Obama inducts Jay Z into Songwriters Hall of Fame via video

NEW YORK -- Jay Z, whose wife Beyonce is expecting twins soon, was absent from the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame, where he was inducted by a charismatic longtime fan: former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Obama, appearing in a taped video, told the audience Thursday that he's been listening to Jay Z since he was a "young and hungry state senator" and compared himself to the New York rapper.

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"Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be where we are today," Obama said in his video. "You know what it's like not to have a father around, you know what it's like not to come from much and to know people who didn't get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open those doors of opportunity so that it's a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed as well."

"Jay and I are also fools for our daughters, although he's going to have me beat once those two twins show up," he added. "And let's face it, we both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are."

Jay Z became the first rapper inducted into the prestigious organization and was the first hip-hop act nominated for the honor. The icon, who rarely tweets, posted multiple messages on Twitter around the time the ceremony took place, naming rappers who he admires, from veterans like Rakim and Nas to contemporaries such as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

The 2017 Songwriters Hall class also included Motown founder Berry Gordy, R&B maestro Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, songwriting duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, pop music great Max Martin and members of Chicago.

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• Barack Obama