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Common and Talib Kweli Question Kanye's Qualifications for President
Common and Talib Kweli Question Kanye's Qualifications for President

Common and Talib Kweli Question Kanye's Qualifications for President

Longtime collaborators debate Kanye's prospects and aptitude for a political career.

Common will be the featured guest on the incoming episode of Talib Kweli's People's Party podcast.

Ahead of the drop, a clip from their chat has been released, featuring a discussion of longtime collaborator and mutual friend, Kanye West, and the rapper's recent announcement of an actual bid for the nation's highest office. Presumably taped a few days after West broke the news on Twitter, neither rapper was jumping to endorse a West candidacy. Common recalled the moment he realized West was serious about a run."I was like yo, we are in a different time," Com exclaims with some restraint. The Be rapper goes on, "I love Ye. That's my guy, but I would have to sit down to talk to him about what he's even thinking," admitting the moment demands "a leader and a president who really is politcally adept."

Far less reluctant to call bullshit, Kweli's take was grounded in hallmark skepticism. "If he's serious, if he's not just trolling, I can't personally support it because he already told us he's not informed on the issues," the podcast's host bluntly remarks, adding that West's decision to support Trump is one he could never outrun. Both rappers concede the question isn't really about West's import as a cultural figure or whether he helped shaped their careers or even what they think of him personally. Only that the follow-up to Trump has to be a person with some level of political experience, at the absolute minimum. And while it's been hotly debated whose votes the rapper would siphon, we won't have to rely on conjecture for long. West's reportedly already on one state's official presidential ballot.

Watch Common and Talib Kweli debate Kanye's prospects and aptitude for a political career in the clip above. Stay tuned for the full episode's release on Monday.