Obama praised for bridging gap between hip-hop and politics

Not only is President Barack Obama the nation’s first black president, but it’s safe to say he has been America’s first hip-hop commander-in-chief. Obama embraced hip-hop more than any of his predecessors: He’s referenced Jay Z’s lyrics and Kanye West in speeches, released playlists on Spotify that included Nas, Chance the Rapper, Mos Def and Method Man, and was caught dancing to Drake’s “Hot Line Bling” at a White House event.

Milpitas: Mayor lifts Jay Z lyric to explain why he plagiarized Obama’s speech

Newly sworn in Milpitas Mayor Richard Tran, the first Vietnamese American mayor in the city’s history, gave his opening remarks at a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13 with newly seated councilmembers Anthony Phan and Bob Nunez taking their place on the dais. Photo by Liz Cantu Davenport In giving his explanation for lifting passages from President Barack Obama’s 2008 acceptance speech into his own without attribution, newly elected Milpitas Mayor Richard Tran cited a lyric by music artist Jay Z – without attribution.