Watch Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe perform at the White House
And wish Malia a “Happy Birthday,” too
Prepare for your 4th of July weekend to feel #basic AF. While you were sitting poolside eating mediocre burgers, Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monáe were at the White House performing for the First Family.
Every year for Independence Day, the Obamas host a barbecue for military veterans and their families on the South Lawn, offering up food, music, and fireworks. And, this year, the lucky partygoers got the chance to see the two artists perform a slew of their respective hits.
A kid-friendly event, Lamar performed clean, SFW versions of his hits during a 20-minute set: “Money Trees,” “Swimming Pools,” “Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Poetic Justice,” “A.D.H.D.” and “Alright.”
Janelle performed “Tightrope” and, as a tribute to the late legend Prince, his hit “Let’s Go Crazy.”
President Obama wasn’t shy in sharing his affinity for (and pride in) the duo, saying, “I have to tell you, these two, I’ve gotten a chance to know, and they are both amazing artists and talented and popular and doing great things. But they are also very conscious about their responsibilities and obligations. And they put in a lot of time and effort on behalf of a lot of causes that are important. We’re really proud of them for that.”
And because his daughter Malia shares a birthday with America itself, President Obama made sure to close out the celebrations with a nod to the now-18-year-old, saying, “Just because it’s the job of a father to embarrass his daughters, I’ve got one last job,” before recruiting the crowd and his musical guests for a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Our POTUS sounds tone-deaf but we forgive him.