Cardi B disputes $2.5 million payment claims over canceled Jamaica concert, threatens countersuit

The rapper says she received only $900,000 and was still waiting on the remaining payment when organizers failed to meet their obligations.

Cardi B is pushing back against claims that she collected $2.5 million for a Jamaican concert she ultimately did not perform, insisting that the organisers failed to deliver the full payment needed to make the appearance possible.

The disagreement has now taken a legal turn, with the rapper warning that she is prepared to countersue if BZR WKND pursues a case against her.

The dispute became public after BZR WKND chief executive Ryan Burke told CVM News that the organisers intended to take legal action over Cardi B’s withdrawal from the event.

Burke maintained that the rapper had received her full $2.5 million performance fee and that the organisers had unsuccessfully sought reimbursement after the planned December 20 rescheduled date also fell through.

But Cardi B offered a different account during an Instagram Live broadcast, directly addressing Burke and challenging his version of the payment arrangement.

“You sent me a deposit for a million dollars for the show,” she said, before clarifying that the amount she actually received was $900,000. She explained that an initial deposit was part of the booking arrangement, but the remaining balance was still outstanding weeks later.

According to the rapper, the money was not simply a personal performance fee. It was also necessary to cover the substantial expenses involved in putting on the show. She pointed to the equipment, personnel and preparation required, including screens, lighting, dancers, makeup artists and management.

“Sixteen dancers, makeup artists, management — it’s about like a forty, fifty, fifty team,” she said while describing the scale of the production operation.

Cardi B also identified September 17 as the date she expected the remaining payment. She said she waited until the day she publicly announced her withdrawal, arguing that the organisers could not reasonably expect her to fund the production from the deposit alone.

“You was expecting me to use my deposit money,” she said, questioning why she was being blamed when, in her account, the outstanding production payment had not arrived.

She further insisted that the disagreement had not come without prior communication, saying her legal representatives had been speaking with the organisers’ lawyers throughout the process. “Every single day, every single day,” she said, describing the exchanges between the two sides.

The Jamaica Observer’s November 9 report detailed Burke’s allegations and the rapper’s response. Cardi B also warned during the livestream that she would take legal action if the organisers proceeded with their threatened case.

The performance was scheduled for October 18 as part of BZR WKND’s October 16-18 programme. Organisers later announced a December 20 replacement date and said ticket holders would receive refunds.

With both sides disputing the financial arrangements, the central question remains whether the agreed payment obligations were fulfilled. Neither account has been independently established, and the dispute could ultimately require legal proceedings to resolve.