Vanilla Ice has expressed his excitement about performing at the Great American State Fair after multiple artists dropped out.
The stars-and-stripes-palooza — organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership established by President Donald Trump — is part of the nationwide celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. However, shortly after the Washington, D.C., event was announced last week, many singers backed out of their planned performances, including Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, The Commodores, Young MC and Morris Day.
Vanilla Ice, on the other hand, is thrilled to take the stage next month. During a Friday interview with TMZ, he said he wasn’t going to get “dragged into” the political controversy about the concert.
“I’m here to party with America, man. Music is made to bring people together, and that’s what we are here to do. And we’re just gonna represent the Nineties,” the “Ice Ice Baby” singer said.
The 58-year-old, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, argued that he’s performing at the show to celebrate America’s anniversary rather than focus on politics.
“I don’t even vote, so I don’t even care. And if Biden called up and said, ‘My daughter is getting married, we need Vanilla Ice,’ I’d go play. It’s not a big thing,” he continued. “You play for your fans. We don’t get a chance to pick our fans; they pick us.
“I’ll go play for Putin, and I’ll go play in Iran if you want. It don’t matter. There’s fans everywhere. Music is not political, man. It’s universal, it just brings people together.”
He responded to other artists’ decisions to drop out of the Trump Administration’s event. “Don’t take it so serious. We’re just entertainers, man,” he continued. “I don’t think anybody should take this serious, including them. I think everybody should just go dance. It’s just music, what’s the big deal, man?”
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Vanilla Ice shared similar sentiments about the concert Thursday on Instagram. “It’s all about enjoying the great times of 250 years, man. From George Washington until now, all the presidents and everybody in between,” he said.
In the caption, he added: “It’s gonna be an epic party. This is to bring us all together. I’m tired of all the news channels dividing this country. We are all one. This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America’s birthday.”
At least six of the concert’s scheduled performers have backed out. “I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250,” rapper Young MC, best known for his 1989 hit “Bust a Move,” wrote on Instagram.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” he wrote. “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed…I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
Morris Day, the lead singer of Prince-linked band The Time, also said he was out. “Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & The Time will not be performing at the Great American State Fair,” he wrote on Instagram. “It’s a no for me.”
The fair — scheduled for June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall — will feature “live entertainment, immersive exhibits, patriotic tributes, innovation showcases, cultural programming, and family-friendly attractions stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument,” Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach said in a statement.