In a slightly surprising move, rapper Jay-Z recently came out in support of US President Barack Obama, backing his stance on fully legalising gay marriage in America. Homophobia accusations have plagued the hip-hop community for several years so the Watch The Throne rapper’s decision to align his views with that of the President is surely a positive step forward.
In an interview with CNN Jay-Z, who is in London ahead of his co-headline Watch The Throne tour with Kanye West said he thought the ban on gay marriage was “something that was still holding the country back”. He commented further: “What people do in their own homes is their business. You choose to love whoever you love. It’s no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination plain and simple.”
Just last week, Barack Obama became the first sitting president to announce his support for same-sex marriage, triggering a media shock wave. Although many were overjoyed at the proclamation and welcomed his decision just as many voiced their disapproval and suggested that his stance on the matter could alienate some voters and thus his hopes of being re-elected, particularly in swing states such as North Carolina and Virginia.
