‘Red Zone’ concert puts KC’s brightest hip hop stars on stage as NFL Draft focuses eyes on Kansas City

As football fans descend on Kansas City this week for the NFL Draft, a quartet of local musicians hopes to showcase to the world what the Kansas City hip hop scene has to offer.

City Market Red Zone will bring together artists, musicians, and vendors for a free, all-ages concert and open-air Art Garden KC maker fair at 5th and Walnut in River Market. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, April 28, with music beginning at 7 p.m. in the famed commercial and entertainment district north of downtown.

Flare Tha Rebel by Fotos by Selina

Jeff Shafer, who performs as Flare Tha Rebel, is one of the four artists taking the stage on Friday.

Shafer started thinking months ago about how to organize an event in conjunction with Draft Week that would provide local artists with a platform to share their talents, he said.

“There’s such a big spotlight on Kansas City,” Shafer said. “It feels like more people will be in our city than at any other time in the entire history of the city. The population will just skyrocket, so it just makes sense that we would create a platform to showcase local talent and local musicians.”

Shafer reached out to friends and fellow KC hip hop artists Kemet Coleman, Kadesh Flow, and DJ Skeme to put together what eventually became Friday’s lineup.

“I was really eager to do something and connect it with Kemet, Kadesh and DJ Skeme,” Shafer said. “We were all on the same vibe about really leaning in and taking advantage of this opportunity, and this moment.”

Kemet Coleman

Duality by Kemet Coleman

Although putting Kansas City’s talent on display for visitors is part of the event’s purpose, Red Zone will also provide an opportunity for locals seeking something fun and inexpensive to do this weekend, Coleman said.

“With the NFL Draft, obviously you’ve got a lot of big-name, big-ticket kind of stuff happening,” said Coleman, who also is a co-owner at Vine Street Brewing. “What we saw was an opportunity to fill a local niche that I still haven’t really seen happening around the downtown area. … I think a lot of people are going to be looking for something local.”

Coleman just released his new album Duality on April 21, so he’ll be sharing some new tracks during his set on Friday, he said.

Fans can expect to hear three different styles of hip hop among the four artists, Coleman added.

“We’re just making sure that hip hop is represented during the NFL Draft, and local music is what we wanted to focus on,” Coleman said.

Friday’s showcase notably goes head-to-head with the previously-announced Kelce Jam music festival — a one-night-only show created and hosted by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also timed to coincide with the NFL Draft. Kelce Jam features Kansas City’s Tech N9ne as a special guests, but otherwise is headlined by national acts like Machine Gun Kelly, Loud Luxury and Rick Ross.

Kadesh Flow; photo by MadnessEarl

Ryan Davis, aka Kadesh Flow, emphasized the importance of area residents supporting local hip hop artists, something he said hasn’t always happened to the degree it should.

“A lot gets said about the Kansas City music scene and the talent that comes out of Kansas City, but we don’t really see a lot of Kansas City hip hop get the support that it really deserves,” Davis said. “There’s phenomenal hip hop talent from Kansas City, and I think this is a good opportunity to showcase that.”

This lineup in particular boasts very accomplished performers, Davis added, noting that all four artists have been recognized for their work outside of Kansas City.

“We’ve been all over — a lot of national tours and national festivals,” Davis said. “This is a very, very, very good show lineup, and I think that can be appreciated more. It’s cool to be able to highlight that on a weekend like this.”

Shafer hopes that City Market Red Zone can play a role in highlighting to tourists the “positive momentum” happening in Kansas City, in the hip hop scene and beyond.

“There’s a lot of new energy around Kansas City, and a lot of positive momentum,” Shafer said. “It’s important that when you have new folks coming to Kansas City that they understand what’s unique about our city, and what makes us special.”

Beyond hosting the NFL Draft and being home to the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, Shafer also noted other recent developments — like the new terminal at Kansas City’s airport — as examples of the city’s progress.

“We just want to make sure that people understand what Kansas City has to offer,” Shafer said. “Yes, we’re proud of our Chiefs, and we’re proud of our barbecue, but there’s a lot more to us than that. This is one avenue to showcase our city’s unique culture and style.”