And Now, Here's a Video of David Rubenstein Rapping

The Carlyle Group is known for sending its investors clever thank-you videos every December, but this year’s reaches either new heights or an unprecedented low, depending on how you feel about 65-year-old billionaires trying to lay down beats. This year’s clip, sent to Carlyle’s investors on Monday night, features the company’s cofounder, David Rubenstein, stepping into a recording booth and rapping a verse.

Takes a lot of brains to do what we do,
Looking for a way to make some dough for you.
Energy, commodity, we do it all,
So pick up the phone and give us a call.
Corporate mezzanine, private equity,
Carlyle Group is the place to be.
We’re global, we’re mobile, we’re aiming to please.
Only goal in mind: serve our LPs

It appears Rubenstein took inspiration from his business partner, Dr. Dre. Carlyle acquired 25 percent of Dre’s Beats Electronics in 2013 for $500 million; Apple purchased the company in August for $3 billion, doubling Carlyle’s investment.

Around DC, Rubenstein is known for being the financial savior of many cultural treasures, including the Kennedy Center, pandas, the Washington Monument, and the Magna Carta. We believe he is now also the first Washingtonian of the Year to drop rhymes.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.