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A presidential playlist for Obama's visit

Dr. Bill Ferris, a UNC Professor of the American South, will be giving a TED Talk in Durham, along with UNC's Dr. Flavio Frohlich and many other speakers on July 9th at the Carolina Theatre.
Dr. Bill Ferris, a UNC Professor of the American South, will be giving a TED Talk in Durham, along with UNC's Dr. Flavio Frohlich and many other speakers on July 9th at the Carolina Theatre.

Even if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, you probably already know President Barack Obama will be giving a speech at Hooker Fields this afternoon.

The excitement I feel about being in the same place as the President for the first time is only amplified by the fact I’ll be in the same place as a president I have so much in common with.

Like me, Obama is a Leo, and a pretty typical one at that.

Also like me, he loves rap music — Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost” was his favorite song of 2015. 

But, unlike me, Obama is lucky enough for rap music to love him back — during, and even before, his presidency, some of the best rappers in the game have either referenced him in verses and/or written entire songs about him.

Some songs just include blink-and-you-miss-it namedrops, like Kanye’s “Power (“They say I was the abomination of Obama’s nation / Well that’s a pretty bad way to start a conversation.”)

Others, like Wyclef’s inspirationally iconic “If I Was President,” challenge the President.

Whether you’re anxiously standing in Hooker Fields awaiting Obama’s arrival (what I hopefully will be doing this afternoon) or trying to overhear what he’s saying from your South Campus dorm because you couldn’t get a good enough spot in line (what I probably will be doing this afternoon) listen to this playlist to get into full presidential mode.

~barack beats~

"Power" — Kanye West

"Yes We Can" — will.i.am

"My President" — Young Jeezy

"Forever" — Drake, Kanye, Lil Wayne, Eminem

"Mind on My Money" – Nicki Minaj

"Changes" — Common

"Black President" — NAS

"You’re All Welcome"— Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige

"Bring it Home" — Mariah Carey

"Obama Boy: I Have a Crush on Obama" — Obama Boy

"Still Got a Crush on Obama" — Leah Kauffman

"Obama (Winning More Interlude)" — DJ Khaled

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"Jockin’" — Jay Z

"We Can Do it Now" — Lupe Fiasco

@yayjennic

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