Posted by Ludacris will no longer be rocking the country. When the lineup for the country-focused Rock The Country tour was revealed this week, the veteran Atlanta rap hitmaker’s name was included. Given that the list is topped by vocal Donald Trump allies Kid Rock and Jason Aldean — with whom Ludacris collaborated on Aldean’s 2011 hit “Dirt Road Anthem Remix” and again on the title track from Luda’s 2018 Burning Bridges EP — some people viewed Rock The Country as a MAGA-adjacent event, which led to swift backlash for Luda from some corners. Days later, he’s dropped off the tour.
A rep for Rock The Country confirmed to Rolling Stone that Ludacris is no longer on the lineup, while Luda’s spokesperson told the magazine that has inclusion on the lineup was “a mix-up. Lines got crossed and he wasn’t supposed to be on there.”
The MAGA affiliation with Rock The Country might not be official, but it runs deep. Gavin Adcock, who is playing this year’s edition of the tour, went on an expletive-filled tirade against then-president Joe Biden during the inaugural 2024 outing, and Trump appeared on video to personally introduce Kid Rock’s set last year, urging the audience to “Fight, fight, fight, win, win, win, for the American people.”
Nelly, who played the first Rock The Country tour in 2024 and performed at Trump’s inauguration in 2025, is back on the lineup for 2026. Unlike Ludacris, he has not dropped off. He defended his inauguration performance by citing his family’s history of military service and asserting, “I love this country as well. It is an honor for me to perform for the President of the United States, regardless of who is in office.” The “Country Grammar” rapper has appeared at other country events like the less politically charged Stagecoach festival.
Some of the other artists performing at select Rock The Country dates this year include Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Creed, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Shinedown, Jon Pardi, Ella Langley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Brantley Gilbert, and Treaty Oak Revival.
