Crossing lanes: KC Streetcar collaborators back aboard for expansion, dropping new merch, anthem

Opening the extended KC Streetcar line Friday completes a loop for creatives whose collaborations with the popular public transit system first emerged nearly a decade ago along Main Street — a time when Kansas City’s surging vibrancy helped curb streetcar doubters.

Apparel from MADE MOBB’s “Connection” collaboration with the KC Streetcar, modeled by Tommy Ho and Derek Roberts; photo courtesy of MADE MOBB

“For us, it’s always been about representing Kansas City — the people, the culture, the energy,” said Vu Radley, co-founder of Crossroads-based streetwear brand MADE MOBB. “We teamed up with KC Streetcar almost 10 years ago to celebrate a new way to move through downtown. Now we get to celebrate how far we’ve come — literally and creatively — with this next ride through midtown and towards UMKC.”

Now stretching from River Market to the Country Club Plaza and campus of UMKC, the KC Streetcar began passenger service through midtown Friday for the first time in more than 50 years, when the previous streetcar system was dismantled. 

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As the city toasts the new line’s grand opening, MADE MOBB is dropping an exclusive apparel collaboration: “Connection.”

“From connecting people to places and experiences, to uniting neighborhoods and creative communities, the KC Streetcar and MADE MOBB share a common mission — to move Kansas City forward, together,” the city said in a press release.

The collection — released Friday at MADE MOBB’s Southwest Boulevard headquarters and at official KC Streetcar grand opening community celebrations (and later online) — features a limited-edition t-shirt celebrating the entire KC Streetcar route; a KC Streetcar x MADE MOBB hat, and a custom tote bag — all designed with MADE MOBB’s signature streetwear style.

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Passengers board and disembark streetcars at the UMKC stop on opening day of the KC Streetcar’s Main Street extension; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“Connection has always been at the core of what we do — whether that’s through transit, art, or community,” said Donna Mandelbaum, director of communications for the KC Streetcar Authority. “Partnering again with MADE MOBB feels like coming full circle, celebrating where we’ve been and where we’re going next.”

Click here to learn more about MADE MOBB’s strategy for community collaborations and impact.

MADE MOBB’s “Connection” tee design, made in collaboration with the KC Streetcar; courtesy image

The KC Streetcar platform on the Country Club Plaza, before its opening in April 2025; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

The KC Streetcar grand opening celebration also opened the door to revisit collaboration with another Kansas City creative whose rise in popularity ran parallel to the emerging streetcar.

A new song by musician and business owner Kemet Coleman — “Stay In Your Lane (Down Home Version)” — serves as the official anthem for the new Main Street extension.

It’s release Friday is a continuation of a story that began nearly a decade ago with Coleman’s song “Get Out (The KC Streetcar Song),” which became a local anthem, helped usher in more than 1 million riders in the streetcar’s first year, and has since earned more than 200,000 views on YouTube.

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Kemet Coleman, rapper, musician, urbanist, Vine Street Brewing co-founder; photo by Startland News

“It feels full circle,” said Coleman. “The title actually came from a sermon my dad preached when I was a kid. He passed earlier this year, so this one hits different.”

“It’s giving me great joy to be able to honor him while also reminding Kansas City to keep pushing forward, to stay focused, and to keep dreaming big,” he continued. “This is the beginning!”

Musically, the new anthem is a high-energy dance track that fuses hip-hop, brass, and soul, and it features Brass & Boujee (Marcus Lewis Big Band) with vocals by Kadesh Flow (Ryan Davis) and Kimology (Kim Newsome), plus Grammy-nominated producer Dominique Sanders on bass and Robert Tribbett III on keys and organ. Coleman also served as the executive producer of the record. An accompanying music video, filmed by Sensei Brands, highlights Kansas City culture and the people who make the city special.

“What makes this project special is how collaborative it’s been — the most collaborative of my career, really,” Coleman said. “From working with Donna and the KC Streetcar team, who gave me full creative freedom, to Sensei Brands, who brought the video to life, to my musical family: Brass & Boujee, Kadesh Flow, Kimology, Dominique Sanders on bass, and Rob Trib on keys and organ. Everyone poured their heart into this.”

“‘Get Out’ changed everything for me. It’s been my most successful song and I never saw that coming,” Coleman said. “When I performed in Dublin a few months ago, people were singing the lyrics back to me. That’s how much that song has impacted my career. It also proved that music rooted in civic pride and authenticity could move people and not just emotionally, but physically. It opened doors, connected me to leaders, and gave me a platform to merge hip-hop, community, and urbanism in ways I never imagined.”

With “Stay In Your Lane,” Coleman is building on that legacy, he said.

“It’s more grand, more layered and it’s a love letter to Kansas City’s evolution. The city’s bigger now, louder, more confident,” Coleman added. “I expect this song to do what ‘Get Out’ did times 10: remind people of the power of homegrown creativity and how music can unite an entire city around movement — literally and figuratively.”

Click here to explore the new KC Streetcar route.