Obama honors Jay Z as first rapper in Songwriters Hall of Fame

JayZ  and Barack Obama

Ahead of Sean Carter aka Jay Z's induction into the Songwriting Hall of Fame, his friend and immediate past president of the united States, Barack Obama released a tribute video online in Jay Z's honor.
Obama on Thursday hailed the rapper for making it as the first rapper in the songwriters Hall of fame.

After listing other inductees for Thursday night's event in New York City which includes the founder of Motown records Berry Gordy, Swedish hit maker Max Martin, Robert Lamm and James Pankow, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Obama said to Jay Z “I like to think Mr. Carter and I understand each other. Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today”

'We know what it's like to not have a father around, we know what it's like not to come from much, and to know people who didn't get the same breaks we did, so we try to prop open those doors of opportunity so that it's a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed.'

The former President continued: 'Like all of you, I am a fan. And I have been listening to Jay since I was a young and hungry state Senator.

'I sampled his lyrics to close my speech at Selma, I tweeted a reference to My First Song as I was putting the finishing touches on my final State of the Union address, I had to brush some dirt of my shoulders during a campaign.

'I'm pretty sure I'm still the only president to listen to Jay Z's music in the Oval Office. That may change at some point, but I'm pretty sure it's true now.

'In fact, Jay, you have been inspiring in making me want to be active in my retirement just like you have been in yours.

'So I'm going to close by sharing something Jay once said that struck me. He said, 'I've never looked at myself and said that I need to be a certain way to be around a certain sort of people. I've always wanted to stay true to myself, and I've managed to do that. People have to accept that.'

'With that, I'm proud to help present this award to a true American original, the first hip-hop artist to be inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Mr Shawn Carter

'Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he's going to have me beat once those two twins show up,' he said, before joking: 'And let's face it, we both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are.'

'I can't tell you how proud I am of him and that they're taking the step to understand that hip-hop is a huge part of our culture,' Jones said in a video statement to the Hall.

'He knows why God gave us two ears and one mouth – that means you're supposed to listen twice as much as you talk. Jay Z has earned the right to be the first rapper [in the Hall of Fame].'

Bono was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: 'He reported what he saw and what he felt and he took us with him. Most of us first heard him when we heard Hard Knock Life perfectly juxtaposing the beauty of childhood and the reality he lived in.

'He got us listening, and we've been listening ever since. A true artist that follows Miles Davis' definition of a true artist, "It's not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change."'

Jay Z has had an incredible career, picking up 21 Grammys and 13 solo number one albums along the way.

“Jay would want you to know that this induction is a signal that your time has come and your time is now,” Jon Platt said