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Chris Rock Says Obama Should Listen to Jay Z

Comedian weighs in on presidential playlists.

Of all the legacies of the Obama administration, the fact that the current sitting president listens to Jay Z's music may be the most outstanding.

In a recent interview for the Dec. 1 cover story of New York Magazine, comedian Chris Rock was asked about the phenomenon that is the first Black president's impact on pop cuture, and apparently his playlist is tantamount to social impacts like employment and health care.

"In a weird way, him saying he listens to Jay  Z, it’s kind of revolutionary," said Rock. "... [H]e’s of the age that he’s supposed to listen to that stuff. And so, he’s a little more himself than most politicians."

As for whether or not Obama needs more people to make the movement believable, "We’ll see if more politicians end up being just themselves," Rock said. That's "the real test."

Elsewhere, he added that Obama's legacy beyond pop culture, like his contributions to global peace and the like, may be more difficult –– especially for detractors –– to attribute to his presidency.

"There’s an advantage that [Former President George W.] Bush had that Obama doesn’t have. People thinking you’re dumb is an advantage. Obama started as a genius. It’s like, 'What? I’ve got to keep doing that? That’s hard to do!' So it’s not that Obama’s disappointing. It’s just his best album might have been his first album."

[It's important to note here that that last quote is not necessarily a reference to Hov.]

Rock's next movie, Top Five, hits theaters Dec. 12.

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(Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images, Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

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