Why Did Young MC, Morris Day, and C+C Music Factory Back Out of the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair?
On Wednesday, Freedom 250 revealed a list of stars who will perform at the Trump-backed Great American State Fair. But now it looks like a few acts, including Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and C+C Music Factory, won't participate in the 16-day event on the National Mall.
What Is the Great American State Fair?
Freedom 250 organized the massive Washington, D.C. festival in celebration of the country's 250th birthday this July 4th. Slated to go from June 25 through July 10, the Great American State Fair will feature performers, national theme pavilions, a 110-foot Ferris wheel, themed days, and plenty more.
Who Will and Won't Perform At the Great American State Fair?
The initial list of special guests, speakers, and musical icons who were set to perform at the festival included Martina McBride, Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, The Commodores, Bret Michaels, Flo Rida, Morris Day and The Time, Young MC, and C+C Music Factory.
Even though Freedom 250 just released this list on Wednesday, May 27, by Thursday, some of the acts had already decided it was a no-go. And it's no surprise that politics are at the center of this controversy.
Legendary "Bust a Move" rapper Young MC pulled the plug on his performance, sharing on Facebook, "I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event. The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event. And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed. I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.
Likewise, Morris Day and The Time also took to Facebook, posting this statement, "Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & The Time will not be performing at the Great American State Fair" along with, "It's A No For Me."
But it didn't stop there. C+C Music Factory's Freedom Williams (in a lengthy rant from his bathroom) posted a video on Instagram, "I just got some texts all day, I've kind of been out of the loop. ‘You doing the Trump Freedom show? Yo, you doing the show on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. with Donald Trump?' I'm like, ‘What are you talking about?'"
After an, um, let's just say, spirited explanation that he has absolutely nothing to do with Donald Trump, Williams goes on to explain that his agent called him a few months ago, asking him to do a show in Washington, D.C. Of course, he said yes. But at the time, his agent didn't mention Trump. After learning about the political affiliation, Williams backed out of the event.
The C+C Music Factory performer kept going, making it clear that he also had plenty to say about his critics who are trying to "cancel" him and politicians in general. And that's not even the half of it!
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 3:32 PM.