Rapper Ludacris is no longer part of this summer’s Kid Rock-headlining “Rock the Country” tour following major backlash from fans.
The Grammy-winner and Fast & Furious franchise star would have joined MAGA-proponents Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, and more with his scheduled performances this summer—but Rolling Stone reports that the rapper’s manager says the tour’s announcement naming him as a performer was “a mix-up.”
“Lines got crossed, and he wasn’t supposed to be on there,” the manager added.
Washington Examiner reports that the rapper was set to perform on July 26 in Anderson, South Carolina and on Aug. 29 in Ocala, Florida. Other performers include Blake Shelton, Gavin Adcock, Brantley Gilbert, Nelly, and more.
A rep for “Rock the Country” confirmed that Ludacris was no longer part of its 2026 lineup, but pointed to the rapper’s rep for “any additional comments.” The “mix-up” followed the release of promotional materials for the MAGA-coded music that included the rapper’s name, prompting harsh blowback from his fans. Ludacris’ manager told All Hip Hop simply, “We’re not on that show.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the rep for additional comment.
“You got 48 hours to let us know that you’re about to cancel this contract,” said one fan in an Instagram video posted Thursday that amassed over 3,000 likes. “Luda, what are you doing? I’m so confused.”
Others who put their distaste more bluntly called the festival a “MAGA Nazi fest” that they were “disgusted” to see the rapper’s name on, in more posts to X.
Wrote one enthusiastic MAGA fan, “Ludacris and Nelly are under fire by fans for joining the 2026 Rock The County music festival, which is a pro-America, and has been dubbed as a pro-MAGA festival. Good on these two! Respect!”
While Ludacris has mostly remained mum on politics in the last few years, he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and in 2020, condemned Donald Trump for his track record on race relations and voting rights.
Fellow rapper Nelly performed at the first iteration of the festival in 2024 and is returning this year for a Sept. 12 show in Hamburg, New York, per the Examiner.
Nelly, who released a mixed-genre country-rap album in 2021, also performed at Trump’s inaugural ball last January—a decision for which he received backlash from fans and industry peers. He stood behind the choice. “I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this because it’s an honor,” he said at the time, and asked critics to provide “proof” that Trump is a “white supremacist.”
