Ja Rule, one of the partners of the original Fyre Festival, has distanced himself from Billy McFarland’s attempt at a sophomore event.
In news that ought to come as a surprise to nobody whatsoever, Ja Rule has publicly stated that he does not plan to attend Fyre Festival 2.
Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins) famously partnered with Billy McFarland on the disastrous 2017 debut of Fyre Festival, which left attendees stranded on the Bahamian island of Exhumas with scarce food or shelter. Amid conversations over whether McFarland has actually booked talent for the dubious follow-up, it only makes sense that Fox 5 New York‘s Rosanna Scotto would bring it up to Atkins during their recent recent interview.
“Oh lord, no he isn’t,” Atkins responded when Scotto brought up McFarland’s attempts to revamp Fyre Festival. After jokingly changing the subject, he quipped, “I’m not gonna be there, but cheers!”
Last month, tickets went on sale for Fyre Festival 2, including at a $1.1 million tier called “Prometheus.” Not even a week later, the tourism board of Isla Mujeres, where the gathering is supposed to take place, denied that the organizers had ever contacted them in regards to hosting an event. Then, on NBC’s Today show, McFarland dodged a question about whether any artists had actually agreed to perform, in spite of the event dates of May 30 – June 2 rapidly approaching.
For anyone paying attention, these inconsistencies smack of the empty promises that turned the 2017 event into a full-on media spectacle. McFarland spent four years in federal prison for defrauding Fyre Festival’s investors, and his misdeeds were chronicled in detail in two documentaries on Netflix and Hulu. Atkins claims he was also scammed by McFarland.
More information on the festival’s comeback — which we advise taking with a heavy grain of salt — can be found on the Fyre Festival 2 website.
