KINGVMA & Friends Chopstar Concert Re-cap

Saturday, January 15th in Greensboro North Carolina, Chophouze Studios, one of the premier studios in the Carolinas, hosted the KINGVMA & Friends Chopstar Concert! A musical exposè that not only featured some of the hottest independent artists in the state but captured the soul of underground hip-hop in the Carolinas. KINGVMA, headliner and lead orchestrator of the event created a rare atmosphere for independents in the area.  

 Who is KINGVMA

KINGVMA, real name Vaughnte Anderson, is an independent artist from the Carolinas. He began his career back in 2017 at Chophoze studios. It wasn’t until 2020 however, that his presence began to be felt in the state. A year later in February 2021, he released visuals for his single ‘MULA’ which is sitting at an impressive 12K views on Youtube right now.

The artistry and the hustle

VMA is one artist who truly understands the hustle required to break out as an artist. From the outside, VMA has seemed to have formed a tight circle of loyal and able cohorts to help him handle the day-to-day of being an indie. He’s worked and networked with some of the biggest names and brands in the state. Over the five years, he has been active he wasn’t just making music. Meanwhile, most independent artists make the mistake of doing.

Chophouze Studios

Started by cousins Jonathan “Chophouze Jay” Joyner and Jahmon “Smiley” Pauling, Chophouze Studios is a fixture in Carolina hip-hop history. The studio has produced hits for A-listers like; Nicki Minaj, Jada Kiss, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, Da Baby, and many more. 

Impacting the Carolinas

If you are from the triad area, Greensboro, Winston Salem, Highpoint,  you’ve either heard of them or you are just out of touch. There are not many notable indie artists in the Carolinas who do not have the infamous “Chophouze on the track” somewhere in their discography. Chophouze is arguably the epicenter of the underground hip-hop scene in the Triad. 

The Re-cap. KINGVMA & Friends

By 6:30 PM the room in the back of Chophouze studios was filled from wall to wall with onlookers. The show kicked off with a few performances by independent artists. For us, Skip2myLiu, LA Big Tripp, and R&B singer Jewels were our stars of the first half. Firstly, Skip2myLiu performed a track titled ‘Felon’ that drew the crowd in. He had lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the streets and a gripping stage presence making him stand out. Secondly, Big Tripp’s energy was unmatched throughout the entire show. Halfway through his set, he had the audience chanting, “Pop a Perk!” as he continued dancing wildly center stage. Of the three, Jewels was the only artist we had previously seen live before. As expected she stole the crowd with her vocals. When she performed her single ‘Inspired by me’ you could feel the audience realize she was it.

KINVMA takes center stage

Around 8 or 8:30 the lights go off and the building is only illuminated by the lights from camera phones and photographers. VMA enters from a door on the right of the performance area spinning into his first track. “I’m bout the money, ill pass on a hoe.” He raps as the bass thumps on. Meanwhile, the crowd is being infected by his energy. It didn’t matter if you had heard the song before or not, the crowd was rocking like it was a billboard top 20 already. 

His set was well-balanced. He raps with harmony and though he trends to upbeat type instrumental his lyrics are surprisingly vulnerable and relatable. for example, his musical themes revolve around heartbreak, losses, and the grind. Our favorite track he performed is his current single ‘Most Hated’ currently streaming on all platforms.

wrapping up the show

After his set, there were a few performers left. LightSkin.Kurrr, another NC artist we have had the pleasure of seeing before rocked the stage as usual. Her single ‘Poppin’ Shit’ is becoming one of our favorite songs of last year. Lastly, making a very special appearance was Indica Hash, who performed her recently released ‘’ Who want smoke’ remix. We’ve covered Indica for a couple of years now on our Instagram and have had her pinned as one of the best artists in the state. After seeing her perform for the first time live only solidifies our position.

Thank You

All in all, it was the best event of the short year we have been a part of. Big thanks to KingVMA and Chophouze for continuing to push the envelope in the underground Carolina music scene. we look forward to more events with the same feel and support. Before we close, we want to say this. We have interviewed a lot of artists over the years from the Carolinas to abroad. As a result, we have discovered that Carolina artists believe that the state is one of the hardest to gain support locally. Saturday, January 15 2022 was the first time we have seen signs of change. A real hip-hop community is brewing, and it’s in the Triad.