Bill Clinton on Lil Wayne: He's Got Mad Skills!

President Clinton stumps for his favorite jailed rapper

By Josh Grossberg Nov 03, 2010 6:28 PMTags
Bill Clinton, Lil WayneNBC Universal Photo; AP Photo / Louis Lanzano

He may be in jail, but Lil Wayne has at least one friend in high places:

Bill Clinton.

Who knew?

Well, here's the deal.

Yesterday morning, as voters headed to the polls for what turned out to be a difficult midterm election for his party, the former president called into a Pittsburgh radio station's to support some local Democratic candidates and urge young people to vote. Little did he figure he'd be talking of all things about the rapper's impending release from jail.

Talk about reaching across party lines.

Asked on 96.1 Kiss FM's Morning Freak Show if he's excited for the return of the McRib ("I like it when people have more choices," Clinton replied) the erstwhile leader of the free world waxed philosophically on Weezy, who on Thursday wraps up his eight-month stint at New York's Riker's for a weapons rap.

Without mentioning Lil Wayne by name, Clinton gave a very politic answer:

"I tell you what I think about that. I know this is kind of a funny question for you to ask me. But I think—you know, my daughter introduced me to rap and hip-hop music after I said some things she thought were not very smart. She said, 'Dad, you need to listen, all these people are smart.' This guy's smart. And he's got abilities. And he's got a new chance now. And what I hope is that this is not just something to brand him as a cool guy, but that it'll never happen again to him."

Clinton also suggested that the rapper would be a comeback kid in his own right.

"You know, I think a lot of these people, they don't get successful in that—just like in any other area of life—by being really dumb, said Clinton. "They're really smart. But a lot of them had tough lives, and they almost think it's cool to get in trouble every now and then, or they don't know how to stay out. But what I hope will happen is that he has a good life now."

While they had him on the line, the DJs also inquired about his favorite Jersey Shore  character—Pauly D, The Situation or Snooki to which Clinton replied, "I haven't watched it. I just read about it."

But Clinton did leave the radio station's young listeners with some parting advice: "While you're waiting for McRib and Lil Wayne, take a few minutes to go down and vote."