Rapper Recalls Performing Outside Vice President's Residence

Rapper Lil Wayne said he was surprised to learn he would perform outside rather than inside an official residence when he appeared at a 2023 event marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. He described the concert location as the grounds of the vice president's residence at the United States Naval Observatory.

Wayne said the experience matched comments President Trump made about the need for indoor event space. "I had to perform, probably two years ago, at the White House. I'm so glad to hear Trump say, when they were mad at him about building the ballroom, and he was like, 'Because everything we do, we have to do it on the damn lawn,'" he said on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast Tuesday.

' I was like, 'I can't go in? '" he added.

The White House has said presidents from both parties have sought additional space for large events. President Trump has stated the ballroom would be paid for through private donations and has sought congressional funding for related security upgrades.

Earlier this year, seven Republican senators joined Democrats in supporting an amendment that would have required congressional approval for the construction; the measure did not advance. The proposal has drawn bipartisan criticism over its necessity.