Obama: Kanye Is 'Talented' But Still a 'Jackass'

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In a new interview, President Barack Obama expresses his preference for Jay-Z over Kanye West. He then goes on to describe Kanye as "talented," but stands by a comment made years ago that the hip-hop star is a "jackass."

"I like Kanye," Obama recently toldThe Atlantic's David Samuels at a political fundraiser in New York City. "He's a Chicago guy. Smart. He's very talented."

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Samuels then asks: "Even though you called him a jackass?" Obama -- who called Kanye a jackass after the rapper awkwardly interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards -- responds that he has not changed his view: "He is a jackass. But he's talented."

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The Kanye comments came after Samuels first posed Obama the simple question "Kanye or Jay-Z?" -- to which the president quickly responded "Jay-Z."

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Obama has said in the past that Jay-Z's music is included in his iPod music collection, along with other artists including Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.