Vanilla Ice defended his decision to play Donald Trump‘s upcoming Freedom 250 concert, saying he’d also consider performing for Russian president Vladimir Putin if given the opportunity.
“I’m here to party with America, man,” the rapper said in an interview with TMZ that was posted on Friday. “Music is made to bring people together and that’s all we’re here to do, man. We’re just going to represent the ’90s. I don’t take anything too serious. I don’t think anybody else should. I think that we should just dance. You know, it’s life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and you got to get out and pursue it with dance.”
He added, “I don’t think it should be about any political thing or anything like that. I don’t even vote, so I don’t even care.”
Vanilla Ice said that if former President Joe Biden called up and asked him to perform he would. “I’d go play,” he said. “It’s not a big thing. You play for your fans, you know. We don’t get a chance to pick our fans. They pick us. And I’ll go play for Putin and I’ll play in Iran if you want. It don’t matter. There’s fans everywhere. Music is not political, man. It’s universal.”
Over the past few days, five of the nine acts originally announced for Freedom 250 have dropped out, including Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day, Martina McBride, and the Commodores. The event, officially titled the Great American State Fair, was organized by Keith Krach, a Trump appointee, and is set to be held in Washington, D.C. at the National Mall.
Krach outlined his goals for Freedom 250 in a statement on his website. “I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to execute his vision for Freedom 250,” he wrote. “At its core, Freedom 250 is a national movement — bringing states, businesses, organizations, and citizens together to honor our history, cherish our God-given freedoms, and help build a golden age of opportunity for the next 250 years.”
Vanilla Ice’s manager, TQ Management, previously told Rolling Stone that the rapper is looking forward to the concert. “Vanilla Ice is contracted and will perform at the Great American Fair at the National Mall on Friday, June 26,” the rep says. “He is proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary! Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate USA’s Birthday and our Freedom!”
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Speaking to TMZ, Vanilla Ice noted, “Everybody’s opinionated and it seems like the world is like a snow globe today. It’s all shaken up, man.”
He continued, “I’m from the ’80s and ’90s. We didn’t take all this mess so serious. … We had fanny packs and ripped our back seats out and put in subwoofers. Come on, man. This is a celebration of America 250, the birthday of our country that we were born in. Come on. Enjoy the dancing.”
