Donwill and Masta Ace Talk Hip Hop Theater on The Almanac of Rap

On this episode of The Almanac of Rap, Donwill of Tanya Morgan sits down with Masta Ace for a conversation about rap, theater, and the work it takes to turn one kind of storytelling into another. It is a smart pairing. Donwill brings curiosity, humor, and real fan knowledge to the table, while Masta Ace brings decades of experience as one of hip hop’s most respected writers. The result is a talk that feels thoughtful without losing its warmth. It sounds like two people who care about the form and want to get into the details, not rush past them.

The heart of the episode is Masta Ace breaking down his adaptation of The Falling Season into a musical stage play. What makes this part so interesting is how honest he is about the process. He explains that he first approached it like a play, not a musical, and only later began to understand how dialogue itself might become song. From there, the work got deeper. He pulled ideas from The Falling Season, Disposable Arts, and A Long Hot Summer, then mixed them with pieces of his own life in Brownsville. That gave the project a foundation, but it also made the writing harder. He had to rethink scenes, characters, and structure while still keeping the story clear.

When Masta Ace talk about discipline, says rap writing gives an MC more freedom, while theater writing has to move the story forward at all times. In a rap song, a slick line might be enough. On stage, every line has a job. Masta Ace explains how his dramaturg pushed him to cut lines he liked and rewrite songs so they introduced characters, built the world, and carried the plot.

They dig into a larger issue that Broadway still has not fully embraced Hip Hop. Donwill frames this well by bringing up past rap and hip hop theater works like Hamilton, Holler If Ya Hear Me, Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, and Black No More. Masta Ace takes it from there and speaks plainly about how narrow the theater world still feels when it comes to rap. Instead of waiting for Broadway to catch up, he says he would rather take The Falling Season to London’s West End first, where he already knows he has an audience. That part says a lot about the state of Hip Hop and the stage. It also speaks to the long indie tradition of going where the love is real.

Even after all these years, Masta Ace still sounds driven by growth, challenge, and the need to outdo himself. For fans of rap writing, concept albums, and hip hop culture beyond the booth, this episode is worth hearing. It shows that hip hop storytelling does not end at the mic. Sometimes it grows, changes shape, and walks onto a stage.