To my fellow Kansas Citians and the leaders of our great city,

My name is Kemet Coleman. You might know me as the rapper who co-founded Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery, Vine Street Brewing Company. But before I brewed beer, I brewed music. Music is who I am, and it’s what Kansas City has always been. From the moment I realized my initials were KC, it felt like destiny—like I was born to carry the city’s musical legacy forward.

I’ve waited nearly 20 years to write this letter. Why? Because I wanted to be ready—not just with passion but with purpose. I wanted to speak with authority as someone who has built something meaningful in Kansas City. Now, as we stand at the beginning of 2025, the time has come. Kansas City, this is your wake-up call.

We are a cradle of jazz, or as historians would say, “the place where jazz grew up.” The home of Charlie Parker, Count Basie, and Mary Lou Williams. Their music didn’t just echo in local clubs—it redefined the art form for the entire world. Yet today, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Kansas City has failed to build the infrastructure that allows that legacy to thrive in a modern world.

Kansas City is also the first and only UNESCO City of Music in the United States, a distinction managed by the tireless efforts of Creative City KC. This global recognition honors our unparalleled musical legacy and places us on the world stage. But being a UNESCO City of Music isn’t just an honor—it’s a call to action. We must live up to this title by supporting Creative City KC’s effort, building the infrastructure, fostering investment, and driving innovation to make Kansas City a leader in music today and for generations to come.

Consider this: 1% of the budget for city funded construction projects are dedicated to the visual arts—a decision worth celebrating because it shows Kansas City values creativity. But what about music, the art form we’re world-famous for? When people arrive in Kansas City International Airport (MCI), they aren’t greeted by the sound of our city; instead, they hear generic smooth jazz in the background. Imagine if, instead, our airport played curated Kansas City soundscapes that brought the city’s rhythm to life. This isn’t just about live entertainment; it’s about seizing an opportunity to embed music into the fabric of our identity.

Music isn’t just history. It’s what brings us together. It’s the energy at a summer festival, the magic of discovering your new favorite band, the moment when a song speaks directly to your soul. Music is about all of us—the way we celebrate, connect, and define who we are as a city.

This is why Kansas City must meet its people where they are. Everyday citizens and visitors aren’t to blame for the disconnect; they simply haven’t been given enough opportunities to engage with music in meaningful ways. It’s time to put music front and center—to make it visible, tangible, and impossible to ignore, both locally and globally.

Cities like Nashville and Austin have long embraced the transformative power of music, positioning it as a driver of their economies and cultural identities. Recently, I had the privilege of visiting Belfast, Northern Ireland—a smaller city with fewer resources than Kansas City, but one that understands the power of music to unite and inspire its people.

Belfast, a UNESCO City of Music, doesn’t just celebrate its history—it builds its future. Through their Music Matters Programme, a part of their city’s government, they connect musicians to gigs, attract international audiences, and make music central to their economy and identity. If Belfast, with fewer people, can use music to drive global recognition and economic growth, what’s stopping Kansas City?

The answer is simple: Vision.

Kansas City, we need to stop admiring our legacy from afar and start investing in it. Music is more than entertainment. It’s an economic engine. It’s a magnet for talent. It’s the soul of our city. And it’s the key to elevating our identity on the global stage.

Three Urgent Actions for Kansas City

1. Establish the Kansas City Office of Music

A centralized hub to advocate for music and musicians. This office would:

Build a musician directory: A one-stop resource connecting artists with venues, studios, collaborators, and festivals, accessible to all citizens. This platform would encourage private-sector involvement by providing businesses with direct access to local talent for events, marketing, and collaborations.
Welcome visiting artists: Ensure that touring musicians can easily find gigs, studio time, and opportunities to collaborate with local talent. Creating a structured welcoming system strengthens Kansas City’s reputation as a music-friendly destination, enhancing tourism and economic activity.
Advocate for live music venues: Protect cultural landmarks, simplify permitting processes, and create incentives for venues to host live performances. These efforts support private venue owners and encourage the development of new music spaces.
Promote Kansas City globally: Develop campaigns that celebrate our history and showcase the vibrant music scene happening right now. Use these campaigns to attract national and international music festivals, further driving tourism and investment.

This office would also collaborate with the Kansas City Film Office to amplify Kansas City’s cultural identity through cross-industry initiatives. For example:

Sync Licensing Opportunities: Establish a framework to connect Kansas City musicians with filmmakers, advertisers, and content creators who need music for their projects. This would open new revenue streams for artists and support creative businesses.
Joint Marketing Campaigns: Work together to position Kansas City as a destination for both film and music, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between these art forms.

By fostering collaboration between the music and film sectors, this office would create a unified cultural identity that resonates both locally and globally, generating new opportunities for artists and businesses alike.

2. Invest in Music Infrastructure and Education

Music doesn’t thrive without investment. Kansas City must:

Fund music education: Dedicate $1 million annually to ensure every school has access to instruments, instructors, and mentorship programs. Building a foundation in music education supports long-term cultural and economic growth.
Support artists and venues: Establish a $2 million grant fund to help musicians record, tour, and innovate, while stabilizing struggling venues. Prioritize grants that foster partnerships between venues, artists, and local businesses to create a ripple effect in the local economy.
Offer tax incentives for music-related businesses: Encourage private investment by offering tax incentives for recording studios, instrument manufacturers, music-tech startups, and music venues. This approach attracts entrepreneurs and creates jobs while establishing Kansas City as a leader in music innovation.
Preserve and magnify the historic jazz district: Allocate $500,000 annually to protect and enhance spaces in 18th & Vine while fostering private development to create a thriving music neighborhood.
- Collaborate with private developers to build mixed-use spaces, combining live music venues, restaurants, and retail shops, creating a bustling cultural economy.
- Incentivize property owners and developers to invest in housing and commercial spaces that attract creatives and entrepreneurs to the district.
- Work symbiotically with existing musical institutions like the American Jazz Museum and Mutual Musicians Foundation, integrating them into a broader vision of 18th & Vine as Kansas City’s epicenter for live music and economic growth.

3. Develop a Kansas City Music Strategy

Music must be integrated into our city’s long-term planning. This strategy would:

Partner with other music cities: Collaborate with UNESCO Cities of Music like Belfast and hubs like Nashville and Austin to share resources, ideas, and best practices. These partnerships create pathways for Kansas City musicians to access global opportunities and bring new perspectives to our local scene.
Launch Kansas City Music Week: An annual event that draws tourists and puts our artists center stage. Programming should include performances across genres, workshops, and panels, connecting Kansas City’s music scene with national and international audiences.
Magnify the Historic Jazz District: Integrate 18th & Vine with Kansas City’s broader music strategy, ensuring it becomes the central live music hub of the city. This would position the district as a cornerstone of Kansas City’s music tourism efforts while fostering local pride and engagement.
Create a Kansas City music licensing initiative: Develop a platform that connects businesses—including restaurants, bars, and local content creators—with local musicians to license their music. This initiative would provide new income streams for artists while helping businesses showcase Kansas City’s sound responsibly.
Measure the impact: Use data to track how music investments boost tourism, economic growth, civic pride and reduce crime. Publicly sharing these metrics will ensure accountability and highlight the benefits of Kansas City’s music initiatives.

Why Now?

For decades, Kansas City has been known for its music. But history alone won’t keep us competitive or relevant. This isn’t just about preserving our legacy—it’s about creating a thriving cultural economy where music inspires, connects, and drives opportunity for everyone. Kansas City, it’s time to reclaim our rhythm.

To our leaders, I ask you to join me in building a Kansas City where music is more than a memory—it’s a global identity. Let’s establish the Kansas City Office of Music, invest in musicians and venues, and craft a bold strategy that positions our city as a beacon of sound, both locally and worldwide.

Kansas City, it’s time to reclaim our rhythm. This is about all of us. Let’s make music undeniable.

Sincerely,