Diggin' In The Digits

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 Roundup - (0:42)
Charlie:
Olympia Vitalis - Lady Luck
Jaz Karis - Twenty Something
GUINEVERE - Kiss The Sun
Nate Smith, Kiefer, CARRTOONS & Kenneth Blume - FATHERS
Tenderlonious - Africa/Brass (Live) (Artwork By Charlie!)
Kelela - new avatar
Baby Rose - YEARNALISM
Joe James - The Ends, Never Ends
Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (9:21)
Station Identification - (12:46)
Armaghetto - (21:15)
Secret Science Rap - (28:30)
Lighter Note - (38:14)
Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.
Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)
HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92
Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

We'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 Skiiiwalker - #invite,sessions,only!!
Charlie:
The Deli - Kaleidoscope
Alewya - Zero
Naomi Sharon - No Sleep In Paradise 
Revisiting Hip-Hop Media - (8:45)
Notable Projects So Far - (31:11)
Projects We're Looking Forward To - (1:07:51)
Lighter Note - (1:16:14)
Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.
Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)
HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92
Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

In 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 - (0:59)
Ben:
NappyHigh - REDaze
Charlie:
Gwen Bunn - The Interim, Vol. 1
Ryder - RYDERHOOD 3
Nia Smith - Payback Is A Dog
Common Saints - Age of Illusions
EAST WEST Honey (Lyric Jones & Wake The Wild) - Nothin' Sweeter
NappyHigh - REDaze
Madeon - Victory
The Offline - Révisé
The Doppelgangaz - Beats For Brothels, Vol. 9
BALTHVS - Transmutations
kwn - and all pride aside 
RASiDA - POTENTIAL
Tia Gordon - i asked the stars for this. x
Zilo - Ready To Bloom
Kelissa - THE GOOD SIDE OF THINGS
The League of Rebelz - Jam House
LOX - The Eight Gates
Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (20:11)
Mr. Scarface Is Back - (24:53)
The World Is Yours - (28:06)
The Diary - (33:42)
The Untouchable - (38:43)
My Homies - (43:41)
The Last of a Dying Breed - (46:28)
The Fix - (50:01)
My Homies Part 2 - (53:44)
Made - (1:00:08)
Emeritus - (1:03:14)
Deeply Rooted - (1:10:02)
Lighter Note - (1:12:52)
Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.
Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)
HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92
Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

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.
TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup -(0:50)
Ben:
Benny the Butcher- The Plugs I Met 2.5
Hard-Fi - Sweating Someone Else's Fever
YG - The Gentleman's Club
T.I. - Kill the King
Charlie:
Mild Temperance & intrepid.fox - Daydream
Kaicrewsade - kranberry
Tierra Whack - WHACK'S MUSEUM
Jah Version - Gather Round
Orbital Ensemble - Continua
PJ Morton - Saturday Night / Sunday Morning 
Aza Lineage - Rebel Daawta
Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (19:14)
Making Trouble - (23:14)
Grip It! On That Other Level - (32:35)
We Can't Be Stopped - (40:59)
Till Death Do Us Part - (52:05)
The Resurrection - (1:01:20)
Da Good da Bad & da Ugly - (1:07:41)
The Foundation - (1:15:01)
Lighter Note - (1:21:57)
Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.
Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)
HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92
Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence

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 accessible Hip-Hop with positive and incisive commentary.
TIMESTAMPS:
Weekly Music Roundup - (1:33)
Ben:
Death Cab for Cutie - I Built You a Tower
Charlie:
Awon & The Other Guys - Solidified
Will Kobus & Mettaworldzeke - it's only as deep as you make it 
Seu Jorge - The Other Side
Khrysis - Khrysis On The Boards v.3
aja Monet - the color of rain
Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (8:05)
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... - (11:06)
Zingalamaduni - (18:02)
Heroes of the Harvest - (22:23)
Among the Trees - (24:52)
Since the Last Time - (28:13)  
Strong - (31:00)
Standing at the Crossroads - (34:08)
Changing the Narrative - (36:06)
This Was Never Home - (39:29)
Craft & Optics - (42:36)
Don't Fight Your Demons - (46:58)
For the Fkn Love - (49:09)
Bullets In The Chamber - (53:57)
Adult Contemporary Hip Hop - (56:39)
Lighter Note - (1:02:38)
Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for all parties involved.
Music - "Pizza And Video Games" by Bonus Points (Thanks to Chillhop Music for the right to use)
HHBTN (Twitter & IG) - @HipHopNumbers
5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUK
ChillHop (Twitter) - @Chillhopdotcom
Bonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92
Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:
"What's Good?" W/ Charlie Taylor
In Search of Sauce
Black Women Watch...
5EPN Radio
The Beauty Of Independence