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Monday, February 18, 2013

206 Did Macklemore Sellout With New NBA Ad?

Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 3:43 PM

A writer at Slate seems to think so:

Success is rarely simple, and Macklemore’s anti-consumerist fans may want to watch his three-minute promo for the NBA’s All-Star week, featuring “Wing$,” the second single from the rapper’s debut album, The Heist. In its original form, “Wing$” is a critique of Nike and the obsessive sneaker culture that triggered $200 shoe prices. “I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all,” Macklemore declares, “Will I stand for change or stay in my box?” In the song, Macklemore describes his realization that expensive footwear didn’t make him cooler, as he once thought as a kid.

Given those lyrics, you may be confused why the NBA, a key player in the rise of the big-time sneaker industry, would choose the song to hail its product. But that’s because it’s not the same song anymore: In the promo, Macklemore drops all the lyrics that criticize Nike and consumerism.

Macklemore must have seen this criticism coming, but he went right ahead and did it. Why? Maybe he feels he has reached a level of fame that cannot be shaken or disrupted by that kind of criticism.

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Seems to me that Macklemore is telling a story of personal experience with these lyrics, and as such, it's reasonable that the story has many facets. His previous criticism of Nike and sneakerhead consumerism in one version need not be mutually exclusive from the youthful joys he celebrates in the NBA cut. So, no sellout; art is adaptive.

Posted by mister_fusspot

on February 18, 2013 at 4:18 PM

This is a reality. It's not a commercial for sneakers -- which would be questionable, but let's be real not out of the question in this marketplace/economy -- it's for the NBA All Star Game. And it's really well done. I just hope they got paid.

Posted by itsneverthateasy on February 18, 2013 at 4:35 PM

i'd venture to guess his (logical, given that he wrote a song about sneakers) love of the NBA trumped any political agenda he may have. people usually become sneaker heads, at least in the basketball sense of the word, because of an initial love of the game and/or NBA, not vice versa (folks becoming basketball fans b/c of an interest in high end shoes). maybe there are sneakerheads for other kinds of shoes, but i'd say those folks are just into fashion and/or other kinds of shoes, that term has always had a basketball connotation to me.

Posted by captain underpants on February 18, 2013 at 6:33 PM

the other side to this arguement is, of course, that a #1 single or album automatically makes one a sellout, regardless of whatever their messages or agendas are (thrift stores, not being cooler b/c of gym shoes, etc.). not that i necessarily agree with this argument, but so it goes.

Posted by captain underpants on February 18, 2013 at 6:36 PM

In this context, this song loses all of the grit and just becomes a heavy-breathed dream of being in the NBA. No reality, no tragedy, just youthful dreaming. I get why the NBA would want this song in their promo, but it makes no sense (aside from exposure) for Macklemore to sign on with this treatment. I hope they paid him in Air Jordans.

Posted by Casual_Observer on February 19, 2013 at 4:08 AM

My fave comic Mary Charlene tweeted yesterday "Macklemore is Ke$ha with a dick." Why?

Posted by gloomy gus on February 19, 2013 at 12:53 PM

No Charles, he saved Hip Hop...remember?!

I am a hater and I am drinking my haterade or whatever you want to say however everytime I hear this song I am reminded of slam poets from the late 80's early 90's with the start slow, quietly...build up and then start yelling to make your prose clear to the listener you mean business. Ugh, I love my hoops but this song sucks.

Posted by snacktruck on February 19, 2013 at 1:13 PM