Nelly’s decision to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration led to a tension-filled moment on his and Ashanti’s reality show, Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together.
In the clip, Ashanti tells her mother, Tina Douglas, that Nelly is considering the performance, and Douglas is visibly startled. The singer explains her husband's desire to play the event, telling her mom, “This is more about the opportunity of performing at the White House as opposed to performing for a particular candidate.”
“This is very emotional for me,” Douglas says in a confessional next to her daughter. Douglas shares that her father was a civil rights activist who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and helped dismantle segregation in schools and the police department in their hometown.
Ashanti explains to her mom that it was “ultimately” Nelly’s decision whether or not he performed, but that she is torn.
“As your mom and your manager, it’s my job to make sure you can voice your opinion on what you feel and what you know,” Douglas says. At that point, Nelly walks in and confirms that his performance is happening. “No big deal,” he says.
Reports emerged in January that Nelly was set to play at the inauguration that month. The Country Grammar rapper later called his participation an “honor.”
“If you follow what I do, this shouldn’t even be an argument,” Nelly told podcaster Willie D. “He’s the president. He won. This isn’t a campaign—this isn’t the RNC.”
“I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this because it’s an honor,” Nelly continued. “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 and put their lives on the line for whoever is in office. If they can put their life on the line for whoever's in office, I can damn sure perform.”
