Barack Obama claims that Stevie Wonder is his all-time musical hero. But the Democratic presidential nominee is also a fan of hip-hop, and has been sharing his views on the subject with MTV. Obama famously referenced Lil Wayne in a speech back in July, telling kids: “maybe you are the next Lil Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school.”

Is Obama listening to Tha Carter III in preparation for the arduous final weeks before voters go to the polls? Unfortunately it seems the stresses of running for president are seriously hampering the senator's down time. “I enjoy it," he says, in reference to hip-hop," but these days I don't have the time to listen to it all the time.” 

He's also a fan of the empire building undertaken by some rap empresarios: “I'm a little older than hip-hop culture. I was there at the beginning, but I was already getting older. ... What I've appreciated, watching this hip-hop generation, is to see how entrepreneurial they've been.” But, more importantly, does Obama have an opinion on who might be the greatest MC of all time? Perhaps wisely, he chose a diplomatic answer: "Oh no, I'm not going to get caught up in all that," he chuckled. [VH1]