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Beyonce's Letter To First Lady Makes It Into Re-Election Campaign Video

Posted 7/16/12 2:19 pm EST by in Barack-Obama, Beyonce

Beyonce

By Elizabeth Lancaster @lizzydl

President Barack Obama’s latest re-election campaign video has been released, and it’s all about who runs the world—GIRLS.

In the clip, Beyoncé reads from a letter she wrote to the First Lady Michelle Obama. She first posted the letter on her Tumblr as a way to tell the first lady, and the world, how grateful she is for everything Mrs. Obama has done for this country and for women everywhere. This is definitely not the first time Beyoncé or Michelle Obama have expressed their mutual adoration for one another, but it is the first time their affections have made their way onto the campaign trial.

Beyoncé describes the first lady as “humble, loving and sincere” in the campaign video, reading aloud from her handwritten letter. Queen B's daughter Blue Ivy even entered the conversation near the end of the video with Bey adding, "I am proud to have my daughter grow up in a world where she has people like you to look up to."

The video ends with information on how to contribute to the Obama/Biden campaign, so while it may seem like a Beyonce/Michelle love fest, the clip is really an official part of the president's re-election campaign.

What would you like to see Beyonce and Michelle do together next? Let us know in the comments below!

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President Obama Strikes Again With Justin Bieber 'Boyfriend' Mashup

Posted 6/26/12 4:42 pm EST by in Barack-Obama, Covers, Justin Bieber

Obama

By Natasha Chandel

We know President Barack Obama is seeking the youth vote, but we didn’t realize he would take on Justin Bieber to get it!

That’s right, another video mash-up of the president has surfaced, and this time Obama is singing Bieb’s latest hit, "Boyfriend."

High off the viral video success of his mash-up cover of Carly Rae Jepsen’s "Call Me Maybe," the YouTuber known as barackdubs pieced together another hilarious clip, where Obama, in his deep and stoic voice, promises viewers that if he was their boyfriend, he would never let them go. Maybe sub in “boyfriend” for “president” and you get the hidden message? That’s probably reading too far into it, but the video should definitely boost his presence among the Beliebers.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen President Obama serenade the nation. Earlier this year, Obama dropped a few bars of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at a New York fundraiser to rave reviews!

And this certainly isn’t only the second time for barackdubs, who has racked over 35 million hits on his YouTube channel for other Obama renditions to songs like Rihanna’s “Drink to That” and LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know it.”

Check it out below! Read More...

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Watch President Obama's Cover Of Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe'

Posted 6/5/12 10:52 am EST by in Barack-Obama, Video

We know you love Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," but you know what would make it even better? If Al Green-covering sensation President Barack Obama decided to cover the infectious hit.

Well, your wish has been granted … kind of.

Our buddies over at MTV Act partnered with BaracksDubs, aka Fadi Saleh, the 19-year old University of Tennessee at Knoxville student behind the presidential pop renditions of LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," to let you guys vote on which song you'd like to see BaracksDubs give the Obama mashup treatment. You wisely chose Jepsen's parody favorite "Call Me Maybe," and viral video magic ensued.

While Saleh is of course hoping to entertain with his videos, he also hopes they will bring a little attention to the political process as the presidential election nears. "What my videos can do with the attention they've received is increase consciousness of the elections and remind people that they're approaching fast," he told MTV Act. "Sometimes, that's all people need – a little push to get them out and voting. If my videos are doing that, I must be doing something right."

Get the full scoop on Saleh and the clip over at MTV Act and check it out below!

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Bob Dylan To Receive Presidential Medal Of Freedom

Posted 4/30/12 11:22 am EST by in Barack-Obama, bob-dylan

Bob Dylan

By Zachary Swickey

Bob Dylan has received plenty of awards and accolades for his many noteworthy contributions to the music world and now President Obama will be handing Dylan one of the most post prestigious awards around: a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given in the United States.

As reported by the New York Times, the White House released a statement naming 13 individuals who will receive the honor, which granted to “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

The statement from the White House called Dylan one of the “most influential American musicians of the 20th century,” thanks to his “rich and poetic lyrics” and for his catalog that has “had considerable influence on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and has had significant impact on American culture over the past five decade.”

Other recipients to be awarded include astronaut John Glenn, author Toni Morrison and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright.

Dylan was previously awarded with a National Medal of Arts in 2009.

We reported earlier this month that Dylan’s classic 1975 album Blood on the Tracks is set to be adapted into a feature film. A release date has yet to be determined on the film, which is based on one of Dylan’s most personal, autobiographical records of all time.

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Mumford & Sons To Perform At White House State Dinner Tonight

Posted 3/14/12 2:28 pm EST by in Barack-Obama, Music

Mumford and Sons

Mumford & Sons are set to perform for President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron at a state dinner at the White House tonight (March 14).

The U.K. band was personally invited to play the gig by Cameron at the last minute. Obama's choice, John Legend, has long since been set to perform at the dinner, which is being held in Cameron's honor with around a thousand guests, including Lord Grantham himself, Hugh Bonneville, and billionaire Richard Branson.

Both performers seem to fit their respective world leaders' musical tastes perfectly. Cameron is a well-known fan of indie rock, having previously voiced his love of the Smiths, and we all know Obama loves smooth-groove R&B and soul after his rendition of Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together" at a fundraising event in New York in January became a viral sensation.

The Obama and Cameron seem to be getting along famously during the Prime Minister's U.S. visit. They were seen bro-ing out yesterday at the Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky March Madness basketball game in Dayton, Ohio.

The long-time pals also engaged in a "beer summit" at a G-20 summit in Canada in 2010 related to a bet they placed on the U.S.-England. They exchanged beers brewed in the cities where they grew up – Goose Island 312 from Chicago and Hobgoblin from Witney, U.K. Persnickety as ever, Obama insisted on having his cold, which is not the custom in England. Read More...

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President Obama Sings Again!

Posted 2/22/12 12:01 pm EST by in Barack-Obama, Obama, Politics

By Uptin Saiidi (@uptin)

At this rate, we might see an added concert element to President Obama's re-election tour this year. Last night in the East Room of the White House, the Commander-In-Chief sang “Sweet Home Chicago” during a blues performance filming for PBS. "In Performance at the White House" will air on Monday night and is set to recognize Black History Month. The follow-up performance to “Let’s Stay Together” when he sung at a Harlem event, had the President singing the words, “Come on, baby don’t you want to go?”

Unlike his Harlem performance, where he stood behind a podium, the President was front and center with the microphone and laughed alongside First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mic Jagger, B.B. King and Jeff Beck were among the attendees at the event

Buddy Guy prompted the singing after saying he'd heard the president sung part of Al Green recently and then told him, "You gotta keep it up."

Once Jagger handed over the mic, Obama had no choice but to comply. And yet he didn't seem to hold back.

According to the Associated Press, Obama reflected on what the blues genre meant to him saying, “This music speaks to something universal. No one goes through life without bothjoy and pain, triumph and sorrow. The blues gets all of that, sometimes with just one lyric or one note.”

Read More...

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First Lady Michelle Obama Says The President 'Sings All The Time'

Posted 2/1/12 8:59 am EST by in Barack-Obama, Television

During a January 19 fundraiser at New York's Apollo Theater, President Barack Obama caused a sensation when he launched into a brief, spontaneous a cappella take on Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together" that set the Internet on fire. Not only did his campaign take the clip and turn it into a ringtone, but all the attention lifted sales of the song a whopping nearly 500 percent.

Now, the First Lady is saying that the president's performance wasn't necessarily an isolated incident and he "does have a beautiful voice, and he sings to me all the time."

When pressed by Jay Leno during an appearance on "The Tonight Show," Michelle Obama told the host that the president "sings a lot of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, a little Stevie [Wonder]. He likes the classics."

Watch:

Check out President Obama's performance of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" after the jump! Read More...

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So You Wanna Have Dinner With President Obama?

Posted 11/23/11 1:22 pm EST by in Barack-Obama

Barack Obama

By Uptin Saiidi

As Republican presidential hopefuls continue on the road to the primaries, President Barack Obama’s campaign for re-election is in full force and trying creative ways to find donors. And not just from the ultra rich.

Last month, the campaign ran a promotion that for a minimum donation of $10 you’d be entered into a lottery to have dinner with the President.

The campaign made true on its promise as four people from across the country were chosen and traveled to Washington, D.C. to dine with Mr. Obama. In a video released by the campaign, their trip is documented leading up to the dinner at a nearby DC restaurant.

One of the winners was Juanita, a teacher from Colorado who worried, "I just hope I remember the questions I’ve been wanting to ask him."

Ken, a United States army veteran from Arizona, claimed, "It’s going to be the most special moment I’ve ever had in my life."

Casey has a small software development company in Minneapolis and was just eager to hear about the day-to-day life of a President. "What does a president’s day look like?" he asked. "Dudes like me never get to hear about." Read More...

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Looking To Make A Difference? MTV And The White House Want To Know What You Are Up To!

Posted 11/3/11 9:15 am EST by in Activism, Barack-Obama, Contest!

Worldwide, the voice of young people has been impacting politics more than ever. It's a movement Barack Obama has been embracing since well before he took office as President of the United States and his commitment to the youth of our great country has not wavered. Now, Pres. Obama is challenging students across the country to share their ideas as part of the White House's Campus Champions of Change contest.

"The White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country that represent President Obama’s vision of out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the rest of the world through projects and initiatives that move their communities forward," the White House said. "Many of the most innovative and effective ideas are coming from young people on college campuses across the country."

Entering the competition is easy. Full details and the entry form for the competition can be found on the program's website and for more information on the competition, visit MTV Act blog.

In early 2012, the five teams with the most public support (yeah, the public will decide which campus programs they think are best! Democracy!) will visit the White House and will collaborate with mtvU and MTV Act to create features on their projects that will air on mtvU and be featured on MTV.com. The winning team will host an episode of mtvU’s popular program, Dean's List.

If you are a socially conscious college student looking to affect change, this competition is for you!

For more, visit MTV Act.

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Jennifer Hudson Serenades President Obama On His 50th Birthday

Posted 8/4/11 1:00 pm EST by in Barack-Obama, jennifer-hudson

Jennifer Hudson, Barack Obama and Marilyn Monroe

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

President Barack Obama turns 50 today! And he got serenaded by a movie star songbird. Wait … that part sounds familiar.

On May 19, 1962, President John F. Kennedy celebrated his 45th birthday at NYC’s Madison Square Garden with 15,000 of his closest friends. Many celebrities were in attendance at the celebration, including Marilyn Monroe, who … um … might have known the president pretty well (according to some people).

Wearing a sheer, rhinestone-studded dress (which sold at auction in 1999 for $1.26 million), Monroe’s take on “Happy Birthday” was a sultry showstopper. After the performance, President Kennedy told the crowd, “I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way.”

Jennifer Hudson’s performance for Obama was markedly less scandalous. Wearing a short black dress, the Oscar-winning actress took the stage in Chicago at a fundraising event. (Wait … Obama held a fundraiser on his birthday? This guy’s all business! Someone get him a cigarette or something.) We suppose she did sex things up a little bit by standing next to fire-tempered silver fox Rahm Emanuel to lead the sing-a-long. But that’s it. Nothing crazy here. As usual, things were dignified and professional. (Boring!)

Compare Monroe’s famous serenade of Kennedy to Hudson’s group sing for Obama after the jump. Read More...

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