Renowned rappers Soulja Boy, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg performed at the Crypto Ball, a black-tie celebration of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in Washington, D.C., on January 17, 2025.
Because of the artists’ past criticisms of Trump, this event, which was hosted by David Sacks, who was recently named President Trump’s “AI and Crypto Czar,” has generated a great deal of controversy.
Since the early 1990s, Snoop Dogg, has had a significant impact on the music business. He openly supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.
After Trump was elected, Snoop called out Black performers at his inauguration, calling them “jigaboos” and “Uncle Toms.”
However, following Trump’s clemency decision for Death Row Records co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris, his position became noticeably more lenient and he publicly thanked him.
Another well-known rapper who has expressed his opinions about Trump is Rick Ross. Ross clarified his lyrics, “I’m happy that Donald Trump became the president because we gotta destroy it, before we elevate,” in a 2021 interview with Club Shay Shay.
Ross implied that Trump’s presidency brought attention to problems that needed to be addressed. He added that because one of the songs on Trump’s album “Black Dollar” made reference to him, the album was taken off Walmart’s shelves.
Another rapper who was against Trump and yet performed at the event was Soulja Boy. He has previously criticized other musicians who back Trump.
In a 2019 interview with The Breakfast Club, he questioned Kanye West’s alignment and chastised him for backing Trump, stating that Kanye’s support of Trump was against the interest of black community.
There has been a lot of criticism of these artists’ involvement in the Crypto Ball, especially from the Black community. For performing at an event honoring a president they had previously criticized, many have accused them of being “sell-outs” and hypocritical.
This situation is similar to previous controversies in which artists were criticized for attending Trump-related events. Soulja Boy, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg’s performances at the Crypto Ball shed light on the nuanced interactions between artists and public leaders.
Their involvement highlights the changing nature of political expression in the entertainment sector, even in light of earlier criticisms of President Trump.
Leave a Reply