8 photosA carousel connecting timeless records to the February 19 Groovy tribute night pulls over 10,000 likes. The format now carries its own viral content engine.
History · The residency era
2026
Grammys in the family, and a monthly room of our own.
January brought the first Grammy nominations connected to the family: Nfnty, and Abstrakt Al for Durand Bernarr's Bloom, recorded at Create Music Studios. By June, Abstrakt Al was unboxing his Grammy at Create.
In April the first OKC King of the Aux ran at Ivy Studios with The OAKA, crowning Chloee Hart from a 32 artist bracket. Back in Los Angeles the Peppermint Club return sold out with artists lining up from 12:30 in the morning, and on May 1 the open mic became a monthly residency there.
- Grammy nominations
- January
- First OKC crown
- April
- Earliest line arrival
- 12:30 AM
- Residency begins
- May 1
The moments that mattered
2026, as it happened.
Ranked against the rest of 2026, so the founding era competes on its own terms instead of against the years that came after.
8 photos
9 photosPhoenixx Rose showed up 19 hours early for the Peppermint Club open mic, arriving at 12:30 in the morning for a 7pm show to guarantee her performance. Another artist arrived 12 hours early the same day. Both hit the stage that night.
@phoenixx__mp3, @yansleyoficial
8 photosR.Mija walked into the sold out Peppermint Club open mic with zero followers, no posts and no audience, just a song and the courage to perform it. After her set, host Jeremy Hecht turned to the crowd and said go follow her, and everything changed in real time.
@r.mija.music
6 photosREASON stepped onto the open mic stage at The Peppermint Club, performed, and told the room the energy was incredible and words don't do it justice. He left independent artists with simple advice: enjoy the process and just put it out.
@reasonofficial
8 photosWetball DMed SDFTP in 2022 asking for a shot. Four years later, after Pass The Aux visits and months of viral momentum, he shut down the sold out Peppermint Club open mic with all live vocals and pure breath control, zero backing tracks.
@wetball909
The full year
Everything else from 2026.
17 moments in total, every one verified against the post it came from.
January 22 · groovy
On Instagram ↗Groovy returns at Madame Siam
Something Groovy comes back in 2026 at Madame Siam in Hollywood, the venue that hosted the brand's after parties back in 2019. The tribute night format now honors the icons of disco, funk, and soul on its own stage.
January 24 · grammy week
On Instagram ↗First Grammy nominations from the family
Grammy week 2026 opens with news that Nfnty and Abstrakt Al earned their first Grammy nominations for work on Durand Bernarr's album Bloom, recorded at Create Music Studios. Months later Abstrakt Al unboxes the actual Grammy at the same studio.
@Nfnty, @Abstrakt Al, @Durand Bernarr
January 31 · grammy week
On Instagram ↗A Queen of the Aux takes Grammy week 2026
The Grammy week King of the Aux at Create Music Studios crowns a Queen of the Aux, who takes home KRK studio monitors and plugin prizes. Her winner's recap post celebrates the artists, the voters, and the room.
April 14 · milestone
On Instagram ↗Queen of the Aux crowned in Oklahoma City
The first Oklahoma City King of the Aux battle at Ivy Studios draws 32 artists, and Chloe Hart wins the crown along with KRK speakers and a music video from The OAKA. The OKC partnership keeps growing with another edition in July 2026.
@Chloe Hart
April 14 · king of the aux
On Instagram ↗Radio host Tara T was so moved during industry hours at the OKC event that she handed the team $100 to give to any artist. They chose Creep, who battled hard in King of the Aux and supported his peers all day.
@taratlive, @888.creep
May 1 · alumni
On Instagram ↗Samara Cyn: a 2022 DM becomes a 2026 tour
Samara Cyn submitted to perform at Something Dope in May 2022, newly arrived in LA with no band and no network. Four years later, almost to the day, she is packing out her own listening parties and launching a tour.
@Samara Cyn
May 1 · milestone
On Instagram ↗A monthly residency at The Peppermint Club
After the sold out April 2026 return where artists lined up from 12:30 AM, the open mic becomes a monthly residency at The Peppermint Club. The stage that sold out a week in advance in 2022 is now a permanent home.
May 2 · pass the aux
On Instagram ↗SDFTP took Pass The Aux onto a yacht in Marina del Rey for the first StudiYacht edition. Jeff Blue, the A and R legend who signed Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Macy Gray and Aaliyah, gave artists live feedback on the water.
@jeffbluemusic, @nikkipaigenarage
June 12 · open mic
On Instagram ↗Three years after Genwunner first performed Pokemon Go at the open mic, his fans raised nearly $20,000 for the Big Man Blastoise video, the first music video ever produced by Something Dope. An artist discovered at the open mic became the company's first video release.
@genwunnr
July 21 · king of the aux
On Instagram ↗Jionde won the OKC King of the Aux over 26 artists, beating JQuale in the finale. His prize package included Criterion tickets, press coverage and an invitation to perform at a Something Dope event in Los Angeles.
@jiondae_, @jquale_da_great, @the_oaka
July 21 · pass the aux
On Instagram ↗Stige The Gifted drove from Atlanta, Georgia to Oklahoma to meet his business partner, found out Pass The Aux OKC was happening at the perfect time, and pulled up to test his music. He played some heat.
@stigethegifted, @the_oaka
The archive keeps growing