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President Barack Obama Roasts Possible Successor Kanye West at a Fundraiser

"Do you really think this country is gonna elect a black guy from the South Side of Chicago with a funny name to be President of the United States?"

Kanye West's 2020 presidential run announcement at the VMAs is one of the craziest moments in music amid a year full of them, and it looks like news of his plan has made it all the way up the bureaucratic spire. This weekend West performed at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser attended by none other than President Barack Obama, who roasted Kanye while addressing the audience, offering helpful advice for the 2020 bid packed with jokes about West's life and music. "Do you really think this country is gonna elect a black guy from the South Side of Chicago with a funny name to be President of the United States?" Barack snarked knowingly. "That is crazy. That's cray."

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Kanye being on the president's good side is a big deal for a lot of reasons: Obama famously called West a jackass in the 2009 VMA gaffe that shifted the course of the rapper's entire artistry onto the defensive. You can't get much more reviled than having a sitting president calling you names, so seeing Ye and Barack chummy again is a warm and happy ending. It's also great for hip-hop to have friends in high places; for decades, the only time the president mentioned a rapper it was to express vehement disapproval. Things done changed. Watch Barack clown Kanye below, video courtesy of CBS News.