A couple from Little Rock, Arkansas nearly sold the pair of beat up black Nike Air Force One shoes Kendrick Lamar used for recent single art for less than $100.
According to a report from local news station THV 11 News, the photo Kendrick Lamar used for the song fans have tentatively dubbed “Watch the Party Die” was taken from the eBay listing for the shoes that were being sold via an account managed by Billy Lingo and Darla Wilson.
Lingo and Wilson, who’ve been together for 20 years and selling items on eBay under the account “Good to Be You” since 2021, were caught completely off guard by the sudden hype surrounding the shoes. Wilson recounted the moment she realized the significance of the sale that she admits she almost completed for $70 before she was made aware of the situation.
“What happened was I sold the shoes and I said, ‘Oh great, I sold a pair of shoes,’” Wilson said. “So I started, I’ve got ’em boxed ’em up, printed the label and all of a sudden my phone was blowing up.”
Unbeknownst to the couple, they had just sold a pair of sneakers that were now part of Hip-Hop history. Though they were originally purchased for $70, the shoes skyrocketed in value after eagle-eyed fans linked them to Kendrick Lamar’s latest song, which was released on September 11 following backlash over his Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner announcement. Despite the frenzy, the couple insists they have no personal connection to the Compton rapper.
“We had no idea what was happening,” Billy Lingo admitted, adding that his children had to clue him in on the star power of Lamar. “I’m not going to lie to you. I didn’t know a whole lot about him. My son had told me about him, and my daughter had told me about him, but I really know about him now.”
Now Lingo and Wilson are preparing to sell off the shoes to the highest bidder after relisting the kicks on eBay for an official auction. With this newfound fame, Lingo and Wilson quickly upped the starting bid to a whopping $5,000. But they aren’t stopping there. Realizing they own the image of the iconic sneakers, the couple plans to cash in even further by selling custom t-shirts featuring the viral shoes.
“We had an opportunity put in for, and I’m not a greedy person,” Lingo said. “I got to buy it now for a hundred thousand. I buy it now for $75,000. I know that’s kind of, I’m probably not going to happen, but it could.”
Watch the report above for additional details on how it all went down.
