For our final UKBHM retrospective of the month of October, we cover late 80s UK group Hijack who were - like many of our subjects for this edition of UKBHM retrospectives - were ready to hit the US and make something of themselves but were stymied by the powers that be. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:08) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Chlothegod - Nearly Straight Lilblackkids (Georgia Anne Muldrow & Keith Rice) - Planet Of The Blues: Part Two Dirty Needles - Happy Accident Junkheart...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 5 min
As Hip-Hop in the US was booming in the 90s, Hip-Hop in the UK were searching for a new voice after a good class in the late 80s/early 90s. Enter Blak Twang who was not just winning awards before his 1st album dropped, but his 1st album took nearly 20 years to actually drop! In the time between, Blak Twang crafter a solid solo discography that shows personal growth the deeper it goes. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:53) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) YawnyBlew & AMIR. - DREAMBIIG CAR...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Lisa Maffia - The First Lady of So Solid Crew - made a genuine attempt to go it solo. Her one and only album was clearly meant to provide a runway for more but media perception of her and chiefly her affiliation with So Solid, kept her career consistently in a state of friction. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:41) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) BIGBABYGUCCI - When You Wake Up Westside Gunn - And Then You Pray For Me Offset - Set it Off Ken Carson - A Great Chaos Bad Bunny - nadie sabe lo...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 11 min
UK Garage had a special moment from 99-02, it seemed that every notable Garage track was hitting the charts. But only one track hit no.1 and that was "21 Seconds" by So Solid Crew. They could've easily been a one-hit wonder but with their sheer numbers as a group, two albums and a whole lot of retrospective influence, So Solid will forever be noted in the history of Black British Music. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:09) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Earl x Alchemist - VOIR DIRE (Strea...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 16 min
In our first UK Black History Month retrospective of 2023, we get into the artist that attempted to put UK Hip-Hop on his back and carry it into the mainstream. Whilst in many ways he succeeded both personally and for the genre, it was short-lived. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Lil Wayne - Before Tha Fix Tyga x YG - Hit Me When U Leave the Klub SANITY - Bruises to Blossoms Armand hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips Rome Streetz - Noise Kandy 5 Ian Ke...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Del The Funky Homosapien (Or Del Tha Funkee Homosapien; pick a lane) is a mainstay in the "Alternative" and Independent Hip-Hop scene. His voice is one of the most unique and always delivers when the word "Feat." is next to his name. But does his solo discography tell us anything new about his artistry? Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Lizzie Berchie - Am I An Adult Yet? Indigo Phoenyx & PA. Dre - The Conjuring : REVAMPED OTG - MAN OF A FEW Guvna B - The Village...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 20 min
For the 20th Bites, we switch it up a little and talk about a TV show! After nearly 12 years, a hiatus and two versions, Top Boy is done after five seasons. We talk about the show in as many angles as possible. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Ehua - Clouds Heather Victoria - I Can't Make This Up Khazali - Born For This Jalen Ngonda - Come Around and Love Me Cleo Sol - Heaven Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows E. Jones - Deadstock - Shock Drop L E M F R...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Hieroglyphics hold a very interesting spot in Hip-Hop history. A collective that has been around for a couple decades now but still have a "if you know, you know" essence to them. From their merch to the music, Hiero stay ever-present but still hold some mysticism to the average Hip-Hop fan. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) A-F-R-O - AFRODEEZIAK (EP) 38 Spesh & Conway The Machine - Speshal Machinery The Good People - A Good Year Irreversible Entangle...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min
For this edition of Hip-Hop Neighbours, we get into two 00s classics in Craig David's "Born to Do It" and Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:05) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Smoke DZA & Flying Lotus - Flying Objects Blu & Real Bad Man - Bad News Xenia Manasseh - LOVE / HATE Pt. 1 9th Wonder - Zion IX Fay Victor - Blackity Black Black Is Beautiful ILLA J & Harleighblu - Second Record ILLA J - No Traffic Beenie Man - Simma Blac Youngsta - Blac S...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Souls of Mischief are the rare group that - after 30 years - are still together and going strong. Along with a seminal Hip-Hop track and a relatively consistent discography overall, it's no wonder why Souls have kept a really dedicated fanbase. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) D2x - Hotel 1105 Digga D - Back to Square One Burna Boy - I Told Them… DJ Muggs - Soul Assassins 3 Nyck Caution - NYCKSTAPE Open Mike Eagle - another triumph of ghetto engineering ...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Immortal Technique is an essential artist to listen to. He stays ever-present with constant touring and putting his Leftist lyrics to the sword, genuinely doing work for people in the world that need it. And that's not even getting into some of the most vivid storytelling you'll ever hear. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (00:50) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Quavo - Rocket Power Giggs - Zero Tolerance Unknown T - Before the Smoke Genesis Owusu - STRUGGLER EST Gee - El Toro 2 Mick Jenkins -...
Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 16 min
In a very special DITD Bites, we get into Lizzo, Tory Lanez getting 10 years; REASON & Moosa's debate on wax and Hip-Hop turning 50. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:24) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) REASON - Porches Backwood Sweetie - Ancestral Aspect Noname - Sundial Fredo - Unfinished Business CLIP - APPETIZER PGF GlizzyMoe - Rapping & Drilling YTB Fatt - Who is Fatt Gloss Up - Shades of Gloss Humble Soles - Humble Soles Trippie Redd - ALLYT5 Joell Ortiz L'Orange - Signature K...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Whilst the stories of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and - for different reasons - Eazy-E are thoroughly documented, the story of MC Ren is something different from the others. From his embrace of Islam & the Nation of Islam, to his content that presents a conflicting and kind of gross persona; Ren is a voice that is unmistakable and truly earns him the "Villain" moniker, for better or worse. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:01) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) CHIKA - SAMSON: THE ALBUM Ramya Pothur...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 23 min
The legacy of N.W.A runs so deep in Hip-Hop that it's hard to say something fresh about it; but their music still connects Ren, Cube, Eazy, Dre, Yella & Arabian Prince together into a fascinating tapestry of collaborations, collective vision; beef and now acknowledgement that N.W.A was one of the most talented groups in Hip-Hop history. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:27) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Hamzaa & 1SRAEL - RUSH Damon Locks & Rob Mazurek - New Future City Radio V...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 34 min
It can be said that Masta Ace is underrated in many facets of the music but one that needs to be hailed forever is his unique long-form storytelling. Since "The Symphony", Masta Ace has continued to put his life on wax in a way nobody else in Hip-Hop has done: With detail and heart. Weekly Music Roundup - (2:13) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Cherise - Calling Mahalia - IRL Nas & Hit-Boy - Magic 2 J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard Big Boss Vette - Resilience Ice Spice - Like...? Valee x Ha...
Jul 25, 2023•2 hr
It's time for another Hip-Hop Neighbours, highlighting non-Hip-Hop albums that Hip-Hop fans can get into. For this one, we get into the work of Gil Scott-Heron and Chase & Status. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:46) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) Adrian Younge & Tony Allen - Tony Allen JID018 Cookin Soul - Whateva, Vol. 5 Kota The Friend - Protea Melonyx - Soul Glow P Money - Money Over Everyone 4 Lo Village - Yellow Brick Road rum.gold - U Street Anthology King Von - Grandson Da...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 14 min
In this chunky episode, we get into the work of The Roots where whilst we would make an effort to bomb through discographies for the sake of time, we simply couldn't for The Roots because they seemed to depart from their past album nearly every time. The subtle switches in their music over time would end up creating a wide reach. From "Jam Session" Hip-Hop to dense concept albums, it was certainly worth taking the time. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:08) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) L...
Jul 11, 2023•2 hr 17 min
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 director Matthew Xia and the 2nd half involving Xia; actors Rhashan Stone and Daniel Ward. On top of th...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min
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 and Nowhere At All (EP) PRICE - NO SLEEP IN THE CITY PRICE - GOSPEL IN THE GHETTO Reuben James - Cham...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 43 min
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 & Big Hit - SURF OR DROWN 2 Statik Selektah - Round Trip Jamal Gasol & Vic Spencer - The Right Way...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 17 min
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 Monae - The Age of Pleasure Mungo's HiFi - Past and Present Amaarae - Fountain Baby BLK ODYSSY - DIAMOND...
Jun 13, 2023•2 hr
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 - Two Jords - DIRT IN THE DIAMOND Arlo Parks - My Soft Machine CJ Fly - Healing From Our Wounds Goyard Ib...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 37 min
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 Flowers Don't Die Tayah - Still Wonders Kassa Overall - ANIMALS Lil Durk - Almost Healed FMB DZ - P-Rock...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 19 min
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 else? Madison McFerrin - I Hope You Can Forgive Me Apex Zero - Drummer Warrior Storyteller Pt. 2 Rael...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 38 min
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 x unruly - Don’t Go Outside Deante’ Hitchcock - Once Upon A Time Vado - A Good Friend Beach House - ...
May 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min
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 mundane, surreal ! DEACON - What's The Music Ting Saying JONES - Magic In My Hand JFlames - Made in London...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 30 min
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 2 G Herbo - Strictly 4 My fans 2 Tee Grizzley x Skilla Baby - Controversy Dave East - Book of David ...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 16 min
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 Nellson - Charlotte's Unfortunate Death Alfa Mist - Variables YoungBoy - Don’t Try This At Home Peezy...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 41 min
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 LEVELS El Michels Affair & Black Thought - Glorious Game Avelino - GOD SAVE THE STREETS Total Re...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 4 min
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 continue our journey. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:43) (Ben = Bold / Charlie = Italics) GQ - Fo...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 49 min
