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 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"

Air Maxes were next, that air bubble, that mesh

The box, the smell, the stuffin' , the tread

At 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

Stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo

Nike Air Flight, book bag was so dope

And then my friend Carlos's brother got murdered for his Fours

Whoa

See he just wanted a jump shot

But they wanted his Starter coat, though

Didn't want to get caught, from Genesee Par to Othello

You get clowned for those Pro Wings

With the velcro, those were not tight

I was tryin' to fly without leavin' 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 wanna 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

Just stitch my wings and pull the strings

I bought these dreams that all fall down

We want what we can't have

The 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 wanna 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

Just stitch my wings and pull the strings

I bought these dreams that all fall down

They 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