Chris Cuomo References New Balance With a Popular A Tribe Called Quest Quote on CNN — Here’s Why He Did It
Nothing should be unexpected during this very random and chaotic election season. That includes news reporters reciting classic rap lyrics on live TV.
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo addressed Mark Preston — a broadcaster on the network — with a popular line from a beloved A Tribe Called Quest song, “Buggin’ Out.” The lyric is special to sneaker fans, as it names a famous brand.
“I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path,” is the famous line that Cuomo used, which was recited by one of the group’s members, the late Phife Dawg, in 1991 on the classic “Low End Theory” album.
Why did Cuomo address Preston with that specific A Tribe Called Quest lyric? Because the broadcaster admitted on air that he is the brother of current New Balance president and CEO Joe Preston.
With rap superstar Kanye West out of the race for president — and apparently setting his sights on a 2024 presidential bid — at least diehard hip-hop fans still have something to keep them engaged.
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Breaking news… Phife Dawg is still in the lead🙏🏾#CNNElection #CNN #ChrisCuomo #HipHop #ATribeCalledQuest #PhifeDawg @ATCQ @cnnbrk pic.twitter.com/hgWOU7k9Uj
— Ern-Money (@ernmoneyday1) November 5, 2020
Aside from the classic New Balance lyric, A Tribe Called Quest has other ties to the sneaker world. For instance, Vans released a sneaker collection in 2018 in collaboration with the rap icons, featuring six of the brand’s most popular sneakers. In March 2018, Vans hosted a pop-up shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. — with the remaining A Tribe Called Quest members in attendance — where fans of both the group and the brand could pick up the new-look Slip-On, UltraRange, Old Skool, Authentic, Sk8-Hi and Era.
