It’s the kind of connection that would’ve been unthinkable in hip-hop’s pre-internet days, when geography was everything and a Virginia MC had to drive to New York just to get in the right room. But in today’s digital-first landscape, persistence is currency—and Chandler Matkins has been spending it wisely.
For years, he’s kept himself in the conversation, dropping daily content and making sure his music stays in front of hip-hop heads scrolling their feeds. If you’ve been paying attention, you already know his name—from our coverage of The Unexpected Rapper to the times he’s went viral.
Turns out, Shaquille O’Neal was paying attention, too.
“He saw one of my videos, hit me up, told me the track was fire,” Matkins recalls. “I almost didn’t believe it—until he sent me a selfie video telling me to keep going. That’s when I knew it was real.”
What followed was the kind of organic collaboration the old industry gatekeepers don’t believe in. No label backchannels, no A&R politics—just Shaq telling him to send over some tracks. Chandler did. And before long, Out There Remix was born—a three-way collab with his DJ and producer, TuffLuckKid, and one of the most recognizable figures on the planet.
Cover credit: Tori Sprankle & Aspen DeRosa
One Last Show Before the Next Chapter
“When I moved back to Richmond, I wasn’t sure if I’d stay forever or if I’d end up somewhere else,” Matkins admits. “I had no idea my music would take off the way it has.” And while some might see Richmond as a ceiling, he sees it as a launchpad. “I don’t see being in Richmond as a limitation at all,” he explains. “The way the industry works now, you can build an audience from anywhere. The key is to be consistent and keep growing within your community. I plan on connecting Richmond and New York by bringing my people up there and vice versa.”
But before he makes that move, Matkins is making sure Richmond gets one last celebration. His RVA Send-Off show at The Broadberry on February 22 isn’t just a farewell—it’s a homegrown showcase, bringing together Lunch $pecial, O-Z, TMA, Kaay Taurus, Zuri, and DJ sets from TuffLuckKid and Fellaair.
And true to form, he isn’t making this all about him. It’s about the city, the scene, and the artists who helped shape his sound. “This’ll be my last show down South for a minute while I get settled up North, so come party for old time’s sake,” he wrote in his announcement.
Oh and he just dropped this track with M.Y.L.O. a few weeks back. Behind the scenes photos from the M.Y.L.O. & Chandler “NO ONE NEW” video by Mike Avey below.
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