Entertainment

President Obama Used To Listen To Jay Z In The Oval Office

(Photo by Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

Font Size:

President Obama helped induct Jay Z into the Song Writers Hall of Fame on Thursday night and, while doing so, revealed that he drew inspiration from the rapper on several occasions during his eight years in the White House.

Obama appeared on-screen in a taped video Thursday night during which he recognized all of the inductees before speaking at length about the rapper who he introduced as a friend.

“I like to think Mr. Carter and I understand each other,” Obama began. “Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today. You know what it’s like not to have a father around, you know what it’s like not to come from much, and to know people who didn’t get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open those doors of opportunity so that it’s a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed as well,” Obama said.

“Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he’s going to have me beat once those two twins show up. And let’s face it, we both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are,” the former president joked.

“Like all of you I am a fan and I’ve been listening to Jay since I was a young and hungry state senator. I sampled his lyrics to close my speech at Selma. I tweeted a reference to “My First Song” as I was putting the finishing touches on my final State of the Union Address. I had to brush some dirt off my shoulders during a campaign. So I’m pretty sure I’m still the only president to listen to Jay Z’s music in the Oval Office,” Obama said, unsure of Trump’s taste in music.

Jay-Z

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

“Jay you have been inspiring in making me want to be active in my retirement just like you have been in yours,” the former president said gratefully. “So I’m going to close by sharing something Jay once said that struck me: ‘I’ve never looked at myself and said that I need to be a certain way to be around a certain sort of people. I’ve always wanted to stay true to myself and I’ve managed to do that. People have to accept that.'”

“So with that I’m proud to help present this award to a true American original. The first hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Song Writers Hall of Fame, Mr. Sean Carter,” Obama concluded.

Not only is Jay Z the first hip-hop artist to be inducted into the prestigious organization, he is also the first rapper to even be nominated.