Rock n Rap feat Sequoia Holmes
5/28/202655 min
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
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Speaker 30:29
[upbeat music] All new drinks are now at McDonald's. With refreshers like the strawberry watermelon refresher and the mango pineapple refresher with popping boba, to crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire? Try them all now at McDonald's.
Speaker 40:54
Refreshers contain caffeine. Copyright 2026 The Coca-Cola Company. Sprite is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.
Speaker 51:00
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Don Will· Host1:27
What was more instrumental