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Flo Rida pulled off one of the most calculated political moves in recent Hip-Hop history by endorsing a Democrat for Congress the same day he performed at Trump’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
The rapper took the stage at the Freedom 250 event and delivered an energetic set, but what happened after his performance told a completely different story about where his political allegiances actually sit.
Hours after his final note hit, Flo Rida posted an Instagram Story endorsing Democrat Bernard Taylor, who’s running for the U.S. House seat representing Florida’s 21st Congressional District.
He soundtracked the endorsement with Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” letting that famous refrain do the talking: “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.”
The message was crystal clear, and the timing was impossible to miss. According to The Independent, the rapper was one of the last acts standing after more than half the original lineup bailed, including Young MC, The Commodores, and Martina McBride.
Young MC, the “Bust a Move” legend, made his position public back in May, writing on Instagram that artists were never informed about the political nature of the event.
He called it “politically charged” and said he couldn’t be part of something that wasn’t transparent about its real agenda.
The Freedom 250 organization, headed by Trump appointee Keith Krach, claimed the event was nonpartisan, but critics weren’t buying it. They saw it for what it was: a partisan campaign operation dressed up as a birthday party for America.
Flo Rida told the crowd during his set that he didn’t take the moment for granted, saying “America’s birthday, this is something I don’t take for granted. This is something that’s going down in history, to be here tonight. So, to come out here and show my gift and understand what purpose is, understand what the assignment is. It’s only right that we come out and spread contagious love.”
But his real assignment became clear when that Instagram Story dropped. He wasn’t just spreading love, he was making a political statement that contradicted everything the event stood for.
