Nelly is hitting back at critics over his decision to perform at President Donald Trump’s inauguration ball.
The ‘Hot in Herre’ rapper is set to perform alongside country singer Jason Aldean and the Village People at the Liberty Inaugural Ball on Monday, one of three official events celebrating Trump’s return to office.
Other performers at Trump’s inauguration events include Carrie Underwood, Gavin DeGraw, and Billy Ray Cyrus—artists who have also faced backlash from fans.
Nelly’s announcement has sparked a flood of criticism on social media, with many of his fans slamming the star for the decision to perform.
A quick scroll on Nelly’s most recent Instagram post reveals a host of anti-Trump comments, with one person writing: “Letting a Trump check be the nail in the coffin is a choice.”
Another added: “Damn. Sad, we can’t listen to Nelly anymore. Hope the bag is worth it.”
“Unfollow, not listening anymore. We no longer riding with you, Nelly,” added a third.
Others described Nelly as a “clown”, “sad”, and a “sell out”.
However, Nelly has since defended the move as an apolitical gesture of respect for the presidency.
“This Isn’t Politics. The Politics, for Me, Is Over.”
During a live-streamed conversation with rapper Willie D on Sunday, Nelly addressed the backlash, emphasizing that his performance is not an endorsement of Trump’s politics.
“This is not me telling you, ‘Yo, you should vote for this candidate,’” he said. “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.”
He continued: “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 also dismissed claims that his decision was hypocritical or politically motivated, saying: “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.”
When asked directly if he supported Trump, Nelly replied: “I support the president of the United States regardless of who is in office.
“Regardless, I respect the office.”
Nelly’s History with Trump
This isn’t the first time Nelly has addressed his views on Trump. In 2017, he told Page Six he didn’t support Trump as president but had no issue with him beforehand.
“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 said at the time.
“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 f***ed that up.”
Village People Defend Their Participation
Nelly isn’t the only artist catching heat for performing at Trump’s inauguration. The Village People, whose song ‘YMCA’ became a staple at Trump’s campaign rallies, released a statement last week defending their involvement.
“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,” the band wrote on Facebook.
“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,” the continued, even stating that Kamala Harris was the group’s “preferred” candidate.
“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.”
They added in a secondary statement: “VILLAGE PEOPLE will perform for both Democrats and Republicans. We are not a politcial group. Never has been, never will be no matter how hard some of you out there are trying very hard to make us such.
“We perform without regard to politics. And Village People will not take on one group’s political issues.”
Crypto Ball Performances Add to the Controversy
The inauguration festivities have drawn additional criticism after Rick Ross, Soulja Boy, and Snoop Dogg performed at the Crypto Ball, an event described by organizers as a celebration of “America’s first ‘crypto president.’”
The event, held in Washington, DC, featured 1,500 attendees who paid upwards of $2,500 per seat and were given red “Make Bitcoin Great Again” hats. The choice to perform was particularly surprising for Snoop Dogg, who had previously called Trump supporters “stupid motherf***ers”, per The Guardian.
As the backlash continues, Nelly remains steadfast in his decision, urging fans to respect his reasoning: “This isn’t about politics — it’s about respecting the presidency and bringing people together through music.”
