LIMA — Thanks to the “Bean City Glide,” Lima’s on TikTok.
The creation of local music producer Tadrik Coleman, the catchy ear-worm has helped create a local dance contest and a soon-to-be-released music video while providing a little exposure to Lima itself.
The dance steps are simple: Lean back. Lean forward. Cross ya arms, cross ya, cross ya arms.
Coleman, who goes by the name Rich Forbez, said he had been watching his daughter Lyric perform similar moves for TikTok — a social media app popular with teenagers — when he adapted the movements into his own original song. The end result was the “Bean City Glide.”
The response has been strong so far, and Coleman said a lot of local children and teenagers have danced to the “Bean City Glide” on TikTok because of its hook and clean lyrics.
“I never thought to target the kids, but the kids are showing me the most love,” Coleman said.
A dance challenge for the song also helped it gain some exposure. If it were to make the rounds on TikTok, Coleman knew that it needed an associated dance, and so he offered $100 to whoever could create the best routine.
That’s when the community heard about the song. Not long after announcing the contest, an outpouring of local support raised the winner’s pot to $3,000, which was eventually distributed to the first through fourth place winners.
After the judging, first place went to Ke’Nyah Sanders and Camryn Marquez, who both ended up receiving $1,000 for their efforts.
“We wanted to do a dance that anybody could have done, that was easy if you’re young or old, easy that everyone could do and enjoy and have a good time,” Marquez said.
Sanders said the dance was a positive distraction from a rough year for her and Marquez, who both graduated from high school this year. Instead of prepping for prom, the two young women watched their video climb in views.
“When it first got posted on Facebook, we received almost 2K views. We kept refreshing, kept refreshing, and the views went up,” Sanders said. “It was a great feeling.”
The two, both of which received cosmetology certifications, said they plan on using the prize money for their future careers as cosmetologists, or potentially, as future seed money for a dance studio one day to teach dancing to children.
Coleman said he’s currently finishing up music video for the “Bean City Glide” next. Filmed in an old grocery store back in May, it features the group of local youth who placed in the contest dancing to the song while wreathed in smoke and professionally lit.
“It was awesome. It was so much fun. Working with the director, he was very nice, very easy to work with,” Marquez said. “It was a great time, a great experience.”
“I always want to bring (music) home, let the world know about Lima,” Coleman said. “Lima is a very historic place. A lot of people that come from here have a name and went to build a bigger name. Everyone told me to go to Atlanta, New York. I never had the chance to leave, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
Those interested in listening to the song can find it at youtube.com/forbezmedia.
In April, Coleman held a video shoot of the Bean City Glide featuring the winners of the dance contest organized into a dancing troupe called the “Rich Mob.”
Music Producer Tadrik Coleman (center), AKA Rich Forbez, poses with the two creators of the official Bean City Glide, Camryn Marquez (left) and Ke’Nyah Sanders (right).
Reach Josh Ellerbrock at 567-242-0398.
