Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Stephen A. Smith , American sports television personality, walks on the field before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Stephen A Smith thinks the criticism is ridiculous.
Stephen A Smith has come to the defense of Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Soulja Boy, and other artists who performed at events in support of the newly sworn-in president of the United States, Donald Trump. Discussing the backlash the artists have received on his podcast, Smith argued that they had a right to get a massive paycheck
“Soulja Boy ain’t got no right to make some money? Everybody’s quick to say, ‘If it was me, there’s a different way to make money.’ You sure about that?” he said, as caught by HipHopDX. “I saw Soulja Boy pull out some cash. I couldn’t count but it looked like at least six figures. What it takes most people to make in a year, the brother made in one night. Snoop Dogg’s worth over $100 million. He’s got a youth football league — this brother’s sending cats to college, this brother’s sending cats to the NFL. We just gonna ignore that ’cause he performed at the inauguration?”
Donald Trump Speaks During His Inauguration
From there, Smith spoke about Nelly and explained that performing at the inauguration doesn’t imply he voted for Trump. “Nelly is not a political person, he doesn’t get involved in the campaigns. Nelly does perform for people who will pay the right fee and believes in respecting the office because of the power that comes with it. That’s his position. Like it or not, you gotta respect it,” he argued.
Stephen A Smith Defends Nelly & Snoop Dogg
Smith isn’t the first person to defend the group of artists. Charlamagne Tha God said on the latest episode of The Breakfast Club that fans’ criticism is misplaced and should be aimed at the politicians themselves. Check out Stephen A Smith’s full thoughts on the inauguration of Donald Trump.