Kansas City’s Hip Hop Infrastructure is Taking Shape, Thanks to a New Generation of Artists

Kansas City, the birthplace of Tech N9Ne and, more recently, the SleazyWorldGo entourage, still flies under the radar compared to hip hop giants like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York.

However, the city boasts its own powerhouse talents, including Cinco, the official DJ for Funny Marco, who recently sold six records to rap superstar NBA YoungBoy. Despite this, Kansas City’s contributions remain largely overlooked on the national stage.

Another KC-based producer, Grammy Award-Winning Conductor Williams, has singlehandedly carried the sound of pure-hip hop production for the past decade, including producing the lead single on Drake’s most recent album, productions for J Cole, Tyler the Creator, and producing entire projects for underground legends Mach-Hommy, Westside Gunn, Boldy James, and more.

Much of KC’s lack of spotlight can be attributed to the fact it’s often not viewed as a destination for artists. Many aim to come up in the city, but view “making it” as moving to a larger entertainment market like LA, Atlanta or others.

This exodus has contributed to a lack of Hip Hop infrastructure that can be found in many other flourishing hip hop markets. 

A New Vision

Phantom Pesos, a Kansas City artist and entrepreneur sees a brighter future for the city’s hip hop scene.

In October, Pesos partnered with FSP Studios, one of KC’s top recording hubs, to launch the city’s first artist development cohort—an unprecedented initiative that brought together over 30 hip hop artists.

“I brought this event together with the idea free of charge because I know how hard it is being an independent artist,” Phantom told me.

“It’s a lot of artists that don’t know what an EPK setup is, BMI or ASCAP licensing! I taught them all of that. Free of charge. Our city could be doing a lot more to support these artists, and me as an artist—I want to use my platform and knowledge to help others,” he explained.

The event drew far more attention than expected. Phantom anticipated a modest turnout, but when word got out, over 168 artists signed up to participate. Ultimately, he had to cut the number down to 25, just to ensure everything ran smoothly.

“This was my first time being part of or headlining an event like this, so for 168 artists to sign up meant so much to me,” he said. “Of course, I had to lower the numbers, but the experience was priceless.”

Phantom’s goal went beyond just teaching the nuts and bolts of the music industry; he aimed to change the culture of Kansas City hip hop. “I wanted artists to actually know how to promote their own music, book their own shows, the power of controlling your own music, but showing them the right way,” he said, emphasizing the importance of independence in the music business.

Feedback from the Artist Participants

“Not gon’ lie, you got me hyped over here,” said RG TwoFive, one of the artists in the cohort. “I’m still here thinkin’ about what you told me. I appreciate every word. I’m giving you your flowers now,” RG said about Pesos and his work ethic.

For 1of1 Kaje, the experience was personal. “I’m so proud of you bro, you really doing your thing right now, especially where we come from,” he said, highlighting the importance of Phantom’s work in their shared community.

Mani39 appreciated the event’s diversity: “I liked how it was very diverse; it wasn’t one artist that sounded the same. Everybody coming together is what made it different.”

Other artists like Faith Brazy were grateful for the opportunity to participate in something so unique for Kansas City. “The experience to me was a nice feeling. I think what you’re doing for the city is good because most people aren’t doing stuff like this,” she said. “I had a great time.”

Solo Seventeen added: “It felt like you was talking right to me yesterday bro, and best believe when you are, I’m listening fasho.”

The impact was clear, and the vision is growing. “Just know phase two will be bigger and better,” Phantom teased when asked about his future plans. But for Phantom, the event was more than just a professional milestone—it was a spiritual one. “I grew more than I could have expected, even on a spiritual level. Getting to witness the way the other artists had respect for the grind was priceless,” he said.

Phantom Pesos is a cultural architect in the making and his goal is clear: to change the culture of Kansas City hip hop and make it a norm for artists to help each other, to network, and to build something bigger together. “My goal was to contribute to changing the culture of our city,” he said.

As the next phase looms, Phantom remains committed to his mission. “It was like a movie, seeing my brother put something in real life from words,” reflected E Dotterz. “Legendary.”

And legendary is exactly what Kansas City might become if Phantom Pesos has anything to say about it.

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