Source: Patrick McMullan / Getty
“If at first you don’t succeed, try again” is generally a good motto to live by, but we’re not sure if the man behind the ill-fated Fyre Festival of 2017 should actually be taking heed to the age-old proverb.
Recently the co-founder of the original Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, confirmed that he’d be bringing back the real life Hunger Games that had social media talking back in 2017. But this time around, his partner-in-crime, Ja Rule, is distancing himself from what could be another struggle jamboree in the islands. Speaking to People about McFarland’s attempt to resurrect the controversial event that featured fancy government cheese sandwiches for its attendees, Ja had no qualms about not being a part of Billy’s brainchild.
“I don’t know nothing about it!” the 47-year-old rapper tells PEOPLE at TuneCore’s 50 Years of Hip Hop event in New York City Thursday night. “I don’t know nothing about it. I ain’t in it!”
Ja Rule’s finally doing shows again and y’all think he’s gonna risk the little bit of popularity he’s gotten back for another struggle debacle?! Not bloody likely!
Naturally McFarland caught wind of Ja Rule’s comments and took to Twitter to formally deny him entrance to the party that Ja didn’t even want to attend by writing “definitely not invited.”
The question is, who wants to be invited? Scamming dozens of investors and thousands of would-be festival-goers with promises of a music-infused weekend complete with big name music artists and luxury accommodations at the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, McFarland’s original Fyre Festival proved to be a disaster. The luxury accommodations were basically FEMA tents, the food provided was straight out of an episode of Survivor and the only music guest actually involved was Ja Rule who didn’t even make the trip out to the island.
Eventually, that same year McFarland and Rule were hit with a $100 million class-action lawsuit and the following year McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud and other fraud charges relating to a different ticket-selling scam in July. Billy was sentenced to six years behind bars and was released in 2022 after serving four.
Luckily for Ja, he ducked charges related to the festival and has since gone on to regain some of his music momentum as of late.
How Billy McFarland plans to make things right with another Fyre Festival is anyone’s guess. But if you’re willing to give that man your money and fly out to a tropical setting knowing it could lead to the government rescuing you at some point, that’s on you.
Would y’all be willing to go to a Fyre Festival without Ja Rule’s blessing? Let us know in the comments section below.
