Following the criticism of his performance at the Donald Trump inauguration events, Nelly is speaking out. The rapper addressed the backlash, clarifying his reasons for participating. He explained that his performance was about respecting the office rather than endorsing a specific political figure.

Here’s what Nelly has to say about backlash over his performance.

Here’s what Nelly said about his performance criticism

Nelly is addressing the recent criticism of his Liberty Inaugural Ball performance. It was one of the official events marking the start of Donald Trump’s second term as president. The rapper took to Willie D Live to explain that his decision to perform had no political agenda. He clarified that he participated out of respect for the office rather than aligning himself with any political stance.

He compared his appearance at the event to the duty of military personnel who serve under whichever president is in office, regardless of personal political beliefs. Nelly said, “I’m not doing this for money, I’m doing this because it’s an honor. I respect the office. It doesn’t matter who is in office.”

When Willie D mentioned that performing for the inauguration could be seen as supporting Trump, Nelly noted that a large portion of the country voted for Trump. He said, “More than half this country voted for Trump. If you respect the process when the process works in your favor, respect the process when it doesn’t work in your favor,”

Nelly’s performance at the Liberty Inaugural Ball will see him sharing the stage with Village People, whose classic anthem “Y.M.C.A.” became a recurring song at Trump’s rallies. In a statement, Village People defended their participation, stating that music is meant to be performed without regard to politics.

Besides Nelly and Village People, other artists like Carrie Underwood, Lee Greenwood, and Christopher Macchio will perform at the inauguration ceremony. Additionally, on Friday, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, and Soulja Boy made appearances at the Crypto Ball.