Music
Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe To Perform July 4th Concert At White House
Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monáe will both perform at the White House for a Fourth of July concert at an event honoring military heroes and their families.
“White House staff and their families from throughout the administration will also attend this event for the fireworks viewing,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed to reporters Friday. “There will also be a performance on Monday evening by fellow Kansas Citian Janelle Monáe and Kendrick Lamar.”
President Obama is a fan of the rapper, revealing in December that Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost” was his favorite song of 2015. The pair met a month later, when the rapper dropped by the Oval Office to talk to Obama about the Pay It Forward program, which encourage the mentoring of inner city youth.
“You know what the president said to him,” said Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett about their meeting. “[Because Lamar] was a little nervous — bless his heart, he’s really a very nice young man, and the president said, ‘Can you believe that we’re both sitting in this Oval Office?'”
Monae last visited POTUS when she was a guest at a White House state dinner in May.