Janelle Monae Made It Known How She Feels About Nelly Performing At Trump’s Inauguration

Janelle Monae made clear that Nelly's actions won't fly by any means.

Janelle Monae made her feelings known about Nelly’s decision to perform at the Trump inauguration.

The “I Like That” singer apparently did not like how Nelly performed for the newly-elected Republican leader. According to TMZ, the singer shared the stage with Anderson .Paak at a Grammys afterparty, which Nelly also attended.

#JanelleMonae roasted #Nelly at a #GRAMMYs after-party in L.A. Sunday night, blasting him for recently performing at #PresidentTrump's inauguration 👀 Details here: https://t.co/m3Ji9QOv3y pic.twitter.com/iLcbDSP13b
— TMZ (@TMZ) February 3, 2025

She use a band-version of his “Hot In Here” beat to call out the rapper’s controversial choice. Shortly after the song started, Monae shouted “f–k Nelly” before digging into the rapper.

“I used to like Nelly but then he went to perform for Donald Trump. So f–k that n-gga…,” she began her testy remix.

She then emphasized how much she does not care if her words spark tension, saying she cares more about the very people Trump’s policies impact, including women and Hispanic people. Monae proceeded to claim that Nelly “sold out” by performing for Trump despite his harmful plans.

She added, “Nelly, you sold out. I used to think he was cool, but now you look like a motherf—ing fool. . . f— you, you get a new attitude.”

Nelly was seen in the crowd, shocked by Monae’s bold stance against him, but did not appear to respond to the matter. However, Ashanti’s husband did recently defend his actions to take the stage at the inauguration.

Last month, Nelly went on Willie D Live to explain his apolitical nature. He admitted that he felt “clueless” on a lot of issues, and did not consider the performance an endorsement.

“…I’m clueless on a lot of things when it gets down to it,” he shared. “So what I tend to say is, yo, do your homework and make your own decisions about it.”

He also compared himself to members of the military. In his mind, if they can serve the country no matter who is in charge, so can he.

“If these people can give their life for the office, Nelly can perform,” he said. “It is an honor for me to perform for President of the United States, regardless of who is in office.”

This excuse, however, clearly did not fly with Miss Monae.