Obama Thinks Kanye West Is 'A Jackass'

13 April 2012

President Barack Obama has revealed he prefers rapper Jay-Z to Kanye West, saying that though Kanye is "very talented," he still considers the rapper to be a jackass.

Obama told The Atlantic's David Samuels "I like Kanye ... He's a Chicago guy. Smart. He's very talented," in an article published yesterday.

In 2009 however, Obama felt a bit differently, when the president called the rapper a jackass for interrupting singer Taylor Swift's speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Obama made the slam against West in off-the-record comments during an interview in August 2009, leaked by an ABC News reporter.

"He is a jackass," Obama said when asked for his thoughts on Kanye, but conceded "he's talented."