Donald Trump has been playing all up in hip-hop’s face. For the past eight years, the billionaire entrepreneur-turned-POTUS has been pandering to rap fans in what has mostly seemed like a sick joke or episode of The Boondocks playing out in real life.
The former President’s first big fish came in December of 2016, when he landed a much-publicized photo opportunity meeting at Trump Tower with Ye, who was booed for announcing his support for Trump during a show the previous month. Their relationship has been a rollercoaster since then, but that seemed to put the battery in Trump’s back that associating with rappers could gain him clout. He’s been exploiting that formula and hip-hop culture ever since.
In 2020, after finding out Lil Pump was a fan, Trump invited the South Florida rapper to speak at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. In front of a sea of people, Trump didn’t even know Pump’s name and referred to the artist as “Little Pimp.”
That doesn’t mean The Donald doesn’t have some genuine supporters in hip-hop. Waka Flocka Flame has an undying allegiance to 45 that doesn’t appear to come with any ulterior motives, despite initially despising Trump enough to wipe his behind with a Trump jersey in 2017. Kodak Black, who received a federal prison sentence commutation from Trump in 2021, and was freed from behind bars, will apparently be a goon for MAGA for life. Despite not voting for Trump in the 2020 election, Lil Pump has been going harder than a person operating a pyramid scheme to try to get The Donald back in office this year.
And sure, Trump helped get A$AP Rocky get out of Swedish jail in 2019. But do people honestly think Trump did that because he is a fan of the Mob or because pandering to hip-hop has become a tool that Trump uses at his disposal? Let’s keep it a stack.
With a looming election that the twice-impeached, civil lawsuit-losing, convicted felon plans on winning, Trump is again trying to pander to voters by using hip-hop with his alliances becoming more and more comical. In May of this year, he invited Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow to speak at a Trump rally in The Bronx. The same two rappers who have an open gang racketeering case. More recently, Icewear Vezzo, Peezy and OT7 Quanny have had publicized meetings with Trump.
In mid-July, Amber Rose appeared at the Republican National Convention and spoke glowingly of Trump. She was labeled as a rapper by Trump’s camp on monitors announcing her presence, which drew plenty of side-eyes and was no doubt done purposely. For the record, Amber is not a rapper. According to podcast host and media personality Van Lathan, Trump also played a song and music video by MAGA-supporting rapper Forgiato Blow that features Amber Rose in the video during the convention. The video finds them rapping, “We voting Donald Trump, baby,” inspired by Vanilla Ice’s 1990 classic track “Ice Ice Baby.” There were even rumors that the presidential hopeful invited 50 Cent to perform at the event in the wake of the attempt on Trump’s life. A rep for Fif denied he would appear at the RNC.
There’s no way the same man who wants immunity for police is truthfully down with the culture that birthed the rebellious hit record “F**k the Police.” No one with any sense is buying Trump’s dedication to hip-hop. Hopefully, it all ends in November.