Nelly turned more than a few heads on Friday. The rapper will reportedly be one of the performers at Donald Trump's inaugural ball on January 20. Multiple sources close to the event broke the news via CBS. Nelly is one of many established industry names who will perform at the ball, joining the likes of Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kid Rock and the Village People. Nelly's involvement has struck so many fans as odd, however, because the rapper has voiced his dislike for Trump's presidency.
The St. Louis icon discussed the difference between Trump the celebrity and Trump the politician during a 2017 interview with Page Six. He made it clear he didn't have a problem with Trump the celebrity. The politician, however, was a different story. "You know the thing about Donald Trump is that I liked Donald Trump," Nelly explained. "I did, I just don’t like Donald Trump as my president." The rapper criticized the President as being a bad example for Americans. "He doesn’t surprise me as a person, he surprises me as a president," he added. "Because you don’t expect certain things, certain attitudes."
Nelly Previously Mocked Trump's Presidency
Nelly did ultimately turn his critiques into a joke about Trump Tower, though. This may indicate just how serious (or unserious) he was about the President. "I'm more or less mad at him because I can’t stay at his hotels now," Nelly went on to explain. "I've been staying there for 15 years, now you pull this?. Get it together homie!" Nelly is best known for his party anthems and radio hits. Which makes his relevance to the recent presidential election so bizarre. The St. Louis emcee was directly quoted during the last DNC (Democratic National Convention).
United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain referenced Nelly's "Hot In Herre" during his speech. He flipped the meaning of the rapper's 2002 smash to reflect the excitement surrounding Kamala Harris. "In the words of the great American poet Nelly: 'It’s getting hot in here,'" Fain stated. "It’s hot in here. It’s hot in here because you’re fired up and fed up. The American working class is in a fight for our lives." The enthusiasm did not pan out. And now Nelly is performing for the Republican party.
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