During his stop in Vietnam, President Obama showcased a little bit of his untapped talent – beatboxing.
President Obama and citizens from Ho Chi Minh City were at a scheduled town hall meeting when he took a question from Vietnamese rapper, Suboi. The 26-year-old, whose real name is Hàng Lâm Trang Anh, is a popular entertainer in the country dubbed as the “Queen of Hip Hop”. She asked the President about the importance of a nation supporting the arts.
Before answering Suboi’s question, President Obama wanted her to rap a verse asking, “Why don’t you give me a little rap. Do you need a beat?”.
After freestyling, Suboi translated what she was talking about in the verse. “I was just talking about how some people have a lot of money, have big houses but actually are they really happy,” she said. Suboi also talked about being a female rapper, saying, “They assume a lot of stereotypes For Vietnamese people, it’s different. They think rapping is not for girls.”
Obama told her that these same sterotypes exist in the U.S. “I just mean that there’s always been sort of sexism and gender stereotypes in the music industry like every other part of life. But to answer your question, the arts are important. Artistic expression is important. Those are the things that inspire people,” said the President.
So, POTUS…about this mixtape though!?
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