Jamaican government, BZR Weekend deny claims of funding offer for Cardi B performance

Jamaica's Ministry of Culture and Entertainment and organizers of BZR Weekend have denied claims by American rapper Cardi B that the government offered to cover outstanding payments for her canceled performance at the event.

In a statement, Culture and Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange said the government made no financial commitments or payments toward the rapper's appearance or other fees associated with the concert.

"The event was a private commercial engagement in which the Government was not involved," Grange said.

BZR Weekend organizers also issued a statement rejecting Cardi B's allegations, insisting that the event was independently financed and that no government funding had been promised or provided.

"We would like to clarify that BZR Weekend did not receive any financial assistance or funding from the government of Jamaica or the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, nor was any such funding ever promised or agreed upon, contrary to the false claims made by Cardi B," the organizers said.

"BZR Weekend was independently organized and funded, with the full payment to Cardi B made directly and covered entirely through independent funding."

The statements follow claims made by Cardi B during an Instagram Live session on Monday, in which she disputed assertions by BZR Weekend founder and CEO Ryan Burke that organizers had fulfilled their financial obligations to her.

During the livestream, the Grammy-winning rapper claimed she had not received the full US$2.5 million allegedly owed for her performance and suggested that the Jamaican government had attempted to intervene financially.

“You never sent 2.5 [US$2.5 million]. Never. You never sent me 2.5 so what are you talking about?” Cardi B said.

She further claimed that the government had offered to cover the remaining costs in an effort to resolve the dispute.

“It was so much that even the Jamaica government was trying. They wanted to make it so right that they was willing to pay the rest. And I was just like, you know what, ‘It's just too much’,” she said.

The controversy intensified after Burke told CVM Television that BZR Weekend had met its financial obligations to the rapper and intended to pursue legal action over the fallout from her canceled appearance.

Cardi B had announced days before the scheduled October 18 concert that she would no longer perform, prompting organizers to postpone the event until December 20 and issue refunds to ticket holders.

During her livestream, the rapper rejected claims that she had received all payments and said she was prepared to defend her reputation and business interests in court.

In its latest statement, BZR Weekend urged the public to avoid drawing conclusions based on unverified claims while the dispute remains unresolved.

"We firmly believe in the rule of law and the importance of allowing facts and evidence to speak for themselves. We respectfully urge the public to refrain from drawing conclusions based on unverified statements or speculation and to allow the appropriate legal process to take its course," the organizers said.

The company added that it would make no further statements at this time.

Meanwhile, Grange said the Jamaican government was not in a position to provide financial assistance to the event, citing the country's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Melissa.

She pointed to a directive from Prime Minister Andrew Holness requiring public-sector entities to reprioritize spending toward hurricane recovery and reconstruction.

“The Government is at this time constrained to limit expenditure on events, as the main focus is on prioritising recovery and reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa,” Grange said.

Despite the restrictions, the minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting Jamaica's entertainment and cultural industries, including initiatives that promote tourism, strengthen the country's international profile and create economic opportunities for Jamaicans.