The one thing Nipsey Hussle hated about Donald Trump
In March 2016, as the prospect of Donald Trump becoming the Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential race became increasingly realistic, YG and Nipsey Hussle responded with a song. It was called ‘FDT,’ but its unabbreviated title laid out its core sentiment in clearer terms. “FDT” stood for “fuck Donald Trump.”
The song served as a critique of Trump and his behaviour in his bid to become the Republican candidate, and, according to the two artists, it came together very quickly. The whole thing apparently took less than an hour, as they explained to Billboard.
“We were just talking about using our voices and YG had a concept for a song called ‘Fuck Donald Trump,’” the late Nipsey said, claiming that he was taken by the idea right away. “Immediately, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Nipsey recalled that YG “had a beat and just started mumbling the hook,” and that things, from there, happened swiftly. “We heard it back through the speakers and we already knew this was powerful,” he said. “I went in and immediately laid my verse. He went back and laid his, and the record was done in less than an hour.”
The song that YG and Nipsey created characterises Trump as a “cancer,” so it’s fair to say that the two men had their issues with the man who would, ultimately, prevail in the election. Having worked with Mexican immigrants himself before he made it as a rapper, Nipsey was especially incensed by Trump’s racism.
Asked if there was a specific Trump moment that really pissed him off, Nipsey highlighted the future president’s attitudes towards Hispanic people—and especially those based in LA. He hated Trump “being so vocal and one-sided on how he feels about Mexican people as far as categorising [them] as illegal immigrants and that they make no positive contributions to the country.”
“Number one,” Nipsey said, “I’m from LA, so I grew up with Mexican people and number two, I see Mexican people at all my concerts that really support. I felt like they needed somebody to ride for ’em.”
Nipsey disliked Trump for being “a privileged rich dude that got an out-of-touch view of the world,” but it was his racism that specifically drove him to help YG create ‘FDT.’ It was Trump’s racism that made Nipsey feel like he “is definitely out of his mind and our country sounding crazy for even taking him as a legitimate candidate. It says something about the American people if he do actually get elected.”
Trump did, of course, get elected in 2016, and he did so again during the 2024 election. Nipsey, who died during Trump’s first administration, never saw his present-day second administration come to fruition.