Music
Barack Obama Theorizes Why So Many Rappers Supported Donald Trump
Getty Image There are parallels between Donald Trump and rappers that make the mogul seem more attractive to the artists that rallied behind him. …
During the recent election, many hip-hop fans were disappointed to find that some of the genre’s biggest stars chose to support Donald Trump in spite of his policies. Lil Wayne, Lil Pump, and more posted to social media openly professing their preference for Trump over his opposition Joe Biden, while others like 50 Cent joked that they liked Trump’s tax policy more than Biden’s. In a recent interview with The Atlantic, former president Barack Obama tries to explain why Trump’s presentation tended to resonate with this particular demographic.
“I have to remind myself that if you listen to rap music, it’s all about the bling, the women, the money,” he says. “A lot of rap videos are using the same measures of what it means to be successful as Donald Trump is. Everything is gold-plated. That insinuates itself and seeps into the culture.”
Indeed, there’s a lot of rap music that is explicitly about the topics mentioned above (and just as much that isn’t), while even some of the most progressive-minded minded rappers across the genre’s 40-year history have engaged at least a few of these tropes in their efforts to make their music and videos palatable to the widest variety of fans. Rappers in the 90s and 2000s often name-checked Trump to associate themselves with the perception of wealth and those constant cameos were a driving force in Kanye West’s 2016 decision to meet with Trump despite the then candidate’s divisive rhetoric. In Obama’s mind, this is symptomatic of growing materialism in the broader American culture, which makes someone like Trump seem more attractive than they really are.
“America has always had a caste system — rich and poor, not just racially but economically — but it wasn’t in your face most of the time when I was growing up,” he explains. “Then you start seeing Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, that sense that either you’ve got it or you’re a loser. And Donald Trump epitomizes that cultural movement that is deeply ingrained now in American culture.”
He does point out his optimistic view of the future, however, expressing his hope in a younger generation who values different standards for success. “When you look at the younger generation, Malia and Sasha’s generation, you see that more clearly,” he adds. “It’s more often articulated, what they want out of life. They’re much less likely to have a need to be on Wall Street by such-and-such date. That is not how they seem to be defining themselves quite as much. That makes me more optimistic.”
Artist Spotlight
Lisa Boostani creates a mesmerizing tidal realm in “Ocean”
Lisa Boostani’s “Ocean” takes you deep into a sensory world where body, spirit, and myth come together, beyond the surface of genre. Boostani makes a soundscape that is both ethereal and deeply human by combining the broad essence of psychedelic pop with the strong appeal of alternative rock.
Her voice rises as if it is coming from deep within her, shaped by emotion rather than action. She intentionally channels the intangible, turning weakness into strength rather than a source of pain, and “Ocean” tells people to get involved in this inner world, not just watch it. This release is an integral part of her first EP, “One,” which will come out in March 2026 and is based on love, sensuality, and unity.
If “Ocean” is any indication, the EP will show sensuality not as something pretty, but as a kind of spiritual intelligence, a way to know yourself by connecting with others. The song’s textures and structure have an aquatic quality, moving between clarity and delirium, rhythm and freedom. Its emotional focus is on immersion instead of resolution.
The striking quality of “Ocean” is the blend of the mystical worlds. Boostani understands that strength often shows up as gentleness and that deep feelings are better expressed through frequencies than words. She wants people to see consciousness as immediacy, sensation as truth, and openness as an undeniable strength.
Artist Spotlight
NOAH. captures the unspoken signals in enchanting R&B track “That’s Bless”
“That’s Bless” captures the unspoken late-night message, the smile that was exchanged from afar, and the feeling you sense but are afraid to say. NOAH. offers a song with a smoky R&B feel and lyrics that capture unspoken tension, firmly in the realm of emotional ambiguity, where connection is clear but not defined.
This piece concerns the subtle discomfort of mixed signals and quiet longings, when looks say more than words ever could. NOAH. handles the theme with restraint, letting the chemistry simmer rather than explode. NOAH.’s delivery shows a confident gentleness, recognizing that some feelings don’t need strict definitions to be real.
In “That’s Bless,” he captures the essence of connection and the compelling allure that endures, even when both parties pretend it is not there. The composition is based on real-life events, and it acknowledges that specific attachments endure in the heart long after one has persuaded oneself of having progressed.
“That’s Bless” is at the crossroads of closeness and distance, clarity and confusion. The song doesn’t resolve the tension it talks about, and that’s what makes it so powerful. It sums up the connection we say we don’t want but keep coming back to in memory, rhythm, and pulse.
Connect with NOAH. on Instagram
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