Tuesday, January 22, 2019
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
RAPPER Ja Rule has portrayed himself as a victim after streaming services Netflix and Hulu released their Fyre Festival documentaries last week.
The American rapper was co-founder of the failed festival which collapsed under its own weight in 2017.
In a series of Twitter posts in recent days, he said: “I love how ppl watch a doc and think they have all the answers…I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!! Y’all want it to be me sooo bad it’s crazy…kinda sad!!! The crazy is I’m watching the docs in awe myself (sic).”
Ja Rule also took to Instagram to apologise to Maryann Rolle, the Exuma restauranteur who lost thousands of dollars after catering to guests working on the project.
He wrote: “My heart goes out to this lovely lady…Maryann Rolle we’ve never met but I’m devastated that something that was meant to be amazing, turn out to be such a disaster and hurt so many ppl… SORRY To anyone who has been negatively effected by the festival… Rule (sic).”
Up to press time last night, Mrs Rolle had raised more than $144,000 through a GoFundMe account that has attracted people touched by her appearance in the Netflix documentary “FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.”
One person, Elliot Tebele, donated $20,000. Other donations include thousands of dollars. The main festival organiser and co-founder, Billy McFarland, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, having used fake documents to attack investors to push more than $26m into his company. He is serving a six-year sentence in a US prison.
Comments
Clamshell says...
I saw the film. The video doesn’t lie. This guy was no victim, he was a perpetrator. His “big-time rap star playa” routine was part of the con. He should be sharing a cell with McFarland.
Posted 22 January 2019, 4:58 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
It's standard to attach a big name artist to an event as a draw. If that's what he's in the film doing, speculating that more people will sign up if he attaches his name, there's nothing wrong with that. However IF he's in the film planning to be a no show then...
Posted 22 January 2019, 5:42 p.m. Suggest removal
Clamshell says...
He helped plan it ... he helped promote it ... he was “livin’ large” in promo videos ... and when it fell apart he was nowhere to be found. Pure punk-ass.
Posted 22 January 2019, 7:04 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Actually they Dodd’s use his name and fame to draw fans to the concert. Jah Cure May be a famous rapper and s popular artist but he knew nothing about planning and hosting a concert of that magnitude. And like most of the people in Exuma and those who attended Fire, he got suckered, exploited even. If there was evidence against him they wasn’t letting the lil Black boy walk free.
Posted 22 January 2019, 5:11 p.m. Suggest removal
Clamshell says...
Watch the film. He was part of the con. He’s been around a long time, he’s no naive innocent child. He sat in on business meetings where the “financing” was discussed. Just ‘cause he was never indicted is no reason to take him for a poor innocent lamb.
Posted 22 January 2019, 5:17 p.m. Suggest removal
truetruebahamian says...
A C-rap star! Tied right alongside with Billy, and not worth paying to see or hear. Poor baby!
Posted 22 January 2019, 6:22 p.m. Suggest removal
hrysippus says...
The Fyre Island rapper that calls himself Jah Rule, . . . .
Claims McFarland stood him up and used him, showed him up a fool, . .
Promoting the private island festival Big up as big can be, . . .
Was he doing that for money or doing it for for free? . . . .
Much More than five grand spent to sleep in a wet tent, . . . . .. .Is eating cold cheese sandwich a usual gourmet event? . ''
A million dollar bribe to some minister of finance? . . . . ..
Seems a whole lot of money for a 3 day Exuma beach dance. . . .
And then there was Andy, willing to take one for the team, . . . .
Willing to duck a stick fulfilling Billy's dream. . . . . .. .
And now Billy's doing porridge, a six year stretch or more. . . ..
And piles of empty plastic bottles litter that Great Exuma's shore.
. . . .. .. .
Posted 22 January 2019, 6:31 p.m. Suggest removal
Clamshell says...
Awesome, dude ...
Posted 22 January 2019, 7:01 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Most rappers are manipulated. Most of them have Jewish managers that control their lyrics and get them to sing songs degrading or inciting violence or crime in their own race.
Posted 23 January 2019, 3:12 a.m. Suggest removal
xtreme2x says...
WONDER WHY THE INVESTIGATORS WHO CHARGE MCFARLAND DID NOT CHARGE HIM,IF HE WAS A PART OF C GAME...??? IF HIS FAME AS A RAPPER WAS TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS...IT THAT A CRIME?
Posted 23 January 2019, 7:43 a.m. Suggest removal
Gotoutintime says...
"Rappers are controlled by Jewish managers"??---Give me a break---Rappers put out what make them the big bucks and they could care less how the lyrics incite people to violence!
Posted 23 January 2019, 8:41 a.m. Suggest removal
johnmcntsh says...
Rolling Stone article,
"In the deck, Ja Rule and McFarland are listed as co-founders, with the rapper responsible for “overall business strategy, guiding creative and facilitating artist relations.” In a statement last Friday, the rapper declared, “This is NOT MY FAULT but I’m taking responsibility.
Posted 23 January 2019, 1:48 p.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment