All Articles Tagged "the atlantic"
President Obama Still Thinks Kanye is a Jacka**, Says He Prefers Jay-Z
Kanye West is always like the third wheel with Jay-Z and Beyonce so it’s kind of weird that whenever these two have been campaigning for President Obama, Ye has been nowhere to be found. Well, there’s a good reason for that. Obama doesn’t like him.
It’s more like Obama still doesn’t like him because we all remember when he called Kanye a jacka** back in 2009 after the Taylor Swift incident, and three years later, Mr. President’s opinion hasn’t changed one bit. In an 8,000-word essay on Kanye for The Atlantic titled, “American Mozart, writer David Samuels turns the rapper’s political and pop culture reputation inside out, after approaching President Obama at a New York fundraiser and posing a question he probably doesn’t get asked often: Kanye or Jay-Z?
“Jay-Z.”
The president might have needed to say that considering how hard Jay and Bey go for him—”Obama on the text,” remember? But just because he prefers Hov doesn’t mean he hates Ye—totally. Obama added: “Although I like Kanye. He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.”
Talent considered, Obama didn’t back down from calling Kanye a jacka** when he was questioned about his statement three years ago.
“He is a jackass,” Obama said. “But he’s talented.”
If the president’s words sting, the rest of Samuels essay will likely burn, because as the writer explores how Kanye’s antics turned him into what he calls a “national joke,” he spares no feelings, writing:
“Worse even than the president’s epithet, which he first offered on September 14, 2009, is the near-universality of his verdict, which has been echoed for years on talk shows and gossip sites across America.”
I’m sure Kanye is somewhere turning up the music to theraflu, blasting, “can’t a young n**** get money anymore,” and drowning out the criticism.
What do you think about the president’s preference for Jay over Ye?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
Behind The Atlantic’s Brand Reinvention
The Atlantic, a 153-year-old magazine, suffered from a protracted decline in revenues and rising costs starting in the 1960s. A dramatic multi-platform overhaul of the brand starting in 2007 has put it back on track to profitability. In his keynote address today at the Folio: Show, Atlantic Media president Justin Smith said The Atlantic is projected to have a profitable fourth quarter and a “multi-million dollar” profit in 2011.
