Nelly was recently announced as a performer during Trump’s inauguration festivities, drawing backlash from his diverse fanbase.
However, the “Hot In Herre” rapper shared his reason behind doing so. The father, who recently welcomed a son with singer Ashanti, went on Willie D Live to explain his choice. He justified his inauguration ball performance by saying he’s not political by nature.
“We tend to sometimes make a quick… response to something that on the surface may seem [effed] up because we don’t agree…” he began his defense. “I’m not political. I’m not out here trying to tell anyone who they should vote for. This is not a campaign trail.”
He then revealed that he’s “clueless” on a lot of issues. Given this, he thinks that everyone should “do their homework” before supporting any politician, and doesn’t consider his performance as an explicit endorsement of Trump.
“…I’m clueless on a lot of things when it gets down to it,” he shared. “So what I tend to say is, yo, do your homework and make your own decisions about it.”
However, Nelly emphasized that he does respect the office of the President.
“But what I will say about it is that I respect the office.” he noted. “This isn’t politics, the politics for me is over, he won. He’s the president, he’s the commander-in-chief. What I would like to say is that this is the best country in the world.”
Nelly began detailing his background in St. Louis and how he comes from a military family. He then expanded on the sacrifices of service men and women, who fought for the country no matter who took office. He also stated that he’s “honored” to perform for Trump, sharing that no other president has ever asked him to do so.
“If these people can give their life for the office, Nelly can perform,” he exclaimed. “It is an honor for me to perform for President of the United States, regardless of who is in office.”
The backlash does not phase Nelly. Instead, he alluded that his true fans will stick beside him for his charitable efforts and love of his music.
“If politics is above and beyond anything other than what that person stands for, [or] what that person has done, then I apologize if i quote-on-quote let you down,” said Nelly, who then referenced the good work he has done for the community. “If you follow what I do then this shouldn’t even be an argument.”
The interview went on for 50 minutes, where Willie D challenged Nelly on a series of questions regarding Nelly’s viewpoint and the optics of him performing. However, Nelly made clear that the issues fans may take will not dissuade him from taking the stage for Trump.
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