Latest news with #JaRule
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Irv Gotti, music executive
Irv Gotti attends the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center on August 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. Famed hip-hop music executive Irv Gotti launched the careers of rappers such as Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule in a career which took him from DJing to record company mogul. Born Irving Domingo Lorenzo jun in Queens, Gotti started out as a talent scout for the revered Def Jam label in the mid-1990s, before co-founding the Def Jam secondary label Murder, Inc with his brother Chris. That label helped launch the careers of Ja Rule and Ashanti, among others. Gotti and his brother stood trial in the early 2000s over their ties to a known drug kingpin, but they were both cleared of the charges. The case was closely watched by some of the music industry's biggest stars, and Ja Rule called it a "war against hip-hop". After the trial Gotti moved into broadcasting, first starring in a reality series based on his life, then creating successful hip-hop-inspired anthology series Tales. Diagnosed with diabetes, Gotti struggled to manage the condition and died on February 5 aged 54. — APL/agencies
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Memphis steel firm teams with TN college for top apprenticeships
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A local steel production company is being recognized by Tennessee on National Apprenticeship Day on Wednesday for making high-paying jobs in the steel industry more attainable. Morgan Steel in South Memphis, a carbon steel distributor and fabricator based in Memphis and Greenville, Texas, partnered with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology to create a unique apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship will provide workers skills needed to program, operate and maintain robot welders as well as production using Artificial Intelligence. Ja Rule, Ashanti headline tour at the Landers Center 'To be able to help people better themselves and give them a whole new level of technical information and technical skills that will be able to create a trade for them that they'll be able to have for the rest of their life,' said Michael Sargent, Morgan Steel, Chief Operating Officer. Morgan Steel is recognized for its program by the State of Tennessee. Applicants with a high school diploma or GED accepted in the one year apprenticeship program would make $17 an hour as the starting pay. Monday's announcement comes as President Trump signs two executive orders, one preparing Americans for high-paying, skilled trade jobs of the future the second for advancing AI education for American youth. Man shot in Orange Mound: MPD 'This opportunity today shows us the importance of trades and CCTE education. So from a City perspective, we now have another avenue, another partner that we can partner with to help direct our students to internships and career employment long term,' said Brian Harris, Director of Youth Service, City of Memphis. For more information on how to apply for an apprenticeship, click here for Morgan Steel or the Tennessee College of Applied Technology. You must have a high school diploma or GED to apply. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fyre Festival founder says the brand is now for sale, second festival canceled: ‘I can't risk a repeat.' Here's how we got here.
Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland announced on Wednesday that he and his team are selling the festival's brand after facing 'challenges' while trying to produce Fyre Festival 2. The festival, which was scheduled to take place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, was McFarland's second attempt at hosting a multiday music festival after the disastrous Fyre Festival he co-planned with rapper Ja Rule in 2017, which resulted in him pleading guilty to wire fraud and being sentenced to six years in federal prison. In a post on Instagram, McFarland explained that planning Fyre Festival 2 was about 'finishing what I started and making things right.' But, he wrote that he and his team realized 'the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach and cultural capital — to an operator that can fully realize its vision.' 'Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do,' McFarland continued. 'We will pick the new group based on their ability to execute the vision.' Anyone interested in the brand can visit its website to see a list of assets that will be included in the purchase, including email and text contact lists, and screenshot attachments showing Fyre Festival's social media reach and website traffic. Interested buyers can fill out a form at the bottom of the page. This news comes one week after it was first reported that Fyre Festival 2 had been postponed. At that time, Fyre Festival organizers told ticket buyers they were 'vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon,' according to an email obtained by TMZ. In May 2017, McFarland and Ja Rule were sued for $100 million in a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the attendees. The following month, McFarland was arrested and charged with wire fraud in Manhattan federal court for his involvement in organizing the Fyre Festival. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison in October 2018. McFarland was relocated to a halfway house in March 2022 after serving less than four years and was no longer under house arrest as of September 2022. Two years later, he confirmed his plans to try and host another festival Here's what's happened since then. September 2024: McFarland confirms on the Today show that Fyre Festival 2 will take place from April 25 to April 28, 2025. 'We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company who's handling everything from soup to nuts,' he said. He did not state the name of the island. February 24, 2025: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale, ranging in cost from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The site advertises that the second Fyre Festival will take place on Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off of Cancún, Mexico. No artists are announced as taking part in the event. 'Fyre 2 is real,' McFarland says during another appearance on Today. 'My dream is finally becoming a reality.' Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale as Billy McFarland attempts to come back from 2017 disaster: 'My dream is finally becoming a reality' February 27: Edgar Gasca, a representative from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, tells the Guardian when asked about Fyre Festival 2, 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.' March 21: McFarland announces on Instagram that the festival will now take place 'in the heart of the Riviera Maya.' March 27: Fyre Festival hosts a press conference at Martina Beach Club in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. During the press conference, McFarland announces the event will be held in Playa del Carmen from May 30 to June 2. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 is still on, Billy McFarland says. How he plans to lock down lodging and musical artists. March 30: McFarland posts a video on Instagram labeled an 'Important FYRE Festival Update.' In it, he claims there will be 1,800 attendees and that a lineup will soon be released. 'We'll have DJs, rappers, reggae artists, pop stars, but also athletes, divers, models, pilots and creators who will lead the experiences for our guests,' McFarland says. 'We'll have dozens of artists in a private party-like setting.' April 2: Playa del Carmen City Hall posts on X: 'There will be no event called 'Fyre 2' in Playa del Carmen.' April 4: McFarland writes on X that he has been 'working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event.' April 16: NBC News reports that an alert was temporarily posted on the Fyre Festival 2 ticket site, saying the event had been postponed and attendees would be getting emails confirming a new date. ABC News reports the festival is postponed, citing an unnamed ticket holder who says they received an email saying, "The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once the new date is announced, at that time, you can repurchase if it works for your schedule." McFarland reportedly confirmed the postponement to TMZ, blaming the cost of permits and saying that he and the organizers were already looking for new locations and dates for ticket buyers. TMZ published the alleged email organizers sent out to ticket buyers, which states, 'FYRE Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.' April 23: McFarland posts an announcement on Instagram that he is selling Fyre Festival branding to anyone interested. He says, 'For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it's clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently, bringing the vision to life on this incredible island.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fyre Festival founder says the brand is now for sale, second festival canceled: ‘I can't risk a repeat.' Here's how we got here.
Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland announced on Wednesday that he and his team are selling the festival's brand after facing 'challenges' while trying to produce Fyre Festival 2. The festival, which was scheduled to take place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, was McFarland's second attempt at hosting a multiday music festival after the disastrous Fyre Festival he co-planned with rapper Ja Rule in 2017, which resulted in him pleading guilty to wire fraud and being sentenced to six years in federal prison. In a post on Instagram, McFarland explained that planning Fyre Festival 2 was about 'finishing what I started and making things right.' But, he wrote that he and his team realized 'the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach and cultural capital — to an operator that can fully realize its vision.' 'Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do,' McFarland continued. 'We will pick the new group based on their ability to execute the vision.' Anyone interested in the brand can visit its website to see a list of assets that will be included in the purchase, including email and text contact lists, and screenshot attachments showing Fyre Festival's social media reach and website traffic. Interested buyers can fill out a form at the bottom of the page. This news comes one week after it was first reported that Fyre Festival 2 had been postponed. At that time, Fyre Festival organizers told ticket buyers they were 'vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon,' according to an email obtained by TMZ. In May 2017, McFarland and Ja Rule were sued for $100 million in a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the attendees. The following month, McFarland was arrested and charged with wire fraud in Manhattan federal court for his involvement in organizing the Fyre Festival. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison in October 2018. McFarland was relocated to a halfway house in March 2022 after serving less than four years and was no longer under house arrest as of September 2022. Two years later, he confirmed his plans to try and host another festival Here's what's happened since then. September 2024: McFarland confirms on the Today show that Fyre Festival 2 will take place from April 25 to April 28, 2025. 'We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company who's handling everything from soup to nuts,' he said. He did not state the name of the island. February 24, 2025: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale, ranging in cost from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The site advertises that the second Fyre Festival will take place on Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off of Cancún, Mexico. No artists are announced as taking part in the event. 'Fyre 2 is real,' McFarland says during another appearance on Today. 'My dream is finally becoming a reality.' Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale as Billy McFarland attempts to come back from 2017 disaster: 'My dream is finally becoming a reality' February 27: Edgar Gasca, a representative from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, tells the Guardian when asked about Fyre Festival 2, 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.' March 21: McFarland announces on Instagram that the festival will now take place 'in the heart of the Riviera Maya.' March 27: Fyre Festival hosts a press conference at Martina Beach Club in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. During the press conference, McFarland announces the event will be held in Playa del Carmen from May 30 to June 2. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 is still on, Billy McFarland says. How he plans to lock down lodging and musical artists. March 30: McFarland posts a video on Instagram labeled an 'Important FYRE Festival Update.' In it, he claims there will be 1,800 attendees and that a lineup will soon be released. 'We'll have DJs, rappers, reggae artists, pop stars, but also athletes, divers, models, pilots and creators who will lead the experiences for our guests,' McFarland says. 'We'll have dozens of artists in a private party-like setting.' April 2: Playa del Carmen City Hall posts on X: 'There will be no event called 'Fyre 2' in Playa del Carmen.' April 4: McFarland writes on X that he has been 'working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event.' April 16: NBC News reports that an alert was temporarily posted on the Fyre Festival 2 ticket site, saying the event had been postponed and attendees would be getting emails confirming a new date. ABC News reports the festival is postponed, citing an unnamed ticket holder who says they received an email saying, "The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once the new date is announced, at that time, you can repurchase if it works for your schedule." McFarland reportedly confirmed the postponement to TMZ, blaming the cost of permits and saying that he and the organizers were already looking for new locations and dates for ticket buyers. TMZ published the alleged email organizers sent out to ticket buyers, which states, 'FYRE Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.' April 23: McFarland posts an announcement on Instagram that he is selling Fyre Festival branding to anyone interested. He says, 'For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it's clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently, bringing the vision to life on this incredible island.'
The Guardian
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Fyre festival 2 ‘postponed' just weeks before it was scheduled to start
Fyre festival 2 has been 'postponed', according to messages sent to ticket holders, just weeks before it was scheduled to start. The event, advertised as a luxury music festival, was supposed to take place in Mexico from 30 May to 2 June. It was intended as an improved followup to the failed Fyre festival in 2017, which experienced problems with security, food, accommodation, medical services and artist relations, resulting in the festival being indefinitely postponed and eventually cancelled. 'The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once the new date is announced, at that time, you can repurchase if it works for your schedule,' read a message sent to ticket holders, ABC News reported. Billy McFarland, a businessman who organized the initial festival alongside rapper Ja Rule, was convicted of wire fraud in connection with the failed 2017 festival. The new festival was being marketed under the slogan 'FYRE Festival 2 is real'. Tickets, which went on sale in February, started at $1,400. Luxury tickets with artist access ran up to as high as $25,000. A $1 million package, titled 'Prometheus God of Fyre' was also offered. This option was intended for only eight people, and said to include a four-stateroom yacht and 24/7 private chauffeur service. Despite descriptions about the location of the sequel festival on the website, Mexico officials had previously confirmed that no event of that name was planned to be held there. 'We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it,' Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, told the Guardian. 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.' At the time, McFarland responded on Instagram to defend the festival, saying: 'First, Fyre 2 is real. Second, we have incredible partners leading the festival.' The official Instagram account for the festival later posted in April: 'All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation.' It continued: 'FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event.'
