"got my vans on, but they look like sneakers...

Wear coke whites, but my Vans look cleaner"

The Pack - Vans

Went up to the Bay this weekend, and I heard this track by a group that calls themselves The Pack, on the radio. I saw posts about a track about Vans on the Siccness forums, but I never bothered to read into them, cause it was just getting constant hate responses. But I have to admit, the beat and hook are heat. Too bad I can't give as much props to the verses.

But, the main reason I decided to post up this track was mainly due to a conversation that I had with a homie about the reason why a group might have decided to create a song about a Trevorish brand of kicks. I personally don't own a pair of Vans, but I will admit that lately the company has been putting out shoes I would rock. But, that's besides the point. I just found out that The Pack are or were skaters, which might explain the inclination to wear Vans and eventually write a song abou them. Though, even knowing this, it still can produce discussions regarding recent trends. When I first heard the song (meaning before I heard about the whole skater connection), my homie and I had a discussion whcih led to the assumption that the need to promote a track about Vans, and even mention Sperry Top Siders, had to do with the whole flippin of trends that tend to be associated as a more privileged/white look. The way that the hip hop generation took brands like Polo and Tommy Hilfigger and flipped them into a more "urban" look, had to be an explanation why this song was made. Its like the 8th element of hip hop. Just like the track "Grown Man" by Dem Hoodstarz, this obviously had to be less about assimilating into "white" trends, and more about synthesizing dominant hegemonic fashion trends for a subcultural style.

And just to put a point across, this trend of rappers or the "urban" youth rockin Vans isn't a new thing, Mac Dre (rip) had been rockin Vans for a minute. Real g'z rock Vans. Thus, skater shoes = the new Nike Cortez/Chuck Taylors (maybe not, but who knows).