Best Ben Carter/The 5th Element Podcast Network Podcasts (2024)

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Ep.291 - Contemporary Cool Vol. 14 1:17:11

2d ago1:17:11

1:17:11

It's time for another Contemporary Cool in which Ben makes a YouTube video with his pick of Ab-Soul's "HERBERT" and Charlie gives love to Garage with DJ Spoony-led "Garage Classical". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Ab-Soul - Soul Burger ASAP Ferg - DAROLD Real Boston Richey - Richey Rich Natty - The Divine Trinity Charlie: Common Sa…

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Ep.290 - Young Thug: The Trial, Sentencing & Beyond 1:18:18

9d ago1:18:18

1:18:18

With the Young Thug/YSL RICO trial done & dusted, we invited Music Journalist & 5EPN Alum Brandon Hill to come through to talk about the trial, sentencing; the wider ramifications of this trial to Hip-Hop (& more specifically Lil Durk) and the implied silencing of Young Thug through his future musical content. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:…

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Ep.289 - #UKBHM 2024: Neneh Cherry 1:28:58

16d ago1:28:58

1:28:58

For the final UKBHM retrospective of this year, we look at the career and solo discography of sonic nomad Neneh Cherry who has traversed the UK music landscape from the 80s onwards to now with a penchant for always doing it differently than her peers. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:58) Ben: Kembe X - it's not that deep Nappy Nina - Nothing i…

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Ep.288 - #UKBHM 2024: Rebel MC 1:13:30

1M ago1:13:30

1:13:30

Before he was Congo Natty, he was Rebel MC and it is genuinely tough to decide which alter ego of dual threat Michael West is the most influential. As a Hip-Hop Pod, we cover Rebel MC and the three album run under that name, mixing Hip-Hop, House, Dance & Pop with samples from every Jamaican music genre to date. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (…

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Ep.287 - #UKBHM 2024: Demon Boyz 1:25:29

1M ago1:25:29

1:25:29

When UK Hip-Hop zigged, Demon Boyz zagged. Whilst they managed to get two albums out before their split, boy did they make effort to do it differently and incidentally became a key connection between Hip-Hop and Jungle. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:54) Ben: Rome Streetz - Hatton Garden Holdup XV & Mike Summers - Blog Era Is Dead Iglooghost…

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Ep.286 - #UKBHM 2024: Hardnoise / Son Of Noise 1:06:44

1M ago1:06:44

1:06:44

In our 2nd UKBHM retrospective for the '24 crop, we get into the group Hardnoise, (Now known as Son Of Noise) who - along with temporary label mates Hijack - brought an antagonistic edge to UK Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) Ben: Tee Grizzley - Post Traumatic The Voidz - Like All Before You Jamie xx - In Waves Charlie: Mark Kavum…

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An Interview W/ The Allergies 39:21

2M ago39:21

39:21

For a bonus episode, an interview for you to step to! Charlie talks to UK DJ/Production duo The Allergies, talking their beginnings, how they gained/cultivated their taste; their new album "Freak The Speaker" and their Top 5. If you haven't spun a WG interview, here's a good gateway for you! Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for a…

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Ep.285 - #UKBHM 2024: MC Duke 1:01:40

2M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

We begin our 2024 edition of our UK Black History Month series with one of UK Hip-Hop's earliest success stories in MC Duke who was the guy in the late 80s, culminating in two albums of varying quality and the American vocal inflections that was plaguing the early years of UK Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) Ben: Tara Lily - Speak…

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Ep.284 - Method Man & Redman 1:13:21

2M ago1:13:21

1:13:21

The duo of Method Man & Redman seemed like an unofficial duo. They did a lot together in the late 90s/early 00s including "How High", two TV shows that got prematurely cancelled and of course the two "Blackout!" albums. But even with all that, it seemed like their partnership was more an "in the moment between friends" thing than genuinely building…

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Ep.283 - Naughty By Nature 1:31:57

2M ago1:31:57

1:31:57

The trio of Naughty By Nature walked the tightrope better than anybody... Mainstream appeal but still Hip-Hop to the core; everybody and their grandmother has swayed to "Hip-Hop Hooray" and Naughty By Nature had the recipe for a few albums. But the tightrope walk didn't last forever. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Paris Hilton - Inf…

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Ep.282 - Contemporary Cool, Vol. 13 1:16:54

2M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

It's time for another edition of Contemporary Cool! For this one, we get into the Griselda project that arguably put them on the map in Benny The Butcher's "Tana Talk 3" & the absurdly stacked "D.I.T.C. - The Remix Project". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) Ben: LL Cool J - THE FORCE Ransom x Conway - Chaos Is My Ladder 2 Sleazyworld Go - …

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Ep.281 - Guru 1:37:26

3M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

For the solo career of Guru, it is one that is - compared to Gang Starr - everything but consistent; mix it in with debates about how his relationship with Solar was in truth and you have a bit of a sad end to the life & career of one of the most distinctive voices in Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:40) Ben: Big Sean - Better Me Than…

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Ep.280 - Gang Starr 1:26:15

3M ago1:26:15

1:26:15

The phrase "One of the Best Yet" has never been so apt. Maybe THE quintessential Golden Age Hip-Hop duo, Gang Starr started off with multiple iterations but once it was just the twosome of DJ Premier & Guru, it was over and it all culminated in projects from the late 80s to the late 2010s with the 90s work providing a shining example of what Hip-Ho…

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Ep.279 - Jeru The Damaja 1:16:42

3M ago1:16:42

1:16:42

Brooklynite Jeru The Damaja is a rapper that practiced what he preached. Whilst dropping two iconic "All Killer, No Filler" albums of the 90s, he watched Hip-Hop go commercial and made a point to not get swayed. Instead, he continued as an independent voice and cultivate a dedicated fanbase that love him to this day. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundu…

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Ep.278 - Twista 1:25:47

3M ago1:25:47

1:25:47

Twista is a fascinating case study. With his first four albums that drastically aim in different directions - only to settle on riding the wave of the 00s Hip-Hop sound - (for better or worse) it creates a frustrating picture of one of the most talented deliverer of words that instead made a full-throated push for the mainstream. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly…

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Ep.277 - Chino XL 1:19:49

4M ago1:19:49

1:19:49

Chino XL passed away at the age of 50 last week. So we pushed back the others to celebrate the career and artistry of one of the most respected names in the New York underground. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:48) Ben: JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU Q Da Fool - King George Charlie: Elsy Wameyo - Saint Sinner Badbadnotgood - Mid Spira…

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Ep.276 - Ja Rule 1:38:09

4M ago1:38:09

1:38:09

The story of Ja Rule is one that can only be described as a contextual nightmare. Whilst we can boil it down to "He had hits then 50 took his soul" and call it a day, there's so much under that surface that deserves a look, including music that perfectly exemplifies how fucking weird the 00s were. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:07) Ben: Must…

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Ep.275 - King Tee 1:23:31

4M ago1:23:31

1:23:31

King Tee's legacy is an underrated one. A West Coast darling, respected by his peers that put on a fair share of artists; you'd think his music would be more known? Especially when it's great for the most part! So was it a case of his peers just making better music or something deeper? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:56) Ben: L'Orange - The M…

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Ep.274 - Tha Alkaholiks 1:26:11

4M ago1:26:11

1:26:11

We head to the West Coast to cover the story of Tha Alkaholiks, a fun, don't-take-too-serious group that produced some of the most underrated gems of the 90s and managed to drop albums well into the 00s. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:18) Ben: Rema - HEIS Juicy J x Xavier Wulf - Memphis Zoo Blu x Evidence - Los Angeles Zacari - Bliss Jay Wor…

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Ep.273 - Mid-Year Report '24 1:37:19

5M ago1:37:19

1:37:19

Albeit a bit late, we take stock of 2024 in Hip-Hop so far, trying not to talk about the whale in the room for as long as we possibly can and instead talk about literally anything else. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:29) Ben: 42 Dugg - 4eva Us Neva Them The Streets - Fabric Presents Charlie: Gary Clark Jr. - JPEG RAW Tyler Daley - Son of Zeu…

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Ep.272 - Hip-Hop Neighbours, Vol 12 1:23:07

5M ago1:23:07

1:23:07

We kick back with another edition of Hip-Hop Neighbours, getting into the album that sent Jamiroquai into the stratosphere and a 90s UK Big Beat album from The Wiseguys, using both albums as foundations for a bigger conversations for music that's rooted in Black origin. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:35) Ben: Lupe Fiasco - Samurai Boldy Jame…

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Ep.271 - 2 Live Crew 1:30:31

5M ago1:30:31

1:30:31

The story of 2 Live Crew is one of response. Response to reactionary pearl-clutching over their work which dared to talk out *checks notes* eating ass, among other things. This lead 2 Live Crew to lean all the way into being the flagbearers of the Miami Bass subgenre whilst getting everybody to free up their sexual inhibitions. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly M…

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Ep.270 - 9th Wonder, Part 2 1:31:33

5M ago1:31:33

1:31:33

We finish our five-part miniseries on the Little Brother universe with Part 2 of our 9th Wonder retrospective, looking at a Blog Era Mixtape, a solo album bursting with features, another - albeit odd choice of - Remix album and a Supergroup EP. Capping off a beginner's guide to one of the best "Death, Taxes & (Artist Name) dropping" careers in rece…

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Ep.269 - 9th Wonder, Part 1 1:32:37

5M ago1:32:37

1:32:37

With Little Brother now explored, we can now get into the work of the distant 3rd member: Producer 9th Wonder who has spent a couple decades now letting his music do the talking, with many of collaborators in tow. In the first of two parts, we do something a little different and pick out two projects each that exemplify 9th and his legacy. TIMESTAM…

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Ep.268 - Rapper Big Pooh 1:08:44

6M ago1:08:44

1:08:44

We continue our LB miniseries with an exploration into the solo work of Rapper Big Pooh who - unlike Phonte - has dropped a lot of solo work in the past 20 years. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:20) Ben: Dave East x Mike & Keys - APT 6E Big Hit x Hit-Boy & Alchemist - Black & Whites Crimeapple x Big Ghost LTD - Bazuko Charlie: Wretch 32 - Mom…

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Ep.267 - Phonte 1:03:46

6M ago1:03:46

1:03:46

After exploring the music & story of Little Brother, it's time to get into the breakaway works. We begin with Phonte who spends the 2010s sporadically dropping works with a style not too distant from LB and with familiar names in tow. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:52) Ben: Juicy J - Mental Trillness 2 Charlie: Halima - EXU Vince Staples - D…

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Ep.266 - Little Brother 1:18:38

6M ago1:18:38

1:18:38

We head to North Carolina where a trio blooms out of a larger collective to become one of the biggest "if you know, you know" acts of the 00s: Little Brother with Phonte, Big Pooh and for a time, 9th Wonder. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) Ben: Rapsody - Please Don't Cry Mach-Hommy - #RICHHAXXHAITIAN A Boogie - Better off Alone Rio Da Yun…

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Ep.265 - Ras Kass 1:17:04

6M ago1:17:04

1:17:04

Ras Kass presents a discography that is vast, two iconic albums in the 90s, then a litany of mixtapes in the 00s and then continuing his consistent output in the 10s with a return to studio albums. So with such a gap between his 2nd & 3rd solo albums, does his story provide context? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:42) Ben: Conway the Machine …

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Ep.264 - Ice-T, Part 2 1:02:10

7M ago1:02:10

1:02:10

We return for Part 2 of our retrospective of Ice-T, where we left him off the back of his legendary four album run and the "Cop Killer" controversy; where would Ice take his art as he leaned more and more into other forms of media? TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:53) Ben: LeeV - Shadow Demon Boldy James - Trapper's Alley Partynextdoor - 4 Ahm…

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Ep.263 - A Pioneer's Perspective W/ MC Bushkin 1:20:36

7M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

In conjunction with "What's Good?", this is a special DITD episode where Charlie heads to West London to talk with Garage pioneer and co-founder of Heartless Crew: MC Bushkin. In anticipation of his film "The Story So Far" premiering @ Genesis Cinema the same day this episode drops, Bushkin talks his beginnings, notable moments in his Heartless Cre…

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Ep.262 - Hip-Hop Neighbours, Vol. 11 1:00:51

7M ago1:00:51

1:00:51

For this Hip-Hop Neighbours - linked to our Ice-T exploration - we cover the self-titled album Body Count and we also get into the first album from the UK based collective SAULT: "5". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Backwood Sweetie - Burn One Berner - The Farmer's Market Gangrene - Heads I Win, Tails You Lose Hus KingPin - In a Stat…

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Ep.261 - Ice-T, Part 1 1:31:29

7M ago1:31:29

1:31:29

We stay in the West Coast AND the late 80s/early 90s to do a two-parter on one of the most authentic voices to ever represent Hip-Hop: Ice-T. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:55) Ben: NappyHigh - Burgundy Future x Metro Boomin - We Still Don't Trust You Charlie: DRAGG - Mixed Feelings NappyHigh - Burgundy Nia Archives - Silence Is Loud Terri W…

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Ep.260 - DITD 5th Anniversary Special 1:39:45

8M ago1:39:45

1:39:45

This week, we celebrate DITD's 5th birthday with a pop quiz from Ben, thoughts on the Pod in general and yes, we talk about the Cole response to Kendrick. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:46) Ben: J.Cole - Might Delete Later GloRilla - Ehhthang Ehhthang Chris Patrick - The Calm Doja Cat - Scarlet 2 Claude Charlie: Dizzy Wright - Harsh Reality …

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Ep.259 - Paris 1:35:55

8M ago1:35:55

1:35:55

After exploring The Conscious Daughters last week, it seemed fitting to explore the career of their biggest advocate and one of the most controversial voices in 90s Hip-Hop: Paris. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:01) Ben: Beyoncé - COWBOY CARTER Bfb Da Packman - Forget Me Not Rico Nasty - HARCORE DR3AMZ Roc Marciano - Marciology Charlie Paolo…

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Ep.258 - Women's History Month '24 - The Conscious Daughters 1:06:26

8M ago1:06:26

1:06:26

To finish our Women's History Month celebrations, we stay in the West Coast to talk about a duo that oozed chemistry and confidence, only to be washed out by the industry changing direction. We talk The Conscious Daughters. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:48) Ben: Future x Metro Boomin - WE DON'T TRUST YOU SiR - HEAVY Elbow - Audio Vertigo Jo…

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Ep.257 - Women's History Month '24 - Marvaless 1:24:57

8M ago1:24:57

1:24:57

We continue our WHM celebrations with a trip to the West Coast, but not Oakland or Los Angeles. For the first time, we head to Sacramento for the story of Marvaless and the litany of Sac Town representers that come with her through her discography. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:56) Ben: yeat - 2093 Kembe x Hippie Sabotage - Sleep Paralysis …

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Ep.256 - Women's History Month '24 - Hurricane G 1:04:07

8M ago1:04:07

1:04:07

Continuing our WHM celebrations during the month of March, we get into another artist with one solo album, no longer with us after her passing in 2022: Hurricane G TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup: (1:17) Ben: MIKE - Pinball ScHoolboy Q - Blue Lips Cookin Soul x Raz Fresco - Bakin' Soul Kaiser Chiefs - Easy Eighth Album MGMT - Loss of Life KYLE - S…

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Ep.255 - Women's History Month '24 - Sister Souljah 57:36

9M ago57:36

57:36

Happy March one & all! You know what that means... Women's History Month on DITD is back and to kick off this year's set, we begin with the one & done Sister Souljah who took the political climate of her time to produce one of the most honest & politically scathing records in Hip-Hop history. No timestamps for this episode as we don't have a WMR or…

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Ep.254 - Hip-Hop Neighbours, Vol. 10 (Live From London) 1:03:45

9M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

LIVE FROM LONDON, we get into one special work from a true "If you know, you know" group: Cymande. We also get the low down on Ben's 1st week in London. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:39) Charlie: Jordan Mackampa - WELCOME HOME, KID! dreamcastmoe - MOLLY'S SON The Silhouettes Project - The Silhouettes Project, Vol. 2 Joel Ross - nublues Kele…

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Ep.253 - Public Enemy (#3) 57:55

9M ago57:55

57:55

We finish our Public Enemy three-parter with their most recent output with more friction from the inside and the outside but somehow, Public Enemy still continue to drop and tour the world; never dead, never deterred. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:00) Ben: Yeat - 2093 Conway x Big Ghost - Speshal Machinery the Chronic Edition 2nd Generation…

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Ep.252 - Public Enemy (#2) 1:35:12

9M ago1:35:12

1:35:12

In our 2nd part of the Public Enemy retrospective, we see how PE should have imploded and become one of the many groups in the 90s to break up; but not only did they not break up, they kept dropping (to mixed results) and predicting the future of the music industry still to come to fruition. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:09) Ben: Little Sim…

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Ep.251 - Public Enemy (#1) 1:21:19

10M ago1:21:19

1:21:19

In part one of three, we get into the beginnings of Public Enemy and their first three albums, two of which considered to be consensus classics and some of the most authentically Hip-Hop albums ever made. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:39) Ben: Skelbeats - What goes on in the Dark Lee "Scratch" Perry - King Perry Icewear Vezzo - Live from th…

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Ep.250 - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo 57:36

10M ago57:36

57:36

TW: Lyrics/talk referencing Sexual Assault. After last episode's foray into the solo career of Kool G Rap, we now look into the work that he did before with DJ Polo: Three albums of ground-breaking work for KGR and his peers. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:31) Ben: Zaddytc - A LOT Fredo Bang - Yes, I'm Sad Elcamino - Here You Go Eldorado Red…

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Ep.249 - Kool G Rap 1:27:36

10M ago1:27:36

1:27:36

Kool G Rap: The ultimate "If you know KGR, you know ball". Whilst KGR never got the commercial success, his legacy as a lyrical pioneer is rooted deeply in your favourites and your favourites' favourite. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:07) Ben: Kid Cudi - INSANO C-Scripture - Penalty of Leadership Teezo Touchdown - How Do You Sleep At Night D…

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Ep.248 - Big Daddy Kane 1:39:37

11M ago1:39:37

1:39:37

The King Asiatic Nobody's Equal. Brooklynite Big Daddy Kane came through the 80s as one of the best freestylers in the Five Boroughs and once he got with Cold Chillin' and the Juice Crew, Kane would prove that he is one of the most complete rappers of all time. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:56) Ben: Westside Gunn, Conway, Alchemist - Hall &…

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Ep.247 - Contemporary Cool, Vol. 12 1:22:31

11M ago1:22:31

1:22:31

Happy New Year one and all! We hope that your year is full of progression, growth and 52 episodes of DITD! But before we go forward, we look back one more time to 2023, talking about our Top 2 albums of 2023. Ben's No.2 - (3:25) Charlie's No. 2 - (26:20) Ben's No. 1 - (39:08) Charlie's No. 1 - (1:00:11) Lighter Note - (1:11:27) Charlie's Top 10 Alb…

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Ep.246 - 2023 Metacritic Album Score Review 1:29:21

11M ago1:29:21

1:29:21

Happy holidays one & all! To celebrate, we keep it simple and review the Metacritic Hip-Hop album scores for the year of 2023. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) Ben: Conway x Wun Two - Palermo Wizkid - S2 Layzie Bone - Hypnotic Rhythms Charlie: Ruinz Ason - Airplane Mode (Deluxe) Morena Santi - Santi Sounds List Review - (4:55) Last minute …

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Ep.245 - J-Live 1:21:14

11M ago1:21:14

1:21:14

The first two albums by J-Live are some of the most consistent works in Hip-Hop history. What's even more impressive is that they're both over 70 minutes. But what about the rest of his work as he walked through the desert that was the 00s Hip-Hop scene. Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Bas - We Only Talk About... Curren$y x Trauma Tone - Highway…

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Ep.244 - A Referendum On Celebrity 1:20:44

12M ago1:20:44

1:20:44

With the genocide/ethnic cleansing of Gaza/Palestinians ongoing, we have a conversation that we previously had in the heat of the protests in 2020 (You can listen here) and felt that we needed to have again: What is the place of our favourite entertainers/celebrities when it comes to issues as large as the ones happening in 2023? The answer ironica…

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Ep.243 - Large Professor 1:09:22

12M ago1:09:22

1:09:22

Large Professor is an interesting solo case in Hip-Hop history; an artist with a solid solo discography but his legacy is instead tied into being of service to a litany of legends. Where do you place someone like that in the annals of Hip-Hop history? (Check our Main Source episode for more LargePro) TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:00) Ben Co…

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