Did Run DMC have any idea what they set into motion when they dropped "My Adidas?" It was a dope song, but when one adidas representive shed a tear as he saw thousands of fans hold up their kicks while the trio performed the song, it became iconic. The representative told his executives about the experience and soon Run DMC became the first hip-hop act to sign an endorsement deal with a major company—which seemed ludicrous at the time because many saw hip-hop as just a fad in 1986. Decades later, hip-hop still exists and the adidas Superstar is embedded into hip-hop lore.
This legend was grew from a simple co-sign. With that co-sign, hip-hop and sneaker culture became almost inseparable and grew into a huge part of the American ethos. The co-sign also became symbolic of hip-hop's growing voice and influence. Shouting out brands like Nike and your own sneaker collection was not only a claim to some sort of rap credibility, it influenced others to look into these kicks. Big-upping sick Js and rejecting FILA were a part of the culture, and being part of that culture meant more revenue for the companies—unintentionally or not. It was a win-win situation.
Whether it was for the sake of lyricism or to promote their own brand, Gucci ripoffs, or what-have-you, co-signs have always been a mainstay in hip-hop culture—unlike the Master P sneakers. Here's the 50 Greatest Rap Sneaker Co-Signs of All Time.
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50. Rick Ross f/ Meek Mill & Wale, "Pandemonium"
49. Mobb Deep, "Survival of the Fittest"
48. Jay Z f/ Rick Ross "F*ckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt"
47. Ice T, "6 N' The Morning"
46. The Pack, "Vans"
Snippet:
Lyrics: Entire Song
Artist: The Pack
Track Title: "Vans"
Because prototypical hip-hop values focus on extravagance rather than economic spending, the simpler pleasures like copping a $50 sneaker are often overlooked. The Pack has got you covered though, and it turns out wearing Vans isn't a handicap as The Pack do regular displays of belligerence while wearing them. This includes stealing your girl, of course.
45. Raekwon, "Sneakers"
44. Wale, "Double M Genius"
43. Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh, "La-Di-Da-Di"
42. Jay Z, Kanye West, T.I., & Lil Wayne, "Swagga Like Us"
41. Drake f/ Rick Ross, "Lord Knows"
40. Jay Z & Kanye West, "Niggas In Paris"
39. Fabolous, "We Don't Give A"
38. Wale, "Nike Boots"
Snippet:
Lyrics: Entire Song
Artist: Wale
Track Title: "Nike Boots"
Wale is a known sneakerhead, and he's never been shy on disclosing that information in his song lyrics. The dude definitely has kicks on kicks; he must have since he's said he never wears the same thing twice ("Chillin" f/ Lady Gaga). With so many sneakers on deck, it was definitely a good look for the Air Max Goadome Boot since it still found its way into his rotation.
37. G-Unit, "Stunt 101"
36. Ghostface Killah, "Apollo Kids"
35. Murs f/ Big Pooh, "Barbershop"
34. Jay Z f/ The LOX, Sauce Money, & Beanie Siegel, "Reservoir Dogs"
33. Jadakiss' Allen Iverson Commercial
32. Eminem, "Welcome to D-Block"
31. A Tribe Called Quest, "God Lives Through"
30. Canibus f/ Panama Pl, "How We Roll"
29. Bun B f/ Rick Ross, 8 Ball, David Banner, & MJG, "You're Everything"
28. Clipse f/ Pharrell, "Mr. Me Too"
27. Kanye West, KRS-One, & Rakim "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)"
26. Nas "The World Is Yours"
25. Big Sean f/ Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica "Control"
24. Madvillain, "Meat Grinder"
23. Beastie Boys, "Shadrach"
22. Kid Cudi f/ King Chip, "T.G.I.F."
21. Macklemore, "Wings"
Snippet:
Lyrics: Entire Song
Artist: Macklemore
Track Title: "Wings"
The first section of the first verse is pretty relatable because it captured what we all were led to believe as kids when we bought Jordans: That we were automatically going to gain some of His Airness' skills. Macklemore's 7-year-old character had some of that image become reality when he touches the net of the basket. A lot of us didn't get so lucky and found out being able to dunk like Jordan involved hard work, determination, and all that other bullshit. Bitter childhood memories aside, that set of bars, as well as the more critical ones later in the song, co-signs the image of a Nike sneaker rather than the sneaker itself.
20. Jay Electronica, "Exhibit C"
19. Kanye West, "Friday Morning May 25th, 2007 (Intro)"
18. Jay Z, "What More Can I Say"
17. 2Pac, "Better Days"
16. Styles P's And1 Commercial
15. Jay Z, "All I Need"
14. Currensy, "Airborne Aquarium"
13. A$AP Rocky, "Goldie"
12. Beastie Boys "Sounds of Science"
11. The Notorious B.I.G., "Hypnotize"
10. Nas, "Halftime"
9. A Tribe Called Quest, "Motivators"
8. Lupe Fiasco, "Kick, Push"
7. 2Pac "California Love"
6. Boogie Down Productions, "Word From Our Sponsor"
5. A Tribe Called Quest, "Buggin Out"
4. The Game f/ 50 Cent, "Hate It Or Love It"
2. Nelly f/ St. Lunatics "Air Force Ones"
Snippet:
Lyrics: Entire Song
Artist: Nelly
Track Title: "Air Force Ones"
When Nelly spit the "I need two pairs" line on the hook, a lot of listeners turned to their friend and said "You know what man? Two pairs of Uptowns sound like a really good idea." Or maybe it didn't exactly happen like that, but the point is Air Force Ones actually saw a spike in sales after the song's release. That's right kids; Nelly actually had that sort of power back in the day.
2. Kanye West f/ Pusha T, "New God Flow"
1. Run DMC, "My Adidas"
Lyrics: Entire Song
Artist: Run DMC
Track Title: "My Adidas"
The S. Carter kicks, that adidas originals campaign with Nicki Minaj and Big Sean, and those god-awful Master P sneakers all owe credit to Run DMC, the first hip-hop act to score a sneaker endorsement. Then-road manager and music industry legend Lyor Cohen invited adidas executive Angelo Anastasio to a Run DMC show in Madison Square Garden. The group performed "My adidas" at the the concert, when Run asked the audience to hold their adidas in the air. The thousands in attendance obliged and Anastasio was moved to tears, prompting him to convince the higher-ups at adidas to give the group a huge $1 million endorsement deal. How many other rap sneaker co-signs managed to break that big of a barrier?