In of 2008, dozens of Hip Hop personalities publicly supported President Obama. John Legend, will.i.am, Jay-Z, Bun B, Ludacris, Common, Young Jeezy and others all threw their support behind the then Illinois senator. But, various artists have been as diverse with their opinions as they have with their music—with emcees such as dead prez and KRS-One refusing to hear any talk of a so-called “Hip Hop president.” One of Obama’s most visible critics has been Lupe Fiasco, who took to the Fox News Channel to air out his grievances during a debate with pundit Bill O’Reilly. During a recent chat with VladTV, Akon offered an international opinion on some of President Obama’s efforts.

“The Republicans are trying to stop him from doing it…he’s trying to pass all these bills, and they’re not allowing him to do it,” Akon explained, possibly referring to the recent budget agreement passed by the House. “In Obama’s defense, he’s trying to do more here at home.”

In regards to Lupe calling President Obama a terrorist on multiple occasions, Akon said that Lupe was only seeing the issue from one angle. Originally hailing from Senegal, Akon explained how some of his international contemporaries view him after eight years under the George W. Bush administration.

HipHopDX | Rap & Hip Hop News | Ad Placeholder
AD

AD LOADING...

AD

“I travel internationally, so I see what Obama is doing for the U.S.,” Akon added. “He’s actually changed the whole image of the United States completely. We was looked at as enemies at one point. When I went to third world countries and Middle Eastern countries, I used to wonder, ‘Should I use my American passport or should I use my Senegalese passport?’ That’s how crazy it was at one point when [George W.] Bush was in power. But now we’re being welcomed around the world because of the political decisions that Obama made.”

RELATED: Lupe Fiasco Upholds Stance On President Obama Being The Biggest Terrorist