Kendrick Lamar fans have a chance to snag the Nike Air Force 1 sneakers from the cover of his latest song, but it’ll cost them.
The untitled track, referred to as ‘Watch the Party Die,’ dropped on Instagram earlier this month with a photo of some beat-up black Air Force 1s. Internet sleuths soon discovered these kicks were from an eBay listing.
A news station in Little Rock, Arkansas, THV11, caught up with the sneakers’ owners, Billy Lingo and Darla Wilson. Initially, the couple sold the shoes for $70 until their phone buzzed with messages about Kendrick Lamar’s cover art.
Wilson said, ‘I’m not gonna lie to you, I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew who he was. My son had told me about him and my daughter had told me about him, but I really know about him now.’
After the song’s release, the couple canceled their eBay listing. They relisted the shoes for a much higher price, starting at $5,000, with a ‘buy it now’ option for $75,000. Owning the image, Lingo and Wilson also started selling T-shirts featuring the famous black Air Forces.
‘Watch the Party Die’ marks Kendrick Lamar’s comeback after his feud with Drake. Though he doesn’t target Drake directly, he takes aim at broader issues in the music industry.
The five-minute track dropped just as the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards began, packed with criticisms of ‘killers,’ ‘scammers,’ ‘street n-ggas,’ ‘corporate guys,’ and ‘radio personalities pushin’ propaganda for salary.’ He also calls out ‘obvious degenerates failing to acknowledge the hope that we tryna spread.’
Lamar also name-drops socially conscious rappers Lecrae and Dee-1. ‘Sometimes I wonder what Lecrae would do / Fuck these n-ggas up or show ’em just what prayer do? / I want to be empathetic, my heart like Dee-1 / But I will—,’ suggesting an unspoken threat to his foes.
Many see the track as a response to backlash over Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans next February. Critics, including Nicki Minaj, Birdman, and Cam’ron, argue that Lil Wayne deserved the spot instead.
In summary, fans looking to grab memorabilia from Kendrick Lamar’s latest release should be prepared to dig deep into their pockets. Meanwhile, ‘Watch the Party Die’ continues to stir conversation with its bold commentary.
