Until today, the Shoe Wars were always a metaphor. After all, it’s not like people were literally killed for wearing Nike or Reebok kicks. Or for stompin’ in their A-di-das for that matter. Well, now the shoemakers really have begotten violence, with Cleveland-area rapper Kid Cudi getting himself tasered, according to the blog FAKE TALK, at the All-Star Reebok party on Friday … for trying to wear Jordan brand sneakers on stage.

(The first taser victim on NBA All-Star Weekend: Kid Cudi!)

That’s right, not only is there a rapper named Kid Cudi, he’s dumb enough to think Reebok executives would be cool with him rapping on stage at their party with signature sneakers made by their biggest market competitor. Not a smart cat.

He does, however, become the first public figure to be the focus of an incident at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, a distinction that was a lot harder to come by back when the game was played in Las Vegas. Clearly, this year’s game has a lot of carousing and debauchery to catch up on. As with the Super Bowl, the party scene in Phoenix is said to be predictably downgraded and low-key, so that would seem to keep the arrests to a much smaller number than we’ve seen in recent years.

Then again, incidents like Kid Cudi’s run-in also remind us exactly why the All-Star Weekend will never be held in New York. Can you imagine the limitless potential for rampant tasering and celebrity hold ups in “enter your favorite red-velvet NYC club here” Manhattan with 200 also-ran rappers trying to talk New York cops into why they should get away with a little light assault and battery?