Rappers Rick Ross, Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg slammed for ‘supporting Donald Trump’
Snoop Dogg (L) and Rick Ross (R) pictured together in 2021 (Getty)
On January 17, the cryptocurrency industry threw a lavish ball in ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, with rappers Rick Ross, Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg all putting on performances.
Billed as the “first-ever crypto inauguration ball”, the event was held at the 90-year-old Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington DC. Executives from several crypto companies including Crypto.com, Kraken, and Exodus were in attendance, according to Reuters.
The event was hosted by David Sacks, former PayPal COO and the incoming White House AI and Crypto Czar.
Trump has gone from being critical of cryptocurrency, to launching his own meme coin $Trump ahead of his inauguration, which quickly soared in market capitalisation to several billion dollars according to the BBC.
The Trump-themed menu included the soon-to-be-President’s favourite food: McDonald’s burgers and fries, and attendees listened to Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Soulja Boy as they dined. Attendees also said that they were given “swag” to take home afterwards, which included “Make Bitcoin Great Again” red baseball caps.
Snoop was filmed performing his classic track, “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” at the party, and a clip of Rick Ross singing “All I Do Is Win” went viral on X, with over three million views at the time of writing.
🚨BREAKING: Rap icon Rick Ross is currently performing on stage at a Trump Inaugural Ball in DC!
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) January 18, 2025
2 DAYS UNTIL THE GOLDEN AGE!🔥 pic.twitter.com/iH7XivfDe5
Representatives for Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Soulja Boy did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Donald Trump didn’t actually attend the event, however that didn’t stop many rap fans taking to social media to denounce the three artists for appearing to show support for the controversial President-elect by agreeing to perform at the gala.
One fan took to X to condemn Snoop Dogg, writing: “We not gonna let you forget this, @SnoopDogg. Stay in MAGA world. Don’t wanna hear s**t from you ever again.”
Another wrote: “I never thought I’d have Snoop Dogg being a Trump supporter on my bingo card…. But here we are. What a f**king disappointment.”
Others urged a boycott, with one angry former fan tweeting: “When Rick Ross drops another album? Let that s**t rot. When Snoop comes out trying to host a new show or sell us something? Turn his TV off.”
“Nipsey and Pac would never!!!” another added, a reference to Tupac Shakur and Nipsey Hussle.
What’s particularly confusing for fans is that Snoop Dogg previously criticised members of the Black community who supported Trump ahead of his first term, calling them “jigaboos” and “Uncle Toms.” However Snoop Dogg switched sides last year to praise Trump and claim he “has done only great things” for him.
Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Soulja Boy aren’t the only artists who’ve come under fire for aligning themselves with Trump recently. After country music superstar Carrie Underwood confirmed that she is set to perform at the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on 20 January, it sparked a fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ fans.
One wrote: “I have been a fan of @carrieunderwood for 20 years since I was 8. I took on a drag persona Calia named after a brand she established and have supported every venture she’s ever been part of, but as a queer person I am deeply hurt for her choice… Now I just am struggling with this news and I feel beside myself.”
Rapper Nelly has also been forced to defend his decision to perform at a Trump inauguration event, stating “this isn’t politics.” Nelly, who will perform at the Liberty Inaugural Ball, has been hit with backlash on social media, with disappointed fans pointing out that the day coincides with Martin Luther King Day.
Donald Trump’s inauguration will begin today (20 January) at 11.30am E.T. in the US: 4.30pm in the UK.
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