Nelly is speaking out amid the wave of backlash he's received for performing at Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday (January 20).
While speaking to CBS News' White House reporter Willie James Inman, Nelly addressed the situation, stating, "I've been catching haters my whole career. I always try to think forward and I also try to trust in myself in the sense of when I truly believe that I’m doing what’s right and I truly believe I have a plan to help get things done."
Nelly further explained himself while pointing to his 2004 collaboration with Tim McGraw, "Over and Over," which, at the time, was a rare country crossover for a hip-hop artist. He stated, I've been getting backlash since '04 when I decided I wanted to do a song with Tim McGraw. When I decided in 2004 when it was kinda unheard of.
"Now you look at some of the artists that’s come along. There’s Shaboozey. If you look at what 'The Queen' Beyoncé was able to do with Cowboy Carter. I did it in '04 when people had a lot of words to say about it. You would say that I was catching backlash then, but it was forward-thinking. Because I always try to stay positive and think that what I'm doing is in the best interest of uniting."
Source: CBS News
