Is there a love of hip hop in the U.S. Senate? Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., says he doesn't find many other senators to discuss the history and trends of hip-hop with.
"I'm the only member of the hip-hop caucus in the Senate," Rubio told TMZ Live in a phone interview Tuesday.
The Florida senator often shares his love of hip hop and rap music, praising artists ranging from Tupac to Pitbull to Nicki Minaj.
TMZ caught up with Rubio at Washington Reagan National Airport earlier this week where he told the online publication that rapper Lil' Wayne doesn't compare to the talents of Tupac.
"Tupac lived in a different time. These guys have some message in what they're saying, but I think they're largely entertainers," Rubio told TMZ. "I think Tupac was more someone who was trying to inform us about what was going on, and he did it through entertainment." Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in 1996.
Rubio's music tastes don't just align with hip hop. He recently compiled a list of his favorite songs on Spotify and included some country and Christians songs as well. But there's one band which Rubio very publicly expresses his distaste for - the Bee Gees.
Read more about the role of hip hop in politics here.
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