The Next 400 airs on Open Source RVA Fridays at 12 noon EST on WRIR 97.3FM
Mikemetic’s radio show Middle East Coast Mecca airs every Wed from 3-5pm WRIR.
The Next 400 is a Movement that captures the revolutionary spirit of Afrikan peoples residing in the United States of America. 2019 marked 400 years since the first ships carrying enslaved Africans arrived on this continent. 2020 is year 1 of the next 400 years that will bring freedom, justice, and equality back to the Children of the Diaspora.
Corey Fonville
One of the greatest success stories currently unfolding in the Richmond music scene is the emergence of jazz funk fusion alchemists Butcher Brown as legitimate all-stars on the global (now mostly virtual) jazz circuit. Corey Fonville is the drummer for both Butcher Brown and New Orleans-based jazz horn player Christian Scott Atundé Adjuah so I took some time to ask him about those projects as well as his origin and influences as one of jazz music’s foundational young talents.
Omilade Janine Bell
Elegba Folklore Society has been at the heart of African cultural acknowledgement and celebration in the city of Richmond for over two decades. It was a pleasure to have the organization's founder Omilade Janine Bell on The Next 400 to hear about the history and mission of EFS, as well has her vision of what the next 400 holds in store for the children of the Diaspora.
New Era Nation (pt 1 & 2)
On 19 September 2020 the New Era Nation hosted the 6th Annual Meet In The Streetz community event in East Detroit. I was there as a representative for New Era RVA, which was established in August 2020, and received some audio recorded by my fam from New Era Long Beach. Part one of this two part series digs into some of the speakers at the event including New Era Cleveland chapter President Brother Chris, Detroit City Councilperson Mary Sheffield, and community philanthropist and former NBA star Rasheed Wallace.
Greg “Radio B” Carden
In a wide sea of RVA talent, Radio B has emerged as a visionary and cultural organizer that has helped put the region on tilt with hip hop events focused on fraternal competition, while elevating the scene and its associated communities to new creative heights. He has recently expanded into the realm of fashion design with Mama Jo’s Collection and it was my pleasure to talk to him about how his new venture fits into his evolution as one of “Richmond’s Own” at the vanguard of Black culture and empowerment.
Enjoli Moon
This year Afrikana Film Festival is celebrating its fifth year as a multi-day festival showcasing cinematic works from people of color around the world. I had a chance to talk with the festival’s Founder and Creative Director Enjoli Moon about the history of this internationally recognized festival that focuses on the global Black narrative, as well as her work as Assistant Curator of Film and Special Programs at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU.
S. Ross Browne
On Wednesday 2 September 2020, I had a chance to sit down for a socially distanced convo with RVA-based artist S Ross Browne about his recent creative work across the city. His recently completed commissioned work “The Surrender of Lee” is a timely manifestation of the current state of the city so we discussed the origins of that piece, his recent mural work, his vinyl-inspired Quintessential series, and the influence of speculative fiction on his visual aesthetic.
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