(Photo: Rikard Larma/Metro)
The Roots drummer, ?uestlove, designed and recently released his own style of Nike Air Force Ones (major props to ?uest. Someone should’ve given this talented brotha an endorsement deal years ago). Air Force Ones have always been a staple in hiphop culture way before Nelly’s non rapping cohorts rapped about them. They’re relatively inexpensive, comfortable, and the white and black ones basically go with any and everything (-sidenote- Does anyone know if those St. Lunatic idiots got paid by Nike for dedicating a song to Air Force Ones? If not, they’re going up on the Tom Wall of Fame for their free advertising. Then again, I guess that’s no different from Cassidy big upping Patron, or every rapper shouting out their favorite drink. IDIOTS!). The ?uestlove designed Air Force ones are indeed different. So different, that morons from as far away as Virginia camped out in front of a Philadelphia store to be the first on their block to rock the sneakers.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love a fresh pair of sneakers. I’m a product of the hiphop generation. I’ve owned quite a few pairs of Jordans, Air Force Ones, Shell Top Adidas, & Top Tens. Shoot, I even rocked the old school Lotto’s (the ones with the detachable velcro signs), & Ellesse’s. I’ve never waited in line for days for them though. According to the Philadelphia Metro, people have camped out last Tuesday for the Friday release of the sneakers which are priced at $235.
This is crazy on so many levels. I won’t get into buying over priced items made in sweat shops. I won’t go nuts discussing how people in Bangladesh are getting paid peanuts to make an item that retails for over $200. I won’t discuss our addiction to materialism. I will however mention my generations utter apathy toward politics and social issues in general. How is it, folks have a million and one excuses why they can’t vote, but they can sit in line for hours on Black Friday for a sale, wait over night in line for an iPhone, or camp out in front of a sneaker store for a pair of Air Force Ones. How folks can say “I ain’t voting because my vote doesn’t matter,” yet not understand how much their dollar actually matters is beyond me. I wish brothas would line up down the street to take SAT prep courses the same way we do to get into the club. How many dead beat dads own iPods, iPhones, Playstation 3s, and the latest sneakers? How many women own Prada bags while their child doesn’t have a computer? How many people will not vote on November 4th, 2008 for our next President, but will stand in line later in the month on Black Friday to get a bargain at Best Buy?
“Niggas can’t make it to ballots to choose leadership,
But we can make it to Jacob’s and to the dealership”
– Kanye West, “Never Let You Down”
The Tom Wars 