As LeBron James neared the unprecedented 50,000 career points milestone, Vincent Jordan, known as OkaySpade, recognized it was the opportune moment to begin.
The idea of crafting a song to mark this achievement had been on Jordan`s mind. He searched YouTube for a suitable beat, finding one posted almost two years prior that felt ideal for the song he envisioned.
Jordan listened twice and made his decision.
“Finna make a LeBron James tribute [right now],” Jordan commented below the beat`s YouTube video.
Recording the song took Jordan no more than 10 minutes. The chorus, `LeBron, LeBron, LeBron James,` required only two takes. He added harmonies matching the E-flat chords and layered a falsetto `LeBron James` to create the melody.
“I didn`t edit much,” Jordan stated. “I wanted it to remain raw because it`s a comedic track. I could have refined it more, but I`m glad I didn`t, as it retains that homemade feel. It`s really simple, and I appreciate that it`s not complicated.”
After James officially broke the NBA scoring record on March 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Jordan shared his appropriately named song, `Reigning in LA (LeBron James Anthem),` with friends. Encouraged by them, he posted it on TikTok and continued his day.
At the time of posting the 35-second clip, Jordan had just 100 followers. The following morning, he awoke to thousands of notifications.
Jared McCain, a Philadelphia 76ers guard and well-known influencer on the platform, commented below the post, “This fire.”
Following the song`s viral success on TikTok, Jordan released a full 1:35 version on streaming services. Throughout March, other TikTok creators started creating their own LeBron James-themed songs by remixing popular R&B tracks with new lyrics about the Lakers superstar.
Thus, a trend was born.
Jordan`s song has since accumulated over 7 million views and 800,000 likes, boosting his TikTok following by more than 6,000.
As `Reigning in LA` circulated widely, it attracted the attention of Fyrehouse, a record label. They flew Jordan to Los Angeles for business discussions and arranged for him to attend his first Lakers game. He signed a contract to record six songs for the label.
“Dreams do come true,” he shared.
Music has always been central to Jordan`s life. His parents, both involved in the entertainment industry, particularly R&B, exposed him constantly to it. His mother sang breakup R&B tracks, while his father performed love songs and is also an actor at the Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago.
“I can`t imagine my life without music,” Jordan stated.
However, Jordan never believed a music career was attainable for him.
“I simply didn`t see a possibility,” Jordan explained. “My thinking was, everyone wants to do music, so what makes me stand out?”
Jordan`s inspiration wasn`t solely rooted in his musical background; it also stemmed from his admiration for the Lakers star. The 24-year-old became a James fan after the veteran spearheaded the Cleveland Cavaliers` memorable 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
“That situation showed him facing adversity, yet they still pulled through and completely defeated one of basketball`s greatest teams ever assembled, despite being at a disadvantage,” Jordan recalled with a smile.
Jordan could never have foreseen his TikTok creation serving as inspiration for others.
TikTok creator Cortez Miles honed his singing and instrumental skills in church from a young age, his talents recognized by his father and friends. However, he rarely posted his music on TikTok, and what he did post received little notice – until the LeBron James trend began.
“I started hearing some of them, and at first, I found it funny because I make R&B music,” Miles explained. But then his musical intuition prompted him to participate.
Miles aimed to avoid remixing tracks that were overtly `trendy` or `poppy.` Instead, he sought to create something unique and unconventional, hoping to evoke the era of what he considers `good R&B.`
He chose to gauge his audience`s reaction by creating his first LeBron James remix using Drake`s `Girls Love Beyoncé.` Miles freestyled thoughts about the 21-time NBA All-Star, aiming to align them with the original song`s structure.
“I followed the structure and flow of the original song and just replaced the lyrics with LeBron`s achievements,” Miles said. “I maintained the original flow so that even without the beat, if you heard what I was saying, you`d recognize the song… I just rely on my knowledge and what I`ve witnessed. Clearly, he`s the GOAT.”
“If I had to perform these songs live, I probably couldn`t, because I honestly don`t remember my own lyrics after I post them,” he admitted with a laugh.
Miles explored the neo-soul R&B sound by creating separate remixes of Charlie Wilson`s `Charlie, Last Name Wilson` (retitled `LeBron last name James`) and Jon B.`s `They Don`t Know.` His `LeMix` of Chris Brown`s `Residuals` notably received increased engagement on TikTok.
As Miles posted one remix, users began leaving comments requesting new songs. One user suggested remixing T-Pain`s `Buy U a Drank` and calling it `Le`Get You a Ring` – he obliged, and it quickly became popular.
“I didn`t expect any of them to blow up,” Miles stated. “But once they did, people started suggesting, `Hey, do this song,` and if I felt it would sound good, I`d create and post it immediately. It only took seconds.”
Miles` most successful remix was his version of Plies featuring T-Pain`s `Shawty,` which he retitled `Le`Shawty.`
“`We know he is the greatest of them all, yeah I`m talking about LeBron James`,” Miles sang. That single rendition has garnered over 46,000 likes and counting.
Following the Lakers` 104-98 victory over the Houston Rockets on March 31, reporters inquired if James was aware of the trend. LeBron confirmed he had heard many of the songs.
“It`s nearly impossible to miss them,” James commented after his 16-point game. “My younger son, Bryce, actually showed me one… we had a good laugh about it. There are quite a few circulating.”
Miles speculated if one of his `LeMixes` was among those James had encountered, but he didn`t dwell on it.
“If he`s seen it, that`s fine, but I value the interaction with others and the ability to connect and simply enjoy the trend more,” Miles stated. “It`s cool that it reached him. That`s a positive for everyone involved in the trend.”
However, James wasn`t the only NBA superstar inspiring TikTok songs.
A few days after Jordan`s `Reigning in LA` release, TikTok user Trynden debuted an original 40-second R&B track dedicated to Stephen Curry.
At that point, no other viral LeBron James songs existed. Trynden didn`t want to simply replicate Jordan`s concept, but he felt intuitively that a song about Curry could gain traction.
“I just made it for enjoyment, and I had a feeling it might get popular,” Trynden remarked.
The lyrics were: “`Oh Stephen Curry, oh No. 30; when he shoots the ball, he`s gonna turn around; don`t gotta see. It`s going in, all you hear is green.`”
“I was genuinely happy when it went viral; it felt quite surreal,” he commented. “I thought it was possible, but I was still surprised when it actually happened.”
Trynden has no plans for future Curry-themed songs. However, both Miles and Jordan indicated they will keep creating music as long as James remains in the league and pursues his fifth NBA championship.
