Rock n Rap feat Sequoia Holmes
From The Almanac of Rap by Donwill/Okayplayer
May 28, 2026 · 55 min · Season 4 · Episode 14
About this episode
Donwill interviews Sequoia Holmes about Black alternative culture and the intersections of rap and rock music.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Donwill
Guest: Sequoia Holmes
Topics covered
- Black alternative culture
- pop punk nostalgia
- Disney Channel
- Nickelodeon
- intersection of rap and rock
- alternative music evolution
- genre-blurring artists
Keywords
- Black Paramore fan
- emo era
- alternative hip-hop
- Miley Cyrus rap era
- Nickelodeon influence
- streaming era
- genre lines
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: SiriusXM
Books & works: Black People Love Paramore, All That, Cousin Skeeter, That’s So Raven, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Coldplay, Panic! at the Disco
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