Diggin' In The Digits

In a change of pace from usual DITD proceedings, Charlie was invited to see a play in Theatre Royal Stratford East called "Tambo & Bones", written by West Philly's own Dave Harris. And as you can imagine from the episode title, Charlie was also given the opportunity to interview the director and lead actors of the show. In an episode that's split into two: the 1st half is a one-on-one with dir...

The story of Canibus is probably the best suited for a podcast built on retrospectives such as this. Whilst his music can easily be passed off as "rapper has verbal diarrhoea", the storyline combined with selected songs really highlight how misunderstood Canibus is as a rapper, entrepreneur and person. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:27) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Miles. - Everywhere a...

On the 18th edition of DITD Bites: Tyler, The Creator hopped on Rap Radar recently and made some interesting quotes that we wanted to unpack. So we do that, getting into his beef with playlists, "Rap Twitter" and his past work. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Marquis Hill - Rituals + Routines Charlie Smarts & DJ Ill Digitz - Charlietape Hit-Boy &...

After 10 chapters, we've finally reached the conclusion of our "Book Of Wu" series. If you haven't spun the series, feel free to spin all 12 episodes here .  For the final chapter, we look at the Wu albums and the group as a unit.  TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) WIINSTON - THE LAST DAYTONA 7xvethegenius & DJ Green Lantern - The Genius Tape Janelle Mo...

Happy June! We're nearly halfway through the year, which means it's time for our Mid-Year Report! How the 50th Year of Hip-Hop has been faring, what albums we rate so far an other general discussion. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:17) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) ECKOES - Fractals Mnelia - Closure Tapes K.Zia - Kintsugi Heart McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?  Green Kanine - Tw...

Houston's Chamillionaire was a child of 8 Ball & MJG, UGK and Geto Boys. His single "Ridin" was one of the most ubiquitous songs of the 00s. But after a couple of albums and a bevvy of mixtapes, Chamillionaire's story gets much more interesting when you look at his entrepreneurial track record. Weekly Music Roundup - (1:37) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) KYE - Ribena Monaleo - Where The Flow...

After covering Pras last week, we thought it was a good a time as any to look into the Fugees member that seems to have no issue in dropping music on a consistent basis. With nine studio albums, Wyclef Jean has used his many tastes to create a fascinating musical tapestry of himself, to varying degrees of success. Weekly Music Roundup - (1:42) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Tora-i - & what e...

Pras has been in the news in recent years, but not for anything music related. So since he was formally found guilty in a foreign influence case, now seems a good a time as any to listen to the music and wonder how in the hell did Pras go from Fugees to illegal bankrolling?! Weekly Music Roundup - (1:22) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics)  Kuzco - I Vibe, She Vibes Amadeus360 - The MPC Jedi Klwn cat...

All answers begin with a question and sometimes that question needs to be blunt. But never fear, we try and break the question down as only we can. It's not a question that caters for a straight "yes" or "no", but a conversation starter for what is probably the least music-based episode yet. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:16) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) siegfried komidashi - the mundan...

For the 17th edition of DITD Bites we get into the AI Music debate and the concept of Video Essays/Documentaries, asking WHY do people like Trap Lore Ross make the videos they make. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:35) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Aaron Taylor - HAVE A NICE DAY! Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Lonnie Liston Smith - Lonnie Liston Smith JID017 Nines - Crop Circle...

When you look at Jim Jones' career, it's one of hard work and dedication to squeezing every benefit out of a deal. But hard work only gets you so far... Hard work can't get you a good solo discography and Jim Jones is an outstanding example of that. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (01:14) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) redveil - playing w/ fire Kid Abstrakt & Leo Low Pass - Believe Dell N...

For the 10th edition of Contemporary Cool: We get into the works of Tink's 2013 tape "Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours" and August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper & Karriem Riggins) TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:00) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Kay Young - We Meet At Last ENNY - We Go Again  Venna - EQUINOX Terri Walker - MY LOVE STORY Dinner Party - Enigmatic Society Joby Jay - LOVE...

Four years ago on April 10th, Diggin' In The Digits began. Since that Tuesday, we have dropped an episode every Tuesday. We've never missed a drop and have learnt so much over those four years. We celebrate with a reflection, our favourite episodes in the past year; an existential question linked to Hip-Hop's upcoming 50th birthday and we bring back Deadpan Recitals. Thanks for spinning as we cont...

For this edition of "the real HHN" where we explore projects just outside of the Hip-Hop purview, we get into the works of Bryson Tiller's "T R A P S O U L" and Gorillaz' "Plastic Beach". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:41) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Royce Da 5'9" - The Heaven Experience 38 Spesh - Gunsmoke Ric Wilson, Chromeo & A-Trak - CLUSTERFUNK Dizzy Wright - Live at Daddy Mac...

We finish off our Women's History Month celebrations with an artist that was so close to blowing up - but with a shelved 2nd album - lost steam. It seems that whenever a female shows talent with a solid first album, it still doesn't solidify their foundations. But through it all, Rah Digga continues to shine regardless of the industry pulling the rug from under her. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundu...

For our third WHM retrospective, we look at another one-and-done artist in Sweet Tee; with an additional conversation on the unique place 80s Hip-Hop artists are historically. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:49) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Nix Northwest - Xin's Disappearance M83 - Fantasy U2 - Song’s of Surrender 100 Gecs - 10,000 Gecs Unknown Mortal Orchestra - V EST Gee - Mad Lil Pump...

We continue our Women's History Month celebrations with a look at the one & done work of Ms. Melodie: The first lady of BDP and an essential cog in the lives of many, including KRS-ONE & Big Daddy Kane. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:09) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Nathan Kawanishi - Splashes Of Ink (Antithesis)  Tank and The Bangas - Pretty Poems The Hoodies - What Pressure Ma...

We begin our Women's History Month celebrations with the First Lady of No Limit: Mia X. Her music was unmistakably 'No Limit' but when looking past the hits, came some of the best creative cuts of the 90s. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) 9th Wonder - ZION VIII slowthai - UGLY Neak - Die Wurzel Female All-Stars - Fa To The World Che Noir & Big Ghost Lt...

We boot up Contemporary Cool once again and for Volume 9 we look at the barely talked about work "7 Days Of Funk" and the blueprint for collective collaboration in The Silhouettes Project. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:42) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) New Sector Movements - These Times  Vic Spencer & 38 Spesh - Greenthumbs Meets Trigger Fingers Gorillaz - Cracker Island Braxton Coo...

We continue with Part 2 of our RZA retrospective with a look at his solo work which - whilst it may deliver less than desired - is an interesting creative wrinkle to one of the most versatile artists of his generation. Weekly Music Roundup - (1:05) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Hi-Tek - Panorama Apartments (1994 Mpc 60ii) Wesley Joseph - GLOW Nappy Nina - Mourning Due Kelela - Raven Bktherula -...

We reach the last solo retrospective of Wu-Tang Clan members, finishing with the leader of it all: RZA. In the first of a two-parter, we talk about RZAs leadership as the head of the Wu dragon and his unprecedented production run. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:49) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Coldxman - Amor Fati Nejma Nefertiti & Zenati - Rapoeira (EP) Backwood Sweetie - Sweetie S...

Off the back of Lil Yachty's new album, he made a comment about "wanting to be seen as an artist". This led to responses like this. We broke down the multi-layered conversation that is decades old and spans genres: Labels, eras, the leaders of said eras and what happens when they do something different. 200 episodes without missing a drop, thanks for being on this journey with us. Charlie's 2018 p...

The brief but beautiful life and career of Capital STEEZ is one of incompletion. Seeing someone so young, with deeply rooted ethics and beliefs, end his life just as the career was about to go somewhere - whether it be up or down - will forever leave more questions than answers. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:26) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Hi-Tek - Glen Orchard Drive (1993 Mpc 60) Bro...

The Wu Lead-off Hitter. INS - Inspectah Deck - has some of the most iconic bars in the Wu-Tang discography, but as much as we all love to "bomb atomically", Deck's solo work contains the least amount of Wu involvement out of all solo Wu discographies. And like Masta Killa, U-God & Cappadonna, it's not as talked about. Weekly Music Roundup - (00:41) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) El Train - C...

We cover one of the most influential Hip-Hop groups of All-Time in Three 6 Mafia; rulers of Memphis, led by DJ Paul & Juicy J's legendary production. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup (0:52) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Skyzoo & The Other Guys - The Mind Of A Saint AntsLive - Just A Matter Of Time (EP) 21 Lil Harold - After the Curse 03 Greedo - Free 03 BabyTron - Bin Reaper 3 - New Tes...