The Almanac of Rap

For our season finale we talk to Lupe Fiasco about his concept albums, his work with MIT, Yale and Google and history in martial arts. We also talk about the many supergroups he’s started and get a status update on if they are active or dormant.

Lupe Fiasco is a grammy award winning rapper who has found a voice outside the booth by teaching classes about rap at MIT and working with Google’s large language model to develop a TextFX, an AI tool made specifically for writers.

For more information visit:

Lupe Fiasco: LupeFiasco.com

Donwill: Donwill.me or donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris.Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week’s guest is Homeboy Sandman and we talk about him not being on social media, getting love from mainstream artists, his creative process and his upcoming tour.

Homeboy Sandman is a Brooklyn based MC with a deep discography and rich history in the New York music scene.

For more information visit:

Homeboy Sandman: patreon.com/homeboysandman

Donwill: Donwill.me

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris. Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week’s guest is Cory Gunz and we talk about him being mentored by Nick Cannon, Godfathered by Shaq, working with Lil Wayne and being raised by Peter Gunz. We also discuss his current crop of releases and his new crew, The Militia. 

For more information visit:

Corey Gunz: instagram.com/CoryGunz

Donwill: Donwill.me

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris.Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talk to MC Lyte about her career and the way that she’s pioneered in music, fashion and more. We also do a quick study of the history of rappers with cartoons and pitch a few ideas for new cartoons that feature rappers.

MC Lyte is rapper, DJ, actor and TV producer who’s been a part of some of culture's biggest moments.

For more information visit:

MC Lyte: mclytenow.com

Donwill: Donwill.me

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris.Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talk to Cavalier about releasing multiple albums, ‘legal weed’, moving to New Orleans and much, much more.

Cavalier is a fiercely independent Brooklyn born artist whose new album Different Type Time has achieved critical acclaim. 

For more information visit:

Cavalier: cavwins.com

Donwill: Donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris.Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talked to Von Pea about Internet Rappers and the etiquette of being online. We also play a game of ‘Guess The Real Rapper’ to further illustrate the fine line between URL and IRL.

Von Pea is a founding member of the group Tanya Morgan and a charter member of Okayplayer and he also moderated the message boards. so he has tons of experience dealing with people online.

To order 15 Year Anniversary pressing of Brooklynati visit: vinylmeplease.com

For more information visit:

Von Pea: Instagram.com/VonPea

Donwill: Donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris, Edited by Kobina Baffour & Tony Mui. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Music Production by Von Pea.

Summer 2024 is almost over so this week we went outside to find out what the streets were feeling. Top artists, album and of course song of the summer. We are still taking answers to all the questions so feel free to chime in on the comments as well!

For more information visit:

Donwill: Donwill.me

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris. Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talk to Rodney Jerkins about his time spent working with Micheal Jackson, Brandy, Mary J Blige, Whitney Houston and Beyonce, to name a few. We also get to the bottom of a few unsolved mysteries that have been rattling around my brain.

Rodney Jerkins is a Grammy award-winning producer and songwriter who has worked with more than his fair share of legends.

For more information visit:

MAVI: Mavi.bandcamp.com

Donwill: Donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sssay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris. Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talk to MAVI about his latest release, seeking the approval of your parents and the concept of a shadow self. He wasn’t able to make it into the studio so we did it via Zoom.

MAVI is a hip-hop artist from Charlotte North Carolina and his new album is titled shadowbox. He’s been widely praised for his mindful rhymes and evocative instrumentals. 

For more information visit:

MAVI: Mavi.bandcamp.com

Donwill: Donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sssay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris. Edited by Travis Harris & Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Graphic Design by Crystal Simone. Music Production by Von Pea.

This week we talked to Lalah Hathaway about how she stays inspired to keep her music fresh. We also talk about hip-hop samples, vocal colors, vocal signatures, and a whole bunch of other fun stuff. 

Layla is a Grammy award-winning singer, artist, writer, and producer and she is also the daughter of Donny Hathaway. Her new album Vantablack is available everywhere now.

For more information visit:

Lalah Hathaway: lalahhathaway.com

Donwill: Donwill.substack.com

Okayplayer: Okayplayer.com

The Almanac of Rap is Executive produced by Donwill & Isha Sesay for Okayplayer Media. This episode was written and hosted by Donwill. Produced by Travis Harris, Edited by Kobina Baffour. Art Direction by Kaushik Kalidindi. Music Production by Von Pea.