Canadian-Palestinian rapper dumps TV slot over Trump

Canadian-Palestinian rapper Belly says he canceled a coveted appearance on a late-night US television show as a protest against fellow guest Donald Trump.

Belly had been due to perform with R&B sensation The Weeknd on Wednesday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to promote the rapper’s upcoming album “Another Day in Paradise.”

But Belly says he scrapped the performance because Trump was the main guest, with the rapper saying he preferred to focus on “positivity and love.”

“I just didn’t want to feel like I was part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs the majority of us don’t agree with,” said Belly, who as born in the West Bank and grew up in the Canadian capital Ottawa.

“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,” he says.

— AFP