When a picture of Malia Obama wearing a Pro Era shirt hit the Internet just weeks before the group's de facto frontman, Joey Bada$$, released his debut album -- earning him publicity in corners of the Web he wouldn't otherwise touch -- it would've been understandable to assume it was a master marketing plan. But it was actually far from that.

In fact, Joey didn't even know that it was the President's daughter in the picture when he first saw it.

"It was amazing," the Brooklyn rapper told Bloomberg about finding out about the shot. "I was in Australia, and I just pretty much woke up one morning and I looked at my phone, and I see a whole bunch of my friends posting this picture of this girl in this Pro Era shirt. I'm like, 'What's so special about this?' I didn't know who she was. I was like, 'What's so special about this?'"

Soon, of course, he realized what was so special. "And then, as I started reading the comments and the captions, then I was like, 'Ohhh!' and I wasted no time. I just reposted it myself."

The White House was said to be looking into the matter, though a report from Gawker said that the Pro Era fellas got the flick from a mutual friend.

Joey's debut album, B4.DA.$$, drops on Tuesday.