VCU news

By Sterling Giles

Music festivals occur all over the globe but few feature underground artists exclusively. Richmond is home to one of those few — Epic Fest, an annual music festival hosted by Slapdash, a local music promotion agency.

Virginia Commonwealth University senior Marques “M.arques B.erry” Berry, an English major, and sophomore Jake Barkley, a creative advertising major, made their Epic Fest debuts this summer. Recalling the emphatic crowds at the venues as well as the uniqueness and talent of the other artists, both agreed the experience was a blast. They also appreciated Slapdash’s hard work in organizing the festival and making sure it ran smoothly.

“I loved the energy that was there,” Barkley said. “You could really feel the vibe that something special was going on.”

That’s what the organizers had intended. Richmond natives Derail “Cain McCoy” Hampton, a VCU alumnus, and Robert “Octavion X” Markum founded Slapdash in 2009 to provide venues for local artists.

The first Epic Fest, in 2010, originally consisted of a single-day event in which artists performed at a local venue. Now in its fifth year, the festival lasts an entire week, taking place at several venues. This year’s Epic Fest, held in late June, featured more than 50 graphic and performing artists from the city and beyond.

“All of the artists on the bill are bubbling — so essentially we are breaking artists to you guys that you normally wouldn’t hear about,” Hampton said.

This year’s first event, Epic Art Battle, took place at Gallery 5 and featured performances from local musicians as well as showcases from graphic artists.

Barkley and Berry performed a set together. Despite their differences in rap flows, they said they had one of the best sets of the evening.

“I feel we stood out from the rest of the performers — our set meshed really well,” Barkley said.

Berry and Barkley plan to pursue careers as performing artists after graduation. However, as students, they constantly battle with balancing school and their respective crafts. Berry said the balance can prove difficult, but he believes ultimately his academic studies are strengthening his artistic pursuits.

Barkley feels the same way.

“This is my mentality — take what you learn from your formal education and apply it to your life,” he said.

This is my mentality — take what you learn from your formal education and apply it to your life.

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