Senator Obama is on the cover of ROLLING STONE, interviewed by Jann Wenner. On his iPod, per an AP preview: Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow and Jay-Z.
'Asked what he thought of rap, Obama said the genre has broken down barriers within the music world, though he's concerned about his daughters - Malia, 9, and Sasha, 7 - listening to it. 'I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics,' he said, 'but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music.' He said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris were 'great talents and great businessmen. 'It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves,' he added.'
Julie Bosman's NYT preview adds: 'When asked what books have most inspired him, Mr. Obama named 'the tragedies of William Shakespeare' and Hemingway's novel of the Spanish Civil War 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'- incidentally, a favorite of Senator John McCain, who is known to quote from it at random. ... When Mr. Wenner asked how Mr. Obama might respond to harsh attacks from Republicans, suggesting that Democrats have 'cowered' in the past, Mr. Obama replied, 'Yeah, I don't do cowering.' '