Weekend Frequency Vol. 9 | Hip-Hop Roots, Cosmic Folk, Global Soul Playlist by Jason Vest

by | Apr 25, 2025 | FUNK & JAZZ, HIP HOP & RAP, MUSIC, RHYTHM & SOUL, WEEKEND PLAYLIST

Richmond gets it. More than any other city in Virginia. So here’s Weekend Frequency, a weekly, reader-curated playlist built for the city, by the city.

Weekend Frequency is part revival and part continuation of our RVA Mag Weekend Playlists which we curated before the world flipped upside down in 2020. Feel free to dig through our entire archive of 100+ playlists here. Each playlist is curated by local legends and national artists alike, setting an undeniable weekend vibe.

This week’s Weekend Frequency comes via Jason Vest from VCU’s da Vinci Center and panelist on RVA Mag’s: The Obsolescence of Culture event last night at Big Dipper Innovation Summit.

“I grew up burning CDs and always trying to find the best mixtapes. My cousin and I would drive around on all of the backroads in my ‘92 Ford Explorer Sport and blast songs out of the 12 inch subwoofers in the back. In those moments, we were one with the music. Nothing else mattered. Since then, my musical tastes have grown, and this playlist is an artifact of that evolution. The playlist doesn’t fit neatly into a single genre…just like me. This playlist is for everyone that can’t be boxed in…and prefers coloring outside the lines.”


Editor’s Note: We want to hear what you’ve been listening to. Each week we’ll turn over the playlist to one of our readers giving you the chance to share what’s been on your turntable, headphones, or blasting through your speakers. Drop us a line at  hello@rvamag.com with Weekend Frequency in the subject line, along with 15 tracks and one paragraph telling our readers why you chose the songs you did.


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Jason Vest

Jason Vest

Jason is an educator, innovator, and creative instigator. A former dropout turned first-gen VCU grad, he now teaches at the VCU’s da Vinci Center, where he launched one of the university’s first AI courses—AI + Human Experience. His work spans from reimagining public school programs to redesigning internship systems to help students explore identity, storytelling, and creativity in a tech-driven world. Jason’s professional interests lie at the intersection of reimagining education, innovation in sports + student-athlete experience, and embracing the power of having real conversations.




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