Hip-hop history, argued in real time.
Diggin' In The Digits pairs casual hip-hop conversation with deep catalog attention. Recent episodes move from J. Cole mixtape context and Capone's label struggles to Women's History Month profiles and quick verdicts on albums.
PRESS PLAY
Diggin' In The Digits is hip-hop criticism with the pace of a weekly catch-up and the memory of a long-running archive. The show moves easily between album chatter and structured artist retrospectives. It can start with a quick reaction to Yeet, Bruiser Wolf, DJ Paul, Underscores, Michael Maynard, or Cal Scrooby, then widen into a larger conversation about a career, a record's timing, or why a project feels like more than the sum of its features. The language stays casual. The listening is not casual. Recent episodes show a clear habit of naming tracks, producers, guests, release context, and tiny production choices before landing on a verdict. J. Cole gets discussed through mixtape-era momentum, fan expectations, and the way certain songs hold up. Capone gets placed against Nori, CNN, label delays, independent budgets, and the difference between mainstream gloss and a leaner album rollout. Women's History Month episodes focus on BWP, Oaktown 3.5.7, Apani B. Fly, and Nikki D, with the hosts acknowledging the frame while still doing the regular work of listening closely. The show is funny without becoming a bit machine. Side comments, stray questions, and little digressions are part of the texture, but they usually circle back to a record's sound, structure, or career meaning. Its judgments are often measured: solid, decent, interesting, standard, hit or miss. That restraint is part of the appeal. Diggin' In The Digits does not need every album to be a classic or a disaster. It is more interested in why a verse feels weird, why a feature list matters, why a hook misses, why a producer album works in spots, or why a mixtape exists as a bridge between bigger moments. For listeners already fluent in rap conversation, it feels like sitting near two people who have the references loaded and are still willing to think out loud.
Made for: For rap listeners who care about catalogs, mixtapes, production choices, features, and the context around an artist's career. It suits people who already enjoy hip-hop discourse and want opinions that are specific rather than over-polished.
What sets it apart: The show combines statistics-minded context with casual, track-level listening notes, so retrospectives feel researched but still conversational. It stands out by treating overlooked releases, label backstories, Women's History Month profiles, and new albums as part of the same hip-hop continuum.
Welcome to "Diggin' In The Digits", where Creator of 'Hip-Hop By The Numbers' Ben Carter and Director of 'The 5th Element' Charlie Taylor deliver entirely unique retrospectives behind Hip-Hop's biggest artists, stories & its roots, discussing them in detail.From Australia to the UK and beyond.A 5EPN Original.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Charlie Taylor and Ben Carter turn close listening across hip-hop catalogs into detailed, candid criticism with an easy conversational rhythm.
Diggin' In The Digits turns hip-hop discographies into sustained conversations between Charlie Taylor and Ben Carter. Their retrospectives on Onyx, N.O.R.E., J.Cole, and Capone move album by album, weighing performances, production, features, sequencing, and the points where an…
Seventy minutes of Onyx can earn your respect and still make you reach for scissors.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A loose, candid read on Friday Night Lights as both mixtape and career marker.
Diggin' In The Digits treats J. Cole's Friday Night Lights as a mixtape caught in an odd pocket of timing. The episode places the 2010 project near Cole World, framing it as a release that may not have been strictly necessary, but still works as a sturdy holdover.
A measured episode on Capone's delayed album, its independent scale, and the Scarface feature that gives the discussion its spark.
Capone's long-delayed album gives this Diggin' In The Digits episode a clear frame: a record shaped by stalled label plans, then released on a smaller independent scale.
A track-by-track case for N.O.R.E.'s stronger presence, grounded in performance and production.
N.O.R.E. comes through in the details the hosts keep circling: the legendary "wa-wa" ad-lib, a pair of iconic beats tied to his name, and an album that makes its strongest argument through performance.
A grounded look at Back the Fuck Up, Back the Fuck Up Part 2, ferocity, growth, and the limits of intensity.
Diggin' In The Digits frames Back the Fuck Up and Back the Fuck Up Part 2 around a useful tension: how much force an album can carry while still making room for development.
A loose seventh-year special hits hardest when it turns to Sean Price's written bars, then pivots neatly into Underscores.
Diggin' In The Digits uses its seventh year as a light anniversary prompt, letting the number seven guide Charlie Taylor and Ben Carter from blurred childhood memories toward the records currently occupying them.
The Allergies recall tapes, imports and record hunting in a lively look at how musical discovery changed.
The Allergies remember DJ culture when finding music meant traded tapes, import records, research and the occasional lucky break. Charlie Taylor gets them talking about how they built a record bank, with the thrill of securing Illmatic on import and Raekwon's purple tape when…
Funk history, straight from the players.
Hosts Ben Carter and Charlie Taylor celebrate the seventh anniversary of their podcast 'Diggin' In The Digits' by each selecting seven hip-hop albums they discovered through the show.
Charlie Taylor hosts a bonus interview with The Allergies, a production duo consisting of McCroy and Adam.
Diggin' In The Digits returns to J.
Charlie and Ben celebrate the 7th anniversary of their hip-hop podcast DITD, discuss their lack of childhood memories, and review new music including Underscores' album 'U' and Cal Scrooby's projects.
Charlie Taylor and Ben Carter discuss Yeet's new album ADL, debating whether it's a standout project or just more of the same.
Ben Carter reviews Michael Maynard's producer album 'Reset' and briefly mentions Baldy James' release.
Two men discuss Apani B.
Ben Carter reviews recent hip-hop albums including DJ Paul's 'Goat of All Goats' and Niles Barkley's latest project.
Diggin' In The Digits Episode 353 starts with Shai Otega, Ankara, and Dretta the Fifth trading recent listens, including Willow’s 26-minute Petals for Armor Black, RJD2’s Superstitions, and Gorillaz’s The Mountain.
Diggin' In The Digits revisits Capone's solo run after CNN, starting with his Queens upbringing, his father's numbers work, and a first single, "Get the Cream," that a DJ stole and handed to another rapper.
Ben and Charlie trace N.O.R.E.'s solo run from 1998's N.O.R.E.
Ben Carter traces Onyx back to 1988 in South Jamaica, Queens, where Fredro Starr, Sonny Caesar, and Big DS built a hardcore sound before Jam Master Jay signed them.
An interview with debut producer Kiyan Foroughi, discussing his background and upcoming album.
Sean Taylor interviews alt-R&B talent Kairos The Writer about his music career and creative process.
Host Charlie Taylor introduces an interview with jazztronica artist Kinzoogianna, comparing it to a previous engaging conversation with Mystic.
The hosts of Digging Digits interview Jesse Flores, a new executive at Intercept Music, discussing his role and the music industry.