Janelle Monáe had some choice words for Nelly while hitting the mic at Anderson .Paak’s Grammy Awards afterparty.
In video obtained by TMZ, the singer/actress can be seen vibing with Anderson as a live band played covers of popular songs. And when Nelly’s “Hot In Herre” came on, Janelle decided to spit a freestyle to address his recent decision to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
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“I used to like Nelly, but then he went to perform for Donald Trump/Fuck that n-gga, don’t give a fuck,” she rapped. “I’m with my family and ain’t nobody gonna hate on us/I care about women, I care about Hispanics, I care about Spanish people/I care about Black people, I care about gay people.
“Fuck you Nelly, you sold out/I used to think he was cool, but now you look like a muthafuckin fool/Going to the inauguration to participate with some n-gga who don’t give a fuck about how you feeling/I don’t care what you really saying/I might be a little tipsy but I know everything that I’m saying!”
Trump had three different parties to celebrate his return to the presidency last month, with Nelly hitting the stage at the Inaugural Liberty Ball in Washington, D.C. on January 20.
Speaking to Geto Boys legend Willie D ahead of the performance, Nelly explained why he agreed to perform at the pro-Trump event and denied it was because of money.
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“He’s the president — he won! This isn’t a campaign, this isn’t the RNC. I’m not out on the political campaign [trail]. I didn’t get none of that 1.5 [million dollars] to try to help somebody get voted,” he said.
“I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this because it’s an honor. I respect the office. It don’t matter who is in office. The same way that our men and women, our brothers and sisters who protect this country, have to go to war for whoever is in office.
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“If they can put their lives on the line for whoever’s in office, I can damn sure perform for whoever’s in office.”
The “Hot In Herre” hitmaker also argued that he doesn’t need to be politically aligned with his fanbase, and that his track record of helping people is more important than who he may or may not have voted for.
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“If politics are above anything that a person stands for and has done, then I apologize that I quote-unquote let you down,” he said. “Because I thought you were riding with me for the scholarships that I’ve given away since, the people that I got signed up for the bone marrow stem cell registry to help save lives, the children that we visit at hospitals, the bikes and the presents that we give away to kids at Christmas.
“I did not know you were riding with me because you thought I would ride for who you voted for. I apologize. I didn’t know that I had to agree with your political choices. I thought it was [about] the things that you do, not the things that you say should be done.”
Nelly also defended Trump from claims that he is a white supremacist.
“Show me where he’s a white supremacist,” he said before taking a long pause to think and mistakenly connecting the two-time president to controversial moves such as the 1994 Crime Bill.
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“Okay, he did not rent to Black people in the ’70s and ’80s, is that what they said? Is he renting to them now? So nobody’s allowed to change? […] If my past had prevented me from winning today, I wouldn’t be here.”
He added: “I’m not saying that he ain’t got some fucked up ways. That’s why I’m not telling you who to vote for. But what I’m saying is, he’s the President of the United States; he’s not a candidate.”