Hip Hop has long been a reflection of society, and many artists within America have used their music to comment on issues such as race, inequality, and government policies. One way this has manifested is through the mention of U.S. presidents in lyrics, where they are often used as symbols of power, authority, or critique. That's not to say that all instances of this are socially or politically charged – sometimes, an emcee would use a head of state to execute a punchline or unload a witty simile.
Perhaps one of the most well-known mentions of a U.S. world leader in rap came from Nas’ aptly titled “Black President,” which sampled Tupac Shakur’s voice and discussed the then-potential of Barack Obama bringing that title to reality. Esco explored both hope and skepticism about what an Obama election could mean for African Americans and whether true change can be achieved within the existing political system. As history would prove, the 44th president turned out to make a life-changing impact on the country.
Other artists have addressed presidents even more directly. Lil Wayne famously called out George W. Bush on “Georgia... Bush” and expressed discontent with the way the government handled Hurricane Katrina. Kendrick Lamar took a similar approach in his song “Ronald Reagan Era (His Evils)," which – you guessed it – gave listeners a poetic look into the effects that the namesake's administration had on the Compton star's generation.
Below, REVOLT compiled a list of songs that have made mentions of U.S. presidents in clever ways, whether it was from a more serious standpoint or as a lyrical flex. It should be noted that, due to the timeframe of Hip Hop's existence, some commanders-in-chief will be showcased more than others; either way, these unique flips will likely have audiophiles and history buffs alike hitting the rewind button.
1. Kendrick Lamar: “The children of Ronald Reagan, rake the leaves off your front porch with a machine blowtorch...”
Kendrick Lamar’s debut LP, the incredibly poignant Section.80, was named so due to its focus on the lives of everyday people who felt the effects of Ronald Reagan’s double term in office. The above line and the song that contained it delved pretty far into the chaos, violence, and uncertainty that the Top Dawg Ent. alum felt was a result of the 40th president’s policies.
2. 2Pac: “C. Delores Tucker, you's a motherf**ker, instead of tryin' to help a n**ga, you destroy a brother, worse than the others, Bill Clinton, Mister Bob Dole, you're too old to understand the way the game's told...”
Originally found on the All Eyez On Me, 2Pac’s hedonistic collaboration with K-Ci and JoJo was largely centered around his rockstar lifestyle. With that said, the scathing selection from the song’s second verse was in response to the civil rights activist’s critique of gangsta rap and its frontrunners. Ultimately, the late artist’s diss – even the slightly more conservative version heard above – landed his estate in legal hot water with Tucker before her lawsuit was dismissed.
3. Talib Kweli: “I was born in the decade of decadence where they worshipped what they have, Ford was president, do the math...”
On The Ecstatic, the man now known as Yasiin Bey recruited longtime Black Star cohort Talib Kweli for “History.” On the iconic J Dilla-backed offering, Kweli decided to use the first few bars to describe the timeframe in which he was born, using Gerald Ford as a point of reference. “The war was ended when the North Vietnamese stormed the city of Saigon, we was like, bye, we was gone, let bygones be bygones,” he added in the following lines.
4. Jeezy: “Tell him I'm doin' fine, Obama for mankind, we ready for d**n change, so y'all let the man shine, stuntin' on Martin Luther, feelin' just like a king, guess this is what he meant when he said that he had a dream...”
Let’s be clear: Barack Obama’s rise to prominence electrified the Black community and, for Jeezy, served as motivation to become more politically focused. On The Recession’s closing cut, the Atlanta veteran practically willed Obama’s presidency into existence by preemptively rapping about the game-changing moment in time alongside Nas.
5. Rakaa Iriscience: “Speak in volumes callin' anti-war and anti-American synonymous, back in the day I would've gotten blacklisted just for speakin' up, Hoover probably would've screamed Communist!”
Dilated Peoples’ Rakaa went nuclear on the group’s Neighborhood Watch standout “Big Business,” on which he critiqued his country’s many ills – including its approach to wartime economy. In doing so, he also referred to Herbert Hoover’s hatred for communism, which he described as “an evil thing” during his “The Year Since the Great Debate” speech.
6. Kanye West: “They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation, well, that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation...”
Kanye West’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s MTV VMAs speech certainly changed the course of history – it even led to President Obama calling the Chicago star “a jack**s.” For the lead single of his comeback album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Ye referenced the comment in only a way he could (i.e. With a dash of humor and wit).
Notably, it’s not the first nor the only time Ye’s mentioned the head of state, with another notable on-wax moment taking place on The Game-assisted “Crack Music” from Late Registration (“How we stop the Black Panthers? Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer”). There’s also that Hurricane Katrina fundraiser...
7. Killer Mike: “Ronald Reagan was an actor, not at all a factor, just an employee of the country's real masters, just like the Bushes, Clinton, and Obama, just another talking head telling lies on teleprompters...”
On the criminally slept-on R.A.P. Music, went for the jugular with “Reagan,” which (as you might’ve guessed) was mostly an ode to the 40th president’s administration, policies, and overall effect on marginalized communities within the U.S. Ronald Reagan was certainly not the only target, though, as the Atlanta emcee addressed other heads-of-state, systematic racism and oppression, and other important issues regarding the country.
8. KRS-One: “You Black people still thinkin' about voting, every president we ever had lied, you know, I'm kind of glad Nixon died...”
Killer Mike’s “Reagan” was said to have been inspired by KRS-One's “Ah-Yeah,” a track that first appeared on Pump Ya Fist, a star-studded Hip Hop compilation inspired by the Black Panthers. Within context, the hard-hitting line about Richard Nixon referred to the disgraced former president’s passing less than a year prior to the song’s creation.
9. Denzel Curry: “Donald Trump, Donald Duck, what the f**k is the difference?”
On the second act of the critically acclaimed TA13OO, Denzel Curry teamed up with JID and an uncredited Billie Eilish for SIRENS | Z1RENZ, a hard-hitting critique about the state of America during the Donald Trump administration. Other topics on the acclaimed offering include religious culture and social justice issues taking place across the pond in the United Kingdom.
10. Lupe Fiasco: “My vida loca was built like Bob Vila via God, he architected, I arted what I harbored, Jimmy Carter from Chicago’s Westside...”
“Just Might Be OK” was an absolute masterclass in lyricism from Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor. With melodic help from Gemstones and over powerful production from Prolyfic, the Chicago emcee brought listeners into his world on the Westside of the Windy City, with the first verse utilizing a series of house-related lines to get his point across. One of those flips mentioned 39th President Jimmy Carter, who later became known for his work with the nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity.
11. Nas: “I think Obama provides hope and challenges minds of all races and colors to erase the hate...”
Just before appearing on Jeezy’s “My President,” Nas delivered his own ode to then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama on “Black President,” the proper closer to his self-titled release (or Untitled, depending where you look). In between a sampled loop from a 2Pac classic, the Queensbridge talent openly discussed the possibility of Obama taking office and even questioned whether or not change could happen in the White House if so. “So many political snakes, we in need of a break, I'm thinking I can trust this brother, but will he keep it way real? Every innocent n**ga in jail gets out on appeal, when he wins, will he really care still?” Nas asked.
12. YG: “No, we can't be a slave for him, he got me appreciatin' Obama way more, hey Donald, and everyone that follows, you gave us your reason to be president, but we hate yours...”
There aren't too many politically charged numbers more clear than this. “FDT” (or “F**k Donald Trump”) was YG and Nipsey Hussle’s diss track to the song’s namesake and then-presidential candidate, who the artists felt represented everything wrong about the U.S. “Reagan sold coke, Obama sold hope, Donald Trump spent his trust fund money on the vote,” Nipsey rapped. YG later unveiled an “FDT Pt. 2” with Macklemore and G-Eazy for added effect.
13. Jadakiss: “Why did Bush knock down the towers?”
Of the many intriguing questions asked on the acclaimed “Why,” Jadakiss’ inquiry about what took place on Sept. 11 was one of the most polarizing. The LOX talent would later expound on that line to Genius, attributing its meaning to “money and business.”
“It’s a business when you understand what’s going on in America,” he explained. “The way they portrayed 9/11 to happen is definitely not what happened. Do I know what happened? Definitely not. But over the years, if you do your research and look into it, you’ll find out that [there’s] a lot of conspiracy with that.”
14. Eminem: “Stomp, push, shove, mush, f**k Bush, until they bring our troops home...”
On his fifth studio LP, Encore, Eminem got very political on “Mosh,” a song largely aimed at the George W. Bush administration during the presidential election campaign at the time. Interestingly enough, the deluxe version of Encore boasted an even more volatile line on “We As Americans” – one that the Secret Service subsequently investigated. Despite the audio protests, Bush would go on to win his second term after beating out Democratic hopeful John Kerry.
15. Ad Rock: “I'm always going out dapper like Harry S. Truman...”
Appearing on both Paul’s Boutique and An Exciting Evening at Home with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, “Shadrach” remains an essential cut from the Beastie Boys’ discography thanks to his deep dive into pop culture. The time capsule of a song is also home to Ad Rock’s line about the 33rd president of the United States, who was known for his classy dress code during and after his term (his experience as a haberdasher helped).
16. JID: “Ronald Reagan, I can't thank him enough, nah, I'm playin', n**ga racist as f**k...”
Taken from DiCaprio 2, “Off Da Zoinkys” was a catchy yet pointed anti-drug anthem – a message to both the easily influenced from his hometown and related communities and to himself and his own vices. As with previous entries on this list, the Atlanta star made sure to throw a jab at former President Reagan in the middle of a stellar, rewind-worthy verse.
17. Lil Wayne: “Man, f**k the police and President Georgia Bush, so what happened to the levees, why wasn't they steady? ... Same s**t happened back in Hurricane Betsy... I ain't too young to know this, that was President Johnson, but now it's Georgia Bush...”
It’s generally understood that Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath – including the government’s response to the unspeakable tragedy and revelation of the city’s unprepared infrastructure – stands as one of the lowest points of former President George W. Bush’s presidency this side of the Sept. 11 attacks. Kanye West wasn’t the only rapper to blast Bush over the loss and destruction; Lil Wayne, who’s city of New Orleans was the most affected, delivered one of his most thought-provoking cuts about the matter on his and DJ Drama’s Dedication 2 mixtape. Not only did he mention Bush, but he also rapped about Lyndon B. Johnson and that president’s response to Hurricane Betsy under his leadership.
18. Ab-Soul: “Dear Barack, I know you just a puppet, but I'm givin' you props, you lyin' to the public like it ain't nothin', and I just love it, I hope it don't stop...”
As Ab-Soul admitted himself, Control System saw him delving pretty far into different conspiracy theories. “But you go too far with that, you don’t stay on the ground, man,” he explained to Vulture. One of the songs from that album, the Jhené Aiko and Danny Brown-assisted “Terrorist Threats,” contained raps about the Sept. 11 attacks and, in the same verse, a pretty hard-hitting opinion about Barack Obama.
19. Rick Ross: “My top back like JFK, they wanna push my top back like JFK, so I ‘JFK,’ join forces with the kings and we ate all day...”
Considered by many to be one of the most pivotal releases of Rick Ross’ career, the short-but-effective Teflon Don saw the Miami emcee maintaining his position in the game four albums in. One particular standout was the JAY-Z-assisted “Free Mason,” a track full of thought-provoking quotables. While more crude than not, Rozay’s bars about President John F. Kennedy, one of four sitting presidents who were unceremoniously assassinated, served as a potent message for anyone looking to stay above the proverbial clouds.