There is a lot of power in a name. Most of them are given to us, some are chosen, and some are earned, but what does it mean to reclaim a name? For creatives, an alias is sometimes used as a shield, an alter ego with the courage to do what we can’t, to take the hits we can’t handle. So to own your given name takes a strong sense of self and identity, and being true to yourself is all Osiris has ever been capable of doing. The producer/rapper/writer has almost always taken the road less traveled but it was always the right road for him. Osiris isn’t trying to sell you his art, or himself for that matter. He’s not dying to work with the hottest artist out or play algorithm games just to get you to click a link. Not one for the spotlight, Osiris simply cares about the art of creation itself, but if you’re lucky, he just might poke out of the shadows and you can catch a glimpse of the talent that allows him to be…just Osiris.

Multidisciplinary artist Bria Tyler has been making serious waves in the art space across the 757 over the past year. After expanding from only painting and drawing to three-dimensional works of art, Bria has been featured in some of the premier spaces and galleries Virginia has to offer; being featured in numerous shows including exhibitions in ODU’s Barry Arts Museum and Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, where she serves as a studio instructor, and winning Best in Show in the 2023 Juried Student Exhibition at the Baron & Ellin Gordon Galleries. This has culminated in Bria winning an exhibition in the Chrysler Museum’s Perry Glass Studio, where we got the chance to catch the unveiling and discuss her art and recent success.

Filmmaker and photographer Arrick Wilson has played the long game. After picking up a camera for the first time back in 2019, the Virginia Beach-bred artist has been picking up new skills and perfecting old ones ever since. Culminating in the premiere of his first documentary, “Made In The Sun”, on December 8th in VCU’s Commons Theater. A student of the likes of Spike Lee and Gordon Parks, Wilson has gone from family movies on Windows Movie Maker, to cementing himself into Richmond’s creative scene through his magazine Black Creative Mag among his other numerous collaborations and short films.

This is…The Book Of Arrick

If you are located anywhere in the 757 and spot someone sporting anything with a big purple W on it, chances are it was designed by todays feature. Will Smith (yes Will Smith) is a designer from Hampton, VA whose fanbase is only growing with every drop. After stumbling into design in his dorm, the Virginia State alum is using his love for fashion to create pieces with inspirations ranging from Virginia Tech’s mascot to reworked McDonald’s uniforms.

Singer/songwriter CAY wants to come off as your average, everyday girl next door, but her journey is anything but average. Living in Germany for 5 years before returning to her birthplace of Chesapeake, VA, the creative seeds were planted early. 2 EPs and a handful of singles into her career, CAY is enjoying the process of finding her voice as a writer and an artist overall. We caught up with her as she gears up for a productive 2023 and right before the release of her first single of the year, Big Brinx Truck (out now on all streaming services), check it out below.

When I approached Tyler for this interview, my main source of information was his work available on his Instagram. But when Tyler invited me to his home for our meeting, it was almost as if I stepped into his brain. In his childhood home, I met his father, his daughter, saw his assortment of analog cameras, vinyl, and prints of vintage Stussy ads and it put so much of his work into context. In such a comfortable setting, we dove deep into his art, motivations, mental health, and more, so much to the point where about 60% of this interview got cut but that just speaks to his passion and how much he can go on about the thing she really cares about. Read below for what I can only call a sneak peek into The Wonderful World of Tyler Gupton.

Shot by Cameron Dorsey

Featuring Mychael Boone

Briahna Switzer is a woman of many hats and few words, her photography however, speaks a thousand words. Whether it’s shooting politicians for her school or her self-portraits, Briahna creates to tell a story. Like the greats that inspired her, such as Carrie Mae Weems and Gordon Parks, the Christopher Newport soon-to-be grad student is building her legacy by capturing the ever-changing world around her.

Even in an age where it seems that accessibility is at an all time high, you’d be hard-pressed to find an artist that wears as many hats as LBE Hunt. Picking up rap during the peak of the pandemic, Hunt has also added graphic designer, engineer, and budding producer to his resume. Bringing the same passion that he does with his music into all of these other aspects of his career, speaks to the type of artist Hunt is pushing to be, and makes it evident why he aims to Lead By Example.

Shot by Cameron Dorsey

Featuring Bryanna Biles-Binger

For 23 year-old photographer Chris Cuffee, it seems as if it was written in the stars for him to pick up a camera. After falling into the medium via a high school elective, the Norfolk, VA native has made a name with not only his own conceptual shoots and documentation of the creative scene in his hometown, but has captured some of the best acts in the world doing what they do best, including the likes of Pusha T, Kehlani, Larry June, and more. Learn more about Chris and his art below.

If you ever get the chance to walk through a museum of European art with designer Khai Smith, his passion for taking this art and putting his own spin on it is evident. The 24-year-old, Portsmouth, VA native is using his brand, 444 The People, to conjure the same warm tones and heavenly themes in his pieces as the Renaissance-era paintings that inspire him. 444 The People feels like the end of the first stretch of Khai’s marathon of self-discovery, and he’s ready to fully flesh it out moving forward.

Kobi McCray, or KASHKOBI, as he’s more affectionately known on social media, is a photographer, graphic designer, creative director & writer from Newport News, VA. At only 20 years old, Kobi’s already lengthy resume is growing by the day. A creative advertising major at Virginia Commonwealth University, he also works for two publications on top of his impressive portfolio of heavily conceptual photo work and brand collaborations. I sat down with Kobi to discuss topics ranging from how he got his start in art, managing time, and how music affects how he carries himself as an artist.