Jay-Z says in his new song "Open Letter" that he got "White House clearance" for a trip to Cuba last week with wife Beyoncé, but White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday that President Obama had nothing to do with it.

"I guess nothing rhymes with 'Treasury,' because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel," Carney said during a White House briefing.

In response to a follow-up question, Carney answered, "I am absolutely saying that the White House, from the president on down, had nothing to do with anybody's personal travel – anybody's travel to Cuba."

Jay-Z posted "Open Letter" online this morning, apparently in response to criticism of his trip from three Cuban-American Republicans in Congress, all of whom are from Florida.

Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press

Beyonce and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, are surrounded by bodyguards as they tour Old Havana, Cuba.

Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart earlier this week had asked the Treasury Department to investigate whether the celebrity couple had obtained licenses from the federal government required for travel to Cuba under the terms of the U.S. trade embargo with the Communist island nation. Sen. Marco Rubio said that even if Jay-Z and Beyoncé had been cleared to visit Cuba, he wanted the Obama administration to explain how such trips are in compliance with U.S. laws governing travel to Cuba.

Jay-Z's was scornful in his response on "Open Letter," which also seems to address reports that he's looking to sell his interest in the Brooklyn Nets basketball team. Here are the best lines from the song:

"Politicians never did [expletive] for me / Except lie to me, distort history / Want to give me jail time and a fine / Fine, let me commit a real crime."

"Would have brought the Nets to Brooklyn for free / Except that I made millions off of you [expletive] dweebs / I still own the building, I'm still keeping my seats."

"This communist talk is so confusing / When it's from China, this very mic that I'm using / 'Idiot Wind,' the Bob Dylan of rap music / You're an idiot, baby, you should become a student."

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