After several artists dropped out of the White House’s Freedom 250 concert, rapper Vanilla Ice said he plans to remain on the bill.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump said he would propose an “AMERICA IS BACK” rally featuring himself after a majority of the Great American State Fair lineup refused to perform, citing concerns such as divisiveness and misleading advertising because of the event’s association with the Trump administration. Morris Day, Young MC, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Martina McBride, and Brett Michaels have all announced that they will not be part of the event.
“I’d go play for anybody, Putin, whoever you want. I’d go to Iran, don’t matter,” he said in an interview with CBS News.
Vanilla Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, said earlier that he felt proud and honored to have been invited to celebrate America 250. “We’re gonna bring back the 90s,” he said in an Instagram post. “Put your dancing shoes on, you’ll be happy. Trust me, it’s all about enjoying the great times of 250 years, man, from George Washington to now.”
In an interview with CNN’s Brianna Keilar, the rapper said he feels that music shouldn’t be dragged down into politics.
“This is my country, and I don’t like anybody telling me I really can’t be proud of it,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of tension everywhere. This whole world is like a snow globe, but it shouldn’t be that. And music is here to bring people together.”
He continued to defend his decision to perform, saying he is not political and has never voted. He stated that the event is an opportunity for him to celebrate the country in which he was born.
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“You think I don’t have fans over at Kamala or Biden’s family?” he said. “I know I do. You think I don’t know that they got kids and families and cousins and nephews? There are Vanilla Ice fans everywhere.”
“You cannot pick your fans. They pick you. You know you’re just an entertainer. Don’t ever try to think you’re anything beyond that,” he added.
The Dallas-born performer is best known for his songs “Ice, Ice Baby,” “Play That Funky Music,” and “Jump Around.”