Diplomacy In A Playlist: Barack Obama Adds Kendrick And Drake In His 2025 List Of Favourites

Former United States President Barack Obama has released his much-awaited list of favourites — a 'tradition' that he says he started during his time in the White House. What stands out is his diverse 2025 Music list, from Drake to Kendrick Lamar, and from BLACKPINK to Olivia Dean, a playlist that truly does not miss.

His 2025 list is no exception to his norm of not sticking to a genre or what's 'new'. It moves fluidly across genres and generations, placing Olivia Dean beside Bruce Springsteen, Rosalía next to The Beths, and Ganavya alongside Lady Gaga. But tucked into the middle of this wide-ranging playlist is a pairing that has managed to raise quite a few eyebrows — Drake and Kendrick Lamar, two artists whose rivalry has shaped hip-hop discourse, even in the mainstream this year.

Kendrick Lamar appears with Luther, his collaboration with SZA, while Drake’s presence is known via Nokia. This signals something Obama’s lists have often done: acknowledge that cultural relevance is not only about popular weight, but about resonance.

Their 2024–25 back-and-forth turned their longstanding tension into spectacle, dragging fans, critics and platforms into an endless parsing of credibility and legacy. Obama’s list refuses to play referee.

By placing Kendrick and Drake side by side, the former president sidesteps the question the internet has obsessed over — who won?

However, an old clip of former U.S. President Barack Obama was also making the rounds some time ago — where he declared his pick nine years ago.

In a 2016 interview with YouTuber Adande Thorne (aka Swoozie), Obama said he’d choose Lamar in a rap battle over Drake, noting: “Gotta go with Kendrick. Drake is an incredible entertainer, but Kendrick — his lyrics.”

Drake's list also includes a mix of genres, with SZA's R&B, Chappell Roan's pop, and Rosalía's reggaeton. Tamil Nadu-born musician Ganavya has also made it to former US President's annual list.