Best The 5th Element Podcast Network Podcasts (2025)

1
Ep.306 - Dying Arts, Saudi Money & Jared McCain 58:23

1d ago58:23

58:23

In a week where: Azerbaijan opens a criminal investigation after a passenger jet crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people on board. At least 6,000 prisoners escape from a high-security facility in Mozambique. At least 177 people were killed in the deadliest air accident ever in South Korea. Magnus Carlsen, is disqualified from the World Rapid Champ…

1
Ep.297 - 2024 Metacritic Album Score Review 1:44:38

2d ago1:44:38

1:44:38

With it being the last episode of the year, we do our customary look through the Metacritic Album Score Review, looking at the works that were highly acclaimed and the works that were roasted into oblivion. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:02) Charlie: Novine - Daydreaming Sophye Soliveau - INITIATION SOUFSIDE KATHLEEN - Everything Under My Su…

1
30 Questions - Wolfgang Valbrun 14:31

7d ago14:31

14:31

Friend of 5E - Singer/Songwriter Wolfgang Valbrun - comes through to answer 30 Questions. Spin Wolfgang Valbrun's interview here. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?"…

1
30 Questions - Fifidiny 28:45

8d ago28:45

28:45

Friend of 5E - Independent singer/songwriter Fifidiny - comes through to answer 30 Questions. Spin Fifidiny's interview here. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?" Rat…

1
Ep.296 - Coolio 1:14:21

9d ago1:14:21

1:14:21

The story of Coolio is... a lot. But you know what isn't a lot? The variety in his discography once the 00s came around! Tracks appearing in more than one body of work and derivative tropes plaguing that weird decade would severely taint his first three albums that were bursting with personality and obviously "Gangster's Paradise". Lucky for him, i…

1
Long Read - The Deadliest Race 30:24

14d ago30:24

30:24

For this Long Read, we head to Esses Magazine for "The Deadliest Race" by Darrell Hartman. In the piece: A stirring telling of the 1955 Le Mans 24hr Endurance Race; with focus on the manufacturers, drivers and the tidal wave of influence that those 24 hours made. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending …

1
30 Questions - MC Bushkin 22:35

15d ago22:35

22:35

Friend of 5E - Garage Pioneer MC Bushkin - comes through to answer 30 Questions. Spin my initial interview with MC Bushkin here. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?" …

1
Ep.295 - WC 1:02:56

16d ago1:02:56

1:02:56

We finish our Westside Connection miniseries with WC who is definitely the more humorous of the three and is an underrated influence on where the West Coast went in the 00s and beyond. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:45) Ben: Snoop Dogg x Dr. Dre - Missionary Roc Marciano x The Alchemist - The Skeleton Key Charlie: Iotosh - FOR THE PEOPLE Kot…

1
Long Read - Tintin & Imperialism 24:28

21d ago24:28

24:28

For this Long Read, we head to Current Affairs for "What 'Tintin' Tells Us About Imperialism" By Andrew Ancheta. In the piece, Ancheta revisits Hergé's popular comic strips, to get to analyse how engrained Imperialism (and a ton of other 'isms') was in the long-running children's comic. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show…

1
30 Questions - Lams 19:00

22d ago19:00

19:00

Friend of 5E - Artist, Poet, Rollerblading Queen Lams - comes through to answer 30 Questions. Spin my interview with Lams here. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?" R…

1
Ep.294 - WC and the Maad Circle 1:14:24

23d ago1:14:24

1:14:24

Before WC went solo and became one third of the Westside Connection, he was head of WC and the Maad Circle which featured a pre-solo Coolio, Big Gee and DJ/Producer Crazy Toones. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:54) Ben: Rossy - Milwaukee Made Me / Wisconsin Worldwide Charlie: Janset & IKHANA - PROBLEMS Shabaka - Possession Topic Intro/Ben's R…

1
Long Read - The Perfect Webpage 33:17

28d ago33:17

33:17

For this Long Read, we head to The Verge for "The Perfect Webpage" By Mia Sato. In the piece, Sato explores the world of SEO - how bloggers, law firms and marketers alike are always pushing to game it - AI's influence on it all and simply how it all has made the Internet very dull in the chase for perfection. (According to Google) Thank you for lis…

1
30 Questions - Tee Max 27:58

29d ago27:58

27:58

Friend of 5E - Photographer Tee Max - comes through to answer 30 Questions. Be sure to spin my interview with Tee Max here. Thank you for listening! If you want to contribute to the show, whether it be sending me questions or voicing your opinion in any way, peep the contact links below and I'll respond accordingly. Let me know "What's Good?" Rate …

1
Ep.293 - Mack 10 1:26:39

1M ago1:26:39

1:26:39

After covering Westside Connection last week, it was only right to get into the two artists not named Ice Cube. This week: Mack 10 whose easy style was good enough to make a pretty decent discography considering half the output was during the dreaded 00s. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) Ben: duke deuce - tribe Ice Cube - Man Down Pete & B…

1
Ep.305 - Global Displacement, BlackRock & AI Pets 1:08:41

1M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

In a week where: ICC issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged Gaza war crimes. Brazilian police indict former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others for an alleged coup attempt on Jan. 8, 2023. Trump's sentencing in hush money case is paused indefinitely. Cop29 ends with a finance deal past deadline. Max Verstappen clinches fourth-s…

1
Ep.292 - Westside Connection 1:09:38

1M ago1:09:38

1:09:38

The trio of Ice Cube, WC & Mack 10 comprised the group Westside Connection that dropped two albums filled with aggressiveness, anyone-can-get-it dissing and mentioned "Mount Westmore" before Cube, Snoop, Too $hort & E-40 got around to finally make that a reality. Whilst production was okay, their chemistry and lyrical ability raised the tide immens…

1
Ep.304 - Maccabi Tel Aviv & Royal Landlords 1:10:58

1M ago1:10:58

1:10:58

In a week where: Guyanese citizens GY$100,000 in redistributed oil wealth. Turkey severs all relations with Israel. Ben & Jerry’s sues its owner Unilever over claims it was silenced from speaking out about the Palestinian genocide. The Onion acquires InfoWars. Malcolm X's three daughters files a $100M federal lawsuit against the CIA, FBI, and NYPD …

1
Ep.303 - 4B Movement, The "Right To Exist" & Private Jets 1:01:57

2M ago1:01:57

1:01:57

In a week where: Donald Trump wins the US Presidential Election. Australia announces legislation to ban social media for children under 16. Three people are charged in connection with the death of One Direction's Liam Payne. Iraq proposes law to lower the age of consent for girls from 18 to nine. Ukraine & Russia exchange 30 & 145 drone strikes res…

1
Ep.291 - Contemporary Cool Vol. 14 1:17:11

2M ago1:17:11

1:17:11

It's time for another Contemporary Cool in which Ben makes a YouTube video with his pick of Ab-Soul's "HERBERT" and Charlie gives love to Garage with DJ Spoony-led "Garage Classical". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Ab-Soul - Soul Burger ASAP Ferg - DAROLD Real Boston Richey - Richey Rich Natty - The Divine Trinity Charlie: Common Sa…

1
Ep.302 - The French Caribbean, USB-C & Quincy Jones 1:11:59

2M ago1:11:59

1:11:59

In a week where: Flash flooding has killed at least 200 people across eastern and southern Spain. Young Thug changes his plea to guilty on trial related to involvement in a street gang. Kemi Badenoch is elected new Conservative leader. Civil rights trailblazer Dr Paul Stephenson, leader of the Bristol Bus Boycott, dies at 87. Quincy Jones, producer…

1
Ep.290 - Young Thug: The Trial, Sentencing & Beyond 1:18:18

2M ago1:18:18

1:18:18

With the Young Thug/YSL RICO trial done & dusted, we invited Music Journalist & 5EPN Alum Brandon Hill to come through to talk about the trial, sentencing; the wider ramifications of this trial to Hip-Hop (& more specifically Lil Durk) and the implied silencing of Young Thug through his future musical content. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (1:…

1
Ep.301 - Britain's Seven Genocides & Sleep Perfectionists 1:03:36

2M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

In a week where: Tommy Robinson charged with terror offences after surrendering to the police & then jailed for Contempt of Court. Israeli military carries out strikes on Iran. Japan's ruling LDP coalition loses majority for first time since 2009. David Harris, actor best known for role in "The Warriors," dies at age 75. Manchester United sack mana…

1
Ep.289 - #UKBHM 2024: Neneh Cherry 1:28:58

2M ago1:28:58

1:28:58

For the final UKBHM retrospective of this year, we look at the career and solo discography of sonic nomad Neneh Cherry who has traversed the UK music landscape from the 80s onwards to now with a penchant for always doing it differently than her peers. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:58) Ben: Kembe X - it's not that deep Nappy Nina - Nothing i…

1
Ep.300 - "Race Science", Assisted Dying & 299 Lessons 1:14:26

2M ago1:14:26

1:14:26

In a week where: Liam Payne, former One Direction singer, dies aged 31. Global water crisis leaves half of world food production at risk in next 25 years. Tube workers will begin striking over pay in November. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is killed in an Israeli operation. Martyn Blake - Met police officer who shot Chris Kaba - is acquitted of murder.…

1
Ep.288 - #UKBHM 2024: Rebel MC 1:13:30

2M ago1:13:30

1:13:30

Before he was Congo Natty, he was Rebel MC and it is genuinely tough to decide which alter ego of dual threat Michael West is the most influential. As a Hip-Hop Pod, we cover Rebel MC and the three album run under that name, mixing Hip-Hop, House, Dance & Pop with samples from every Jamaican music genre to date. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (…

1
Ep.299 - Trauma, Hurricane Milton & Colonial Theft 1:00:17

3M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

In a week where: Rafael Nadal announces retirement from tennis at 38. Hurricane Milton tears through Florida. Alex Salmond, former first minister of Scotland, dies aged 69. Tents are engulfed by flames next to al-Aqsa hospital after Israeli airstrike. Thomas Tuchel is in "advanced talks" to become next England manager. In Life: (11:56) With the Isr…

1
Ep.287 - #UKBHM 2024: Demon Boyz 1:25:29

3M ago1:25:29

1:25:29

When UK Hip-Hop zigged, Demon Boyz zagged. Whilst they managed to get two albums out before their split, boy did they make effort to do it differently and incidentally became a key connection between Hip-Hop and Jungle. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:54) Ben: Rome Streetz - Hatton Garden Holdup XV & Mike Summers - Blog Era Is Dead Iglooghost…

1
Ep.298 - OpenAI, Meta's Dox Glasses & A 2nd Moon 50:53

3M ago50:53

50:53

In a week where: John Amos - actor known for roles in "Roots" and "Good Times" - dies aged 84. Ms Lauryn Hill faces lawsuit from Pras Michél for fraud and breach of contract related to tour cancellations. Britain to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Pink Floyd sells entire music catalogue & name and likeness rights to Sony Music for $400M. It's b…

1
Ep.286 - #UKBHM 2024: Hardnoise / Son Of Noise 1:06:44

3M ago1:06:44

1:06:44

In our 2nd UKBHM retrospective for the '24 crop, we get into the group Hardnoise, (Now known as Son Of Noise) who - along with temporary label mates Hijack - brought an antagonistic edge to UK Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) Ben: Tee Grizzley - Post Traumatic The Voidz - Like All Before You Jamie xx - In Waves Charlie: Mark Kavum…

1
Bail Reform, Crime & Justice W/ Brandon Hill & Ken W. Good 1:11:02

3M ago1:11:02

1:11:02

A bonus interview for you to step to! For this one, friend of the show Brandon Hill comes through to interview Ken W. Good - bail attorney and a board member of the Professional Bondsmen of Texas - to talk about the dense topic of Bail Reform which was taken into overdrive post-COVID. Brandon & Ken get into a hearty debate about the state of Bail i…

1
An Interview W/ The Allergies 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

For a bonus episode, an interview for you to step to! Charlie talks to UK DJ/Production duo The Allergies, talking their beginnings, how they gained/cultivated their taste; their new album "Freak The Speaker" and their Top 5. If you haven't spun a WG interview, here's a good gateway for you! Thanks for listening. Below are the Social accounts for a…

1
Ep.297 - Tory Lite's Freebies & The Allergies 1:08:25

3M ago1:08:25

1:08:25

In a week where: Missouri murders death row inmate Marcellus Williams after evidence was found that he was innocent. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is charged with five federal counts of bribery, fraud, and illegal campaign donations. World's longest-serving death row inmate - an 88-year-old former boxer in Japan - is acquitted in 1966 murders. Mag…

1
Ep.285 - #UKBHM 2024: MC Duke 1:01:40

3M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

We begin our 2024 edition of our UK Black History Month series with one of UK Hip-Hop's earliest success stories in MC Duke who was the guy in the late 80s, culminating in two albums of varying quality and the American vocal inflections that was plaguing the early years of UK Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:47) Ben: Tara Lily - Speak…

1
Ep.296 - Israel/Lebanon & Rammellzee 1:03:38

3M ago1:03:38

1:03:38

*Headphone/Volume warning around the 3:30 mark* In a week where: Shit kicks off in Lebanon... Instagram will launch “Teen Accounts” for its young users. Aslef train drivers vote to back pay deal and end two-year standoff. The late billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed has been accused of sexual assault by 20+ female former employees of Harrods, five of whom…

1
Ep.284 - Method Man & Redman 1:13:21

3M ago1:13:21

1:13:21

The duo of Method Man & Redman seemed like an unofficial duo. They did a lot together in the late 90s/early 00s including "How High", two TV shows that got prematurely cancelled and of course the two "Blackout!" albums. But even with all that, it seemed like their partnership was more an "in the moment between friends" thing than genuinely building…

1
Ep.295 - WhatsApp Novelists & Reversible Death 1:01:33

4M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

In a week where: Palestine takes permanent seat at The UN. Academy chain with 35,000 pupils is first in England to go phone-free. Tito Jackson, Jackson 5 member and brother to Michael, dies aged 70. A second assassination attempt of Donald Trump goes down. Huw Edwards is given suspended sentence after admitting accessing indecent images of children…

1
Ep.283 - Naughty By Nature 1:31:57

4M ago1:31:57

1:31:57

The trio of Naughty By Nature walked the tightrope better than anybody... Mainstream appeal but still Hip-Hop to the core; everybody and their grandmother has swayed to "Hip-Hop Hooray" and Naughty By Nature had the recipe for a few albums. But the tightrope walk didn't last forever. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:57) Ben: Paris Hilton - Inf…

1
Ep.294 - The 2nd Grenfell Tower Report 1:11:53

4M ago1:11:53

1:11:53

In a week where: The 2nd, more detailed Grenfell Tower report drops. Jeremy Corbyn forms an alliance with four other Independent MPs. Michel Barnier becomes France's Prime Minister. Actor James Earl Jones dies aged 93. At least 59 dead in Vietnam as Typhoon Yagi triggers landslides, floods. In the 1st of two Society segments: (11:46) We double dip …

1
Ep.282 - Contemporary Cool, Vol. 13 1:16:54

4M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

It's time for another edition of Contemporary Cool! For this one, we get into the Griselda project that arguably put them on the map in Benny The Butcher's "Tana Talk 3" & the absurdly stacked "D.I.T.C. - The Remix Project". TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:52) Ben: LL Cool J - THE FORCE Ransom x Conway - Chaos Is My Ladder 2 Sleazyworld Go - …

1
Ep.293 - "What Would Claudia Hampton Do?" W/ Dr. Donna J. Nicol 1:23:01

4M ago1:23:01

1:23:01

Another interview for you to step to! This episode I talk to Author & *Breathes In* the Associate Dean of Personnel and Curriculum and professor of history in the College of Liberal Arts at California State University Long Beach Dr. Donna J. Nicol to talk about her book "Black Woman On Board: Claudia Hampton, the California State University, and th…

1
Ep.281 - Guru 1:37:26

4M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

For the solo career of Guru, it is one that is - compared to Gang Starr - everything but consistent; mix it in with debates about how his relationship with Solar was in truth and you have a bit of a sad end to the life & career of one of the most distinctive voices in Hip-Hop. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:40) Ben: Big Sean - Better Me Than…

1
Ep.292 - Parasocial Politics, Chagossians & The Cimarons 59:18

4M ago59:18

59:18

In a week where: Al Attles - Basketball Hall of Famer & one of the first Black head coaches in the NBA - dies at 87. World’s second largest diamond is found in Botswana. Scientists have found microplastics in brain tissue. Two people killed & four seriously injured in a knife attack in German city of Solingen. Sven-Göran Eriksson, England’s first o…

1
Ep.280 - Gang Starr 1:26:15

4M ago1:26:15

1:26:15

The phrase "One of the Best Yet" has never been so apt. Maybe THE quintessential Golden Age Hip-Hop duo, Gang Starr started off with multiple iterations but once it was just the twosome of DJ Premier & Guru, it was over and it all culminated in projects from the late 80s to the late 2010s with the 90s work providing a shining example of what Hip-Ho…

1
Ep.291 - Immigration, MPox & James Baldwin 1:05:22

4M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

In a week where: An MPox outbreak in Africa creates a continental public health emergency. Aslef train drivers agree to a deal that could end two years long rail strikes. Olympic Champion Imane Khelif seeks cyber-bullying lawsuit against the likes of JK Rowling & Elon Musk. Thailand elects its youngest Prime Minister in Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The …

1
Ep.279 - Jeru The Damaja 1:16:42

5M ago1:16:42

1:16:42

Brooklynite Jeru The Damaja is a rapper that practiced what he preached. Whilst dropping two iconic "All Killer, No Filler" albums of the 90s, he watched Hip-Hop go commercial and made a point to not get swayed. Instead, he continued as an independent voice and cultivate a dedicated fanbase that love him to this day. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundu…

1
Ep.290 - Stuck In Space, Fossils & Olympics Debrief 59:52

5M ago59:52

59:52

In a week where: Shamima Begum loses final UK court bid over citizenship. Largest UK pension fund sells off Israeli assets amid member anger over Gaza. Brazilian plane with 62 people on board crashes in São Paulo state, no survivors. The 2024 Olympics comes to a close. Ukraine launches an incursion into Russian territory. In Education: (8:11) A sto…

1
Ep.278 - Twista 1:25:47

5M ago1:25:47

1:25:47

Twista is a fascinating case study. With his first four albums that drastically aim in different directions - only to settle on riding the wave of the 00s Hip-Hop sound - (for better or worse) it creates a frustrating picture of one of the most talented deliverer of words that instead made a full-throated push for the mainstream. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly…

1
Ep.289 - Imane Khelif, "Posh Roadmen" & Riots 1:18:11

5M ago1:18:11

1:18:11

In a week where: Evan Gershkovich among 26 freed in major Russia-West prisoner exchange. Vice President Kamala Harris secures Democratic nomination for president. Right-wingers across England wreak havoc. US, UK and France ask their citizens to leave Lebanon as war fears loom. Bangladesh army announces interim government after PM Sheikh Hasina flee…

1
Ep.277 - Chino XL 1:19:49

5M ago1:19:49

1:19:49

Chino XL passed away at the age of 50 last week. So we pushed back the others to celebrate the career and artistry of one of the most respected names in the New York underground. TIMESTAMPS: Weekly Music Roundup - (0:48) Ben: JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU Q Da Fool - King George Charlie: Elsy Wameyo - Saint Sinner Badbadnotgood - Mid Spira…

1
Ep.288 - Netanyahu's US Visit & Reading 1:09:35

5M ago1:09:35

1:09:35

In a week where: Benjamin Netanyahu visits the US. A twice-a-year injection of a HIV drug was 100% effective in women during clinical trials. China unveils meltdown-proof nuclear power plant. Britain drops its challenge to ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. Junior doctors’ leaders agree 22.3% pay deal over two years. In the 1st of two Politic…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The 5th Element Podcast Network

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide