Singer Nelly has defended his upcoming gig at Donald Trump’s inauguration celebration on Monday, calling it an “honor” to help lead the historic festivities. The “Hot in Herre” rapper denied in an interview with podcaster Willie D on Saturday that he accepted the invitation to perform at Trump’s Liberty Ball on Monday evening for a paycheck.

Nelly isn’t the only rapper to participate in Trump’s inauguration festivities. Earlier this weekend, it was widely reported that Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Soulja Boy performed at the president-elect’s Crypto Ball pre-inaugural soiree in Washington, D.C., at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on Friday (Jan. 17).

Rapper Nelly spoke about his upcoming performance at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration events Jan. 20, defending his decision amid backlash.