I was seven years old, when I got my first pair And I stepped outside And I was like, "Momma, this air bubble right here, it's gonna make me fly" I hit back-court and when I jumped, I jumped, I swear I got so high I touched the net, "Mom, I touched the net," this is the best day of my life Air Max's were next, That air bubble, that mesh The box, the smell, the stuffin', the tread, In school I was so cool I knew that I couldn't crease 'em My friends couldn't afford 'em Four stripes on their Adidas On the court I wasn't the best, but my kicks were like the pros Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo Nike Air Flight, but bad was so dope And then my friend Carlos' brother got murdered for his Fours*, whoa See he just wanted a jump shot, but they wanted to start a cult though Didn't wanna get caught, from Genesee Park to Othello You could clown for those Pro Wings, with the Velcro Those were not tight I was trying to fly without leaving the ground, Cause I wanted to be like Mike, right Wanted to be him, I wanted to be that guy, I wanted to touch the rim I wanted to be cool, and I wanted to fit in, I wanted what he had, America, it begins I want to fly Can you take me far away? Give me a star to reach for Tell me what it takes And I'll go so high I'll go so high My feet won't touch the ground I stitch my wings And pull the strings I bought these dreams That all fall down We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in Look at me, look at me, I'm a cool kid I'm an individual, yeah, but I'm part of a movement My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said Look at what that swoosh did See it consumed my thoughts Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk That's my air bubble and I'm lost if it pops We are what we wear, we wear what we are But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all Will I stand for change or stay in my box These Nikes help me define me, but I'm trying to take mine, off I want to fly Can you take me far away? Give me a star to reach for Tell me what it takes And I'll go so high I'll go so high My feet won't touch the ground I stitch my wings And pull the strings I bought these dreams That all fall down It started out with what I wear to school That first day, like these are what make you cool And this pair, this would be my parachute So much more than just a pair of shoes Nah, this is what I am What I wore, this is the source of my youth This dream that they sold to you For a hundred dollars and some change Consumption is in the veins And now I see it's just another pair of shoes ^{* Air Jordan IV}