"Farewell, 'Donnie Trumpet,'" Nico Segal wrote on Facebook following Donald Trump's election victory this week.
The Social Experiment member and frequent Chance The Rapper collaborator who has gone by the stage name of Donnie Trumpet for years has formally abandoned the moniker to avoid any association with a President-elect who he considers hateful.
"Something heavy was looming over me—Donald Trump—and the connection people are drawing between his name and mine," he wrote. "What began as a joke, a silly play on words, is not funny anymore. I don't want to be connected to Trump’s hateful tone or his hurtful message. I don’t want to be misrepresented or misunderstood. Trump’s beliefs are not mine."
He continued: "From this point on, call me Nico. I am proud to be part of a multicultural family, from the great City of Chicago. I am grateful for the diversity of friends and family who have taught me and believed in me and encouraged me. I couldn’t stand to ever hurt them, or you."
Read the full statement below.
