunity to be more personal. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:15) Ben: Jill Scott - To Whom This May Concern...
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Ep.350 - Onyx
Onyx were trailblazers in various ways. From their grimey style to the bald heads, Onyx had an iconic aesthetic from the outset, a classic album out the gate and bangers everywhere you look. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:10) Ben: J. Cole - The Fall Off RZA - Bobby Digital Presents: Juice...
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An Interview W/ Producer Kiyan Foroughi
Hey DITD listeners! Charlie here with another WG interview that I thought you'd enjoy. I talk to producer Kiyan Foroughi as he embarks on the release of his debut concept album "inner light. OUTER SPACE" which drops 27th February. In the meantime, here is my WG interview with him. Thanks for...
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Ep.349 - BROCKHAMPTON
In just five years, BROCKHAMPTON became a Hip-Hop comet, shooting by with seven albums and it could've been more! With those works, they went from free-wheeling Mixtape-sounding albums to more mature works lyrically and sonically. Its obvious that they couldn't have existed in previous eras but...
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Ep.348 - EPMD
The duo of Erick Sermon & Parrish Smith make up EPMD, one of the quintessential Hip-Hop acts in history. Iconic production to rival the greats and a discography that doesn't get talked about nearly enough. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:06) Ben: IDK - e.t.d.s. A Mixtape by .idk Charlie:...
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Ep.347 - Cam'ron
KILLA. Whilst he's now in his talking head era - like most rappers it seems - Cam'ron was an ever-present voice in the 00s Hip-Hop scene. One could say his music is the perfect charting of where the 00s sound was at any given year, with his lyrical content staying steady in the good ol' "Money,...
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Ep.346 - Craig Mack
The man who helped start Bad Boy Records, only to take himself out of it and eventually take himself out of music entirely, the life of Craig Mack is a sad one overall. His music left behind after his death in 2018 was serviceable, topped off with an iconic track of the 90s. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly...
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Ep.345 - Contemporary Cool, Vol. 18
Happy New Year, DITD listeners! Ben returns from his holiday hiatus and we kick off 2026 by taking one more look back at 2025, talking about our two favourite albums of last year. For once, it's an all Hip-Hop affair! TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:00) Ben: Nas & DJ Premier - Light Years...
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Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup (30th Dec)
Welcome to Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup to hold you down where I talk about my spins in the past week with a little more detail than I do typically! As per usual, all works talked about are below. Enjoy! D-Ace & K.A.A.N. - Kaancepts Vic Spencer & August Fanon - Psychological Cheat Sheet 6 Ben's...
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Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup (23rd Dec)
Welcome to Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup to hold you down where I talk about my spins in the past week with a little more detail than I do typically! As per usual, all works talked about are below. Enjoy! Big L - Harlem's Finest: Return Of The King Novelist - AUDACITY Paul Stephan, BexBlu,...
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Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup (16th Dec)
Welcome to Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup to hold you down where I talk about my spins in the past week with a little more detail than I do typically! As per usual, all works talked about are below. Enjoy! J Hus - Half Clip A-F-R-O - No More Patience Iman Europe & Kaelin Ellis - Chrysalis...
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Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup (Dec 9th)
Welcome to Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup to hold you down where I talk about my spins in the past week with a little more detail than I do typically! As per usual, all works talked about are below. Enjoy! Adi Oasis - Silver Lining Big K.R.I.T. - Dedicated to Cadalee Biarritz Skyzoo - Views Of A...
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Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup (Dec 2nd)
Welcome to Charlie's Weekly Music Roundup to hold you down where I talk about my spins in the past week with a little more detail than I do typically! As per usual, all works talked about are below. Enjoy! Jordyn Simone - REMEMBER WHEN TrueMendous & Tony Bones The Producer - No Round of Applause...
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Holiday Message
Hello DITD listeners! Every year, I offer Ben the opportunity to take the month off in the same way I take time off my show and after all these years, he finally took it! So there'll be no new DITD episodes for the remainder of the year, however I'll try to provide you with something else to hold...
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Ep.344 - De La Soul
From their inventive D.A.I.S.Y. Age run to their new (& probably last) opus dropped last week, the career of De La Soul is unlike any other in Hip-Hop history. With label issues being the only thing that held them back, they always put out Art Official Intelligence when the time was right....
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Ep.343 - Havoc
Whilst Prodigy made a genuine attempt to put out solo bodies of work outside of Mobb Deep business, Havoc took until 2007 to drop his first solo record and it wasn't until his third album that he actually put effort into it all. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:35) Ben: Danny Brown…
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Ep.342 - Prodigy
The solo discography of Prodigy is all over the place to put it lightly. A great debut, a surprisingly good sophomore and then a stretch of albums that go from love songs to dark, philosophical work with a healthy dose of illuminati talk throughout. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:20)...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to "Diggin' In The Digits", where Creator of 'Hip-Hop By The Numbers' Ben Carter and Director of 'The 5th Element' Charlie Taylor deliver entirely unique retrospectives behind Hip-Hop's biggest artists, stories & its roots, discussing them in detail.From Australia to the UK and beyond.A 5EPN Original.
HOSTED BY
The 5th Element Podcast Network
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How many episodes does Diggin' In The Digits have?
Diggin' In The Digits currently has 399 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Diggin' In The Digits about?
Welcome to "Diggin' In The Digits", where Creator of 'Hip-Hop By The Numbers' Ben Carter and Director of 'The 5th Element' Charlie Taylor deliver entirely unique retrospectives behind Hip-Hop's biggest artists, stories & its roots, discussing them in detail.From Australia to the UK and beyond.A...
How often does Diggin' In The Digits release new episodes?
Diggin' In The Digits publishes regularly with 399 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to Diggin' In The Digits on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Diggin' In The Digits?
Diggin' In The Digits is created and hosted by The 5th Element Podcast Network.
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