1 For the Show: The "49th Floor" Album Release Party

Back in the days when I was younger. That song still plays in my head as I roamed the halls of McLain High School for Science and Technology. Memories of friends, prep rallies, school dances, but what I don’t remember is a record company, or rather a music curriculum. McClain has this and it’s helping talented students express their creativity, while also teaching them the business behind the art they love. This past Thursday, we got the opportunity to see this class firsthand during their concert release party for their sophomore album “The 49th Floor”. Let’s talk about it.
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I can’t say enough about what Steph Simon has done with this group. The Tulsa King has taken all he’s known and has poured it into these students. During the performance, he stood below the stage like a college coach, which he draws parallels with, since he has to manage new students coming into the program as well as existing star players leaving to either transfer or go onto the next level. And like a college coach, Steph Simon called plays during the performance and stood proud at the end watching all the hard work his players went through now translate into a great performance. Steph Simon, you are doing amazing work, and you deserve your flowers.

But let’s get into the music. The students. If I were to compare this concert with the one from last year, I would say the key difference was confidence. The returning students had more confidence which comes with experience, like a varsity player does. Even the freshmen artists surprisingly had confidence that came with the support of the team as well as being just being naturally talented. 
Another point of interest from this concert was the range of music on display. There were so many different genres. From rap to R&B, these were expected, but then there were pop songs, duets, just a variety of influences. One of the early singles was from artist Jinko Nwena and her song “No Lie”, which is a soulful pop record with high energy and a dance that solidifies its virality. No Lie.

TMC Records has always been able to make music. That’s never been a doubt, but what has set this year’s concert apart from last year's, I believe, is the performance. Not only were there props like desks, chairs, and a band, but there was also dancing. For example, during one of the performances, artist Rita Pita rapped her song "Dont Be Afraid" as three background dancers performed in synchronized movements, which added an extra layer to the performance. On another performance, artists Letre Mason and Robin performed their song “Decisions” as a duet and with some choreography. The song alone makes you want to move, and the choreography gave the audience permission to. Getting back to the desks. During J.U.V,’s track “I Ain’t No Dumb Rapper”, students were making beats on the desks while he rapped. It was a feeling of Public Enemy with a mix of Nipsey Hussle and the ultimate middle finger to the person who commented in the Tulsa World article that we could be teaching these kids more than just music. Even Mayfest was chanting, “I Ain’t No Dumb Rapper”.

BabbyBuzz and Izzy D are students who transferred for their senior year and left a mark as soon as they stepped on campus. The dynamic duo reminds you of some the best in the game to ever do it, Kobe and Shaq. Jordan and Pippen. Durk and Sosa? The last one might be for a laugh, but you can’t deny that they just make hits. They came out the gate with their hit single “Drip Talk”. The song is infectious, even in the video, they have that swag, that rizz. And it’s more songs to come from the two, like “We Ballin” which is another high-energy song that’s sure to be a hit when it drops. Whether you like it or not, these two are well on their way to being stars.

For the past three years, females have been running the rap game. This was also shown in TMC Records' performance as artists such as Rita Pita continue to be a standout artist with a commanding presence and a familiarity with the stage. She’s a star and she knows it. Another female artist that’s proving she has what it takes to be a star is Unique, who had a unique performance as she remixed Boston Richey’s hit single “Help Me”. The whole crew helped shine a light on her, literally, by surrounding her with their cellphone lights as she commanded the stage.​

 Robin, the freshman of the group, is like that star recruit who came in the game getting buckets. She has versatility to rap, sing, and dance, and was featured in numerous songs throughout the night. 

One of the dopest things to see that night was seeing the faculty including the principal fan out to all the performances. The principal was one of the loudest champions of the performance and was at times taking videos and pictures and also waved his phone in the air with the flashlight on. To say these faculty supports these students would be an understatement. They were there extra hours afterwork. If that ain’t dedication, I don’t know what it is

Also, if you've ever been to a TMC performance than one of the angelic voices that you've probably heard is Laryaha. She has an amazing voice and is also a great songwriter from what I've heard. "Sunny Dayz" which features her, Tink, Rita Pita and Robin is known single, but for this performance felt remixed with a little bit of a different sound and new faces. The singers of the group can still sannnggg. 

There were a lot of great performances of the night that I didn't get to capture like TK GZ, KGZ, and J.U,V's song "Aye Brother". But I'm sure I'll get the opportunity to see them perform again soon.

Last but not least is the support staff. I gotta give it up to the people behind the scenes like Jayla the stage manager who did an amazing job getting people to the stage and passing out mics. KyKy who is the content manager and engineer who also works with Tay who is also a content manager and is also a camera crew member. Also Producer & Composer $uave Donny also helped with as the sound engineer. Together TMC Records is gonna go viral. And tell Steph Simon if they know any writers/bloggers, let me know. 

TMC Records isn’t just another record label. It’s so much more than that. It’s a pride that’s being instilled in the school. It’s an outlet of creative expression. It’s a program that can teach kids how to get into the music business and not be used by the music business. This program isn’t just important to the students, it’s important to the school, to the community. It’s teaching you that you don’t have to leave Tulsa to be a star. Because Steph Simon said it best. “Tulsa Niggas Rule The World”. So, the next time you’re in class and you think that good music doesn't come from Tulsa, that student that's making the honor roll could also be the one you're listening to YouTube or Spotify. ​