Barack Obama, a noted Hip Hop fan, has finally broken his silence on the “Big Three” battle between Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole that erupted earlier this year.
As part of his campaigning for presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, the former president appeared on celebrity barber VicBlends’ DeepCut podcast to talk about the highly-publicized feud.
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When asked if Kendrick has cemented his spot at the top of the rap game following his successful beef with Drake (and brief clash with Cole), Obama said: “Kendrick is a friend of mine. I’ve known him for a long time. He actually performed at the White House. I’m pretty confident in saying not many presidents were familiar with Hip Hop.
“I do think that Kendrick has a unique status right now, not just because of this summer. He’s not just gifted; he’s serious about the message he tries to… he digs deep into himself.”
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The former president also revealed what he and Kendrick talk about: “When we get together, he wants to talk about fatherhood. Those are the questions he’s talking about. He’s got a couple of young kids and he’s taking that very seriously.”
Obama then went on to praise Cole, who controversially bowed out of the battle after dissing Kendrick on “7 Minute Drill.”
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“I just talked to J. Cole last week. J is very high on the list,” he said. “Now, I will say there’s a guy named JAY-Z who’s closer to my generation. This is a lot like the MJ versus LeBron conversation […] I’ve had [J. Cole] at the White House, he’s outstanding.”
Watch his comments at the 42:28 mark below.
Barack Obama previously weighed in on the simmering rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake in 2016, accurately predicting the outcome of their feud eight years beforehand.
“You gotta go with Kendrick,” he told YouTube star sWooZie. “I’m just saying. I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer, but Kendrick… his lyrics. His last album [To Pimp A Butterfly] was outstanding. Best album I think [that came out] last year.”
Shortly before Obama’s comments, the Compton superstar visited the White House to explore initiatives to help inner city youth.
Talking about meeting the then-president, Kendrick said: “I sat down with President Barak Obama and shared the same views, topics concerning the inner cities, the problem, the solutions and furthermore embracing the youth. Both being aware that mentoring saves lives.
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“Sometimes I reflect and think back: where would I be if I didn’t have the presence of an older acquaintance telling me what’s right and what’s wrong, telling me the pros and cons of every move I was about to make, telling me the best way to plan success for my future?”
