Hypnautic and King Tef, also known as Top Flite Empire, have spent nearly two decades navigating the independent music world as full-time artists. After performing more than 500 shows, headlining their own concerts and tours, and building their fanbase from the ground up, they’ve lived every side of the artist grind. From starving artists to sold-out rooms, national placements, and grassroots touring across the country, they have done it all. Along the way, they handled nearly every aspect of their careers themselves, shooting their own videos and marketing their music to booking tours, and building fanbases city by city. That experience ultimately led them to build the Qoncert App, a platform designed to give independent artists something the industry rarely offers: real stages, real audiences, and a clear path to growth.
What began as a way to solve challenges they experienced themselves has grown into a nationwide network connecting over 7,000 artists across more than 30 states. Through Qoncert, artists have the opportunity to open shows, headline their own events, and tour new markets, helping make music a real day job for those willing to put in the work. In the process, Qoncert has helped make headlining your own show and touring more accessible for independent artists across the United States, especially in the state they proudly call home—Colorado.
King Tef often keeps the philosophy simple: “The only metric that really matters is putting butts in seats.” For independent artists hoping to live off music alone, building real fans who show up to shows is what separates a hobby from a career.
The artists featured on this cover, JayDubbThaRuler, NEVV, Alex “AJ” Johnson, Sauce K, and Tapp, represent a snapshot of the talent within the Qoncert community and will all be performing the May 1st show at MOXI Theater in Greeley.
Qoncert all starts
A standout emerging from the Qoncert network, JayDubbThaRuler has built a growing fanbase across multiple markets. He has toured Europe twice independently and completed a national U.S. run with Qoncert, collaborating with artists including Westside Boogie, Lil Durk, T-Rell, T-Wayne, Caskey, and Skeme.
JayDubbThaRuler (@jaydubbtharuler)
Denver native NEVV is a rapidly rising independent voice blending melodic hip-hop with emotionally raw storytelling. With 17M Spotify streams, 15M YouTube views, and 20M TikTok plays, his breakout single Fake Smiles helped build a global audience. After catching the attention of Adelio Lombardi of Side 3 Studios, his momentum continues to grow.
NEVV (@therealnevv)
Super-producer, engineer, and creative architect, Alex “AJ” Johnson (AJ_iAM) has spent 15+ years shaping independent artists’ sound. The primary producer behind Top Flite Empire and Hypnautic, AJ has helped many Qoncert artists refine their music. His recent release Dead Wrong by Grayson Ratliff has already surpassed 200K streams.
Alex “AJ” Johnson (@AJ_iAM)
Colorado artist Sauce K has built national recognition through high-energy performances and collaborations, including working with West Coast legend Murs, placements with Assemble Sound/Hulu, and features in XXL. Known for packing out shows in Greeley, his single Ease the Pain reached #14 on the UK iTunes Rap Chart.
Sauce K (@saucek18)
Blending old-school influence with new-wave energy, Greeley artist Tapp has become a hometown favorite, known for nearly sold-out shows and performances across markets including Denver, Atlanta, and New York.
Tapp (@_tapp)
