St. Joseph Artists Hoping to Shine on Big Stage During Kansas City Hip-Hop Showcase

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Three independent hip-hop artists from St. Joseph are looking to showcase their hometown talent this weekend as they compete in a major music competition in Kansas City.

Miah 3x, Domo DG and B Locc 1800 will take the stage Saturday at Red Light Studio, joining dozens of independent performers from across the region in hopes of earning one of the competition’s top prizes.

The showcase is expected to feature between 30 and 40 artists, with room for up to 50 competitors.

High-Stakes Competition

The event offers several major opportunities for the top finishers:

* First Place: Opening performance for rapper Finesse2Tymes in front of an estimated crowd of 30,000 to 40,000 people.

* Second Place: A meet-and-greet opportunity with Atlantic Records.

* Third Place: A $5,000 cash prize.

While the prizes are significant, the St. Joseph artists say their biggest goal is representing their hometown.

“St. Joe is being overlooked when it comes to talent. We have talent here. We’re tired of that, and we’re trying to put St. Joe on the map in a different light,” Domo DG told KQ2.

Using Music to Tell Their Stories

The artists discovered the showcase through Instagram and submitted applications to compete.

Although each has experience performing live, they say this will be their biggest competition to date.

For B Locc 1800, music has become much more than entertainment.

After spending years incarcerated, he told KQ2 that writing and performing music has helped him rebuild his life.

“Music has been like my therapy. It gets me through the rough times. I want people to know you can go through the things I went through and still make something of yourself. Don’t let those obstacles hold you back,” he said.

Miah 3x said authenticity is at the heart of the group’s music.

“We’re making music that everybody can relate to. We’re making ourselves vulnerable in the music. A lot of what we write comes from the heart,” he told KQ2.

Hoping for More Local Support

The trio believes St. Joseph’s hip-hop community has long struggled to receive the same recognition as other local music genres.

“I’ve never seen a hip-hop artist perform at Trails West,” Domo DG told KQ2, referring to St. Joseph’s annual festival.

Miah 3x added that greater hometown support could help local artists gain broader recognition.

“I feel like we would get a lot more attention if we had more support from our hometown. Sometimes it feels like they don’t care,” he said.

Determined to Represent St. Joseph

Despite those challenges, the artists remain focused on changing perceptions.

They say one of their songs has generated more than 830,000 streams across multiple platforms, something they believe proves St. Joseph has artists capable of reaching a much larger audience.

“We’ve got great people here, but we get overlooked because of the circumstances surrounding our city,” Domo DG told KQ2. “That’s what we’re trying to change. We’re trying to put St. Joe on the map.”

The showcase begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at Red Light Studio in Kansas City. Organizers encourage attendees to arrive early, as seating is expected to be limited.

“Each one of us has a different sound, but every one of us is telling real-life stories,” Domo DG told KQ2. “If people take the time to really listen, they’ll hear exactly where we’re coming from.”