President Barack Obama Names His Favorite Rappers

In an interview on SiriusXM’s “Sway in the Morning” show, President Barack Obama named Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar as two of his favorite rappers, but stressed that Jay Z is still the undisputed “king” of the genre.

“I think the young guys, Kendrick and Chance, are doing amazing work. I love Drake and the girls love Drake, so he’s commercially just doing great, and unbelievably talented,” Obama said. “Jay Z’s still the king. I mean he’s got a track record. Same with Kanye 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.”

The President also revealed that he is family friends with Chance the Rapper and that he has known the rapper since he was knee-high to a mic stand.

We already knew a decent amount about the President’s music tastes after he shared two summer-themed playlists on Spotify back in August, the same month in which First Lady Michelle Obama discussed the power of pop culture with Variety. The daytime tracks included Jay Z’s “So Ambitious,” featuring Pharrell Williams, while the nighttime one spotlighted Chance the Rapper’s “Acid Rain.”