Viral local rappers visit Troy High School to inspire young creatives

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A group of local rappers became an upstate viral sensation with their rap, “Take me down to Stewys.” They visited Troy High School Thursday to share their story with student journalists.

“I picture it as if, what would I want to hear if I was 16, 17, you know, coming up, trying to do music,” explained local rapper Jackson Simpson. “So I’m really just trying to give back.”

And giving back is exactly what they did.

“I saw it on my TikTok For You Page, and now they’re here in person. That’s really cool,” said Gabriel Bentley, a senior in the journalism course.

Gabriel, Weston Mcnamee, and Dexter Casale are seniors at Troy High School and got the chance to interview the group for their school’s newscast. They say that opportunities like these help prepare them for the future.

“This class really helps you get out there and talk to people, meet new people, make connections,” said Weston.

Dexter echoed a similar feeling.

“Before I took this class, I just didn’t approach people as openly as I do today,” Casale noted.

The journalism course gives students the opportunity to take learning into their own hands. Teacher Marc Mostransky said bringing outside perspectives into the classroom is vital. 

“What I promote to the kids is to be authentic,” Mostransky added. “So the people coming in this room, they’re always going to keep it real. They’re going to tell the kids how that life path really is. They’re going to say, hopefully, that we stayed true to our values, stayed true to us.”

Mostransky brings in empowering voices frequently. Yet for his students, the constant source of inspiration is him.

“He’s a great role model, he’s someone that you can sort of follow in his footsteps,” said the students. “He always gives good advice, but he also does a good job keeping you grounded at the same time. He won’t ever steer you wrong.”

Jackson Simpson and Greyson Mullins exemplify the authenticity that Mostransky hopes to bring into the classroom. They gave their advice to young creatives.

“Fear is just fake evidence appearing real, so, even if it’s not perfect, just start,” said Simpson.

Mullins encouraged other creatives to take risks.

“Just go out there and try it, you never know what’s going to come out of it,” Mullins commented. “You’ve got to just take chances.”