Editor’s Note: This piece was developed from an extended conversation between Reppa Ton and Chauncey “Chance Fischer” Jenkins. The new album drops tonight at midnight HERE. Sitting outside at Common House talking through Memento Vivere when the conversation drifts...
The Drake we once knew is gone. What began as one of the most prophetic artists to hit the rap and hip-hop scene over the past two decades has again reached another breaking point with the release of three new albums on Friday, May 15th. Iceman, Drake’s mainline promotional project, was released alongside bonus albums Habibti and Maid of...
UPDATE February 2nd, 2026: Mad Skillz has won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. You can read about that HERE. In honor of that win here is our interview with him back in December. ————- “A life lived through music, is a life well lived.” – Mad Skillz Mad Skillz is a journey. Nine hip-hop albums....
Richmond’s Nettspend and Vans turned Laurel Skatepark into a canned food drive that was part skate scene, part community pull-up, built around a simple ask: bring something that helps someone else eat. For readers who may not know him yet, Nettspend is one of Richmond’s most visible breakout artists of the last few years. You can read...
There’s something different about a hometown show when the artists actually mean hometown. Clipse at The Dome was not a victory lap or a nostalgia play. It felt more like a reckoning. Two brothers returning with their full story intact. Pusha T and Malice have always rapped for their people. The crowd knew these records because they lived with...
Was giving DJ Harrison’s new album a listen preparing the interview. I’m sitting with the tracks, getting a feel for the album’s pulse, when “Seek God” comes on. Fly Anakin steps into the beat with that effortless Richmond control that comes from years of sharpening steel with steel. Right then, the notification hits. Pitchfork’s 40 Best Rap...
Richmond gets it. More than any other city in Virginia. That’s why we created Weekend Frequency, a reader-curated playlist built for the city, by the city. Each week, a different voice from Richmond’s creative community shares the sounds that move them, shaping the soundtrack of our weekends together. This week’s playlist comes...
Richmond has always produced world-class talent and just as often, watched it leave. That cycle was exactly what Warren Jones, performer and co-founder of Prison Religion, and Christian Detres, filmmaker and longtime RVA Magazine contributor, set out to change. Their answer is Southern Gothic, a new festival by Black Ether, Halcyon Veil and...
Unsigned but far from unseen, Richmond’s own Alexander Mack is pulling over 35,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with standout tracks like “Young Man” crossing 1.3 million streams. On YouTube, his video for “Cucumber Cool” has racked up over 367,000 views in just a few months. No label. No co-sign. Just well-produced, thoughtful music, rooted...
Don’t let the name fool you, the Richmond Jazz & Music Festival, happening August 8–10, 2025, isn’t just about jazz. This year, hip hop isn’t just part of the mix, it’s taking center stage. It’s been moving in that direction for a while, but now the shift feels complete. As the festival continues to evolve, it’s embracing the full...
