President Obama made a reference to a song sang about him during his speech in Selma, Alabama, Saturday to honor the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery.
Specifically, Obama quite closely echoed lyrics from rapper Jay-Z’s remixed version of “Mr. President,” as Bloomberg‘s Ali Elkin pointed out Sunday.
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“We honor those who walked so we could run,” Obama declared at the end of his speech. “We must run so our children soar.”
The Jay-Z song, which is a remix of the tune originally performed by Young Jeezy featuring Nas, has the rap lyrics: “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk / Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run / Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly.”
It appears Obama either meant to quote the tune written about him or has merely listened to it enough times to accidentally quote it. Either is possible, considering Jay-Z is a friend to the first family and his daughters love to listen to music from the rapper’s wife Beyonce.
This certainly isn’t the first time that Obama has drawn inspiration from a celebrity in his speeches. For instance, the president channeled comedic actor Chris Rock multiple times just last year.
View Obama’s full Selma remarks below. The choice quote comes at about 31:30, ironically right after the president quotes another obvious influence in his life: The Prophet Isaiah.
And listen to the Jay-Z “Mr. President” remix here:
