Vanilla Ice Confirms June 26 Freedom 250 Set as 5 of 9 Acts Drop Out
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 30
Vanilla Ice Confirms June 26 Freedom 250 Set as 5 of 9 Acts Drop Out
5 articles · Updated · Variety · May 30
Vanilla Ice said he will still perform at the Trump-backed Freedom 250 festival in Washington on June 26, making him one of only two acts still publicly committed.
TMZ quoted the rapper saying “music is not political,” that he does not vote, and that he would also perform for Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin or even in Iran because artists play for fans.
Five of the nine originally announced acts — Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day, Martina McBride and the Commodores — have already withdrawn from the event.
Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli remains confirmed, Freedom Williams of C&C Music Factory said he is leaning toward staying on, and Flo Rida is the only announced artist yet to comment.
The festival has become a test of whether performers will treat America’s 250th-birthday celebration as a nonpartisan concert or distance themselves from Trump-linked branding.
With its lineup in flux, can the Freedom 250 festival still deliver on its promise of unity?
Can music truly be a unifying force when the stage itself is a source of division?