President Obama records campaign spot for rapper Jay-Z

Brett T. | 9:16 PM on October 15, 2012

Before you rush to correct us on our headline, you might want to take a minute and watch the video, which was released today.

The campaign spot prominently features a video message from President Obama delivered during Jay-Z’s set at September’s Made in America festival. (Yes, the busy president found time to do that.) Of course you remember Obama’s famous revelation in July that “if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.” Jay-Z, however, apparently did build that. Says Obama:

To me the idea of America is that no matter who you are, what you look like or where you come from, you can make it if you try. Jay-Z did. He didn’t come from power or privilege; he got ahead because he worked hard, learned from his mistakes, and just plain refused to quit. That’s the promise of this country.

Inspiring words — it’s too bad the president reserved them for Jay-Z and not those small business owners who thought they got where they did by working hard. Who built the road so that Jay-Z could get to the studio and record “Big Pimpin,'” anyway?

It's a good ad. I like Jay-Z. I only wish Obama also celebrated the success of entrepreneurs outside the entertainment industry. @AriMelber

— Avik Roy (@Avik) October 15, 2012

For his part, Jay-Z says that “for so long, there was this voice that was silenced out there as far as exercising your right to vote. I think it was a voice that was silent because people had lost hope.” Huh? People who chose not to vote were “silenced”?

The people of America have way more than 99 problems, but finding celebrity endorsements for the president isn’t one of them. Jay-Z has the president’s back.

President Obama records campaign spot for rapper Jay-Z

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