Nelly, the Grammy Award-winning rapper, has defended his decision to perform at former President Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration ball, following widespread criticism. He expressed that it is an honor to perform for the president of the United States, irrespective of who holds the office. Nelly is set to perform alongside Jason Aldean and the Village People at the Liberty Inaugural Ball, one of three official events celebrating Trump's return to office.
The backlash ensued on social media, with many criticizing Nelly for choosing to perform for Trump, especially given the timing of the event on Martin Luther King Day. Critics have pointed out Trump's past racist remarks during his presidential campaign. In response, Nelly emphasized that his performance is out of respect for the presidency rather than political endorsement.
“If President Biden would’ve asked me to perform, I would’ve performed. If Vice-President Kamala Harris would’ve won and asked me to perform, I would’ve performed … I didn’t know that you was riding with me because you thought I would ride for who you voted for. I didn’t know that I had to agree with your political choices. If you follow what I do, this shouldn’t even be an argument.” – Nelly
Nelly's stance highlights his belief in supporting the office of the president, regardless of personal political views. He reiterated his commitment to respecting the position, stating that he would have performed for President Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris if requested.
“I support the president of the United States regardless of who is in office. Regardless, I respect the office.” – Nelly
“This is not me telling you, ‘Yo, you should vote for this candidate.’ I think you should do your homework and figure out what best helps you and the people who you love and you provide for because I’m clueless on a lot of things when it gets down to it,” – Nelly
His decision has drawn comparisons to other artists who have faced similar backlash for performing at Trump’s events. Acts such as Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw, and Billy Ray Cyrus have previously taken the stage at Trump's inauguration festivities. Nelly hopes that his performance will serve as a means to unite the country through music.
Nelly's approach to performing at the inauguration places an emphasis on separating politics from his art. He conveyed that his respect for the office transcends political affiliation and underscored that his performance should not be misconstrued as a political statement.
“But what I will say is that, I respect the office. This isn’t politics. The politics, for me, is over. [Trump] won! He’s the president. He’s the commander in chief of what I would like to say is the best country in the world … It is an honour for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office.” – Nelly
In defense of his decision, Nelly reflected on his previous views about Trump before his presidency.
“You know the thing about Donald Trump is that I liked Donald Trump, I did, I just don’t like Donald Trump as my president,” – Nelly
“Dude is a trip. Pre-presidency, I was cool with the Donald. Loved his hotels. I’m more or less mad at him because I can’t stay at his hotel now. You done fucked that up.” – Nelly
The Village People also addressed their participation in Trump's inauguration events, emphasizing their belief in performing music without political bias.
“We know this won’t make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics,” – Village People
They further expressed their intention to use their music as a tool to mend divisions following a contentious election cycle.
“Our song YMCA is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it’s now time to bring the country together with music which is why Village People will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J Trump.” – Village People