The Donwill-hosted The Almanac of Rap has quietly built a reputation as the thinking person’s Hip Hop show. Winning a Webby Award right out the gate for its first season, and following that up with another Webby in 2025 for Experimental Innovation, the Okayplayer-presented series has become essential listening for anyone who believes Hip Hop history deserves more than hot takes and recycled anecdotes. Now, with Season 4 launching February 26th, the Tanya Morgan emcee is doubling down on what makes his show special: deep research, unexpected questions, and a genuine love for the culture that goes beyond clout-chasing.
What sets The Almanac of Rap apart is Donwill’s unique positioning within the culture itself. He’s written for The Village Voice as a reporter, traded bars with Drake, and interviewed rap titans like Lupe Fiasco — which means he approaches his guests not as a fanboy or an outsider, but as a peer with genuine curiosity and the credentials to ask questions that matter. Season 4’s guest list reflects that access and respect: Bun B, Raekwon, Havoc, 9th Wonder, LaRussell, and even Moonlight actor Jharrel Jerome are all set to appear. But it’s not just about the names — it’s about what Donwill extracts from them. His recurring segments like “The Big Playback” (championing under-appreciated gems) and “The Do Over” (letting guests redo acceptance speeches with hindsight) create space for vulnerability and reflection.
The ambition of Season 4 is staggering: Donwill is planning to drop a new episode every single week for a full year, alternating between audio/video and audio-only formats, while maintaining the show’s signature depth and production quality. He describes it as “made by people who care immensely about the subject” and one that “examines sides of stories that you might not have even thought to look at”. This season promises deep dives into Outkast’s legacy, rappers on Broadway, line dances, Buddhist Hip Hop, and more — the kind of left-field topics that only someone with Donwill’s encyclopedic knowledge and genuine curiosity would think to explore.
For a genre that too often gets flattened into narratives about beef, streaming numbers, and viral moments, The Almanac of Rap stands as a reminder that Hip Hop’s real richness lies in its details, its forgotten stories, and its unsung heroes. Season 4 launches February 26th on all podcast platforms, and if you’re still sleeping on this show, now’s the time to catch up.
Listen to The Almanac Of Rap wherever you get your podcasts:
youtube | spotify | apple | amazon
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