“Unity for the community,” Fusionfest highlights hip-hop, spoken word in KC
A small crowd gathered inside the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, 3700 Blue Parkway, Thursday, for one of many cultural celebrations scheduled this week in Kansas City. Local entertainers, from hip-hop artists to visual artists, entertained the crowd for four hours, showing off their talents.
The second annual edition of KC Hip Hop Week is in full swing, having kicked off Sunday, June 1 and running until Saturday, June 7. The week-long celebration totals 16 events, including “live shows, dance battles, and cultural experiences” for all of Kansas City to experience.
One of two events scheduled for Thursday, brought Fusionfest to the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center. The center is named after the political and social activist who helped shape the city, and it was the perfect place to host an event that brings all categories of artistry under one roof.
Visitors in attendance saw live hip-hop and R&B performances, spoken word poetry and paintings from local artists. KC Hip Hop Week founder Geneva Olds said it’s all part of an effort to promote Kansas City and the talents the city hosts.
“Kansas City is tired of being looked over,” Olds said. “We have too much talent here in the middle of the country for everybody to be flying over us and going to New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.”
The inspiration for starting KC Hip-Hop Week came from Olds working with the local music scene and hearing their complaints about the lack of support and resources they received. These events, such as Fusionfest, are designed to showcase the artists who represent Kansas City through their music and artwork.
Hip-hop artist R.O.B., which he said means “reflection of brilliance,” gave appreciation to the city during his set and shouted out Fat Tone, a Kansas City-based artist who was killed in Las Vegas in 2005, and Mac Dre, a San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop artist who was killed in Kansas City in 2004. Both artists’ style of music influenced the sound of the city, which can be heard in the instrumentals R.O.B. used for his songs.
Spoken word artists TwistedHairFreeMind, Jorge Fuller and Warren R. Watkins III, who is a descendant of Bruce R. Watkins, told stories of their lives and upbringing through poetry. SiiR TRIP, an R&B artist who’s in the running to be America’s next top hitmaker, fused R&B and hip-hop sounds to create a soulful melody with his son cheering him on from the first row.
Oralee Watkins-McKinzy is a relative of Warren Watkins who helped organize Thursday’s showcase, and said events like Fusionfest are one of many ways for the community to express themselves. She wants to ensure that the younger members of Kansas City’s community can learn from this week and, hopefully, inspire some of them to become artists and pursue a path of creativity.
“It’s a way that we express ourselves as individuals, our community, our neighborhoods and our history and that’s what I’m all about,” Watkins-McKinzy said. “I’m a historian. I’m a Suzuki violinist and I’m making sure that our youth can utilize the history and legacy and use it as their superpower.”
Other events happening for the rest of KC Hip Hop Week include a First Friday takeover at the Crossroads Art District in partnership with community radio station KKFI and the 816 Showout artist showcase at Black Charlie’s, 6151 Blue Ridge Blvd, June 6.
To close out KC Hip Hop Week, a fashion show and comedy show takes place from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at 1820 McGee St. You can also head to Vine Street Brewery, 2010 Vine St., for a summer jam music mixer from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“For the unity of the community,” Olds said.
This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 10:51 AM.
