Ice Spice,2Pac, and Nas have appeared on Barack Obama’s annual summertime playlist, along with numerous other Hip Hop heavyweights.
In addition to the aforementioned artists, the former president’s 2023 playlist features appearances from Drake, J Hus, SZA, Burna Boy, 21 Savage, Q-Tip, Janet Jackson, Money Man, Babyface Ray, and Janelle Monáe, among a slew of others.
Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj‘s “Princess Diana” made the cut, as well as ‘Pac’s “California Love” and Nas’ 1994 classic “The World Is Yours.”
“Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new,” the retired politician wrote on Instagram on Friday (July 21). “Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed.”
Obama’s 2022 playlist was also heavy in Hip Hop, and featured appearances from Lil Yachty’s “Split/Whole Time,” Rakim’s “When I B On the Mic,” Wyclef Jean’s “Guantanamera” featuring Lauryn Hill and Kendrick Lamar’s “Die Hard.”
Vince Staples, whose “Magic” track with Mustard landed at No. 43 on Obama’s playlist last year, took to social media to comment on his inclusion. An hour after Obama shared the final product, the Long Beach-bred rapper popped up on Twitter with a reference to the ad-lib he used in the song.
“If I convince Obama to get put on the set y’all gon be mad ?,” Vince joked as an acknowledgment of the inclusion.
Nas Reveals He’s Back In The Studio: ‘I’m In One Of These Creative Growth Spurts’
Ice Spice and Nas’ additions to the playlist add to what’s already been a very good New Music Friday for them. Spice dropped off the deluxe edition of her debut Like…? EP, which featured the new track “Deli” she was seen shooting the music video for earlier this week.
As for Nas, he and Hit-Boy linked up once again for Magic 2, the sequel to the surprise 2021 release that dropped on Christmas Eve. Notably, in the final moments of the sequel, Nas pays homage to 2Pac and shares a fond memory of the California icon during the spoken word outro “Pistols On Your Album Cover.” It hears Nas recall introducing ‘Pac to the intoxicating allure of Hennessy.
“I remember I put 2Pac onto that Henny,” he says. “Howard University… Howard Homecoming, D.C…. He was like, ‘What’s this?!’… He drank that shit, though… Word… Crazy. Super hard.”
Check out Obama’s annual summer playlist below:
