Young MC pulls out of Freedom 250 over 'politically charged' event concerns

Young MC pulls out of Freedom 250

Young MC has confirmed he will not perform at the Freedom 250 event, the latest artist to withdraw from the Great American State Fair lineup celebrating America's 250th anniversary. According to Billboard, the rapper made the announcement via social media, stating plainly: "The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event."

The event, which runs from June 25 to July 10 and features musical performances every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, had initially assembled a bill that included Martina McBride, Flo Rida, C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, and others. Young MC cited a SPIN magazine report describing the event as Trump-backed as a key reason for his exit. "Despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan," he wrote, "I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged."

Morris Day and The Time also out

Young MC is not alone. Morris Day and The Time separately left the lineup with their own statement, simply captioning their post "It's a no for me."

The Freedom 250 event forms the finale of President Donald Trump's year-long Great American State Fair initiative, which also involves activations at state fairs across the country. The White House had promised to "throw the greatest birthday party in American history" when plans were first previewed in July of last year.

A significant figure in hip-hop history

The walkout carries some cultural weight given who Young MC is. Born in London to Jamaican immigrant parents and raised in New York City, Marvin Young, now 59, was one of hip-hop's earliest crossover hitmakers. As a songwriter, he co-wrote two 1989 hits for Tone-Loc: "Wild Thing," which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Funky Cold Medina," which peaked at No. 3. His own solo single "Bust a Move" hit No. 7 on the Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for best rap performance.