The Weeknd and Belly sent a strong message in protest of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday. The two had been scheduled to perform "Might Not," in promotion of Belly's forthcoming Another Day in Paradise mixtape, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. But after realizing that Trump was also booked on the show, they canceled at the last minute with Belly saying they did not want to participate in the "celebration" of Trump's controversial rhetoric.
"I feel like the way I was raised was to be able to see through all the titles in this world—from religion to race," Belly said in a statement to the Associated Press. "I just didn't want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that the majority of us don't agree with." Adding that he's on a "campaign of positivity and love" with his music, Belly stressed the power of art during politically treacherous times and revealed that, as a Muslim, sharing the stage with Trump made him uneasy.
"I create songs people go to sleep and wake up to, songs that they fall in love to," Belly said. "For me, being Muslim and being somebody that appreciates my access here in America, I love the fact that I'm able to be here. To play my part in this business is a privilege and a beautiful thing. The fact that I could lose that ability through the actions of someone such as Donald Trump isn't right to me. At all."
Trump did not mention The Weeknd and Belly's cancelation during his appearance on Kimmel, focusing instead on admitting that he has used aliases in the past for "real estate" reasons and seemingly agreeing to a one-on-one showdown with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. "How much is he going to pay me?" Trump said. "I would love to do that."
Representatives for both The Weeknd and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Complex's request for comment.
