Vanilla Ice says he'd perform for anybody, including Putin and Iran

U.S. After several artists drop out of Freedom 250 concerts, Vanilla Ice says he'd "play for anybody" including Putin and Iran By Jordan Freiman Jordan Freiman News Editor Jordan Freiman is a news editor for CBSNews.com. He covers breaking news, trending stories, sports and crime. Jordan has previously worked at Spin and Death and Taxes. Read Full Bio Jordan Freiman June 1, 2026 / 8:42 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google After several artists dropped out of a Washington, D.C., concert series organized by Freedom 250, rapper Vanilla Ice said he will still be on the bill, telling CBS News on Monday he would perform for anyone, including Russian President Vladimir Putin or Iran. The rapper, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, told CBS News, "It's simple as a pimple for me, there's nothing to it. It's the birthday of America.""Two hundred and fifty years. It's not anything to do with politics. I don't know why they're turning it into politics," Van Winkle said, adding he's "never voted in my life." After the lineup was announced Wednesday, several artists — including Morris Day and the Time, Young MC and The Commadores — said they were backing out. Bret Michaels and Martina McBride also announced they would not be performing in the following days.Several artists said they were misled about the organizers of the event, with Young MC writing: "Despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed." Freedom 250 — an organization launched by the Trump administration last year, according to CBS News partner network BBC News — maintains that it and the events it is organizing are nonpartisan, saying in a previous statement it is "dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation's 250th anniversary."The Great American State Fair, according to Freedom 250, will run from June 25 to July 10 on the National Mall, and will include "state and territory pavilions celebrating all 56...