
First Justin Bieber started a conflict with Germany over monkey-smuggling allegations, now another pair of pop stars is at the center of an international incident. Rapper Jay-Z is calling out lawmakers who questioned his recent trip to Cuba in his new song “Open Letter”. The hip-hop mogul and his wife, Beyoncé, made international headlines when they went to the communist country to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary—a country that the U.S. prohibits tourism travel to. The couple had reportedly received special travel approval for “educational purposes” from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
In the song, Jay-Z insinuates that President Obama helped him get permission for the trip: “Hear the freedom in my speech … Obama said, ‘Chill, you gonna get me impeached. You don’t need this … anyway, chill with me on the beach”. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that despite the song lyrics, the White House had nothing to do with the trip: “I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury. Because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel and the White House has nothing to do with it” …