Former President Barack Obama says he still has feelings for JAY-Z when it comes to his ranking among hip-hop peers like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Have the highest respect.
Obama recently appeared on the Deep Cut Podcast with professional barber and content creator Vic Blends, where he discussed the ongoing conversation about three of the biggest rappers in the game.
More specifically, following Kendrick’s recent rap feud with Drake, the former president was asked what he thought of Kendrick’s place among the top three rappers. Obama, who called Kendrick a “friend,” didn’t exactly crown the West Coast host, but he did take some time to elaborate on what he thinks makes his art so impressive.
“Kendrick is my friend,” said Barack Obama. “I’ve known him for a long time. He actually performed at the White House. I think I’m the first – I’m pretty confident in saying that there weren’t a lot of presidents who were familiar with hip-hop before I was president. I do think Kendry Grams is in a unique position right now, and not just because of this summer.
For Obama, it’s Kendrick Lamar’s focus on themes like fatherhood and self-discovery—topics he says they’ve discussed at length—that set him apart.
“But not only was he talented, he was serious about his message,” he said. “He digs deep into himself. He digs deep. You love Kendrick because when we get together, he wants to talk about fatherhood and these are the issues he’s talking about.
When it comes to J. Cole, Vick proudly expressed his hometown’s support for the Fayetteville rapper, even urging Obama to consider him “the GOAT.”
“I just talked to J [J. Cole] Last week,” Obama said in response to Vick.
Obama talks about the “big three” raps 👀
“I do think Kendrick is in a unique position right now… Not only is he talented, but he’s serious about the message.”
“J. [Cole] High on the list. pic.twitter.com/cChJuevDhV
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) October 31, 2024
While Obama acknowledged that J. Cole is “high on the list,” he was quick to name JAY-Z as the legend he believes still holds that title.
“There is a guy named JAY-Z who is closer to my generation,” he joked.
As the two continued to discuss the topic, Obama laid out his perspective on why the hip-hop GOAT debate is a lot like a conversation about who is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
“Look, this looks like MJ [Michael Jordan] Contrast the LeBron talk, right,” he said.
In addition to inviting Kendrick, JAY-Z, and J. Cole to perform at the White House, Obama also welcomed some lyricists such as Common and Wale. Not to mention that his summer playlists have become some of the hottest and most prestigious playlists available to artists in the 2010s and 2020s. Essentially, this makes Obama’s rhetoric about being the hip-hop authority in the White House before any other president seem impenetrable.
Check out the video in the post above and watch the full interview below.
