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...
When your friend from far away Portugal hits you up with a message like, "Have you seen this? Do you know this guy? He's from Richmond and he is all over TikTok!" you can't help but check it out. And when you discover it's Chandler Matkins, it's almost a given—of course, it's him making waves. He's been at this for a while, as we uncovered in our...
It’s 1978 and Los Angeles is mic-checking and clearing its throat before unleashing its answer to New York City and London punk rock. It’s about to birth two of the most influential punk bands of all time. Descendents and Circle Jerks, titans of the sun-drenched and beach-salted heel of America, would sneer and scream over pits of flailing SoCal...
Hey y’all! I know it’s been a few months since my last YO! HIP HOP RVA write-up, but the hiatus was necessary because wedding planning was consuming my life. As of a few weeks ago, I’m off the market! Now, without further ado… this week’s edition of YO! HIP HOP RVA features King Kaiju, Lockedinkee, and Nickelus F. If you’re looking for good...
Well don't go looking for a lot of local acts this weekend in Richmond, as many of them will be trekking to Harrisonburg to participate in Macrock XXVVII. A two day affair that will span much of downtown Harrisonburg where dozens of acts will be gracing numerous stages all around town. Here in the city though, three old school LA punk groups come...
When I was growing up in Martinsville, Virginia, I never thought of it as a particularly music-friendly city. Sure, there were open mic nights at local churches and I caught the Charlie Daniels Band at our local Nascar track (ed. note: Martinsville Speedway) on the 4th of July, but if you wanted to catch a touring act you needed to be ready for a...
A musical based on Pharrell Williams' childhood is set to be filmed in Richmond. It's a coming-of-age story set in 1977 Virginia Beach, drawing from Williams' upbringing in the Atlantis Apartments. Williams will produce, and Michel Gondry, known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, will direct. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07-QBnEkgXU...
I was strolling down Broad Street on what was an unseasonably beautiful day in March, and as I rounded the corner at Arthur Ashe Boulevard I was greeted by the familiar yet striking architecture of The Hofheimer Building. I was making my way there that day to meet with Carter Snipes, co-owner of the building since 2015, and Natalie McNamara,...
Austin York, co-founding member of one of our favorite Richmond bands Sleepwalkers, has delved into the realm of animation by teaming up with the renowned DJ Harrison on the track "Galaxy" from Harrison's latest album, Shades of Yesterday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxZYD64JVzw The collaboration didn't just happen by chance. Austin shares,...
On this week's SOUND CHECK, I've got tons of lovely music for you from across the sonic spectrum. From an incredible visitor from out of town bringing with them on stage a variety of local talent to open the night, to a local music spotlight that has been lighting up Thursdays in Richmond. At The Camel this weekend, Lady Moon & The Eclipse...
