Rapper Belly explains why he cancelled Jimmy Kimmel performance

He's worked with Beyonc, The Weeknd and Drake but there's one person Canadianrapper Belly won't share a stage with: Donald Trump.

The musician says he got a lot of supportwhen he cancelled his performance on Jimmy KimmelLive!Wednesdayafter finding out the U.S.presidential hopeful was going to be on the same show that night.

"I think people respected what I did,"Belly, whose real name is Ahmad Balshe, told CBC.

"Icouldn't bethere celebrating that man.I felt like I was a court jester for a false king," he saidat his home in Los Angelesin his first on-camerainterview since the cancellation.

Belly tells CBC's Zulekha Nathoo why he felt like a "court jester" when he was set to appear on Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show

8 years ago

Duration 0:41

Canadian musician Belly explains why he couldn't take the stage to perform with The Weeknd when Donald Trump was going to be there

Trump, who is poised to be the Republican presidential nominee,has been criticized by some rivals and voters for his comments on topics including women, refugees, immigrants and Muslims.

He said some Mexican immigrants who are in the U.S. are "rapists" and also called for a ban on Muslim immigration into the United States.

Balshe, a Palestinian-Canadian and Muslim, said he wasn't trying to be political but took a stand because he feltTrump's platform could affect his access to come to the U.S. "freely."

"I don't take that for granted, that's a privilege to me," he said. "Forno good reason, that could be stripped from mebecause of the faith I was born into, or a place I was born in. That's ridiculous. That's outlandish."

The award-winning musicianwas supposed to perform his2015 collaboration Might Not with Toronto'sThe Weeknd, who recently swept at the Billboard Music Awards and also won two Grammy awards earlier this year. Both were nominated for an Oscarfor the 50 Shades of Grey track Earned It.

Belly, who's signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation management andreleaseda new mixtape FridaycalledAnother Day In Paradise,said the reaction to his decision was mostly positive.

"99 per cent of people that are on my social media reaching out to me are all happy, and respectful, inspired, motivated by what I did," he said about his thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter. "Then you got the staunch Trump supporters that are telling me to go back to my country and that I don't belong here."