Beats: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Wings

If you’re a Hoopsfix head then I’ll bet a few pennies that the majority of you currently play or, at least at one time, played the game of basketball (© Michael Jordan). And if that’s the case, then I’ll bet a few more pennies that at one time during your playing days you were obsessed with Nike basketball footwear. Am I right? I’m right aren’t I? Of course I am. I was the same.

Basketball, footwear and hip-hop. That was the holy trinity for me as a yoot as far as recreational activities were concerned. FYI it’s disrespectful to include girls as a ‘recreational activity’, so don’t do it, OK?

So now that we’ve got that out in the open and we’re all on the same page, I bet this next song will strike a chord with all past and present bball and Nike heads (© Nasir Jones).

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are two artists who don’t seem to get too much attention in the UK but they’re definitely worth lending an ear to. The first song of theirs that caught my attention was ‘The End’. Seriously, if you want a girl to get a little moist*, tell her to give it a listen. Thank me later (© Aubrey Graham).

This week M&R dropped ‘Wings’ an ode to childhood idealism, basketball and sneakerhead culture as well as global consumerism. Kind of heavy for a song about Nike’s right? But let it play, it works.

For basketball fans not wanting to philosophize about the manipulative power of corporate brands, just listen to the opening lines and tell me that wasn’t you when you rocked your first pair of Nike Airs.

Momma, this air bubble right here, it’s gonna make me fly,

I hit that 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.

That was me bruv! I was the first kid in my class to get Air Max’s back in primary school. Done know I was the guy for the rest of that week. Badman. Although who’s this guy Macklemore thinking he could touch the net at the age of 7? C’mon G, stop lyin’ (© Richard Walters).

Listen to ‘Wings’ below:

*Moist as in teary eyed. Get your mind out the gutter.