Nelly has addressed those supporting Kamala Harris as he continues to deal with criticism for performing at an event related to Donald Trump’s inauguration.
In a post on Instagram, Nelly commented: “Some of y’all have a problem with [us] because the prosecutor who has probably locked up more Black men that we’ve helped woman of color with the white husband and white kids did not win the election.”
He also mentioned: “I did not campaign for anyone. I do not tell people who to vote for. I respect and love our country from top to bottom good and bad… and I’m very aware that it’s a lot of things we need to work on the right is too far right and the left is too far left…”
He shared his background and emphasized his reasons for accepting the invitation: “I’m a military baby with a grand uncle who is a Tuskegee airman and red tail that was very prideful in his country I told you it’s my respect for the office meaning any president that calls on Nelly it would be an honor… nothing to do with money. Nothing to do with race but if you wanna make it about race then let’s goooooooo I find it very interesting. That’s so many of you would dump on two Black men that’s married to Black women that has Black children because the woman of color with the white husband and white kids didn’t win.”
View this post on Instagram
Nelly’s choice to perform at Trump’s event also caused some tension in his personal life.
Tina, the mother of Ashanti, openly expressed her disappointment over Nelly’s decision to appear at Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
In a scene from their reality series Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together, a conversation unfolds between Ashanti and her mother about the offer made to Nelly.
Ashanti tries to explain his reasoning by saying: “This is more about the opportunity of performing at the White House as opposed to performing for a particular candidate.”
Tina replies that “This is very emotional for me,” while recalling the civil rights movement and her father’s activism in the 1960s.
