Toots & The Maytals’ ‘Funky Kingston’ Makes Barack Obama’s 2023 Summer Playlist
Funky Kingston, the title track from Toots & the Maytals‘ 1973 album of the same name, is among the 41 songs on Barack Obama’s 2023 summer playlist.
The former US President took to Twitter on Thursday (July 20) to share the annual list, which also included Janelle Monaé‘s Only Have Eyes 42—a song on her new album that heavily sampled Jamaican singer Derrick Harriott’s 1967 track, The Loser.
“Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new,” Obama wrote. “Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed.”
When Toots & The Maytals recorded Funky Kingston at Dynamic Sound Studios in Kingston in 1972, Reggae music was still a burgeoning genre, largely unknown beyond Jamaica’s shores. A 1973 review in International Times intriguingly described the music of Funky Kingston as “Jamaican rock’n’roll.”
The song has since appeared in the soundtracks for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and the Shark Tale video game.
In 2018, Toots & the Maytals, led by frontman Toots Hibbert, electrified The Tonight Show stage with a memorable performance of Funky Kingston.
Hibbert, who died in September 2020 at the age of 77, had been reflecting on his musical legacy for at least a decade before his passing. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, he confidently predicted, “A century from now, people will still be playing my songs, as they contain rational words that resonate with listeners.”
Obama’s new playlist also featured songs from popular current-day artists such as Jorja Smith’s Try Me, Hip-Hop’s latest breakout star Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj’s Princess Diana, Afrobeats artist Burna Boy & rapper 21 Savage’s Sittin On Top Of The World, and SZA’s Snooze.
Over the years, his playlists have consistently featured Jamaican artists, highlighting his appreciation for the island’s rich musical heritage.
In 2019, the President had selected Toots and the Maytals’ 1968 hit song 54-46 and Koffee’s Toast for his Summer Playlist that year.
Toast was again selected for the “Favorite Music” list of 2019.
His “Favorite Music” of 2020 list included Koffee’s Repeat collab with J Hus, while his “Summer Playlist” that year featured John Legend’s Don’t Walk Away with Koffee.
In 2021, his “Favorite Music” list included Spice’s hit single Go Down Deh, featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul, while his Summer Playlist that year featured Protoje’s Switch It Up with Koffee.
In 2022, both his “Favorite Music” and “Summer Playlist” showcased Koffee‘s Pull Up, marking the artist’s sixth and seventh appearance on the President’s coveted selections.