Ep.265 - Ras Kass

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 recent memory.TIMESTAMPS:Weekly Music Roundup - (1:12)Ben:Moby - Always Centered at Night$uicideboy$ - New World DepressionNormani - DOPAMINELUCKI - GeminiJason Martin - ChupacabraNxWorries - Why Lawd?u-ziq - GrushCharlie:Khrysis & Silent Snipers - Perfect TimeVanilla Is Black - U.Aint.Never.Lied!PJ Morton - Cape Town To CairoFana Hues - MothNormani - DOPAMINEZara McFarlane - Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah VaughanNxWorries - Why Lawd? Kooley High & Tuamie - All InfiniteLalah Hathaway - VANTABLACKTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (19:24)Back To The Feature - (23:32)The Wonder Years - (35:53)Black American Gangster - (54:42)Dinner Party - (1:04:13)Lighter Note - (1:26:45)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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.TIMESTAMPS:Weekly Music Roundup - (1:29)Ben:Yelawolf - War StoryOpen Mike Eagle - Sir RockabyeKAYTRANADA - TIMELESSVince Staples - Dark TimesCharlie:KAYTRANADA - TIMELESSSHY FX & Mr. Williamz - Rudeboy Design SoundtapePip Millett - Tell Jimmy I'm FineCeline Love - Colouring InTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (12:30) God's Stepson - (23:54)Black Is Back - (35:06)Murray's Revenge - (48:08)Cloud 9: The 3 Day High - (1:01:54)Lighter Note - (1:12:39)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 6EBig Hit x Hit-Boy & Alchemist - Black & WhitesCrimeapple x Big Ghost LTD - BazukoCharlie:Wretch 32 - Moments of SilenceIan Kelly - ARTOddisee - And Yet StillJONES - KaleidoscopeBaby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow BurnThe Deli & Soupmakesitbetter - For Your Ears Not Your Bellynamesbliss - Lived ExperiencePotatohead People - Eat Your Heart Out Nascent - DON'T GROW UP TOO SOONBugzy Malone - The Great British DreamWolfgang Valbrun - Flawed by DesignTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (17:18)Sleepers - (23:05)The Delightful Bars - (26:44)Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 1: For Members Only - (29:43)Dirty Pretty Things - (32:33)"Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 3: Happy Birthday, Thomas" & "Fat Boy Fresh Vol. 3.5" - (34:54)Everything 4 Sale - (40:46)RPM - (43:20)To Dream In Color - (45:02)Lighter Note - (52:39)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 2Charlie:Halima - EXUVince Staples - Dark TimesShenseea - Never Gets Late HereOpek - The CallConfucius MC & Pitch 92 - Stop SignsLoyle Carner - hugo: reimagined (live from the Royal Albert Hall)Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:56) Charity Starts At Home - (24:18)No News Is Good News - (33:31) Lighter Note - (48:01)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 CryMach-Hommy - #RICHHAXXHAITIANA Boogie - Better off AloneRio Da Yung OG - Rio Circa 2020Cities Aviv - Bernadette LeakShooterGang Kony - OPPS CAN'T HAVE FUNThom Yorke - ConfidenzeCharlie:Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison - The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of Earth, Wind & FireMumu Fresh - The HealingKamaiyah - Figuring Out My EmotionsRapsody - Please Don't CryHit-Boy & Jay 305 - DON'T WAIT UNTIL I DIEVinocio - HorizonteBlu - abcTerrace Martin - Grounded Topic Intro/Ben's Research House - (15:37)The Listening - (24:56)The Minstrel Show - (33:13)Getback - (43:15)Leftback - (51:35)May the Lord Watch - (57:51)Lighter Note - (1:06:07) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 - Slant Face KillerGhostface Killah - Set the ToneGunna - One of WunCharlie:Jorja Smith - falling or flying out (Reimagined)Jasmine Myra - RisingNubiyan Twist - Find Your FlameA-F-R-O - The Drawing BoardBigXthaPlug, Ro$ama & Yung Hood - MEET THE 6IXERSYaya Bey - Ten Fold Bryony Jarman-Pinto - Below DawnJordan Rakei - The LoopTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (16:00)Soul On Ice - (23:30)Rasassination - (30:16)Barmaggedon - (41:07)Intellectual Property - (46:53)Soul On Ice 2 - (54:12) Lighter Note - (1:06:51) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 DemonBoldy James - Trapper's AlleyPartynextdoor - 4Ahmad Anonimis - Mnt. Snug4Batz - u made me a st4rBen Beal x Wun Two - gazeboRome Streetz - Buck 50Spice 1 - Platinum OG 2Charlie:amir. - Three Of SwordsCassie Kinoshi's seed. W/ NikNak & London Contemporary Orchestra - gratitudeSlum Village - F.U.N.Liv.e - PAST FUTUR.eRachel Chinouriri - What A Devastating Turn of EventsTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (10:04)Home Invasion - (15:30)Ice-T VI: Return of the Real - (22:39)The Seventh Deadly Sin - (30:15)Gangsta Rap - (35:09)Lighter Note - (46:04) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence

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 Crew years but more broadly, get into the connections between Garage, Grime and beyond; also tracing the absurd rate of evolution Black British Music had in the 90s/00s, with Bushkin right there through all of it. if you recently spun Narduwar's interview with Skepta, this'll be a great opportunity for you to go deeper into the history that made the likes of Skepta and his contemporaries.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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence 

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 OneBerner - The Farmer's MarketGangrene - Heads I Win, Tails You LoseHus KingPin - In a State of NirvanaBaby Rose x BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow BurnTaylor Swift - Tortured Poets DeptartmentCharlie:Oscar #Worldpeace - Mum, Pray for Your SonSwank & King Draft - Vice CityBlue Lab Beats - Blue EclipseBody Count - (9:29) 5 - (31:42) Lighter Note - (44:17) 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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence 

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 - BurgundyFuture x Metro Boomin - We Still Don't Trust YouCharlie:DRAGG - Mixed FeelingsNappyHigh - BurgundyNia Archives - Silence Is LoudTerri Walker & Zed Bias - My Love Story (Zed Bias Remixes)Summers Sons - Still Nothing StillShabaka - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its GraceTopic Intro/Ben's Research House - (13:05)Rhyme Pays - (26:00)Power - (35:20)The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say - (45:15)O.G. Original Gangster - (54:47)Lighter Note - (1:08:45)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) - @HipHopNumbers5E (Twitter & IG) - @The5thElementUKChillHop (Twitter) - @ChillhopdotcomBonus Points (Twitter) - @BonusPoints92Other Podcasts Under The 5EPN:"What's Good?" W/ Charlie TaylorIn Search of SauceBlack Women Watch...5EPN RadioThe Beauty Of Independence