Shortly after Kendrick Lamar proved that he’s the only rapper “as big as the Super Bowl,” announcing he’d secured the coveted halftime spot on September 8, he managed to upstage yet another pop culture event.
On September 11, at around 8 p.m. ET, Kendrick posted an untitled song on his IG right as the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards were beginning. In typical Easter Bunny fashion, K. Dot said so much while saying so little, letting fans decipher everything from the cover art and timing of the drop to the lyrics.
Those fluent in Kendricknese quickly named the track “Watch The Party Die” because of its repetition in the lyrics (said six times to be exact) and promptly tracked down the origin of the beaten-up black Nike Air Force 1s pictured in the song’s cover art.
The original eBay listing
The image was taken from an eBay listing by a couple in Arkansas. Initially listed for $70, the couple, Billy Lingo and Darla Wilson, were unaware of the cultural significance that was now bestowed upon their used AF1s when someone purchased the shoes.
“What happened was I sold the shoes, and I said, ‘Oh great,I sold a pair of shoes.’ So I got ‘em, boxed ‘em up, printed the label. All of a sudden, my phone was blowing up,” Wilson recalled talking to a local Arkansas news station, THV11.
Not quite the intended demographic for a K. Dot release, the couple admitted they weren’t very familiar with the artist before all the “Watch The Party Die” madness. “I’m not gonna lie to you, I didn’t know a whole lot about him. I knew who he was. My son had told me about him and my daughter had told me about him, but I really know about him now,” said Lingo.
How to buy the black AF1s
After canceling the $70 sale and original listing, Lingo and Wilson realized the gold mine they were sitting on. They relisted the AF1s from Kendrick’s cover art as an eBay auction with a starting bid of $5,000. The auction is slated to end on September 28, and there’s also a “buy now” option for $75,000. Plus, you must pay for shipping, which varies based on location.
That’s not the only money move they’re making. Since the couple owns the image used in the cover art, they’ve also been selling T-shirts with the now-famous image for $35 on eBay.
The Kendrick Lamar effect
The Arkansas couple is the third entity to benefit from the Kendrick Lamar effect. Chinese restaurant New Ho King, located in Toronto, told a local news outlet that the orders they typically receive for fried rice per day tripled after the release of “Euphoria.” All thanks to Kendrick’s mention, rapping, “I be at New Ho King eatin’ fried rice with a dip sauce and a blammy, crodie.”
Similarly, Tam’s Burgers, located in Compton, saw a 30-40% boost in business after being featured in the music video for Kendrick’s “Not Like Us.”
The significance of the AF1s and “Watch The Party Die”
Throughout the track’s five minutes, Kendrick expresses his frustration with the current state of the music industry and hip-hop’s surrounding culture. It wasn’t another diss track directed at Drake, but more so what commercial rappers like Drake represent: materialism, the endless pursuit of pleasure, and the glorification of success, which is often superficial.
Underscored by the timing of the release, Kendrick shifted the public’s attention away from an event that’s arguably part of the problem (VMAs glorify superficial success) to pose deeper questions. He uses the song metaphorically, through the lyrics, and literally, by stealing the VMA’s spotlight to watch the party die.
Although Kendrick has been long hailed as a GOAT and one of the most influential rappers of all time, there’s no denying that in 2024, he’s him. Owning the black AF1s used in “Watch The Party Die” could be an investment that fetches a much larger price as a piece of hip-hop history years from now.
“If I had $5000 to spare I might consider it. Sure it’s a lot of money, but it could turn into a good ROI years from now,” said Reddit user AutonomousRhinoceros in a r/KendrickLamar thread.