Nelly was a trending Twitter (X) topic on Friday night (January 17) after news spread he would perform at President-elect Donald Trump’s first Liberty Ball.
The event, which takes place on Monday (January 20), is one of three official inaugural balls scheduled for the evening, with Nelly sharing the stage with country singer Jason Aldean and The Village People.
Renowned for his 2002 hit “Hot in Herre,” Nelly has previously collaborated with country artists, making him a fitting addition to the event’s lineup. His inclusion reflects the inauguration’s “yeehaw” vibe.
Additional performers at the inauguration include former American Idol contestant Carrie Underwood, who will sing “America the Beautiful” at the swearing-in ceremony, Rascal Flatts and Aldean, who will perform at different inaugural balls.
But, as expected, a large majority of the Hip-Hop community isn’t celebrating Nelly’s inclusion.
Nelly is performing at the inauguration??????????????? pic.twitter.com/vA3ioDRMMS
— Brunette Bohemian (@Jane_Doe82) January 17, 2025
Damn it, Nelly!! You need money that damn bad?! EWWWWW https://t.co/4fAb7Tis9Z
— Brisket Back Bish (@AshleyShyMiller) January 17, 2025
Snoop Dogg, meanwhile, is getting dragged for agreeing to appear at a pre-inauguration event. According to The Root, the West Coast rapper will perform at the inaugural Crypto Ball hosted by Trump’s nominated “AI and Crypto Czar” David Sacks.
Snoop and Trump have known each other for years. In 2007, Trump praised Snoop’s music when he made an appearance on The Apprentice. In 2011, Snoop was all smiles with Trump when he appeared on a Comedy Central roast. But in 2017, following the release of the BADBADNOTGOOD video for “Lavender” in which Snoop pretends to shoot Trump in the head, Trump lashed out at Snoop and insinuated his music was trash.
Fast-forward t0 2022 and Snoop’s tone had completely changed. As he said at the time, “Donald Trump? He ain’t done nothing wrong to me. He has done only great things for me,” praising Trump for pardoning Death Row Records co-founder Michael ‘Harry-O’ Harris, who’d been serving time for drug-related offenses.
The inauguration ceremony has been moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda due to an Arctic blast sweeping the country, with temperatures in Washington, D.C., expected to hover around the low 20s on inauguration day.
Some of the reactions to Nelly and Snoop Dogg’s performances are dragging singer Chrisette Michelle, who was essentially canceled for singing at Trump’s 2016 inauguration.
Family. We giving Nelly the Chrisette treatment correct? Cause f### him, his teeth, and his bandaid!!!!
— Itty Bitty 🩷🇵🇦 (@_PetiteTing) January 17, 2025
F### You @SnoopDogg
F### You NELLYSick of you step and fetch c00nnass sellout BAMFNs‼️ pic.twitter.com/j1q8qyt0U7
— TheAverageBlackMan™ (@TheAvgBlackMan) January 18, 2025
Y’all Keeping The Same Energy? Chrisette Michele Was Canceled For Trump’s Inauguration—What About Snoop And Nelly? pic.twitter.com/wR3CKpnTaJ
— Hues & Culture (@HuesAndCulture) January 18, 2025
Nelly is a b#### and a coon!! Why the hell I aint peep it all these years?!?!? Black folks, if yall want the disrespect to stop, stop supporting these artists who dont give a damn about you!! Ashanti, get your man together, wtf is this?!?! https://t.co/anBAYL0AAI
— Chubs (@Edwardboutique) January 17, 2025
Related
