On Friday, August 26, Nonamis Entertainment presents the first ever Rich City Music Fest, powered by RVA Mag and the Richmond Flying Squirrels. It’s all happening at the Diamond — because what’s richer than a diamond? You’ve gotta admit, it’s a baller move, launching a brand new music festival in a baseball stadium that stands as one of the largest entertainment venues in the entire Central Virginia area. But hey, you know what they say — go big or go home.
This wasn’t done just to draw attention, though. Nonamis Entertainment made clear that they see strong potential for the near future of not just The Diamond but the entire area around it. “We saw the potential in the Diamond because of the plans to renovate the area into the new Diamond District,” a Nonamis spokesperson told RVA Mag. “We want to play our part by highlighting the value of such a historic stadium and bringing awareness to the importance of doing this event in our hometown.”
Of course, to Nonamis Entertainment, this is just the beginning. “Nonamis Entertainment created the Rich City Music Festival to enrich the community of Richmond, Virginia with quality music, food, & entertainment,” they stated. “We plan to take this festival across the country while highlighting the local businesses and artists who are a part of the DNA of our creative communities.”
We certainly can’t accuse them of thinking small. However, in the end, the proof is in the pudding. What exactly will the first Rich City Music Fest bring to the table in order to make it one of the most essential music events of the summer?
Well, for starters, there’s top headliner Money Man. The Atlanta-based rapper has been grinding hard for years now, releasing 22 mixtapes since 2016. The most recent is Big Money, which just dropped earlier this summer, while his biggest chart hit so far has been “24,” the 2020 tribute to Kobe Bryant featuring Lil Baby. Hitting #49 on the Billboard Hot 100, it’s also been certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Most recently he’s signed with new startup EMPIRE, which made news due to Money Man taking his entire $1 million advance in the form of Bitcoin. That’s “Big Money” right there.
Fellow Atlanta artist UnoTheActivist is also headlining Rich City Music Fest. Getting his start in hip hop group TFZ alongside Playboy Carti, he’s broken out on his own in the years since, releasing his first studio album, 8, on Republic Records in 2020. His most recent release is the mixtape Limbus 3: After Death Life Is Forever. True to his name, UnoTheActivist strives to make his music positive. “I’m here to inspire the kids that you ain’t gotta sell your soul,” he told XXL in 2018. “You ain’t gotta sell these drugs, you ain’t gotta do none of that.”
The third and final headliner is Shordie Shordie, who hails from Baltimore. He was originally a member of Baltimore group Peso Da Mafia, who ironically had a regional hit with the song “Money Man” back in 2017. Since then, he’s gone out on his own, releasing his first mixtape, Captain Hook, in 2018. It produced the viral hit “Betchua (Bitchuary),” which hit the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in 2019, peaking at #41. His most recent mixtape, Memory Lane, is a collab with Murda Beats.
At the next tier within the festival are the Leading Acts, all three of which come from the Virginia/DC area. Fresh Porter, who comes from Petersburg, has shared stages with acts like Rod Wave and No Cap. Chaz French comes from DC and has toured with Wale and Goldlink, among others. MackBenWiddit is from Southside Richmond, and is a name that should be familiar to local hip hop heads from his always-hype local performances.
Noteworthy DJs on the bill include Glo Up Jake, who is part of the Lyrical Lemonade collective; leading Virginia DJ Crush Groovey; and DJ Duffy, who should be familiar to Richmonders from his residency at The Hofgarden. Way more artists than just these are on the bill; indeed, we’d be pushing our word count just to list them all. Check the flyer below to get the full lowdown, but rest assured, there’ll be plenty of great music happening at Rich City Music Fest.
It all starts at 4 PM Friday, August 26. Festival passes range from $65 to $93, depending on whether you select General Admission (just the basics, gets you access to music, food, and vendors), General Admission Plus (the basics, plus expedited entry and access to air-conditioned flushable restrooms), or VIP (expedited entry, air-conditioned restrooms, dedicated private food & beverage vendors, a shaded area from which to watch the show from an elevated view, access to the Rich City After Party at the Hofgarden, and more!), and all of these options can be obtained at nonamis.live/rcmf. Act now, because sales end August 22. You won’t want to miss this one.
