President Barack Obama appeared this morning on NBC’s “The Today Show.” Among several issues the Head Of State discussed, he did take a moment to address some current political controversy intersecting with the Hip Hop community. Two weeks ago, Jay-Z and Beyonce celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in Havana, Cuba. Photographs of the couple surfaced, sparking controversy, particularly in South Florida.
Senator Marco Rubio, along with United States Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart called for explanation as to how the music couple acquired a license to reach the country with a U.S.-sanctioned tourism embargo. Rubio personally sought explanation from President Obama, who has been publicized as an acquaintance of Jay and Beyonce, who are both public supporters of his two Presidential campaigns and subsequent elections. This led to a White House press conference question last Thursday (April 11), after Jay-Z mentioned Obama urging him to “chill,” in his “Open Letter” song. In the record, Jay portrayed a concerned President warning the rapper that his actions could “get him impeached.”
On “The Today Show,” the President stated, “I wasn’t familiar that [Jay-Z and Beyonce] were taking the trip. My understanding is I think they went through a group that organizes these educational trips down to Cuba.”
Educational trips to Cuba are permitted in the United States.
RELATED: Jay-Z featuring Timbaland – “Open Letter” [AUDIO]
Obama should really spend more time with Ja Rule. Maybe make him Secretary of Keeping it Real. MURDA IN THA WHITE HOUSE
Obama fucked up, as usual. The Cuba boycott is bullshit but it is what is is until politicians have the balls to change it.
ZERO REASON Shawn Carter couldn’t go to Cuba via Mexico and the Bahamas like everyone else, except he wanted to flaunt it… fucking NONSENSE too when the White House tried to say oh no, that’s the Treasure Dept… it’s all the fucking Executive Branch, dipshit, how stupid you think we are?
For the first time in a while…finally a logical comment. Totally agree. Respect.
C’mon son, I have 5 employees and don’t know every single thing they do all of the time. Stop reaching and just accept the man and his wife got a pass to visit the place and move on. Ricin letters are being passed, bombs are exploding, and people are still scrutinizing a trip. smh
cosign ^^^^
Nah FUCK THAT NIGGA JA RULE FOR PRESIDENT
Kanye West aka Yeezy is a great man. People say Obama is a great man but what has he done that Yeezy hasn’t? They are both from Chicago. But Yeezy is the 2nd Incarnation of Jesus Christ. JESUS WAS BLACK AND DID GREAT THINGS YEEZY IS BLACK AND HAS DONE GREAT IF NOT GREATER THINGS THAN JESUS CHRIST IT MAKES SENSE
Lol, you’re funny! But honestly, can I have proof that Jesus was black? Cuz I don’t know what race he was. I can’t find it the bible either.
Your trolling sucks! #JaRuleArmy
Jesus wasn’t black he was most likely middle eastern….’olive’ appearnace,dark hair and eyes but doubt he had an afro or some ish
this trollin shit is played out.. we got a jarule, YM and MMG troll in full effect now a yeezy troll..just gettin annoying now
Kanye….Second Coming of Christ…..What are you on, a mixture of crack, herion, pcp, angeldust and crystal meth?
Jay-Z & Beyonce take a “educational trip” to Cuba on their wedding anniversary?
YES dumbass, why are you so confused?
obama is a disgrace you black people are stupid as fuck if you think electing obama had any benefits on behalf of your race. Americas debt continues to grow we have made very little progress the negatives outweigh all the positives obama has done. Obama has proven he gives favours to rich celebreties and acts more as a celebrity than rather as a president. If he is reelected again im just gonna smh at what a joke americans are.
He can’t be re-elected jackass, he’s served two terms already.
Re-elected again? You mean to a third term? Are you serious? “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.” (U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXII, 1947).
Sorry Ike, I was talking to the first guy, not you.
lmao
what a moron.
you shouldn’t be allowed to be on the internet if your that dumb.. just a dumb fuck
Obama knew fully what was going on I am sure, Jay opened his mouth and nearly got Obama in trouble so of course he is going to deny any involvement
You sure? So how did this ricin letter carrier get into the Senate since you’re sure you know the goings on in Washington?
Jay-Z is a piece of shit.
Holy fuck you americans continue to amaze me , no wonder why CUBANS don’t want YOU in their country , like does it honestly make you worthless fucks feel better about yourselves criticising jay z for taking a vacation ? There’s absulutely nothing wrong with cuba , if any of you had the luxury of going you’d know that but you don’t so stfu an do you
Calm down, most Americans don’t give a damn so next time SPECIFY who you’re talking to.
You are an idiot. Please neuter yourself.
the only ppl who give any fucks about this is media and politicians..hiphop fans can careless where jayz n bey been..thats how it is with alot of rap articles..fans dont care about shit except good music
@first anonymous: Where you from then?
You think Obama would give two shits about what Jay Z and Beyonce do? Boston bombings- Jay and Beyone- US economy- Jay and Beyonce- Troops in Afghanistan- Jay and Beyonce- North Korea- Jay and Beyonce…this isn’t news this is straight up gossip. bring your shit to the girls room with this one.
pres. obama got mad shit on his plate..last thing this man gives a fuck about is where the fuck jayz n beyonce going fer real.
Like pushing his liberal agenda to low information voters.
Anyone who seriously uses the term ‘liberal agenda’ might actually be retarded. #pray4khipps16
Hope Jay Z Met Pac There
That’s why Jay went there. Top secret group album in the works Jay/Pac/Obama “WatchTheBlackPrintVol4” Coming Soon!
“Fuck Jay-Z”
Rigondeaux is a punk.
Jay-Z is a master manipulator. He can get people to believe anything…His stans believe everything he says, quote his lines, say “everything he says are facts”…It’s amazing. lol
What did you expect with stans and muppets alike. These nigga live vicariously through Jay so they have to be on his nuts all the time n take his raps as gospel.
LOL @ Jay saying he got White House clearance only for them to do a disclaimer on his ass.
riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight (DZA voice)
Rememebr, Obama said ‘educational trip’.. that’s why I had my big ol school camera in my hand 😉
This acting is getting easier and easier for me
ja rule the only nigga allowed in cuba.
Dumb nigga.
Obama ain’t a real nigga.
It’s funny how foreigners have everything negative to say about Americans..but come to a site everyday that supports mostly our music? Fuck outta here.
who gives a fuck
Foreigners actually LIKE Obama. They’re are hung up on color.
FOR THAT QUESTION TO EVEN BE RAISED AT TIMES LIKE THESE… AMERICA GOT ITS PRIORITIES ALL FUCKED UP!
You mean for Obama having to say that says a lot of Jay-Z’s disposition and supposed influence if he’s fucking w/ Obama’s own reputation.
This isn’t the first time he’s addressed Hip Hop artists and having the presidential swag that he has, it’s only inevitable that Black Hip Hop artists feel obliged to associate themselves with his status.
lol@thinkin this has any effect on Obama’s reputation
Well apparently enough to publicly denounce his statement
To all people from countries outside of the US – Please don’t assume that all of us are concerned with things that shouldn’t matter. We belong to this country but that doesn’t mean we provide full support on everything that takes place in the media. It’s unfortunate that we mainstream media would cause others to think we’re all concerned with nonsense but that is what we are provided via the television. Search for your own news & look to publications outside of your own country for a more well rounded idea of what is taking place.
This is also a Hip Hop site so the president even mentioning any of our artists should be top news here. It speaks for how the culture has evolved. It’s unfortunate that the purity may also be tainted as well. *Jumps off of soap box*
*breaks the soap box on your fucking head*
WHO GIVES A FLYING FUCK ABOUT 3 MONKEYS
Who gives a fuck about the foul mutation of the human known as the cracker caucasian devil. (Your bitches smell like dogs when their hair is wet). Your ancestors fucked sheep and created Syphillis, and all the other diseases know to man.
Art Brooks got knowledge of self. Tell them devils who they are. Black man is GOD and crackas are devils by nature.
@art bookes / prot X- TELL US WHY YOU MAD THOUGH! haha bec we get money while your broke asses suck askin your mom for 5 dollars for a nick bag lmaoooo. whats being racist do for you, make you feel better? put money in your pocket? no and no. noone cares what you think
A Devil civilization that came into power, got wealth, built a new world through the murder, subjugation, exploitation and hard task labor of black folk for three hundred years and refuses to acknowledge the damage..now that is racism
in Trouble with the Beast….
Omg… I just don’t know what to make of this. Can somebody please… please find Ja Rule! I need to make sense of this! Where is Ja?!
What’s up Nigga?
lolllool dave
WHAT DO YOU CALL AN INTELLIGENT BLACK PERSON?
A HATER.
Why are people so fuckn stupid n hateful like for real. Im American n I almost feel Ashamed to say so. Castro n Guevara freed tha people of Cuba from deplorable conditions created previous government. N besides tht WHO THA FUCK cares where jay z or whoever goes on Vacation?! Should man not have tha right to visit tha world God created freely?
People will find any kind of way to say that Obama isn’t a good President. It doesn’t matter because he’s still going to be remembered in history forever.
More at http://www.2woke.com
@2woke on twitter
He’s going to be known as the first black president. What else will he be known for? What has he done?
lol all yall dumb as hell tryin to say obama is such a great president. Name one thing that dumb fuck has done right in almost 4 1/2 years as president??
Are you serious? How about bring us out of a collapsing economy, kill osama bin laden, ended the war bring 100’s of thousands of new jobs. That’s only naming a few, why don’t you actually look up what he has accomplished? You clearly have done zero research on what he has done.
http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
Read it, weep, then shut the mother fuck up.
Lol are you serious? Last time I checked the US debt was still at the same place. Jobs are increasing primarily in the auto sector because companies like Ford and GM are doing extremely well and they can hire more workers. Perhaps in retail sector also but that just means they are more stores being made, hence more money being made by corporations and less in the pocket of the people. Every stat they show you has a flip side.
They did not kill Osama bin Laden, that is the biggest lie they sold you on. Where is the body? We’ve seen the body of all the previous big leaders who were killed, Saddam, Gaddafi, countless others. They had images or videos, but for Osama there was nothing. He was so respected that they gave him a “proper Islamic burial.”
Ended what war? Last time I checked Iraqis and Afghanis are still being killed by Americans
Obama sucks im sorry but..first black president yea thats great..bailing out big businesses calling them to big to fail but fucking over small businesses is just un american. Guantanamos still open secret drone programs bailout aint do shit..fuck obama. We stillvin iraq iran afghanastan.
The fact that people who own and finnace the government knew what was happening to America, so what do you do..you select the first black president as scapegoat, just like the country blaming and also counting on the poor to solve all its problems
Your a moron who doesn’t know a damn thing about politics. Obama is your best damn president since Bill Clinton hands down!!! maybe even before him, That Bush character fucked the states up and Obama’s trying to fix it you should be happy you actually have a president thats insprational as Obama I hope he gets a Dual citizenship so he can come to Canada and become Prime Minister, if you don’t want him running things down there we’ll gladly take him up here!
Yawl still blaming Obama for your sorry ass lives? Losers stay losing. Don’t worry when he’s gone you’ll have a new scapegoat.
Drake’s new cosign…check him out…straight outta toronto…Jay-Z of the north
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AVpE1gJYe8
Notice that Barack has never publicly disassociated from Ja Rule
1. Made In America feat. Beyonce (Produced by Just Blaze)
2. Stand Up (Produced by Swizz Beatz)
3. All the Way (Produced by Timbaland, co. Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon)
4. Oh Yeah feat. Justin Timberlake (Produced by Timbaland, co. Justin Timberlake, co. Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon)
5. Good Times (Produced by Hit-Boy, co. Kanye West, add. Mike Dean)
6. Blue Notes feat. Lonnie Liston Smith (Produced by Kanye West, co. No I.D.)
7. Life Is a Movie (Produced by S1, co. Caleb)
8. Fresh for Life (Produced by Swizz Beatz)
9. That’s My Word (Produced by Timbaland, co. Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon)
10. Heaven feat. Frank Ocean (Produced by Hit-Boy)
11. Guilty Pleasures (Produced by Timbaland, co. Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon)
12. Upper Echelon feat. Kanye West & Pharrell (Produced by The Neptunes, co. Kanye West)
13. Clap Yo Hands feat. Pharrell (Produced by The Neptunes)
14. Made In America (Reprise) (Produced by No I.D.)
nigga dis iz yo fuckin album made in the bush.fuck u bastard.
My heart aches when a fuckin site like dx reports politics in the Hip Hop world.fuck u dx! @ the end of the day i listen 2 Jay-Z and not 2 bitch obama.fuck politics.
Meanwhile the Source Magazine, XXL Magazine, and the rap sites have been discussing politics for years. You only know about HHDX? Bow your head in shame and walk away.
What tha fuck is this shit?????? fuck it cuba shit.fuck the white house. Hip Hop iz a fire in the form of musik which burns down every muthafuckin thang.
If the President was white, then hip-hop dx would not be posting this.
eh yo crunkDk im back or should i say politicDx. which part of this is hiphop? can you please report on the Boston bombings too.
sellouts. please crunkDX get back to hiphop and i will give you back your name.
Hip Hop has always discussed current events young child. An example is Public Enemy’s “By The Time I Get to Arizona” that spoke about the MLK holiday, or Salt N Pepa’s “Let’s Talk About Sex”, that was a venue to speak about AIDS.
So when you children comment with “why is this Hip Hop”, you only show the immaturity and lack of education you have.