Vanilla Ice defends Freedom 250 concert, says he would play for Putin, Iran

If you're willing to pay the price, Vanilla Ice is game.

The rapper, one of the remaining acts who were set to perform at the Great American State Fair, said he still plans to perform at the event from President Donald Trump's nonprofit Freedom 250, and he has no qualms about it.

It's simple as a pimple for me. There's nothing to it. It's the birthday of America," he told CBS News in an interview published Monday, June 1. "It's not anything to do with politics. I don't know why they're turning it into politics."

The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper, born Robert Van Winkle, said he'd "go play for anybody," including Russian President Vladimir "Putin. Whoever. You want – I'd go to Iran. Don't matter."

The comments come after the majority of the artists set for the June 25-July 10 event dropped out, including The Commodores and Martina McBride, who suggested they were led to believe the event was "non-partisan," and Bret Michaels, who said he has received "completely unfounded and unforgivable" threats over his appearance in the lineup.

Freedom 250 has said it is "dedicated to uniting Americans around the nation's 250th anniversary."

Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida were among the remaining acts. Trump, in response to the departures, has suggested that he now plans to give a speech at the fair instead, according to a White House official. His headlining speech is being planned for June 24.

Vanilla Ice said that while he understood artists backing out over being "scared" of backlash or the event being too political, he said he didn't concern himself with whether the event was partisan or not: "When I play events, I never ask about them."

The rapper, who admitted he has "never voted in my life," said art should "never be in" politics, adding, "You should do whatever you feel like doing.

"You can't pick your fans. They pick you," the rapper continued. "You're just an entertainer. Don't ever try to think you're anything beyond that."

The Great American State Fair will transform the National Mall in Washington, D.C., into "the biggest, boldest state fair in the country" in honor of the United States' semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, according to the official Freedom 250 website. Scheduled attractions include a Ferris wheel and carousel, as well as rodeo and livestock competitions.

Contributing: Zachary Schermele and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY