A week away from Election Day, President Barack Obama has revealed what all he has stored in his iPod as he campaigns for a second term in office.
According to Obama, he has a wide variety of tunes ranging from Stevie Wonder to Eminem.
Interviewed Monday on Cincinnati radio station WIZF, Obama ran through his musical tastes, an eclectic and all-encompassing list of artists and tracks that reflect the varied coalition of voters he is seeking to attract. Asked what was on the “presidential iPod,” Obama replied that he had “a pretty good mix.” “I’ve got old school – Stevie Wonder , James Brown . I’ve got Rolling Stones , Bob Dylan ,” he said. There are also plenty of tracks that young voters might have downloaded to their own collections. “And then I’ve got everything from Jay-Z , to Eminem , to the Fugees , to you name it. There’s probably not a group that you play that I don’t have on my iPod,” Obama told the station’s E.J. Greig. (Billboard)
While President Obama tipped his cap to some jazz legends, he did not make any reference to country music.
For the voters whose tastes are more esoteric, “I’ve got some jazz – John Coltrane , Miles Davis , Gil Scott-Heron ,” the president said, adding, “You’ve got to mix it up. It just depends on what mood I’m in.” No mention of The Boss, Bruce Springsteen , who has been campaigning for Obama. Or country music. That vote tends to tilt to the other guy. (Billboard)
Earlier this month, the president even revealed what Jay song, in particular, he has listened to during the campaign.
“During campaign time, I try to keep it upbeat,” President Obama said in an interview. “We just talked about Jay-Z–there’s a bunch of Jay-Z songs on my iPod. I gotta say ‘My First Song.’ Keeps me steady. It reminds you that you always have to stay hungry.” (Z107.9)
A few weeks ago, President Obama said Jay and fellow rapper Nas’ lyrics embarrasses him around family.
“You know, we actually don’t constrain what she listens to,” President Obama said referring to daughter Malia. “We expect her to show some good judgment. She listens to my iPod and has gotten hip to stuff that was made well before she was born like Motown, jazz, classic rock. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that she’s picking up on. We actually share tastes in hip-hop and rap music but we don’t listen to it together, because some of the language in there would embarrass me–at least while I’m listening to it with her. Folks like Jay-Z, Nas, we both like them, but when it comes on and I’m sitting with her and Sasha, then I fast-forward because it would make me blush…. It’s interesting, both Malia and Sasha, they’re very much up on pop culture, but what I’m pleased to see is that they’re interested in making culture too.” (Glamour)
