Barack Obama

Barack Obama Boasts That This Rihanna Song Is a ‘Jam' He Can Sing Perfectly

Fallon remembered that during a June 2016 visit, the host wanted Obama to "stiffly" sing the chorus to Rihanna's 2016 smash hit "Work"

"Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets" European Premiere - Red Carpet Arrivals
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images

Don't even try to test Barack Obama on Rihanna's catalog.

The former president was a guest on "The Tonight Show" on Friday, Dec. 4, where he and host Jimmy Fallon were reminiscing about their "Slow Jam the News" segments from previous episodes.

Fallon remembered that during a June 2016 visit, the host wanted Obama to "stiffly" sing the chorus to Rihanna's 2016 smash hit "Work." But the politician wanted to sing the part in a looser fashion that is more similar to how the singer herself performs it.

When Fallon seemed to imply on Friday's episode that he was relieved that Obama was convinced to give the more stilted rendition, the "A Promised Land" author quickly pushed back.

"Are you saying that that would have affected my legacy?" Obama asked jokingly. "Because that is a jam, and I know that jam well, so I'm a little insulted that you didn't think I could pull it off."

Rihanna's Best Looks

The former commander in chief pointed out that he respects that younger people today are willing to listen to a wide variety of music. He mentioned that daughter Sasha will bounce around between different genres, whether it's 2Chainz, Elvis Presley, Drake or even classical music.

"They don't think in terms of categories," he said.

Speaking of Drake, Fallon also brought up the fact that the rapper said years ago that he would be interested in portraying the 44th president in a biopic, and that Obama himself said in a Complex interview last month that the "Laugh Now Cry Later" performer has his "household's stamp of approval."

When Fallon asked for any tips he would give Drake for the portrayal, Obama replied, "Apparently, based on all the people who do imitations of me, the key is to talk really slowly."

Clearly, anyone who can sing along to "Work" has more than enough speed in their delivery.

Copyright E! Online
Contact Us