Nelly’s appearance at Donald Trump’s inauguration is still a hot topic.
During a recent interview on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning, the Country Grammar rapper addressed the criticism, explaining that his performance wasn’t a show of support for Trump, but rather a gesture of “respect for the office.”
He clarified that he doesn’t “agree with everything” Trump does and made it clear he’s never “endorsed any president.”
After The Shade Room posted the interview clip, Nelly took to the comments to double down on his stance. He fired back at critics from the Black community who were upset about his performance at Trump’s inauguration, saying that both he and Snoop Dogg—who also performed—have done more for their communities over the past 20+ years than “any of you just on here talking trash.”
He went on to say that he and Snoop should be seen as “inspiring” figures, pointing out that they are Black men who married “beautiful” Black women and raised Black children.
Nelly then shifted his focus to Kamala Harris, taking a jab at her by saying, “Some of y’all have a problem with [us] because the prosecutor who has probably locked up more Black men than we’ve helped, a woman of color with the white husband and white kids, did not win the election.”
“It’s my respect for the office — meaning any president who calls on Nelly, it would be an honor,” the rapper said, reinforcing what he’s previously stated about the performance. “It had nothing to do with money,” he added. “Nothing to do with race, but if y’all want to make it about race, then let’s goooooooooooooo. I find it very interesting.”
Interestingly, Trick Daddy had earlier claimed that Nelly was paid $1.5 million for performing at the inauguration.
Nelly’s comments come just as a clip from his and Ashanti’s reality show Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together resurfaced, capturing the moment Ashanti’s mom, Tina Douglas, reacted to Nelly possibly doing the Trump event.
In the scene, Ashanti tells her mother that Nelly is considering the gig, and Douglas appears visibly stunned, saying it was “emotional” for her because her father had been a civil rights activist.
“As your mom and your manager, it’s my job to make sure you can voice your opinion on what you feel and what you know,” Douglas tells her daughter. Nelly then enters the room and confirms he’s going through with the performance.
