Barack Obama’s Top 5 Rappers in 2016 Reminds Us That Hip-Hop Hasn’t Changed That Much in 10 Years

Have you ever noticed that hip-hop hasn’t bred a ton of new superstars in the 2020s? When you think about the biggest and best rappers of the decade, it’s usually names that were equally as big in the 2010s and before. Drake, Kendrick, J. Cole, Future, and Jay-Z are all some of the most culturally defining rappers of the current moment. They similarly dominated hip-hop when Barack Obama was in office too.

Rewind to 2016 in his last days in office; he even shared his favorite rappers at the moment with Sway. In the rare times he listened to music while running the country, he was tapped into legends like Jay-Z and the big stars of the moment like Kendrick Lamar.

“I think the young guys, Kendrick and Chance, are doing amazing work. I love Drake and the girls love Drake. He’s commercially just doing great and unbelievably talented,” Barack Obama shared. “And, you know, Jay-Z’s still the king. You know, he’s got a track record. Same with Kanye. So yeah, there’s a lot of talent out there. But when I look at who’s breaking new ground? Kendrick and Chance—those guys are doing just amazing work. And they’re wonderful young men.”

A Lot of People Probably Share a ‘Top 5 Rappers List’ With Barack Obama

This isn’t a smoking hot take from the former president in the slightest. I don’t know if any of us was expecting him to be hip to the underground. He almost certainly wasn’t checking in with artists like Lil Uzi Vert or 21 Savage unless his kids were playing it. But Chance The Rapper nod was especially nice, given their Chicago connection.

In the same interview, Barack Obama recalled knowing Chance when he was in elementary school due to the connection he had with his father. “Chance I’ve known for years because his dad was my state director when I was a senator in Illinois. So I first met Chance when he was eight years old. So we’ve been family for a while,” Obama shared.

Nowadays, Barack Obama shares his yearly playlist to keep us updated with his favorite artists. In 2025, he shared his love for Olivia Dean and her breakout album The Art Of Loving. Additionally, his love for Drake and Kendrick Lamar remained consistent, shouting out “Nokia” and “Luther” with SZA, respectively. Most surprising was his nod to Gunna with “Just Say Dat”.

(Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)