\n\tCardi B\u2019s would-be Caribbean stadium-headlining debut has devolved into a whole lot of drama.<\/p>\n
\n\tOn Tuesday night (Nov. 10), the \u201cWAP\u201d rapper took to Instagram Live to lambast Ryan Burke, promoter of the BZR WKND Jamaica 2026, after he announced he would sue her over her scrapped headlining set at the festival<\/a>. In an appearance on Jamaica\u2019s CVM News the night before, Burke also alleged that Cardi was paid her full $2.5 million fee and is refusing to return the money.<\/p>\n \n\tIn a new exclusive statement to Billboard, a representative for Cardi B staunchly denies Burke\u2019s claim.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cContrary to BZR WKND\u2019s claims, Cardi B was not paid in full for her scheduled appearance. The event organizers failed to fulfill their contractual payment obligations, constituting a material breach of the agreement. As a result of this breach, Cardi B was left with no choice but to cancel her participation,\u201d the full statement reads. \u201cAny suggestion that Cardi B received full payment and subsequently withdrew without justification is false and misrepresents the circumstances surrounding the cancellation. Cardi B and her representatives stand firmly behind the decision and are prepared to defend against any claims arising from the organizer\u2019s failure to meet its contractual obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tEarlier this summer (Aug. 4), Billboard exclusively revealed<\/a> Cardi\u2019s involvement in the festival, which would have marked her first time headlining a stadium in the Caribbean. Billed as \u201cCardi B & Friends,\u201d her performance was set to be hosted by Grammy-nominated dancehall artist Spice<\/a>, with additional performers<\/a> including Keyshia Cole, Ding Dong<\/a>, Shaneil Muir, Stalk Ashley and DJ MAC<\/a>. The four-day festival was originally scheduled for Oct. 16-19 and has since been condensed to a two-day experience set for Dec. 19-20.<\/p>\n \n\tBZR WKND representatives also provided a lengthy, exclusive statement to Billboard regarding Cardi\u2019s claims over the past 48 hours.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFollowing receipt of the initial deposit payment, Cardi B did not fulfill her contractual obligation to provide promotional support for the event, including the required official announcement video, a standard deliverable in artist engagements of this nature,\u201d the statement stresses, also reasserting that the Jamaican government was not involved in covering the remaining balance of her performance fee.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cUnfortunately, despite making the agreed-upon payments in full directly to Cardi B, the artist and her team has continued to make claims to the contrary over the past 48 hours via Instagram Live,\u201d the statement continues. \u201cWe are taking steps to pursue legal action to protect the integrity and reputation of BZR WKND and the many stakeholders adversely affected by this situation. We intend to vigorously defend our position through the appropriate legal channels.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCardi pulled out of BZR WKND on Oct. 8 via an exclusive statement<\/a> from her representative, saying she \u201cappreciates the love and support from her fans in Jamaica and hopes to see them in the future.\u201d In a video<\/a> posted to her Instagram Broadcast Channel the following day, she said, \u201cI tried my best, and I waited and I waited and I waited for things to get in place and together, but it didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe echoed those sentiments in a Nov. 9 Instagram Live, kicking things off with: \u201cLet me tell you something, baby. Please, I wish on the brightest star for you to sue me\u2026 so I could really get money out of you for real because the way you got me f\u2014ed up is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAccording to Cardi, she was only paid a deposit of around $900,000 out of a previously agreed-upon $1 million advance, which comprised half of her overall fee. Furthermore, she alleges that BZR WKND failed to meet the agreed-upon deadline of Sept. 17 for a subsequent payment dedicated to production costs, only sending a $750,000 transfer after she notified their team that she would be pulling out of the festival.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt would be too late for cargo to send; all the flights are extremely expensive, [and] the hotels are extremely expensive,\u201d she explained, also noting that she returned the late payment because equipment was still in Florida. \u201cYou only gave me a week and a half because you were supposed to send the production money. You were trying to make me pay the production of the whole entire show. And it\u2019s like, \u2018Why am I paying the production of a whole entire show if this is a festival?\u2019 You was trying to use the verbiage, like, \u2018Oh no, this is not a festival, this is a Cardi B concert.\u2019 No, this is not a Cardi B concert. This is a festival, and I\u2019m headlining. This is two different things.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBurke presents an entirely different account. \u201cWe were hoping that Cardi B would have fulfilled her obligations and showed up for the country on Oct. 18th,\u201d he said during an appearance on Jamaica\u2019s CVM News broadcast on Nov. 9, as per Jamaica Observer<\/a>. \u201cAfter speaking with her team, they stated that they wanted to come to the makeup date that was scheduled for December 20th, but unfortunately that didn\u2019t happen either.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMillions went into the show; Cardi B received $2.5 million for her performance, and that money was sent directly to her. She was paid in full,\u201d he alleged. \u201cWe requested the money back when we found that she didn\u2019t look like she was going to be performing on the rescheduled date, but we didn\u2019t hear anything back from them, which is why we are here now.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCardi fired back against all of Burke\u2019s claims in her lengthy livestream, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s one thing for you to get online and lie about me, but baby, one [place] you cannot lie is that courtroom. Take me there because now you\u2019re lying on me, which is defamation of character, and I\u2019m going to sue you right the f\u2014k back.\u201d She also said that she would not be returning the initial deposit.<\/p>\n \n\tOn Tuesday night, her agent, Mike \u2018Mike G\u2019 Guirguis of United Talent Agency, doubled down on X, writing<\/a>: \u201cHere\u2019s the truth. @iamcardib never received her full fee for the Jamaica show, and the promoter failed to meet multiple obligations under the agreement. Any claim that she was paid in full is false. Her fans in Jamaica deserve transparency and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDuring her late-night Nov. 10 stream<\/a>, Cardi also clarified her previous claims that the Jamaican government had invested in the show, saying, \u201cI want to apologize to the Government of Jamaica\u2026 Motherf\u2013kers were putting y\u2019all name in the finesse\u2026 And I challenge a motherf\u2013ker to call my bluff\u2026 I got an email from you [Ryan] telling my people that the government invested in the festival; you said it! Now, I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s true or not cause like I said, everything was a finesse.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe Am I the Drama?<\/a> rapper\u2019s apology comes after Jamaica\u2019s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport released an official statement<\/a> denying any financial involvement in BZR WKND 2026. \u201cThe Government of Jamaica made no commitment or payment towards appearance fees or any fees whatsoever, in relation to a proposed concert in Jamaica which was expected to feature international recording artiste, Cardi B,\u201d read the statement, which also noted that event expenditure has been limited as Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts continue. \u201cThe event was a private commercial engagement in which the Government was not involved.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCardi B may no longer be performing in Jamaica \u2014 though she did joke that she\u2019ll take her next vacation there \u2014 but she\u2019ll take the stage for GTA 6: The Festival<\/a> in Miami on Nov. 21 and will receive Billboard Canada\u2019s first-ever Global Woman of the Year award<\/a> in Toronto on Nov. 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cardi B\u2019s would-be Caribbean stadium-headlining debut has devolved into a whole lot of drama. 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