Snoop Dogg, Nelly and Soulja Boy have been defended by Stephen A. Smith for performing at pro-Donald Trump events.
The trio, plus Rick Ross, were among the famous musicians booked for various inauguration celebrations in Washington, D.C., leading to significant backlash from the Hip Hop community.
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However, they’ve found an ally in Smith, who hit back at the rappers’ critics in a fiery rant on his self-titled podcast.
“Soulja Boy ain’t got no right to make some money? Everybody’s quick to say, ‘If it was me, there’s a different way to make money.’ You sure about that?” he said. “I saw Soulja Boy pull out some cash. I couldn’t count but it looked like at least six figures. What it takes most people to make in a year, the brother made in one night.”
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Smith continued: “Snoop Dogg’s worth over $100 million. He’s got a youth football league — this brother’s sending cats to college, this brother’s sending cats to the NFL. We just gonna ignore that cause he peformed at the inauguration?”
Defending Nelly, he said: “Nelly is not a political person, he doesn’t get involved in the campaigns. Nelly does perform for people who will pay the right fee and believes in respecting the office because of the power that comes with it. That’s his position. Like it or not, you gotta respect it.”
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The ESPN analyst later called out those who have villified fellow rapper Ice Cube for his controversial political views and affiliations.
“Some of y’all, when you turned against Ice Cube, it’s unforgiveable. Ice Cube… N.W.A! And then Snoop came aboard, Warren G and the whole crew. They took the rap game to another level,” he said.
“You know how many Black people made money off of Hip Hop? Do you know how many Black people have been employed because of Hip Hop? It transformed this world! Is everything perfect about them? Hell no.”
Snoop Dogg has been especially criticized for associating with Donald Trump given his past opposition to the president and his supporters.
Back in 2017, Tha Doggfather called any Black artist who performed at Trump’s first inauguration a “jigaboo” and “Uncle Tom,” leading to some calling him a “sellout” following his performance at the pro-Trump Crypto Ball this past weekend.
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The rap legend’s stance towards Trump has softened in recent years, however, after he pardoned Death Row Records co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris in early 2021.
In an interview with The Sunday Times last year, Snoop said: “Donald Trump? He ain’t done nothing wrong to me. He has done only great things for me. He pardoned Michael Harris. So I have nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump.”
This was preceded by years of attacks on Trump and his conduct.
In 2020, Snoop tore into the Republican in a video posted online, saying: “So, me and my homeboys sittin’ up here talkin’ about all the people that President Trump disrespected. Women, gays, transgenders, Blacks, Mexicans, Asians, and now veterans.
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“Hmmm. Seems like he’s disrespecting every color in the world and everything that ain’t what he is, which is a racist.”
“With that being said, the people that voted for him got exactly what they wanted,” he added. “They gave them what he said he was gon’ do. So, the next muthafucka, you better tell us what we gon’ get for your vote. You better show up and deliver, period.”