Aside from his apology, he never fully commented on the situation, but those close to Kanye West say he hit rock bottom when he learned President Obama called him a jackass. Kanye West has never been one to hold his tongue, saying previous United States president, George W. Bush did not care about black people. For years, Kanye West said and did things, leading up to him having an outburst at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, taking the microphone away from Taylor Swift, saying Beyonce was more deserving of her award.
There were many who agreed with this, but they were still appalled in the way Kanye West decided to handle the situation. A huge media backlash followed this, with hip hop media outlets contacting many industry insiders for their take on his actions. Because Kanye West encountered a country music star, mainstream media also weighed in on the situation. For once, everyone agreed on something, Kanye West was wrong. When President Obama was asked for his opinion, he revealed he felt Kanye West was a “jackass,” a comment which landed him in hot water.
Since both have Chicago backgrounds, one would guess there would be some connection. President Obama made it clear, ever since he has been in the media, how big of a Jay-Z fan he is. One part of Jay-Z’s legacy includes helping Kanye West become a superstar. Some consider West a legend. In the wake of Watch the Throne, President Obama was asked how he preferred between Jay-Z and Kanye West. In response, President Obama said he favored Jay-Z and his previous “jackass” comment about Kanye was brought up. While he didn’t openly call Kanye West a “jackass,” as the interviewer said the word, President Obama said the Chicago entertainer was a talented “one.”
