WATCH: Obama Compares Himself to Jay Z

Rapper Jay Z became the first hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday. In a pre-recorded message, President Obama delivered a speech honoring Jay Z for his accomplishments and reflecting on their special relationship throughout the years.

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"I’d like to think Mr. Carter and I understand each other. Nobody who met us as younger men would have expected us to be here today," Obama said. "You know what it’s like not to come from much, and to know people who didn’t get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open those doors of opportunity so that it’s a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed as well."

Throughout his speech, Obama drew parallels between himself and the "Empire State of Mind" singer. He joked that they "both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are," referring to Jay Z's wife, pop star Beyoncé, and former first lady Michelle Obama.

"Like all of you, I am a fan. I’ve been listening to Jay since I was a young and hungry state senator," the 44th President of the United States said.

Possibly because Beyoncé is far into her pregnancy, Jay Z was not present at the New York Marriott Hotel for his induction, which honored over 20 years of his being in the music industry. Many of his friends and relatives were present. Jay’s friend and musical publisher, the CEO of Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, Jon Platt, spoke about the induction on his behalf.

"Tonight, I humbly stand before you on behalf of my friend and my brother Shawn Carter, better known to the world as Jay Z," Platt said. "I’ve been in this business a long time and I’ve seen a lot of things come and go. But legends? Legends are forever, and tonight Shawn Carter takes his rightful place among the legends in the Songwriters Hall of Fame."

Although he was not present to be inducted in person, he utilized Twitter to thank multiple people who influenced his career. Among the artists he thanked were 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Kanye West, Eminem and others. He kept adding to his list, saying, "Wow. I just realized how many fresh people the culture has” and referring to Obama as “the greatest rapper of all time."

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The Songwriters Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond to recognize performers whose work forges a place in musical culture. To be eligible for induction, "nominees must have been published songwriters for a minimum of 20 years with a notable catalog of hit songs," according to the Songwriters Hall of Fame website.

Other inductees of the night were Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry Gordy and Max Martin. They received a mention from Obama at the beginning of his dedication to Jay Z.

"I’m gonna close by sharing something Jay once said that struck me, he said, ‘I’ve never looked at myself and said that I need to be a certain way to be around a certain sort of people,’" Obama rembered the rapper saying. "‘I’ve always wanted to stay true to myself and I managed to do that. People have to accept that.’”