Amid quite a few artists backing out of the Freedom 250 concert events, Vanilla Ice has stayed on the invoice and stated he’d “play for anyone”, together with Vladimir Putin and Iran.
The occasion is scheduled to happen on the Nationwide Mall in Washington DC between June 25 and July 10, and celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday.
Whereas an official itemizing describes it as a “once-in-a-generation celebration” that may “unite and showcase all 56 US states and territories in a single World’s Honest-scale occasion”, the occasion has been marred by controversy these days, with quite a few artists backing out.
Initially, the line-up included Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, Flo Rida, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, The Commodores, Younger MC, Morris Day & The Time, C+C Music Manufacturing facility and extra.
Nonetheless, shortly after the announcement was made Morris Day & The Time dropped out, as did Younger MC, Brett Michaels, The Commodores and Martina McBride. Most claimed that they have been misled by the reserving, saying that whereas organisers stated “that the occasion is non-partisan”, it now confirmed to be backed by President Donald Trump.
Vanilla Ice, nonetheless, remains to be on the line-up and set to carry out as normal. Throughout a latest interview with CBS Information, the rapper – actual title Robert Van Winkle – stated that he simply sees it as a possibility to get on stage and entertain, and isn’t involved in regards to the political ties to the occasion.
After a number of artists drop out of Freedom 250 concert events, Vanilla Ice says he’d “play for anyone” together with Putin and Iran https://t.co/LDexhSrfll
— CBS Information (@CBSNews) June 2, 2026
“It’s easy as a pimple for me, there’s nothing to it,” he instructed the outlet. “It’s the birthday of America. 250 years. It’s not something to do with politics. I don’t know why they’re turning it into politics”.
He added that he has “by no means voted in my life,” and stated that whereas he will get why some artists would again out attributable to potential social media backlash, “For me, I’m simply right here to have a good time the nation I used to be born in.”
“Once I play occasions, I by no means ask about them,” he stated, when requested if he too felt “misled” by the reserving. “I simply go, ‘The place am I going?’ I don’t even know and I don’t even care, as a result of I’ve followers they usually have booked me to play a present.”
As for whether or not he thought artwork ought to be separate from politics, he replied: “Heck yeah. They need to by no means be in there. You need to do no matter you are feeling like doing and specific your self. That’s what music is.
“I’d go play for anyone. Putin. Whoever. You need — I’d go to Iran. Don’t matter,” he added. “You’ll be able to’t decide your followers. They decide you. You’re simply an entertainer. Don’t ever attempt to assume you’re something past that.”
As highlighted by CBS, Freedom 250 is an organisation launched final 12 months following an government order from Trump to offer “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous event of the 250th anniversary of American Independence”.
The outlet says that the organisers preserve that the occasion is nonpartisan, and easily “devoted to uniting People across the nation’s 250th anniversary.”
AMERICA IS BACK Rally! pic.twitter.com/ZAowKERA12
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) Might 30, 2026
Trump himself has addressed the controversy across the occasion and the variety of artists backing out.
“Two years in the past, the USA was DEAD. Now we now have the ‘HOTTEST’ Nation wherever within the World,” he wrote on Fact Social, additionally saying that he would rise up there and carry out himself.
“I don’t need so-called ‘Artists’ that receives a commission far an excessive amount of cash, who aren’t completely satisfied. I solely wish to be surrounded by Comfortable Folks, Good Folks, Profitable Folks, and Folks that know find out how to WIN.”
In different information, Trump lately launched into yet one more rant after a US decide ordered the elimination of his title from the title of the Kennedy Middle for the Performing Arts.