1) When a cool dude goes shopping, the removal of the tags is a remarkable event. The whole shopping experience can be summarized by this defining moment.
Literally, poppin' tags is removing tags typically after purchasing, but in a broader sense this phrase encompasses "going shopping."
2) Swapping
price tags for lesser value - note there is significantly less poppin' sound since someone is doing an
illegal activity that is equivalent to shoplifting.
1) "Damn, that dude is such a baller, with all his
tag poppin, it sounds like Chinese New Year - he must have dropped
4g's."
"
Yo, in that song Thriftstore, Macklemore throws out “
Pop some tags” - do you think he's switching tags with cheaper items or buying?"
"Macklemore has the highest respect for thrift stores and would not be stealing from them. Especially since he's getting such an incredible deal while looking incredible. He says he only has 20 dollars in his
pocket and he demonstrates that this is enough to look incredible without screwing over the thrift store. It’s pretty clear that preponderance of the evidence leads a viewer to conclude when Macklemore rolls into a thrift store, he pays a price that is openly agreed upon with the store."
2) "Why did
John get arrested this time?"
"The dumbshit was poppin' tags and the store video recorded him swapping a price
tag of 12 dollar pair of
socks onto a 900 dollar suit. As soon as he left the store, and undercover cop nabbed his ass."
