By Cory Townes, The Grio
When Barack Obama was elected back in 2008, it finally felt like we as African-Americans had a seat at the table.
Personally, it was an indescribable feeling to see someone in such a position of power that looked like me, that understood things the same way I did. Here was a guy that could make an valid argument as to why Michael Jordan was the best to ever play basketball.
And he was the president.
It was the first time that I could say that maybe, just maybe, the President of the United States and I could swap iTunes libraries and not too much would be different. Among many things that we would soon see, hip-hop was a part of President Obama’s life just as it was a part of ours.
I mean, he’d drop his summer playlists the same way you would: Releasing a Spotify link on Twitter and telling all of us to check it out.
Among many moments, President Obama made it a point to connect with people of all races, colors and creeds by involving the modern day superstars of the rap game with his work, whether it was conducting a summit on criminal justice reform, or simply hosting artists at one of his many events at the White House.
Let’s take a look back at the best hip-hop related moments and relationships of Obama’s presidency:
5. “Obama and Hov” – When he was just a presidential hopeful from Chicago, the then junior Senator from Illinois still made sure to have hip-hop by his side.
At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, in April, 2008, Obama famously referenced Jay-Z’s “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” to let his opponents and detractors know he wasn’t phased by criticism.
During his time in the White House, Obama and Hov have forged a pretty powerful friendship and bond. Jay performed the night before the 2012 elections at a pro-Obama rally in Columbus, Ohio. He also hosted a $40,000 a plate fundraiser at his esteemed 40/40 Club alongside his wife, Beyonce Knowles.
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