President Barack Obama’s recent public support of same-sex marriage split the political arena in two, but at least he knows he has hip hop mogul Jay-Z backing him. The rapper, who is a curator for the Made in America Festival, has been a longtime supporter of Obama and didn’t shy away from telling us how it is.

“I think it was the right thing to do,” he told CNN’s Poppy Harlow. “So whether it cost him votes or not—it’s really not about votes, it’s about people. So whether it cost him votes or not, I think it was the right thing to do as a human being.”

One commenter on YouTube said it takes serious balls and a secure man to approve same-sex marriage in the hyper-masculine world of rap.

Jay-Z also gave his personal thoughts on the issue, likening opposition to same-sex marriage to discrimination against African-Americans: “I have always thought of it as something that is still holding the country back,” he said. “What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That’s their business. It’s no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination, plain and simple.”

You tell ‘em Jay-Z! The rapper isn’t the first celebrity to support Obama, as everyone from Snooki and JWoww to Vampire Diaries’ actress Nina Dobrev and The Wanted have all given him a shout out.

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