President Obama and Kendrick Lamar’s friendship has been brewing for some time now.

Last December, the POTUS named K.Dot’s “How Much a Dollar Cost?” his favorite song of the year, and this year we saw the two men sit down to discuss mentoring youth, as well as share the stage at the White House’s 4th of July celebration.

As 2016 comes to a close, Kendrick reflected on Obama’s presidency and its affect on hip-hop. Recalling when artists were invited to the White House to discuss My Brother’s Keeper, the administration’s criminal justice reform initiative, K.Dot told XXL:

“I think the world, not just hip-hop owes him. We all have to give him his credit due for even allowing us into the building. We would probably never get inside that house ever again. Think about it like that. Rick Ross, Cole , Nicki Minaj , he really went for us to come experience it. This is something our grandparents always wanted to see, never thought in a million years, but [we can] pass it down to our generation.”

Kendrick also spoke on the President’s character:

“You look at him as such a high figure in the world, but for him to embrace you and have a connection with you further than just being the President and make you feel like an actual friend. That’s probably the best moment and one of his best characteristics. Basically watching him interact with my mother, my little niece, myself as a human, I think that’s the greatest thing. Hopefully when I get to be the older gentleman like himself, [I’ll] be able to carry myself in this type of manner.”

And check out where Kendrick Lamar’s untitled, unmastered. landed in REVOLT’s Year End Review: #FirstTake | #RestUp | #CrossTheLine | #NoRules | #SimplyTheBest