10 Rappers Who Flip-Flopped on Their Sneaker Co-Signs

Allen Iverson represented in hip-hop and in the NBA. His braids, loose-fitting clothes, and Reebok sneakers connected with a generation of kids and rappers. For a commercial spot on his Answer V sneaker, Reebok got Jadakiss to rep Iverson through a few bars. As Iverson crossed up imaginary defenders in the commercial, Jada spit, "All you need is a pair of these, nothing else." Jada would also be featured in a commercial for Iverson's following sneaker, the Answer 6. It's great that Jada was able to boost up Iverson with his rhymes, but Jada wasn't being truthful about his love for Reebok. In recent interviews, Jada has expressed how he's "been a Jordan fan for life," and even has been spotted in a pair of Air Jordan XIIs when chilling with the Reebok general himself, Swizz Beatz. Jada did, however, slip into a pair of Reeboks for a recent Allen Iverson event. As soon as the event was over, Jada was quickly back on his steady flow of wearing Jordans and talking about how much they mean to him. Even though Jada claims to keep an extra pair of Reeboks in his car, it's more likely he has them to switch out of his Jordans.

If any rapper can thank a sneaker messageboard for their career, it's Dom Kennedy. Dom, who was a regular poster on Niketalk, became known for his West Coast style and love of Air Jordans and '90s Nike basketball sneakers. In surprising move, or a show of distaste, Dom lashed out on Nike and Air Jordan during his verse PacDiv's 2008 track, "Everybody Knows Us." He took shots at recent wave of Fusion Air Jordans and spit, "I be on my Vans shit, had to put them Nikes down. Air Force Jordans? Nah, I never fuck with Nike now." Vans, certainly, has seen an uptick in recent years—being worn by West Coast rappers such as Tyler, the Creator, but Dom couldn't hold true to his promise of no longer co-signing Nike. Not too much later in 2009, Dom's sophomore mixtape, Future Street/Drug Sounds, featured a pair of black/red Air Jordan 1s sitting at the foot of a bed. It's unfair to criticize Dom for not digging Fusion Jordans, and it's too hard to kick a Jordan fix.

The Nike Air Force 1 didn't become cool just because of Nelly, but his 2002 track of the same name, where he talked to about stomping in the sneakers and buying two pairs at a time, helped make it the official sneaker of hip-hop in the early 2000s. In fact, the music video was banned by MTV and VH1 for being too much of an advertisement for Nike. So, it seems like Nelly would be a Nike-only guy, right? Wrong. In 2005, Nelly inked a deal with Reebok, and put out a sneaker bearing a similar name to his favorite pair of Nikes: the "Derrty One." Luckily, these sneakers hit the sales racks and Nelly has gone back to being a Nike man.

Kendrick Lamar isn't hip-hop's biggest sneakerhead, but on his verse on Big Sean's 2013 track, "Control," he professed, "And I ain't rocking no more designer shit/White Ts and Cortez." From that point on, it felt like hip-hop, and the sneaker community, was waiting for a resurrection of the 1972 Nike classic. Unfortunately, Kendrick failed to follow through with his performance. Since he made this proclamation, he's only worn the Cortez a few times, mainly to award shows. Instead, Kendrick has become a huge fan of black Timberlands, as he opened up for the Yeezus Tour. When he's not laced up in a pair of boots, Kendrick can be seen wearing somewhat more modern takes from Nike: Foamposites, Air Jordan Vs, Air Max 1s, and the Flight '13. It would have been cool if Kendrick had stuck to a strictly Cortez diet. There's even a newer version of the sneaker with a Free sole that looks a lot more comfortable than the OG design. Sadly, that didn't happen.

Hip-hop and sneaker culture might not be the same had Run DMC never boomed out their fascination with adidas sneakers—Superstars in particular. The group's 1986 single, "My Adidas," launched the German athletic brand to a new audience, and immensely boosted its sales in the '80s. Rev. Run, one-third of the group, rhymed about wearing his adidas in Queens and matching them up with Lee denim. Adidas caught on, and gave the rap group their own endorsement deal. It's not crazy to think that Run would be down with adidas for life. But his entrepreneurial spirit caused him to see what he could do on his own. In 2003, Run, together with his brother, Russell Simmons, launched Run Athletics, a footwear brand that would produce its own sneakers along with Run's daughters' line, Pastry. The brand was never able to capture the spirit of Run DMC's adidas days, and the site hasn't been updated since 2008. Luckily, Run DMC is associated again with adidas and released a "Christmas in Hollis" Superstar this past Holiday season.

The term "Nike Head" can almost solely be traced back to Nas dropping the reference on his 1994 track, "Halftime," when he spit, "And I'm a Nikehead, I wear chains that excite the Feds." Nas has worn his share of Nike sneakers over the years, but he's not just a connoisseur of everything Swoosh—he had a collection with FILA in 2008. Nas isn't designing sneakers for the Italian sneaker brand anymore, but he's also not repping Nike to the fullest. His 2012 album, Life Is Good, was seen as a return to hip-hop excellence for Nas, but he used the track "Where's the Love" to represent how '80s sneaker culture was just as important, or even better than, the sneakers that kids hype over today. Nas flowed, "When my British Knights could rival your Foamposites, don't make me take the Lottos out the closet." The '80s offered more sneaker choices than today, and Nas knows that someone of his generation can't simply limit themselves to one brand—even if they declare their allegiance to it.

If it wasn't for Jay Z, a lot of rappers wouldn't have sneaker deals today. He wasn't the first rapper to sign to a sneaker brand, but his deal with Reebok affirmed that rappers still had selling power. Jay's S. Dot sneakers, modeled after the Gucci Tennis, flew from the shelves when they were first released, but prior to signing with Reebok, Jay was a big fan of other sneaker brands—mainly Nike. Himself and Dame Dash had become known for rocking their Air Force 1s only once, so they would always be fresh. And in his 2001 track, "All I Need," Jay starts the track off by listening his essentials which, of course, were spearheaded by a pair of Air Force 1s. Jay might be seen hitting the streets in a pair of Reebok Kamikazes these days, but it's more likely see him laced in Nikes and Air Jordans. If Nike had offered Jay a deal around the same time that Reebok did, it's plausible that the S. Dot effort may have never happened. Nike did, however, make limited edition sneakers for Roc-a-Fella Records and for Jay's The Black Album, which made Jay's co-sign of Reebok look more like a business deal than a genuine endorsement. Hey, he's a business, man.

New Balance has been renowned to catering to consumers with wider feet, and it's possible it's part of the reason why Action Bronson has fallen in love with the brand. In a visit to Sneaker Freaker's headquarters last year, Bronson was quoted saying, "I gotta be honest with you, my love affair with other shoes other than New Balance is over." Bronson has worn a lot of New Balance sneakers in his day—he's even gone to the brand's headquarters with Frank the Butcher and racked up on pairs. Although Action is still picking up New Balances—he recently flexed a pair of the Concepts x New Balance 998 "Mints"—he hasn't totally abandoned other brands. A quick glance at his Instagram feed will show that he's acquiring Ballys, Nike Roshe Runs, and ASICS designed by Foot Patrol and Ronnie Fieg. It's hard to knock Bronson for appreciating sneakers that others won't give the time of day, but his sneaker rotation isn't strictly #bostonstrong, either.

Rick Ross was heavy into Air Jordans. He had to be. Chilling with DJ Khaled and Fat Joe, Ross had firm competition when it came to rocking Js. But in a surprise move, Ross made his way to Reebok thanks to Swizz Beats becoming Reebok Classics Creative Director. Then Ross dropped some questionable lyrics about dropping molly into a woman's drink, and Reebok was forced to part ways with Ross. Since then, Ross seems conflicted on who he actually wants to co-sign. Shortly after being dropped by Reebok, Ross was seen posting up in a pair of the Nike LeBron X "Corks," and dropped confusing lyrics on Jay Z's "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" saying, "Reeboks on I Just Do It." Ross is no longer signed to Reebok, but seen as a friend of the brand. Still, he doesn't stick to strictly wearing Reeboks, either.

No rapper has caused more of a commotion with their sneaker co-signs than Kanye West. While Kanye has worn everything from Air Jordans and designer sneakers to rare New Balances and his own Yeezy sneakers, his deal with Nike is what cemented him as a sneaker icon. He became the first non-athlete to be given a signature sneaker by Nike, and even went as far as proclaiming that him and his friends, Don C. and Ibn Jasper, were the ones who convinced Nike to bring back models such as the Air Jordan III. Kanye let the world know he was a Nike fan. He even threw shots at Reebok and adidas in his 2007 track, "Everything I Am," when he rapped, "Cause I don't wear enough, baggy clothes, Reeboks, or adi-dos." When things went sour with Nike CEO Mark Parker, however, Kanye was quick to disown Nike and jump ship to adidas. The drama surrounding Kanye and Nike has unfolded, Nike even finally released the "Red Octobers," the last Yeezy sneaker, yesterday. And Kanye seems pretty happy about his situation with adidas. It's not likely he'll be seen in Air Jordans anytime soon.