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...
This week’s edition of YO! HIP HOP RVA features not just one, but two woman MCs. A.Chardae and Rap-Unzel deliver memorable verses on records that couldn’t sound more different from one another (in a good way of course). While Skuzii delivers a fun, “oontz oontz” earworm. We've got it all for you on this week's Yo! Hip Hop RVA. Are you an artist...
This week’s edition of YO! HIP HOP RVA features hip-hop artistry in three forms: boom-bap, jazz and punk respectively. Tajahmad’s record will make you scrunch your face and nod your head, McKinley Dixon’s will give you hope and inspire you, and the Kidz will awaken your adolescent angst. TAJAHMAD"Needles" (Single) I had no idea what to expect...
This story was originally published in RVA 41 which can be in various locations around town, or you can read it right here. This is a slightly modified version formatted for digital distribution. There is no band quite like Butcher Brown. If one were to head into any city in the United States with a vibrant music scene, find all the heaviest...
This story was originally published in RVA 41 which can be in various locations around town, or you can read it right here. This is a slightly modified version formatted for digital distribution. CHRISTIAN DETRES: Alright, I'm recording. Okaaaay… here with Mikemetic. Is that your real name? MIKEMETIC: No. Well, my birth name is Michael Williams....
This week’s Yo! Hip Hop RVA is for lovers of Richmond hip-hop. Featured this week is a duo of entertaining music videos from Monday Night and TROY, as well as a unique album release from Young Flexico. Monday’s “Cobra Flex” is “less is more” personified. TROY’s “NOISEY” seamlessly marries pristine visuals and lyricism. And last but not least,...
Creativity is challenging without community, a problem that the up-and-coming OffKey Entertainment is looking to solve. They aren’t a band, or a record label, but something bigger than that. “We are a collective, we are a group, we are a family,” I’m told on the porch of a Carver house venue. It’s a Friday night, and music blares from the...
We delve into the world of Grimalkin Records, a Richmond, Virginia-based collective with a mission that goes beyond music. In this interview, you'll meet Eli Owens and Grim, the driving forces behind this nonprofit endeavor, and explore their inspiring journey from humble beginnings to a certified 501(c)(3) organization. They're amplifying Trans...
We dispatched our hometown photographer, CJ Payne, to the heart of the city to capture a snapshot and engage in some casual conversation. Consider it our local twist on the acclaimed Humans of New York series that we hold in high regard. Our aim is to foster a sense of community and encourage our readers to deepen their connections with their...
I had agreed to meet William Keck aka OG ILLA at his newly renovated space on Broad St, which he has dubbed CNTR in the last year—a creative space for creative people. The location is humble enough out front, bearing the marks of its many past iterations, such as the bookstore it once was, but the inside is on its way to becoming one of the most...
