Vanilla Ice defends Great American State Fair gig, tells critics music ‘has no political rules’

Vanilla Ice is ready to rock the stage at the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts as other acts drop out.

In a video shared to his Instagram, the 58-year-old rapper shared that he is excited and “honored” to be performing at the event, promising to “bring back the 90s.”

“It’s all about enjoying the great times of 250 years. From George Washington to now. All the presidents and everybody in between, this is a magical event that’s gonna happen,” he said in the video. “It’s very rare. I’m honored, man. This is gonna be epic. And that’s it. We don’t take anything too seriously, and we’re gonna bring the ‘90s, that’s how it works.”

He shared in his caption that the concert is “gonna be an epic party” which has been organized “to bring us all together.”

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“We are all one. This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America’s birthday,” he wrote. “Nothing too serious just enjoying some fun, dancing and great memories. Hope you guys can join us.”

He was met with a series of conflicting comments from fans, with some praising him for deciding to participate in the show, writing, “I’m with you brother!! Let’s go 🔥🔥,” and others calling his decision “disappointing,” as they oppose the current administration led by President Donald Trump.

Vanilla Ice responded to the negative comments with a comment of his own, telling fans, “If Joe Biden calls and says hey, I want you to play for my daughter‘s wedding. I’m going to play.”

“There are fans everywhere. Music has no political rules. We are just entertainers,” he wrote. “I don’t vote and I never have and I always try to bring people together. We are all one. Positivity is the best hope for everything. Love is the answer.”

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The Great American State Fair is a large-scale national celebration being held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. The event runs from June 25 through July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration (America 250).

Freedom 250, the group organizing the event, released the list of artists attached to the concert on Wednesday, but since then, many of those artists have backed out, including Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and the Time and C+C Music Factory.

Country singer Martina McBride is also among those who backed out of the concert, announcing her decision to pull out of the event in a lengthy statement on X.

In her statement, she wrote that she was “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event” and was upset when the upcoming show “turned out to be misleading.”

“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one,” McBride added. “It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs.”

The country music superstar received a lot of backlash on social media after releasing her statement.

“Coward. It’s the 250th birthday of America it’s not political. Never cave to the woke mob. You just did,” one user wrote on X.

“Wow. So you got pushback from people who were NEVER your fans to begin with, and you caved. You aren’t brave. You aren’t standing up for anyone. You’re a coward. Shame on you @martinamcbride,” another wrote.

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