Ja Rule Dodges Fyre Festival Question While Toasting to His New Whiskey Brand

The aftermath of Fyre Festival will continue to haunt Ja Rule as the rapper and whiskey founder tries to distance himself from the scandal.

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The aftermath of Fyre Festival will continue to haunt Ja Rule as the rapper and whiskey founder tries to distance himself from the scandal.

by Ali Hicks

Published on March 12, 2025

Ja Rule has repeatedly denied wrongdoing regarding his involvement in the infamous Fyre Festival. Although he was named in several civil lawsuits filed by festival attendees and investors, the “Always On Time” rapper has managed to distance himself from the scandal much more than his Fyre Festival co-founder. Now, as Billy McFarland plans Fyre Festival 2, Ja Rule faces some awkward moments — like the one he just experienced on Good Day New York.

Aisha Atkins, Ja Rule, and Billy McFarland at a 2014 party in Montauk | Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Ja Rule co-founded the festival alongside entrepreneur Billy McFarland, serving as a key figure in promoting it as a luxury music festival in the Bahamas. Since the disastrous failure, Netflix and Hulu have broken down what caused Fyre Festival to implode. Both docuseries show extensive footage of the rapper hyping the two-weekend event and partying on the island. When the 2017 festival became a logistical nightmare, Ja Rule seemed to disappear.

Ja Rule and Billy McFarland party in the Bahamas | ABC News via Youtube

Attendees arrived to find inadequate accommodations and subpar food (notoriously, the infamous cheese sandwich). No real festival infrastructure existed, creating dangerous circumstances for those trapped on the island. Fyre Festival quickly became a symbol of fraud and mismanagement. It led to multiple lawsuits and a criminal investigation into McFarland. The disgraced entrepreneur completed four years of a six-year prison sentence before his release in 2022.

Ja Rule during a segment of ‘Good Day New York’ to promote his whiskey Amber & Opal | Michael Simon/Getty Images

Fyre Festival tarnished Ja Rule’s reputation for years, entangling him in viral memes and social media criticisms. Now, the “Mesmerize” rapper is attempting to rehab his reputation and move on to other projects, including his whiskey brand. This morning, Ja Rule visited Fox 5 New York to promote Amber & Opal. He spoke with co-host Rosanna Scotto, who didn’t let him get away without mentioning McFarland and Fyre Festival.

Ja Rule called his honey botanical whiskey “amazing” as he joined Scotto live on air. He explained, “Me and my three good brothers bootstrapped this from the beginning to what you see now.” Scotto compared it to George Clooney’s $1 billion tequila brand before Ja Rule stated that whiskey is different. “Everybody’s doing tequila; everybody’s doing vodkas,” he commented. “Whiskey is the next wave of alcohol. And I think people are very what we call ‘whiskey-curious.'”

Ja Rule and Rosanna Scotto during a segment of ‘Good Day New York’ | Michael Simon/Getty Images

The rapper presented Scotto with several cocktails to try. After toasting to Amber & Oak, Scotto snuck in a comment. “Before you go, I just gotta ask you because that crazy Billy McFarland is doing another Fyre Festival,” she explained. “Oh, lord. No, he isn’t!” responded Ja Rule, who likely knows exactly what McFarland is up to. “Yes, he is,” Scotto pushed. “He found an island off Mexico, off Cancun. Nobody seems to know where it is, but he says he’s got entertainment. It’s coming up soon.”

Rapper Ja Rule and Rosanna Scotto on March 12, 2025 | Michael Simon/Getty Images

Ja Rule simply said, “Oooh,” before Scotto asked, “What do you think?” The rapper paused, looking rather uncomfortable, before saying, “I think we should cheers to Amber & Opal!” The Good Day New York co-host continued, “You’re not going to go to Fyre Festival?” Ja Rule laughed before saying, “I’m not gonna be there, but cheers!”

Rapper Ja Rule and Rosanna Scotto promote his whiskey brand on ‘Good Day New York’ | Michael Simon/Getty Images

Ja Rule did not face criminal charges for his involvement in Fyre Festival. However, he likely wants to stay as far away from the aftermath as possible. The 49-year-old maintains that he did not know about the financial fraud McFarland orchestrated and was also misled about the event’s preparedness. However, Ja Rule was named in several civil lawsuits before being dismissed from a class-action case. A judge ruled that there was no evidence proving he directly participated in the fraud.

Since the fiasco, Ja Rule has said he was a visionary behind the festival but not responsible for its failures. He has even joked about the situation, at one point saying he had an idea to create another music festival. However, he likely made that statement in jest. Ja Rule clearly wants no involvement in McFarland’s next venture.

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