{"id":174445,"date":"2011-07-28T18:22:21","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T23:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nicekicks.com\/?p=174445"},"modified":"2018-05-10T22:32:20","modified_gmt":"2018-05-11T02:32:20","slug":"wings-1-on-1-with-macklemore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/wings-1-on-1-with-macklemore\/","title":{"rendered":"Conflicts of a Culture: 1 on 1 with “WINGS” Artist Macklemore"},"content":{"rendered":"

“I think that Phil Knight (co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc.) has probably made billions of dollars or millions and millions of dollars off of being extremely good at manipulating the masses. But I love his shoes!”<\/em> – Macklemore<\/p>\n

We can, and will always appreciate hip-hop artists that pinpoint sneakers as the focal point of their songs. Usually, we witness artists rapping about how many sneakers smother the walls of their closets or how they are sporting retros months before the official release date; however, Seattle, Washington based artist Macklemore brings a different, more controversial perspective to the sneaker culture.<\/p>\n

Macklemore’s new song\/video, WINGS<\/em>, is a powerful story about American youth and their struggle to find their way in a culture dominated by consumerism, obsession and wanting to “Be Like Mike”. Following the debut of WINGS last week, we caught up with the candid, openhearted rapper to discuss a number of contentious topics pertaining to the sneaker culture. Specifically, Macklemore touched on the conflict of sneakers and their current prices, the correlation between sneakers and drugs and most of all his thoughts on co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc. Phil Knight.<\/p>\n

Check out our in-depth, 1 on 1 interview with Macklemore below.<\/p>\n

Macklemore's "WINGS" Graphic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Snkrs Day: We have came across a number of sneaker tribute songs within the past few years; however, we have never heard a sneaker inspired song from the perspective you decided to go with on WINGS. What motivated you to portray the sneaker culture in such a controversial light?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: I knew that I wanted to do a song about shoes. I’ve been a sneakerhead ever since I was a little kid because I was always into Nikes, Jordans and just shoes in general. So, I knew I wanted to do a song about it, but I didn’t know the perspective I wanted to hit. It started off with me just talking about my closet, but then I realized this isn’t any different than any other song coming out. I wanted to see how I could examine the subject matter of shoes and go a little bit deeper into the origin of the sneaker culture.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: We spotted a video of you performing WINGS in Wisconsin awhile back. Usually, we associate big sneaker cultures in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, but the Wisconsin crowd knew WINGS word for word. What does it mean to you to see a sneaker-associated song touch such a wide array of people nationwide, let alone worldwide?
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Macklemore: It’s those types of situations that have led me to understand how universal Jordans are. Leading into the song, I usually ask the crowd how many people have ever owned a pair of Nikes; it’s usually between 85%-95% of the hands go up. For Jordans, it’s about 60%-80%, depending on where you are. As a youth growing up in the late 80s, or 90s or 2000s, you either had a pair of Jordans or you knew tons of people that did. So, it’s a world topic. The response has been crazy. It’s a sneakerhead song, but it is something that has a deeper meaning just in the consumption in American culture in general. It’s been crazy to see most people that haven’t been exposed to the sneaker culture still get it, and then also all of the people that really do relate on a first-hand basis. The response has been insane.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: In the first verse of WINGS, you uplifted and praised the sneaker culture; yet, in the second verse, it seems as if you lost your infatuation with kicks and referred to them as “just another pair of shoes”. When did that transformation change for you in real life? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: Honestly, it changed while I was writing. I didn’t go into it thinking I was going to be nostalgic and reminisce about my childhood and then bash Phil Knight in the second verse. It was more of a realization in the process of writing it. That wasn’t a plan to it. I think it’s something that I struggle with, and I think a lot of sneakerheads struggle with it too. Sneakers are a huge part of my life, but on the other aspect, they are extremely expensive. Sometimes it’s excess. Do we really need these 30-40 pairs of Jordans in the closet? What does this really mean? How does this define myself as an individual? Do these shoes make me fresh? I had proposed and thought about these questions before, but I never broke them down. This song was my attempt to break down my own, conflicted interest in the sneaker culture.<\/p>\n

Some of Macklemore's sneaker collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Snkrs Day: In the opening lines of WINGS, you mentioned that you were seven years old when you got your first pair. Was the Air Jordan 4 your first pair like the kid in the video?
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Macklemore: Yeah, it was my first pair. I actually had the red and white 4s (“Fire Red” Air Jordan 4) as my first pair.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: There was a ton of retros worn throughout the video. Did you handpick all of the retros or have a role in any other part of the video treatment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: No, I didn’t. That was actually the line for the “True Blue” 3s that came out. That was just the sneakerheads that were in line to get them at Niketown. I found out we had one more shot to shoot, so I told them to go down to Niketown, there is going to be kids out there in crazy shoes. So, the director did it and got that shot. It’s one of my favorites shots for sure.<\/p>\n

A few of Macklemore's Air Jordans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 <\/p>\n

“As a youth growing up in the late 80s, or 90s or 2000s, you either had a pair of Jordans or you knew tons of people that did. So, it’s a world topic…It’s a sneakerhead song, but it is something that has a deeper meaning just in the consumption in American culture in general.”<\/h1>\n

– Macklemore<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Snkrs Day: We read that your rap career began at local open mic sessions in Seattle. Do you remember what shoes you rocked in your initial open mic sessions since that was a very important time in your life?
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Macklemore: I remember, at the time, I had gotten a pair of the Scottie Pippen’s second signature shoe. I was in eighth grade. It was funny because at the time I was probably a size 10-10.5, but for some reason I thought it was cool to buy bigger pairs of shoes. So, I remember buying like a size 11.5-12 in these Scottie Pippens, which was already a big a** shoe; you know, it’s a big, bulky basketball shoe. I just looked ridiculous with these huge pair of Pippens with these little, tiny, pale, white chicken legs rocking the open mic.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Macklemore posing for the camera in the "True Blue" Air Jordan 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Snkrs Day: One of the astounding moments in the WINGS song is when you mentioned your friend Carlos’ brother being killed over a pair of sneakers. How did that instance affect your love for sneakers? Did it sway your opinion on going out and purchasing the latest Jordans? Did sneakers lose value in your eyes after this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: I was very young, so I don’t think I processed it like that as far as the death of somebody I knew. I was literally in first grade when it happened. That type of stuff was happening though. It wasn’t happening to people I knew personally, but throughout the 90s it was happening with the Jordans and the Starter jackets on a consistent basis in Seattle and all around the country. I was still too young to see how that instance affected me because I wasn’t able to process it. I got a Starter jacket in third grade, but you had to be careful wearing a Starter jacket, and you had to be careful with which neighborhood you were in while wearing Jordans.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: So, you deem robbing and killing for sneakers a big problem in the sneaker culture during the 90s. In your opinion, what is the biggest problem in the sneaker culture these days? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: For me, it’s just that conflict. Like, ‘Is this necessary to be fresh?’ or ‘Do I need the newest pair of retros to stand out?’ It’s easy to fall victim to the consumerism that is the backbone of this culture. But at the same time, I love the culture, and I love Jordans and Nikes because it’s something that I obviously grew up with. Sometimes I just think to myself, ‘Am I really about to go spend another $175 on some Jordans when I just did it like three weeks ago?’ So, I think that is the issue I have with it. It’s tough because it’s a huge part of who I am, and I will always love Jordans and Nikes.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: We read that you struggled with drug abuse at one point in your life. Seeing that you overcame that, is there a direct correlation between substance abuse and ‘falling victim to the consumerism of sneakers’ as you just said?
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Macklemore: I think, in the background of the sneaker culture, there is this lust and addiction for more and more and more. You know, new colors, new versions of shoes and this desire for more to consume. For me, it was the exact same thing for drugs and alcohol. There was this feeling of what you had was never enough. There was always this desire to keeping getting high and that I wasn’t high enough. I wanted to keep going. The minute that you get high, there’s this euphoria for the first couple of minutes; when you come down from that high you want more. I feel the same way when I go shopping actually. Just the idea of shopping is a high in itself. Picking up the things you want excites you. You get the shoes, and almost immediately after that, I start to come down from that high; even before I really go out and wear them. The euphoria is thinking about it, going and acting on the desire and then after that, whether it is a few minutes, days or weeks, I start to come down from that. Then, it just turns into this pair of sneakers. They have the creases and dirt in the, so they’re not the same. You’ve come down. I think it’s the same thing with drugs. You’re feeding that desire. I think they’re very parallel, and they both have addictive traits that are very similar.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: You’ve been speaking on the ‘necessary’ factor of buying sneakers and the conflict you have with purchasing retro after retro. Yet, what are five shoes that have to be in your possession at all times? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: My favorite shoe would probably be the Cement 4s. I did just get the “True Blue” 3s. I really like those. I like the classic, low-top Vans. Those are always clean. I love Wallaby shoes, so I’d have to put some high-top Wallabies in there. I’d probably end it with the “Grape” 5s. I don’t have them myself, but I always wanted a pair of those. I like the 6s too. It’s tough. I’d go 5s or 6s to end it.<\/p>\n

Some of Macklemore's favorites<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
 <\/p>\n

“It’s easy to fall victim to the consumerism that is the backbone of this culture. But at the same time, I love the culture, and I love Jordans and Nikes because it’s something that I obviously grew up with.”<\/h1>\n

– Macklemore<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Snkrs Day: How do you feel about the price of Jordans now compared to the price tags attached to them in the 90s? Do you feel the retros are overpriced these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: Some of them are. It’s always been an expensive shoe. Even in the 90s, they were really expensive. It’s the people that resell them. The prices on eBay are ridiculous like when you see someone trying to sell some “Carmine” 6s for $650 or $300 for the “Grape” 5s. I think that gets a little ridiculous. You know, supply and demand. But Nike makes it that way, and that’s a part of it. It basically builds the hype. So, the whole machine around of it is brilliant in that way. You know, releasing a limited amount, make the shoe desirable in a colorway that isn’t accessible to the majority of the public and all of a sudden the value doubles and triples. The “True Blue” 3s I just bought are not a cheap pair of shoes by no means, but compared to the 90s, it doesn’t seem that crazy.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: In the WINGS song, you mentioned Jordans costing too much to play basketball in these days, which has been more noticeable with each passing year. Do you think the days of playing basketball in Jordans are coming to an end? What did you, or do you play in?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: I would usually hoop in Nikes; usually in Flights. The only time I see cats hooping in Jordans is when they have already thrashed them. I just think that there are too many ‘basketball’ shoes to buy like the LeBron. That is a sturdy basketball shoe. I would much rather play in some LeBrons than the majority of Jordans. I think if you’re going to spend that much money, you’re not going to go immediately outside and go hoop in them.<\/p>\n

Macklemore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Snkrs Day: Obviously, every young person wanted to be like Mike growing up, but you had a few intriguing superstars in your backyard seeing that you grew up in Seattle. Were you big fans of Shawn Kemp and\/or Gary Payton? Did you ever own any of Kemp’s Reebok Kamikazes or Payton’s Nike Glove sneakers?
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Macklemore: Definitely. I was a huge fan of Payton and Kemp. Those were the dudes if you lived in Seattle. Those were the stars. Payton is from Oakland, but he is still apart of the Pacific Northwest Seattle pride. I never had the Kamikazes or Gloves. Around that time, I was young, so I was only getting one pair of shoes every six months. The Gloves came out right around the time I got those Pippens.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: You name-dropped co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc Phil Knight a couple of times in WINGS. It wasn’t in a negative light, but it wasn’t uplifting or complementary either. If Phil Knight were in front of you right now, what would you tell him about WINGS? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: I don’t think that I would tell him anything. I think that I would show him the video and would want to have a conversation about it. I would just want to be open and real with him and get his perspective because he’s obviously a genius in the shoe world and the business world. That man is a genius. There’s no question about that. He’s been at the forefront of the sneaker culture for the last 20-30 years. So, I would want to have a conversation and just get his perspective on the video.<\/p>\n

Snkrs Day: If he asked for clarification of his name being in your song, what would you say and\/or explain to him?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: I would tell him he’s a smart businessman, and I think, in general, smart businessmen also know how to manipulate the public. They know how to control the public, and by manipulation, there is some trickery involved in that. I think that Phil Knight has made probably billions of dollars or millions and millions of dollars off of being extremely good at manipulating the masses. But I love his shoes!<\/p>\n

Co-Founder and Chairman of Nike Inc. Phil Knight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Snkrs Day: What should we, as fans, look forward to from you musically?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Macklemore: Ryan Lewis and myself are putting out our debut album in early 2012. We’ll be doing Rock The Bells in LA and NYC this summer and a national tour in November. We’ll be releasing more videos and songs leading up to it our album release.<\/p>\n