MUSIC NEWS: President Barack Obama Speaks On Fox News & Listening To Jay-Z, Nas & Lil Wayne!!



What do you think of Fox News? Do you think it’s a good institution for America and for democracy?
[Laughs] Look, as president, I swore to uphold the Constitution, and part of that Constitution is a free press. We’ve got a tradition in this country of a press that oftentimes is opinionated. The golden age of an objective press was a pretty narrow span of time in our history. Before that, you had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition — it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. It’s a point of view that I disagree with. It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world. But as an economic enterprise, it’s been wildly successful. And I suspect that if you ask Mr. Murdoch what his number-one concern is, it’s that Fox is very successful.


What music have you been listening to lately? What have you discovered, what speaks to you these days?


Thanks to Reggie [Love, the president's personal aide], my rap palate has greatly improved. Jay-Z used to be sort of what predominated, but now I’ve got a little Nas and a little Lil Wayne and some other stuff, but I would not claim to be an expert. Malia and Sasha are now getting old enough to where they start hipping me to things. Music is still a great source of joy and occasional solace in the midst of what can be some difficult days.


Via Rolling Stone Magazine

MUSIC NEWS: Mos Def Has Joined G.O.O.D. Music!!


Just as Kanye returned to his roots to scoop up Common, he recently recruited his buddy Brooklyn rapper/singer/actor Mos Def into the GOOD Music fold. Long regarded as a formidable talent by underground devotees and mainstream fans alike, Mos appeared on “Two Words” (from Kanye’s 2005 The College Dropout) and “Drunk and Hot Girls” (from KW’s 2007 Graduation). Since his 1999 solo debut, Black on Both Sides, Mos has increasingly been pushed — whether by generational choices or self-exile — to the fringes of indie, alternative hip hop. Maybe it will take Kanye to reign him in.”


In the new XXL via Consequence