Obama Discusses His Favorite Rappers: Chance, Kendrick, Kanye, Drake, Jay Z

This morning, President Barack Obama called into SiriusXM’s “Sway in the Morning.” During his conversation, Sway Calloway asked him, “Who are your top MCs today? Who are the top rappers in the game today, in your opinion?” President Obama answered:

I think the young guys, Kendrick [Lamar] and Chance [the Rapper] are doing amazing work. I love Drake, and the girls love Drake, and, you know, so, he’s commercially just doing great, and unbelievably talented. And, you know, Jay Z’s still the king. I mean, you know, he’s got a track record. Same with Kanye [West], so there’s a lot of talent out there, but when I look at who’s breaking new ground, Kendrick and Chance, those guys are doing just amazing work.

And they’re wonderful young men. Chance, I’ve known for years ’cause his dad was my state director when I was a senator in Illinois, so I first met Chance when he was 8 years old, and so we’ve been family for a while. And Kendrick, you know, he’s blowing it up. He’s doing great.

Elsewhere in the conversation with Sway and Heather B., Obama discussed voting, the upcoming election, Justin Timberlake’s controversial voting selfie, and more. Listen to the whole interview below.

As Obama’s presidency comes to a close, he’s been especially active in displaying his love for music. At a recent White House event, he was caught dancing to “Hotline Bling.” The White House also joined with SXSW for a one-day festival called South by South Lawn. Obama recently put Jay Z and Drake, Beyoncé, Courtney Barnett, and more on his workout playlist. He included Chance the Rapper, Wale, Nina Simone, and others on his annual summer playlist.

Read our new feature “The Presidential Suite: A Look Back at Obama’s Musical Milestones.”

Watch Pitchfork.tv’s new “Liner Notes” video, “The Blueprint: An Annotated Look at Jay Z’s Classic Album”:

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