Obama calls Kanye West a Jackass

Barack Obama has doubled down on his criticism of Kanye West. The president has once again called the rapper a "jackass," though he did also say Kanye West is "smart" and "very talented."

Rakim, one of the rap community's most influential figures, offered this take on Obama's comments: "It's good that the president knows about Kanye," Rakim says. "But to have to call him a jackass? He should be a little more focused ... I mean, that exposure could have been 'Yeah, Kanye, he's a very interesting person.' Instead of 'He's a jackass.'"


Obama first expressed disappointment in kanye shortly after the rapper interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music awards. In an interview with CNBC shortly after the incident, Obama said, "The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She's getting her award. What's he doing up there? He's a jackass.