Nelly doubles her honor to play for Trump

Nelly once again leans on his St. Lunatic demeanor when it comes to playing for Trump.

Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Despite backlash from fans, the “Hot In Herre” rapper said he was “honored” to have been invited by Donald Trump to perform at the inauguration on January 20.

In an interview with CBS News On Monday, White House reporter Willie James Inman, a St. Louis native thanked the Republican president for having issued an invitation to appear before the new administration.

“You know, I feel honored to be here tonight. Again, my performance is definitely for the office. I feel honored to be asked, and yeah, man, I'm here to have a good time,” Nelly said while speaking to the reporter at the Liberty Ball.

The “Country Grammar” singer insisted politics played no role in his decision when he signed up to attend the inauguration.

“It’s not political for me. For me, the political part is over. He won. And, you know, growing up, I was taught to respect the office,” Nelly added to ABC News journalist Kyra Phillips during an interview Monday.

Nelly said he hoped his involvement would show that people have different opinions and perspectives. He emphasized that even if not everyone agrees on everything, progress can still be made by working together.

The rap star added:

“I think some people have a vision, and I've always believed that sometimes you have to go through fire to get results, and no matter what you think about it, we as a people, and I mean, you know, my heritage, as African Americans, we've always had to work with people that we may not always agree with to get things done and I think that struggle continues, but. ultimately, if the men and women of this countries can risk their lives for a president they may not have voted for. I can definitely run for office.

The Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star previously opened about his decision to perform at the inauguration during a radio interview with host Willie D. on January 18, a conversation in which he flatly denied claims that he had accepted “money » to perform for Trump and his MAGA henchmen despite fan hearsay.

“I don’t do this for the money. I do this because it's an honor. I respect the office. It doesn’t matter who is in power,” Nelly said at the time. “In the same way that our brothers and sisters go to war to risk their lives for whoever is in power. So if they can risk their lives for whoever is in power, I can certainly perform for whoever is in power.

At the Liberty Ball on Monday, Nelly stood by his previous statement, telling CBS' Willie James Inman that he wasn't concerned about facing criticism from his supporters. The father of one explained that his support for Trump was part of a larger plan to unify America.

“I've caught haters throughout my career. You know what I mean? For example, I always try to think about the future, and I also try to have confidence in myself in the sense that I truly believe that I'm doing the right thing…I truly believe that I have a plan to help move things forward,” he continued. .

“Even in the beginning, I had some negative reactions since 2004, when I decided I wanted to do a song with Tim McGraw. You know what I mean, when I decided in 2004, it was unheard of… I faced some negative reactions at that time, but it was avant-garde, because I always try to stay positive and think that what I'm doing is in the best possible way. interest in uniting.

According to Inman, Nelly was “a little shy” when asked if he planned to serve as an informal advisor to the president. However, the rapper said he would be willing to offer his opinion if the administration asked for policy guidance on certain issues.

What do you think of Nelly's support for Trump? Thoughts?