Artists Withdraw from Freedom 250 Concerts Due to Concern of Political Party Influence

Last week, many acclaimed 80s and 90s artists were announced to be performing at the Freedom 250 concert at the National Mall to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday in Washington D.C., a festival hosted by President Trump. Shortly after, many of these artists, such as Young MC and Morris Day, canceled their appearances due to concerns about associating with a political party.

Young MC, a 59-year-old singer and rapper, is best known for his 1989 hit single, “Bust a Move.” The single hit the Billboard Hot 100 within its first week and won a Grammy the following year. He has won multiple awards including the American Music Award for Best Rap Artist and the Billboard Award for Best New Pop Artist. Yet, when asked to perform in D.C., the 90s hip-hop artist declined the offer and publicly announced on Facebook that he would not be associated with any political party. When Young MC heard the festival was going to be “Trump-backed”, he tweeted,“I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged”.

Along with Young MC, C+C Music Factory is also considering dropping out of the list of artists who will be performing at the National Mall. Their hit track, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” has over 300 million views on Spotify and has reached people from each generation. C+C Music Factory originally decided to not go to D.C. to perform, but they seem to be rethinking their decision.

Similarly, another famous artist, Bret Michaels, made his announcement clear on social media that he would not be attending the artist. Best known as the lead singer of the rock band Poison, he stated “Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be part of,” making it clear he felt the same about this concert as the other artists who have withdrawn.

There are many other artists who have backed out of this performance because of its association with political parties such as Martina McBride and Morris Day, all citing disagreements with how the festival is centered. However, as many artists have not announced their withdrawal from the event, no one knows for certain who will be performing at the celebration next month in Washington D.C.