Outspokenly liberal musician Janelle Monáe condemned rapper Nelly for performing at President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities last month, arguing he now looks like “a motherf—ing fool.”
On Sunday night, Monáe did a rendition of Nelly’s hit song “Hot in Herre” at a Grammys afterparty. She added her own spin, however, with an improvised, expletive-laced riff, shouting, “F— you, Nelly,” and accusing the original singer of having “sold out.”
“I used to like Nelly, but then he went to perform for Donald Trump,” she said, later declaring, “I care about women, I care about Hispanics…”
Monáe, a Grammy-nominated artist who got her big break with Diddy, later added, “Nelly, you sold out, I used to think you was cool, but now you look like a mother f—ing fool.”
NELLY DEFENDS PERFORMING AT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION, SAYS ‘IT’S AN HONOR’
Recording artists Sean “P. Diddy” Combs (L) and Janelle Monae attend the second annual Essence “Black Women in Music” event at the Playhouse Hollywood on February 9, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. ((Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images))
Nelly defended his performance at the inauguration, telling Fox News Digital in January, “It was an honor to have performed for the highest office in the greatest nation. Now we look to the president to step up, serve, and lift us all.”
The rapper, along with other artists, including Jason Aldean and Billy Ray Cyrus, performed at the Liberty Ball following the inauguration. Ahead of his performance, Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., attended the Commander In Chief Ball.
A source said throughout the evening that Nelly took photos with military officers and thanked them for their service. The source had previously disclosed to Fox News Digital that the rapper, who was born on a military base, had several family members who served, a sentiment noted in his entrance on stage.
He has also declared publicly that he did the performance not for the money, but out of respect for the institution of the presidency.
“I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this ’cause it’s an honor. I respect the office,” the St. Louis native told fellow rapper, Willie D. “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 and have to put their life on the line for whoever [is] in office.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Nelly for comment.
American rapper Nelly, born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., performs during the final day of Outside Lands on Halloween in San Francisco, Calif. on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
‘THE VIEW’ HOSTS RIP SNOOP DOGG, NELLY FOR PERFORMING AT TRUMP INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES
“So, if they can put their life on the line for whoever [is] in office, I can damn sure perform for whoever [is] in office,” he added.
Snoop Dogg also faced backlash for performing at the Crypto Ball at Trump’s inauguration, a remarkable change from his previous stance condemning artists who might perform for Trump in 2017.
The artist faced widespread backlash ranging from social media users to hosts of “The View,” but shrugged off the backlash.
“It’s Sunday, I got gospel in my heart,” he said in the video clip posted on Instagram. “For all the hate I’m going to answer with love, I love too much. Get your life right, stop worrying about mine. I’m cool. I’m together. Still a Black man. Still 100% Black. All out ’til you ball out or ’til you fall out.”
Janelle Monáe attends Alfre Woodard’s 11th Annual Sistahs’ Soirée Presented by Morgan Stanley With Absolut Elyx on February 05, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Morgan Stanley/Alfre Woodard)
Monáe, who has also starred in films like Hidden Figures and Glass Onion, has shared incendiary rhetoric about those who associate with Trump before.
In 2020, she wrote in a screenshot obtained by Pop Crave, “F— Donald Tromp [sic] and every American citizen, celebrity, white woman, black man, ETC who supported him burnnnnnnnnnn.”
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Fox News’ Julius Young and Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
