Vanilla Ice says he will shill for just about anyone—from Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump, as long as his fans can get out and dance.
That’s essentially the defense the “Ice Ice Baby” singer offered when he explained to TMZ on Friday why he hasn’t joined the exodus of musicians invited to perform at the Great American State Fair, a two-week-long concert outside the White House to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
“I’m here to party with America, man,” the rapper, who was born Robert Van Winkle, told TMZ. He’s just not into politics and would be happy to perform for Putin, Trump, former President Joe Biden, or whoever else might ask, he explained.
“I’ll play in Iran if you want. It don’t matter,” Van Winkle said.
To make it perfectly clear, he noted: “I don’t even vote, so I don’t even care.”
“Music is here to bring people together, man,” Ice added. “I don’t take anything too serious; I don’t think anyone else should. I think we should just dance.”
TMZ founder Harvey Levin noted that the event is being seen as a massive push for the president and “divisive” by the musicians “bailing” on the bash, especially since the event has “that Trump stamp,” and the performers “don’t want that stamp on their forehead.”
That drew a chuckle from Van Winkle, who suggested they get it tattooed on their foreheads.
A horde of invited musicians have ditched the increasingly controversial shindig. The event, scheduled for June 27 to July 10 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was planned by the MAGA-backed Freedom 250 group, which claims to be a “non-partisan organization” but has pitched activities aimed at promoting Trump’s agenda.
The Commodores, Young MC, Morris Day & The Time, rocker Bret Michaels, and country singer Martina McBride are among the musicians who have dropped out of the event. McBride said the bash was pitched to her as “non-partisan” but that “turned out to be misleading.”
As for Vanilla Ice, who delivered a memorable performance at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve, he sees no reason to back out.
“It’s all about not taking anything too serious, man,” he repeated. “Everyone is so opinionated. Seems the world is like a snow globe today; it’s all shaken up and everything, man. I’m from the ‘80s and ‘90s. We didn’t take all this mess so serious”—and pointed out people wore “fanny packs” back then.
”C’mon, man, this is a celebration of America," Van Winkle said. “Just get out, shut up, and play.”
