“Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he’s gonna have me beat once those twins show up,” he continued. “And let’s face it, we both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are… Like all of you, I am a fan, and I’ve been listening to Jay since I was a young and hungry state senator. I sampled his lyrics to close my speech at Selma, I tweeted a reference to ‘My First Song’ as I was putting the finishing touches on my final State of the Union address, and I had to brush some dirt off my shoulders during a campaign. I’m pretty sure that I’m still the only president to listen to Jay Z’s music in the Oval Office. That may change at some point, but I’m pretty sure it’s true now. In fact, Jay, you’ve been inspiring and making me want to be active in my retirement just like you’ve been in yours.”
Obama closed his remarks by recalling something “that Jay once said that struck me” about not changing and staying true to himself. He then concluded by saying, “I’m proud to help present this award to a true American original.”
