After several artists dropped out of a Washington, D.C., concert series organized by Freedom 250, rapper Vanilla Ice said he will still be on the bill, telling CBS News on Monday he would perform for anyone, including Russian President Vladimir Putin or Iran.
The rapper, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, told CBS News, “It’s simple as a pimple for me, there’s nothing to it. It’s the birthday of America.”
“Two hundred and fifty years. It’s not anything to do with politics. I don’t know why they’re turning it into politics,” Van Winkle said, adding he’s “never voted in my life.”
After the lineup was announced Wednesday, several artists — including Morris Day and the Time, Young MC and The Commadores — said they were backing out. Bret Michaels and Martina McBride also announced they would not be performing in the following days.
Several artists said they were misled about the organizers of the event, with Young MC writing: “Despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed.”
Freedom 250 — an organization launched last year following an executive order from President Trump to provide “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence” — maintains that it and the events it is organizing are nonpartisan, saying in a previous statement it is “dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation’s 250th anniversary.” According to the executive order, Mr. Trump serves as the chair of the task force created to organize the celebrations. Freedom 250 and Task Force 250 are separate from a 2016 bipartisan commission created to help plan celebrations for the 250th anniversary.
The Great American State Fair, according to Freedom 250, will run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall, and will include “state and territory pavilions celebrating all 56 states and territories, specialty exhibits, live performances, interactive experiences, and classic fair attractions.”
Van Winkle said he understood why other artists would back out if they feel the event is too political and are “scared” of social media backlash, but added, “For me, I’m just here to celebrate the country I was born in.”
Van Winkle also brushed aside other artists’ accusations that they were misled.
“When I play events, I never ask about them,” he told CBS News. “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.”
Asked if he felt it was possible to separate art from politics, Van Winkle said, “Heck yeah. 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, who has previously performed at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, said he’d play for Democratic politicians as well.
“I’d go play for anybody,” he said. “Putin. Whoever. You want — I’d go to Iran. Don’t matter.”
“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.”
