"Obama is always tapped in"- Internet reacts to Barack Obama revealing Kendrick Lamar’s Squabble Up is one of his favorite songs of the year

On December 20, 2024, Barack Obama took to Instagram to post lists of his favorite music, books, and movies of 2024. One of the former president's favorite songs was Kendrick Lamar's Squabble Up, released in November 2024.

Other songs on Obama's list feature Travis Scott and Asake's Active, Billie Eilish's Lunch, Beyonce's Texas Hold 'Em, and Hozier's Too Sweet, among other tracks. Obama's caption on the list of songs read:

"Here are my favorite songs from this year! Check them out if you’re looking to shake up your playlist – and let me know if there’s a song or artist I should make sure to listen to."

However, netizens were quick to react to Lamar's track making it to Barack Obama's list of favorite music in 2024 and took to X to express their opinions on the same. Commenting on the former president being always up to date with trends, an X user tweeted:

"Obama is always tapped in 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨"

"No matter how you feel bout him, he always know ball," an X user commented.

"woke up looking for barack, he highkey.. keep a horn on me that kamasi," another X user referred to Kendrick Lamar's lyrics from Squabble Up.

"I didn't know Obama was chill like that" an internet user mentioned.

Conversely, some netizens speculated that the former president's music taste wasn't as broad as the list displayed. A user stated:

"The pander king is back at it again. I swear he always picks the most trending rap or r&b song of the time and people eat it ip."

"Bro listened one song 😭" an X user tweeted.

"bro will say anything that isn’t true" a netizen commented.

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"I do think Kendrick has a unique status right now"-Barack Obama commented on the feud between Drake, Lamar, and J.Cole

According to Complex's report dated October 31, 2024, during his appearance on VicBlends’ DeepCut podcast, Barack Obama was asked if Kendrick Lamar made a prominent spot at the top of the rap game following his feud with J. Cole and Drake.

Obama mentioned that Lamar is his friend and has known the rapper for a long time. He added that Lamar performed at the White House as well. Answering the question, the former president said:

“I do think Kendrick has a unique status right now, not just because of this summer. He’s not just gifted; he’s serious about the message he tries to… he digs deep into himself.”

Obama added that when he meets Lamar, they talk about fatherhood, stating that the Not Like Us rapper is taking fatherhood "very seriously." Additionally, in a 2016 interview with sWooZie, Barack Obama complimented Kendrick Lamar's lyrics and appreciated the rapper's album stating "His last album To Pimp a Butterfly was outstanding.”

Commenting on J.Cole's rivalry with Kendrick Lamar on VicBlends’ DeepCut podcast, Obama said he had talked to Cole a week before the podcast appearance, stating he is "very high on the list." The former president compared J.Cole and Lamar's feud to that between LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

While Drake and Lamar continued their long-standing feud by constantly releasing diss tracks against one another since March 2024, J.Cole bowed out of the same after releasing his track 7 Minute Drill.

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In addition to posting a list of his favorite tracks of 2024, Barack Obama also shared a list of his favorite movies from this year featuring All We Imagine As Light and Dune: Part Two. Additionally, the former president shared a list of the books he liked in 2024, including names like Daniel Susskind's Growth and Adam Moss' The Work of Art.