Artists drop out of Trump-backed event for America’s 250th birthday

At least two artists who were slated to perform at the “Great American State Fair” in Washington this summer have denied involvement in the White House-backed event to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary.
Just hours after the lineup was unveiled Wednesday, Morris Day and The Time said in a post on Instagram that “contrary to rumor,” the group will not perform at the event.
Rapper Young MC, whose 1989 hit “Bust A Move” topped the charts at the time, also announced on Facebook that he would not perform at the event.
“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,” he wrote, citing media coverage describing the event as “Trump-backed.”
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Clarissa-Jan Lim
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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