In an interview taped before the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, Barack Obama told NBC reporter Savanah Guthrie that he had no prior knowledge of the trip Jay-Z and Beyonce took to Cuba earlier this month.
"I wasn't familiar that they were taking the trip," Obama told Guthrie. "You know, this is not something the White House was involved with. We've got better things to do."
Jay-Z and Beyonce were heavily criticized for taking the trip from all corners, including "21 Jump Street" director Phil Lord, who wrote a scathing open letter to Jay-Z for Huffington Post after the rapper released "Open Letter." The track mocked those who spoke out against the Cuba trip: "Politicians never did sh-t for me / Except lie to me, distort history," Jay raps. "Wanna give me jail time and a fine / Fine, let me commit a real crime."
Later in the tune, Jay-Z even referenced the president by name: "Obama said, 'Chill, you gonna get me impeached,'" Jay says. "But you don't need this sh-t anyway / Chill with me on the beach."
Despite the claim, the official White House line has been that President Obama was unaware of the vacation. "I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury, because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel and the White House had nothing to do it," Press Secretary Jay Carney said after "Open Letter" was released.
For more on Obama, head over to the "Today" show website.
[via Vulture]
