US rapper Jay-Z has spoken about a song he has written to mark Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States.

The rapper performed 'History' for the first time at the Neighborhood Ball in Washington DC last night (January 20th).

The track features the lines: "All I got is dreams nobody else can see/ Nobody else believes, nobody else but me/ Where are you victory, I need you desperately/ Not just for the moment to make history.”

Jay-Z told MTV that 'History' was a “deep” but "fun" record about the significance of the recent change in America.

“The 'History' record is really about - once again - about making history. But I use different words as if they were women: 'Success. I met success and success was a sister of defeat.'

“You know, if you listen to the record it's pretty much talking about trying to find victory, victory being a woman, and so me and victory can make a kid — the kid being history, and then history tells your legacy.

"It's deep but it's fun. It's not really that complicated."

As previously reported, an early studio version of the song emerged last November when its producer, Kanye West, published it on his blog.

'History' is expected to feature on Jay-Z's next album 'Blueprint 3'.

The rapper's wife, Beyonce, sung for the President and the First Lady at the Neighborhood Ball as they took their first dance.

(by Jason Gregory)