| I was seven years old, when I got my first pair
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| And I stepped outside
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| And I was like, «Momma, this air bubble right here, it’s gonna make me fly»
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| I hit that court and when I jumped, I jumped, I swear I got so high
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| I touched the net, «Mom, I touched the net,"this is the best day of my life
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| Air Maxes were next,
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| That air bubble, that mesh
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| The box, the smell, the stuffin', the tread,
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| At school
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| I was so cool
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| I knew that I couldn’t crease 'em
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| My friends couldn’t afford 'em
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| Four stripes on their Adidas
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| On the court I wasn’t the best, but my kicks were like the pros
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| Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo
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| Nike Air Flight, book bag was so dope
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| And then my friend Carlos' brother got murdered for his Fours, whoa
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| See he just wanted a jump shot, but they wanted his Starter coat, though
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| Didn’t wanna get caught, from Genesee Park to Othello
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| You’d get clowned for those Pro Wings, with the Velcro
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| Those were not tight
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| I was trying to fly without leaving the ground,
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| Cause I wanted to be like Mike, right
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| Wanted to be him,
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| I wanted to be that guy, I wanted to touch the rim
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| I wanted to be cool, and I wanted to fit in,
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| I wanted what he had, America, it begins
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| I want to fly
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| Can you take me far away?
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| Give me a star to reach for
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| Tell me what it takes
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| And I’ll go so high
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| I’ll go so high
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| My feet won’t touch the ground
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| Just stitch my wings
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| And pull the strings
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| I bought these dreams
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| That all fall down
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| We want what we can’t have, commodity makes us want it
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| So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it
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| Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit
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| A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in
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| Look at me, look at me, I’m a cool kid
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| I’m an individual, yeah, but I’m part of a movement
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| My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
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| They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said
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| Look at what that swoosh did
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| See it consumed my thoughts
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| Are you stupid, don’t crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box
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| Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
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| That’s my air bubble and I’m lost if it pops
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| We are what we wear, we wear what we are
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| But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all
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| Will I stand for change or stay in my box
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| These Nikes help me define me, but I’m trying to take mine off
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| I want to fly
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| Can you take me far away?
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| Give me a star to reach for
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| Tell me what it takes
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| And I’ll go so high
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| I’ll go so high
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| My feet won’t touch the ground
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| Just stitch my wings
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| And pull the strings
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| I bought these dreams
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| That all fall down
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| They started out with what I wear to school
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| That first day, like these are what make you cool
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| And this pair, this would be my parachute
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| So much more than just a pair of shoes
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| Nah, this is what I am
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| What I wore, this is the source of my youth
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| This dream that they sold to you
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| For a hundred dollars and some change
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| Consumption is in the veins
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| And now I see it’s just another pair of shoes |