The Almanac of Rap

This week on The Almanac of Rap, Donwill sits down with culture critic, SiriusXM host, and Black People Love Paramore creator Sequoia Holmes for a hilarious and insightful conversation about Black alternative culture, pop punk nostalgia, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and the unexpected intersections between rap and rock music.

Sequoia reflects on growing up as a Black Paramore fan during the emo era, why bands like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Coldplay, and Panic! at the Disco resonated with Black listeners, and how her podcast became a space to unpack the “common and uncommon interests” of Black audiences online. The conversation also explores the evolution of “alternative” music, the decline of rock bands in the streaming era, and how modern artists blur genre lines between rap, pop, punk, and internet culture.

Don and Sequoia debate Miley Cyrus’ rap era, revisit iconic Nickelodeon and Disney Channel theme songs, discuss why shows like All That, Cousin Skeeter, and That’s So Raven were secretly foundational Black cultural experiences, and break down artists like Rico Nasty, Tierra Whack, Lil Uzi Vert, and Teezo Touchdown through the lens of alternative hip-hop. Sequoia breaks down:

Why Black audiences connected deeply with Paramore

Nickelodeon’s hidden influence on Black music culture

Miley Cyrus’ rap era revisited years later

The blurred lines between rap, punk, and alternative music

🤳🏾 Got a question, comment or compliment? Leave a message today at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) It might just end up in an episode!🎙️

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.

Substack: New Music Tuesdays

Instagram/Threads: @donwill

Mixcloud: Donwill

Website: Donwill.me

Follow Sequoia Holms

Instagram:  @bplppod

Black People Love Paramore: Podcast

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Almanac of Rap, Donwill sits down with Queens lyricist Grafh to talk about battle rap, mixtape culture, lyricism, and surviving the music industry on his own terms.

Grafh reflects on discovering rap through Nas’ Illmatic, studying rhyme patterns with a dictionary, and developing the intricate writing style that would later make him a respected “rapper’s rapper.” The conversation explores the difference between writing a great verse versus crafting a great song, ghostwriting for major artists, and learning song structure from collaborators like Kanye West and 88-Keys.

Grafh also shares stories about battling rappers in studios before the modern battle rap era, getting co-signed by the late DJ Kay Slay, working with Busta Rhymes, signing to Roc-A-Fella Records during the label’s final years, and eventually finding financial freedom through today’s underground rap ecosystem. Grafh breaks down:

The art of lyrical wordplay

The real business behind mixtape-era rap

Busta Rhymes, Kay Slay & Roc-A-Fella

Why underground rap is thriving independently

🤳🏾 Got a question, comment or compliment? Leave a message today at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) It might just end up in an episode!🎙️

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.

Substack: New Music Tuesdays

Instagram/Threads: @donwill

Mixcloud: Donwill

Website: Donwill.me

Follow Grafh:

Instagram:  @grafh 

Website: artbygrafh.com 

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before hip-hop became a billion-dollar industry, it was a living culture being built in clubs, parks, train yards, and downtown art spaces across New York City.

This week on The Almanac of Rap, Donwill sits down with writer, filmmaker, musician, and Graffiti Rock creator Michael Holman to unpack the early days of hip-hop culture and the movement that brought its four elements to a national audience for the first time.

Holman reflects on working alongside pioneers like Fab Five Freddy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Martha Cooper, and Henry Chalfant, while helping shape the downtown New York scene that amplified breaking, graffiti, DJing, and rap beyond the Bronx. The conversation explores the creation of Graffiti Rock, the commercialization of rap versus hip-hop culture, and why graffiti writers, breakers, and DJs were eventually pushed to the margins as rap became the industry focus. Michael Holman breaks down:


The untold origins of Graffiti Rock


Fab Five Freddy, and downtown hip-hop culture


Basquiat’s band Grey


Why rap and hip-hop are not the same thing


The role of Puerto Rican breakers in evolving b-boy culture


How downtown clubs accidentally helped formalize the “four elements” of hip-hop as we know them today

🤳🏾 Got a question, comment or compliment? Leave a message today at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) It might just end up in an episode!🎙️

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.Substack: New Music TuesdaysInstagram/Threads: @donwillMixcloud: DonwillWebsite: Donwill.me

Follow Michael Holman:

Instagram:  @michaelholman101

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the “Purple Tape” was green?

Does Polo Ralph Lauren and Clarks’ Wallabees owe Wu-Tang residuals for teaching an entire generation how to rock each brand?

And how did Raekwon navigate dropping his solo album AFTER standout projects from both Meth and Ghost?

This week on the Almanac of Rap, Donwill sits down with Wu-Tang Clan founding member and future Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Raekwon. Don and Rae discuss his influential solo debut album "Only Built for Cuban Linx," its iconic purple tape marketing, and the challenges of producing its sequel. Raekwon breaks down:

The importance of authenticity, hard work, and expanding the Wu-Tang universe through his music. 

His impact on fashion, including popularizing the Polo Snow Beach jacket and various collaborations that support emerging artists. 

His current goals of educating youth and maintaining artistic integrity. 

🤳🏾 Got a question, comment or compliment? Leave a message today at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) It might just end up in an episode!🎙️

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.

Substack: New Music Tuesdays

Instagram/Threads: @donwill

Mixcloud: Donwill

Website: Donwill.me

Follow Raekwon:

Instagram:  raekwon   

Web: www.officialraekwon.com/     

Linktr.ee:  @RaekwonTheChef

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s Almanac of Rap mini-sode, Donwill hits the hotline and the callers come through with takes on the new Michael Jackson biopic, favorite women in hip-hop, and an unexpectedly serious debate about who has the best hair in rap (yes, there’s a running list). Along the way, listeners put Don onto hidden gems old and new, proving once again that rap’s best discoveries often come from the community. Equal parts mailbag, music nerd-out, and comedy hour; it’s another fun one from the Almanac hotline. 

Check out:

staHHr - Get Right

Tara Chase- Autonomy (1997)

📞 Got a burning hip-hop question? A thought about a past episode? A gushing compliment that you didn’t want to leave on the Youtube channel?  

Call us up at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) and leave a message.  Make sure to leave your name because we just might use your message on a future episode. (Remember calls can only be 1 minute long.)

Next topic: ☎️ Put Don onto some dope sh!t — old music, forgotten films, underrated books, great art… share something good.

Bonus: Don is still on tour with Michelle Buteau, catch a show if he’s hitting your city, tickets here.

May 6 - Los Angeles - Dolby Theater w/ Michelle Buteau

May 8 - Las Vegas - The Palazzo Theater w/ Michelle Buteau

May 15 - Atlanta - Tabernacle w/ Michelle Buteau

May 16 - New York City - The Beacon Theater w/ Michelle Buteau

May 17 - New York City - The Beacon Theater w/ Michelle Buteau

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.

Substack: New Music Tuesdays

Instagram/Threads: @donwill

Mixcloud: Donwill

Website: Donwill.me

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices