KC hip-hop artists use music as a cultural exchange & build following in Ireland
A group of Kansas City hip-hop artists are preparing to return to Ireland this spring, building on a series of trips that have evolved into an ongoing effort to connect the Kansas City music scene with audiences and collaborators overseas.
Kemet Coleman, Jeffrey Shafer (Flare tha Rebel) and Ryan Davis (Kadesh Flow) will be traveling to Belfast in May for a series of performances anchored by a show at Ulster Sports Club. The trip marks the third time Coleman and Davis have performed in Ireland, following an initial visit through a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative Cities exchange and a return trip organized independently.
Each visit has expanded a network of collaborators that now includes musicians, producers, venue operators and industry figures in both Belfast and Dublin.
Alongside the shows, the group is launching a transatlantic beer partnership between Vine Street Brewing in Kansas City and Bullhouse Brewing, extending the reach of the project beyond the stage.
“I’ve been bridging my worlds between music and beer because I’m realizing that’s a lane that not many people in the country are doing,” said Coleman, co-founder of Vine Street Brewing Co. “If I go over there for music, I also go over there for beer. I thought, what if I did an international beer release with the same title as the album in Belfast?”
The beer is directly tied to Coleman’s album “Two Ships in the Night,” translating the project into a format that can circulate beyond live performance. Inspired by Vine Street’s East 71 sparkling ale, the collaboration involves adapting the original recipe for brewing conditions in Belfast, where differences in water profile, ingredients and systems produce a distinct variation. The process required coordination between brewing teams, with Kansas City-based brewers sharing technical input while Bullhouse develops its own interpretation.
The release is scheduled for distribution across the United Kingdom, marking a rare international rollout for the Black-owned Kansas City brewery. For Coleman, the collaboration extends the album’s core theme into a tangible form, linking two cities through a shared product while maintaining their individual identities.
The album itself centers on parallel experiences that exist in close proximity but do not always intersect. That idea carries into the structure of the trip, where music, brewing and performance are positioned as connected but distinct elements of a broader exchange.
“The concept is about two ships that are close to each other but have no idea because they can’t see each other,” Coleman said. “It’s about making sure things in your life that are going in opposite directions can still have bridges that connect them.”
The performance format reflects that same approach. Rather than traveling with a full band, the Kansas City artists will perform alongside Belfast-based musicians who have been preparing their material in advance. The collaboration creates a hybrid set that blends Kansas City’s jazz-influenced hip-hop style with local instrumentation, allowing for interpretation rather than replication.
That model has been shaped by previous visits. In 2024, Davis and Coleman traveled to Belfast as part of a cultural exchange that placed them within the city’s music ecosystem. The trip included festival performances, studio sessions and industry events, connecting them with artists and management teams tied to Ireland’s growing hip-hop and R&B scene.
Those connections carried into a second trip in 2025, when the group returned independently and found that relationships established during the initial visit translated into immediate opportunities.
“We let people know we were coming, and suddenly we had shows again,” Davis said.
Performances in Dublin and Belfast were organized through existing contacts, including a nearly sold-out show at a well-known venue in Dublin and collaborative sets with local bands.
Davis said the response extended beyond audiences to include musicians and industry figures, creating opportunities for additional performances and recording sessions. He described Belfast as an anchor point that allows the group to return consistently while expanding outward into new markets.
“It’s a blessing,” Davis said. “We have people who host us, places we can stay, and real connections. It makes things easier when you have a base. Right now, Belfast is that anchor, and from there we can expand.”
For Shafer, the upcoming trip represents a personal milestone within that broader structure. While he has performed internationally in informal settings, this will be his first time appearing on an overseas bill under his own name. The opportunity comes after years of performing in Kansas City and collaborating with the same group of artists now traveling together.
The experience is part of a shift in focus toward building a career that extends beyond regional boundaries while remaining rooted in Kansas City’s musical identity. That identity, shaped by the city’s jazz history and its influence on hip-hop, continues to inform how the artists are received abroad.
“I’ve been wanting to perform overseas for years now,” Shafer said. “This is the first step in that. It’s an important achievement, and it’s also an opportunity to build off of it.”
Preparation for the trip reflects the collaborative nature of the project. With limited rehearsal time, the group will rely on local musicians to interpret their material, emphasizing adaptability and shared musical understanding. The approach draws on traditions rooted in jazz, where improvisation and exchange are central to performance.
The dynamic among the Kansas City artists also plays a key role. Having performed together in various settings, they bring a level of familiarity that allows for flexibility on stage while maintaining cohesion. Each artist contributes a distinct style, creating a combined performance that reflects both individuality and collective identity.
“We’re going over there without our own band, so we’ll be working with a band that’s rehearsing our music,” Shafer said. “We’re just going to be open to the interpretation and let it flow.”
Beyond the immediate performances, the trip is part of a longer-term effort to establish sustained international connections. Davis said the goal is to build a repeatable model that allows Kansas City artists to move between markets while developing relationships that support future collaborations.
The strategy includes expanding beyond Ireland into other parts of Europe, using established connections as a foundation for growth. Planned stops on the upcoming trip include additional performances in Ireland and a festival appearance in Scotland, with further expansion anticipated in the coming years.
“I don’t want to go over there one time and be done,” Shafer said. “I want to keep building connections and create something that can be appreciated globally.”
As Kansas City moves toward increased international visibility, the artists see projects like this as a way to define how the city’s music scene engages with a global audience. By combining performance, collaboration and business partnerships, they are working to create a system that extends beyond individual tours.
“We’re building something,” Davis said. “It’s cool to have the relationships and rapport to be able to go back out there and make sure it’s not just a one-off.”
