Vanilla Ice Blows Up The America 250 Boycott Narrative

Nineties icon Vanilla Ice made it clear that he would never join the artists backing out of performances at the “Great American State Fair” — part of the America 250 celebrations — saying that he refused to let anyone tell him he couldn’t be proud of his country.

The musician, born Robert Matthew Van Winkle, spoke with CNN anchor Brianna Keilar about his plans to participate in the upcoming events — and artists like Bret Michaels and country superstar Martina McBride, who have already pulled out of planned performances citing “politicization” of the overall celebrations.

Keilar asked the rapper why he was planning to go ahead with his appearance even though other artists had backed out of their own performances, and he held nothing back.

“I don’t know, I can only speak for myself, and I’m proud to be an American,” he said. “I was born here and raised here. This is my country and I don’t like anybody telling me I really can’t be proud of it. This is a huge honor to play the birthday, it’s one of the — it’s once in a lifetime, you know, 250.”

He went on to say that he respected the decisions of other artists, but that he had no intention of going down that road himself.

“I know there’s a lot of tension everywhere,” he continued. “This whole world is like a snow globe, but it shouldn’t be that and music is here to bring people together, man. And, you know, it shouldn’t be that this music is dragged into politics. It’s not fair. I don’t even vote! I’m not a politician, I don’t have the first thing to say about how to run a country or do anything like that.”

“I think this is a huge honor, and I’m wanting to celebrate the country I was born and raised in,” he declared. “We didn’t take things so serious back in the ’90s — I feel sorry for these kids today, man, you know? I have kids, so I know!”

The rapper went on to suggest that kids would be better off if they were able to go back to the ’80s and ’90s and get off the computer screens for a bit.

“Havin’ fun, and Z. Cavariccis, and you just go out and you rip your back seat and put subwoofers in, and you enjoy going to Blockbuster,” he said. “All we’re doing is celebrating the birthday of our country, what’s the big deal here? And as far as entertainers, I don’t think it’s fair to put any of us on a pedestal like that as far as politics goes because, you know, it shouldn’t matter: we’re just here to play.”

WATCH:

???? NOW: American rapper Vanilla Ice SAYS IT PERFECTLY after artists bail on performing at America’s 250th celebration in Washington DC

CNN: Why are you still planning on performing?

ICE: “I’m PROUD to be an American! […] I don’t like ANYBODY telling me I can’t be proud of… pic.twitter.com/UHYyWjTiMy

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 1, 2026