Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who announced his presidential campaign on Monday, opened up about his taste in music during an interview with MSNBC that aired Tuesday on "Morning Joe."
Rubio declined to indulge reporter Kasie Hunt's request for him to "spit rap lyrics," a talent of his revealed by staffers during his 2010 Senate campaign.
"The ones that I know are from the '90s, they’re not -- they would all be censored anyway," Rubio said.
Rubio has previously expressed his admiration for such rap and hip-hop artists as Eminem and Tupac, and listed N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" as one of his favorite songs. Rubio told MSNBC he's a big fan of recording artist Nicki Minaj, who recently scored a hit with the big-booty anthem "Anaconda." He's previously praised for her ability to both rap and sing.
"There are a couple modern artists that I really like. I like Nicki Minaj. I think she’s very talented," Rubio said. "And Pitbull has become a friend and someone from Miami that we're very proud of."
Hunt asked if Pitbull would be at Rubio's campaign announcement on Monday, but Rubio said the rapper couldn't make it because of a previously scheduled trip to China.
"He's Mr. Worldwide," Rubio said.
Rubio's taste in music is a contrast to his Republican rivals. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who hasn't officially declared a presidential campaign, is a known fan of Bruce Springsteen. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who announced his presidential campaign in March, recently said he became a fan of country music after 9/11.
Watch a clip of Rubio talking about his taste in music above.
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