What do Kendrick Lamar and Bella Swan have in common? No, he doesn’t have any vampire super powers. It’s actually their choice in footwear- the Nike Cortez, to be exact- that bring the two together, though it would be pretty interesting to know which immortal abilities KDot would possess.
For now, the best talent the mortal Kendrick has is his lyrical prowess that he used to throw a wrench in the whole rap game earlier this week. In addition to stirring up major controversy by calling out some of the biggest rappers in hip-hop in his verse on Big Sean’s “Control,” he denounced designer duds, rapping:
“And I ain’t rockin’ no more designer shit, white T’s and Nike Cortez, this is red Cortez anonymous…”
And just like that, the next buying trend inspired by a rap song (see: Jay Z’s Tom Ford, Migos’ Versace) begins. Kendrick wasn’t the first celeb to show them some major love, though. There are plenty of others who paved the way for the classic Nike running shoes.
So before the rest of the world hops on the bandwagon, we’ve put together a list of members who are ahead of the wave and in Kendrick’s Cortez crew.
West Coast G Easy-E was one of the first in hip-hop to start wearing the nylon Nike Cortez back in the ’90s. And he rocked ’em better than all the cholos on the block.
But before Easy-E was Farrah Fawcett in the mid ’70s. See how cool she looks cruising on her skateboard? That’s due to her sneakers, not her hair.
Another diva of the yesteryear joining the clique is the late and great Whitney Houston. Well, at least her Madame Tussauds wax figure is. She wore this epic outfit during her Super Bowl XXV performance of the “National Anthem.”
Next up in the lineup we have Forrest Gump. Mama always said life was like a box of Nike Cortez. Well, actually she didn’t, but whatever. How else could he have run for three years straight? Thanks, Jenny.
Back when he was a young Hollywood heartthrob, Chad Michael Murray stole Hilary Duff’s heart in Cinderella Story. Sure, he’s good looking, but we think it was the shoes that did the trick.
Just take Bella Swan for example. She had a vampire and a werewolf fighting for her love and her fly kicks.
Kristen Stewart’s character wore the same pair as Shia LaBeouf. Clearly his Nikes have seen better days, but we just see them as having a little personality.
And Tracy Morgan looks incredibly ecstatic to be wearing his. Nothing feels better than slipping your feet into a fresh white pair of sneakers.
Funkmaster Flex appears to be way less excited, but that’s only because Vado is inches away from stepping on his purple OGs. We can see the worry in his eyes.
Fergie Ferg’s got happy feet in her red nylon Nike Cortez. And she’s rocking a classic Adidas tracksuit at the same time? Did it on ’em.
Minka Kelly chose to go pretty in pink with her pair. Sporty and girly, the perfect combo.
Seeing as how all of hip-hop is pretty upset with Kendrick right now, maybe he can find solace and bond with a few rappers over their love of a good Nike Cortez. Young Jeezy, what do you think? The two have collabed in the past, so maybe they’ll join forces in a Cortez dedication joint.
But if Jeezy isn’t interested, perhaps Kendrick can turn to Stalley for a little support. At the very least, they can help tie each other’s shoes.
PHOTO CREDIT: WENN, GETTY
