The Marco Rubio guide to hip-hop

Marco Rubio, left, stands on the stage with his mother Oria Rubio, right, after winning his Senate in Coral Gables, Fla.  in 2010. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Marco Rubio's not your typical Republican presidential candidate; he's a cool Republican presidential candidate. A noted hip-hop fan, Rubio has weighed in on the great rap rivalries and biggest musicians of our time.

Here's an encyclopedia of his opinions:

East Coast vs. West Coast

"I was more of a West Coast fan, I guess, during that time. That distinction's gone away now." -- during an appearance on "Meet the Press."

Eminem

"The only guy that speaks at any sort of depth is, in my mind, Eminem. He's a guy that does music that talks about the struggles of addiction and before that violence, with growing up in a broken family, not being a good enough father. So, you know that's what I enjoy about it. It's harder to listen to than ever before because I have a bunch of kids and you just can't put it on." -- during interview with GQ.

Jay-Z

"I think Jay-Z needs to get informed. One of his heroes is Che Guevara. Che Guevara was a racist." -- during interview with ABC News.

Lil Wayne calling himself the new Tupac

"Tupac lived in a different time. These guys have some message in what they're saying, but I think they're largely entertainers. I think Tupac was more someone who was trying to inform us about what was going on, and he did it through entertainment. They're all good, though. " -- when asked by TMZ.

Nicki Minaj

"Hip-hop's 30 years old now, and it's crossed over and sort of become indistinguishable from pop music in general. You know, many people say Nicki Minaj is a rapper, but she's also a singer." -- during an interview with GQ.

"I like Nicki Minaj, I think she's very talented." -- during an interview with MSNBC.

Pitbull

@Pitbull makes party music not message music.Always been place for that in #HipHop.As he gets older he will have more 2 say about life.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 19, 2012

"Pitbull's become a friend and someone that we're very proud of." -- during an interview with MSNBC.

Tupac vs. Biggie

"I think Tupac's lyrics were more insightful, in my opinion, with all apologies to the Biggie fans." -- during an interview with BuzzFeed News

His three favorite hip-hop songs:

1. N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton"

2. Tupac "Killuminati"

3. Eminem "Lose Yourself"

-- during an interview with GQ.

Other songs he likes:

Rubio also created a Spotify playlist in 2013 with songs from Tupac, Kanye West, Pitbull, Flo Rida, and plenty of other non-hip-hop artists.

Sen. Marco Rubio, who's running for president in 2016, is known for his stances on immigration and tax reform. Here's the Florida Republican's take on Obamacare, the Islamic State and more, in his own words. (Video: Julie Percha/The Washington Post)