Cardi B’s would-be Caribbean stadium-headlining debut has devolved into a whole lot of drama.
On Tuesday night (Nov. 10), the “WAP” 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. In an appearance on Jamaica’s 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.
In a new exclusive statement to Billboard, a representative for Cardi B staunchly denies Burke’s claim.
“Contrary to BZR WKND’s 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,” the full statement reads. “Any 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’s failure to meet its contractual obligations.”
Earlier this summer (Aug. 4), Billboard exclusively revealed Cardi’s involvement in the festival, which would have marked her first time headlining a stadium in the Caribbean. Billed as “Cardi B & Friends,” her performance was set to be hosted by Grammy-nominated dancehall artist Spice, with additional performers including Keyshia Cole, Ding Dong, Shaneil Muir, Stalk Ashley and DJ MAC. 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.
BZR WKND representatives also provided a lengthy, exclusive statement to Billboard regarding Cardi’s claims over the past 48 hours.
“Following 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,” the statement stresses, also reasserting that the Jamaican government was not involved in covering the remaining balance of her performance fee.
“Unfortunately, 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,” the statement continues. “We 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.”
Cardi pulled out of BZR WKND on Oct. 8 via an exclusive statement from her representative, saying she “appreciates the love and support from her fans in Jamaica and hopes to see them in the future.” In a video posted to her Instagram Broadcast Channel the following day, she said, “I tried my best, and I waited and I waited and I waited for things to get in place and together, but it didn’t.”
She echoed those sentiments in a Nov. 9 Instagram Live, kicking things off with: “Let me tell you something, baby. Please, I wish on the brightest star for you to sue me… so I could really get money out of you for real because the way you got me f—ed up is insane.”
According 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.
“It would be too late for cargo to send; all the flights are extremely expensive, [and] the hotels are extremely expensive,” she explained, also noting that she returned the late payment because equipment was still in Florida. “You 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’s like, ‘Why am I paying the production of a whole entire show if this is a festival?’ You was trying to use the verbiage, like, ‘Oh no, this is not a festival, this is a Cardi B concert.’ No, this is not a Cardi B concert. This is a festival, and I’m headlining. This is two different things.”
Burke presents an entirely different account. “We were hoping that Cardi B would have fulfilled her obligations and showed up for the country on Oct. 18th,” he said during an appearance on Jamaica’s CVM News broadcast on Nov. 9, as per Jamaica Observer. “After 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’t happen either.
“Millions 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,” he alleged. “We requested the money back when we found that she didn’t look like she was going to be performing on the rescheduled date, but we didn’t hear anything back from them, which is why we are here now.”
Cardi fired back against all of Burke’s claims in her lengthy livestream, saying, “It’s 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’re lying on me, which is defamation of character, and I’m going to sue you right the f—k back.” She also said that she would not be returning the initial deposit.
On Tuesday night, her agent, Mike ‘Mike G’ Guirguis of United Talent Agency, doubled down on X, writing: “Here’s 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.”
During her late-night Nov. 10 stream, Cardi also clarified her previous claims that the Jamaican government had invested in the show, saying, “I want to apologize to the Government of Jamaica… Motherf–kers were putting y’all name in the finesse… And I challenge a motherf–ker to call my bluff… I got an email from you [Ryan] telling my people that the government invested in the festival; you said it! Now, I don’t know if that’s true or not cause like I said, everything was a finesse.”
The Am I the Drama? rapper’s apology comes after Jamaica’s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport released an official statement denying any financial involvement in BZR WKND 2026. “The 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,” read the statement, which also noted that event expenditure has been limited as Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts continue. “The event was a private commercial engagement in which the Government was not involved.”
Cardi B may no longer be performing in Jamaica — though she did joke that she’ll take her next vacation there — but she’ll take the stage for GTA 6: The Festival in Miami on Nov. 21 and will receive Billboard Canada’s first-ever Global Woman of the Year award in Toronto on Nov. 24.