Hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg sparked widespread controversy after performing at the inaugural “Crypto Ball” event celebrating Donald Trump’s upcoming presidential inauguration in Washington D.C. on Friday (Jan. 17, 2025). The iconic rapper—whose legal name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.—was captured on video performing his classic hit “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” at the exclusive gathering. The event was hosted by former PayPal COO David Sacks, who has been tapped as the incoming White House AI and Cryptocurrency Advisor.
The performance marks a dramatic shift for Snoop, who previously criticized Trump but changed his stance last year, expressing that the former president “has done only great things” for him. When footage of the Crypto Ball performance surfaced on The Shade Room’s Instagram account, fans immediately flooded the comments section with expressions of disappointment and anger.
“This is culturally embarrassing and disrespectful asf [as f***],” one person wrote.
“Nipsey and Pac would never!!!” another added, referring to the late rap greats Tupac Shakur and Nipsey Hussle.
“Not a check in the world worth selling my soul to the Devil,” a third added.
The backlash intensified on Twitter/X, with former supporters expressing their sense of betrayal. “We not gonna let you forget this, @SnoopDogg,” one former fan promised. “Stay in MAGA world. Don’t wanna hear s*** from you ever again.”
“Even Snoop Dogg bent knee to Donald Trump. Never thought I’d see that,” wrote another.
The exclusive black-tie gathering in the nation’s capital commanded premium ticket prices ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 per guest, attracting technology entrepreneurs and cryptocurrency moguls. Social media circulated an invitation that notably branded Trump as “the first crypto president.“
During his campaign, Trump has positioned himself as supportive of cryptocurrency, marking a significant departure from his previous stance. While in office, he had dismissed bitcoin as a “scam against the dollar” and questioned its inherent value.
The performance represents a stark contrast to Snoop’s previous criticisms of Trump’s controversial positions. In 2017, the rapper drew Trump’s attention after releasing the provocative music video for “Lavender” featuring BADBADNOTGOOD.
The controversial music video depicted Snoop aiming a prop firearm at a Trump-costumed clown, which revealed a “BANG” flag when triggered. Trump’s legal representative expressed shock at the imagery and demanded a formal apology, while the former president suggested potential legal action against the rapper.
Later in 2017, Snoop released “Make America Crip Again”—a direct reference to Trump’s signature campaign slogan. The track opened with the pointed lyrics: “The president said he wants to make America great again. F* that s*, we’re going to make America Crip again.”
The Crips—established in Los Angeles in 1969—are a predominantly African-American street organization known formally as Original Crip Homies. Explaining his perspective, Snoop stated: “Certain people feel like we should make America ‘great again,’ but that time they’re referring to always takes me back to separation and segregation, so I’d rather Make America Crip Again.
“What I mean by that is, in my lifetime, that’s when young Black men in impoverished areas organized to help their communities and to take care of their own because society basically left them for dead.”
In a further act of defiance in 2018, the rapper shared footage of himself smoking marijuana outside the White House while declaring: “F*** the president.”
In 2019, the rapper had strong words for Trump amidst the government shutdown. “All you people for the federal government that not getting paid right now, ain’t no fuckin’ way in the world y’all could vote for Donald Trump when he come back up again,” Snoop said, referring to the 2020 presidential election. “If y’all do vote for him, y’all some stupid motherfuckers,” he continued.
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