Rapper Flo Rida broke his silence while honoring his commitment to play at President Trump’s failing Great American State Fair on Thursday night.
The rapper, 46, has had a string of major hits, including “Low,” “Wild Ones,” “Whistle,” and “Right Round.” He was included in the initial announcement of performers set to play gigs at the State Fair.
However, headline artists including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, The Commodores, Young MC and Milli Vanilli all canceled shortly after the event was announced, citing the political shadow over the event to celebrate America’s 250th.
Flo Rida made sure nobody thought he was signaling his support for Trump and the Republican Party by performing at the event via a post on social media. On the same night that he electrified the crowd on the Mall, he formally endorsed a Democrat running for Congress on his million-strong Instagram.
Flo Rida and fellow rapper Vanilla Ice were the only acts who did not pull out of the event. While Vanilla Ice addressed the controversy around performing for Trump, Flo Rida remained silent on his appearance.
The closest the rapper came to making a statement was a post on June 1, where he did not mention Trump by name, but said, “Regardless of all the noise in the world we can still choose every day to be positive and share the good news.”
That all ended when Flo Rida appeared on the stage for his free performance at the State Fair on Thursday evening.
The rapper addressed the gravity of the occasion during his show.
In footage posted by Just the News, Flo Rida told the crowd, “America’s birthday, this is something I don’t take for granted. This is something that’s going down in history, to be here tonight. So, to come out here and show my gift and understand what purpose is, understand what the assignment is. It’s only right that we come out and spread contagious love.”
Unlike most attractions at the event, Flo Rida managed to draw a large audience, as seen in footage shared by fair organizers Freedom 250.
One attendee said the rapper invited audience members on stage, and handed out flowers and signed sneakers.
The State Fair has been dogged by lackluster attendance, a brutal heatwave and environmentally damaging fireworks, as well as visibly melting botched repairs on Trump’s replica arch.
After the show, Freedom 250 posted the rapper stating his wish for America’s 250th anniversary was to “spread the unity, spread the love, peace, joy, and happiness, all in fun, man… to come out here and perform for the 250th birthday of America, I know Jesus is real.”
Also posting footage of the rapper’s show was conservative Nick Sorter, who said Flo Rida was “absolutely LIGHTING UP” the National Mall, and MAGA influencer Mario Nawfal, who said the rapper was “turning up the heat.”
Christian MAGA influencer Bo Loudon shared footage of the rapper, stating “The Left tried to cancel FloRida for not backing out. They failed.”
The Trump allies may be less impressed by Flo Rida actively endorsing Democrat Bernard Taylor, who is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida’s 21st Congressional District.
Flo Rida shared an Instagram story promoting Taylor to his 1 million followers on the same night as his State Fair performance.
The Daily Beast has contacted Freedom 250 and reps for Flo Rida for comment.
Flo Rida’s performance on Thursday evening came after a near-death experience during a rehearsal earlier in the day on the State Fair’s main stage.
In a video shared online by progressive media influencer Aaron Parnas, two groups of young dancers on stage can be seen going through their routine to music when a large, rectangular piece of the structure falls from above, narrowly missing the group on stage right.
“We’re grateful to report that everyone is safe. We take the safety of our performers, crew, volunteers, and guests extremely seriously,” a Freedom 250 spokesperson earlier told the Daily Beast.
“The work underway was taking place on the backside of the stage, separate from the front thrust where performers were rehearsing. Additional safeguards and senior technical oversight are now in place as preparations continue. Freedom 250 and our performers remain fully focused on delivering an unforgettable celebration for the American people.”
Vanilla Ice’s show last Friday was canceled, around two hours before he was due to perform at an “I Love the ’90s” concert.
“Due to inclement weather,” organizers said in a statement on X, the fair would close for the remainder of the day. “The safety of our guests, staff, and partners remains our top priority.”
Trump has reportedly been “livid” about the poor attendance at the fair, and some White House officials who shared revealing photos from his speech were even told to delete them from their social media accounts.
