IndyFest is a two-day celebration

In the hip-hop world, independence has its own rewards. Independent hip-hop artists may not ship platinum, but they don’t have to worry about their naked post-concert debauchery showing up on TMZ, and they don’t have to dodge bloodthirsty paparazzi or confront Perez Hilton at a Starbucks. The best perk of all, though, is the freedom to say whatever you want — to friends, to media, on wax — without worrying about retribution from a board of serious-looking suits. Fuck the police? You got it. The president sucks? You are entitled to your views. The artists of IndyGround Entertainment, an independent hip-hop label in Kansas City, enjoy liberties that would have MCs waxing nostalgic about the days when they could grab a mic and shout about whatever had their ass itching. This weekend, IndyGround puts its freedom to good use. The celebration, a two-day party called IndyFest, features performances by local favorites CES Cru, Steddy P and Royce Diamond, in addition to a lineup of talented visual artists. So ditch the capitalistic two-step and get your iconoclastic freak on.