Snoop Dogg has addressed the wave of backlash he’s received for performing at Donald Trump’s inauguration event, the Crypto Ball, on January 17, 2025. The rapper, known for his past criticisms of Trump, took to Instagram Live on Sunday to respond to the controversy with a message of resilience and self-love.
“It’s Sunday, I got gospel in my heart,” the 53-year-old said in the video, in which he was seen smoking while listening to gospel music in his car. “For all the hate, I’m going to answer with love. I’m cool. I’m together. Still a Black man. Still 100 percent Black.”
Snoop used his platform to call for unity, addressing the negative comments he’s faced: “We gotta learn to pick each other up instead of pulling each other down. You can be up one minute, and they’ll try to pull you down the next. But I’m a strong Black man. You can’t tear me down.”
Despite his performance at Trump’s event, Snoop emphasized that his approach to negativity is rooted in positivity. “The only way to beat hate is with love,” he concluded.
Snoop’s decision to perform for Trump surprised many, given his outspoken criticism of the former president in the past. In 2016 Snoop publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidency. After Trump’s victory, he called out Black artists who performed at Trump’s inauguration, labelling them as “j***boos” and “Un*le T*ms.” Then in 2018, he referred to Trump and his supporters as 'racists' during a SiriusXM interview.
However, when Trump granted clemency to Michael “Harry-O” Harris, co-founder of Death Row Records, Snoop publicly thanked the president for the gesture, and his criticism of the former president mellowed. In a 2024 interview with The Sunday Times, Snoop shared, “He ain’t done nothing wrong to me. He has done only great things for me.”
Following his performance, Snoop reportedly lost over 500,000 Instagram followers and nearly 20,000 on X (formerly Twitter). Critics took to social media to question his decision, but Snoop remains unfazed.
Snoop wasn’t alone at the event. Rick Ross, Soulja Boy, Carrie Underwood, and others also performed at various inauguration celebrations.
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