VA Unlocked: A Sound Walk of Virginia Hip-Hop History

During An Occasion for the Arts 2026, VA Unlocked invites you to listen as you stroll.

An immersive sound walk exploring Virginia hip-hop culture, VA Unlocked brings together voices, stories, places, and people who helped shape it. Through oral histories, you’ll encounter a history that was taking root in our communities long before the world was watching.

At the heart of the experience are the people who lived it. Their memories offer a personal way into the culture: how music reached them, where connections formed, and what it meant to create something of their own. Together, these accounts invite us to hear Virginia’s musical history through the voices of those who helped make it.

Whether you grew up with this music or are discovering its local roots for the first time, join us during An Occasion and connect with the stories in our own backyard.

The stories are here. The history is ours. Unlocked.