Vanilla Ice, one of the few artists who have refused to drop out of the Freedom 250 concert series, is defending his decision, saying he would “play for anybody” — including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The rapper, real name Robert Van Winkle, told CBS News that he didn’t think twice about performing at the event. “It’s simple as a pimple for me, there’s nothing to it. It’s the birthday of America. Two hundred and fifty years,” he explained. “It’s not anything to do with politics. I don’t know why they’re turning it into politics,” Van Winkle continued, adding he’s “never voted in my life.”
What is Freedom 250?
Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order to provide “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.” Trump’s order noted that he would serve as the chair of the task force created to organize the celebrations. Hence the birth of the organization Freedom 250, which has insisted that it and its events are nonpartisan, saying in a previous statement it is “dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary.”
Notably, there’s another group, America250, which also celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday, but is a bipartisan commission established by Congress in 2016.
Let the exodus begin
Almost as soon as the Freedom 250 lineup was announced last week, several artists — including Young MC, C+C Music Factory and the Commodores — started backing out, mostly with the consensus that they were misled by the event’s organizers. “Despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as ‘Trump-backed,’” Young MC wrote on Facebook. The Commodores took to Instagram to explain why they would not be performing. “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans,” the band wrote.
Bret Michaels and Martina McBride dropped out soon after. The country star detailed on Instagram that she initially thought the prospect of celebrating all 50 states sounded “fun” and “wholesome” — which is how she said the event was pitched to her — but then she learned “what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.” Michaels shared a similar sentiment, writing in an Instagram post: “Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”
Trump to organizers: ‘Cancel it’
The Great American State Fair, according to Freedom 250, is to run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall, and was to include “state and territory pavilions celebrating all 56 states and territories, specialty exhibits, live performances, interactive experiences, and classic fair attractions.” However, after the mass exodus of musical acts, Trump posted on Truth Social recommending that organizers “cancel it,” calling the departing performers “overpriced” and “boring.” Trump also proposed replacing the concert series with a massive “Make America Great Again” rally where he could serve as the main attraction.
Vanilla Ice nice to all fans
Despite the controversy, Van Winkle would have remained on the bill. While the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper said he understood why other artists would back out if they felt the event is too political and were “scared” of social media backlash, that’s not him. “For me, I’m just here to celebrate the country I was born in,” he told CBS News.
Van Winkle also scoffed at the other performers’ claims of being misled. “When I play events, I never ask about them,” he said. “I just go, ‘Where am I going?’ I don’t even know and I don’t even care, because I have fans and they have booked me to play a show.” The rapper also said celebrities should separate themselves from politics. “They should never be in there. You should do whatever you feel like doing and express yourself. That’s what music is,” he said.
Van Winkle reiterated it’s not about politics and he would play for Democrats as well. “I’d go play for anybody. Putin. Whoever. I’d go to Iran. Don’t matter,” he declared. “You can’t pick your fans. They pick you,” Van Winkle added. “You’re just an entertainer. Don’t ever try to think you’re anything beyond that.”
