Pressure from human rights activists may have fueled the decision by Nicki Minaj to walk away from a reported 7-figure sum to perform at Saudi Arabia’s ‘Jeddah World Fest’ (as we reported here), but the same can’t be said for the likes of 50 Cent, Future, Chris Brown, and Pop royal Janet Jackson as the four are among the big stars readying show-stopping performances at the festival.
The website for the event, set for King Abdullah Sports Stadium on Thursday (July 18), sent the Web into a frenzy after it posted photos of the newly added acts.
Look inside to see who else is set to join them:
Thor Halvorssen, president of the Human Rights Foundation who sent the lengthy letter to Minaj (seen by clicking here), also criticized the new list of entertainers set to perform at the festival. Taking to ‘The Associated Press,’ Halvorssen said it was “profoundly distressing that they have chosen money over morals.” Additionally, he stated:
“These individuals constantly make public statements of support for LGBT rights and women’s rights, except, apparently, when a seven-figure check is attached. The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Principal apparently matters to them far more than principles.”
As of time reported, representatives from Jackson, 50 Cent, Future, nor Brown have responded to the hoopla. The quartet of Urban acts joins previously announced performers Steve Aoki and Liam Payne.
“It’s clear that, after losing Nicki Minaj on the basis of the Saudi regime’s atrocious human rights record and their treatment of women and the gay community, the Crown Prince has chosen to spend whatever it takes to give the appearance that things are normal and that this is just another music concert. Except it isn’t,” Halvorssen concluded in his statement.
[photo credit: Getty Images]
Under the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman there has been a push to improve global public relations for Saudi Arabia, a country renown for its conservatism as well as repressive treatment of women and minorities. In the last year alone large sums of money have been shelled out to invite big music stars to the Middle Eastern land to perform including Mariah Carey, David Guetta, Enrique Iglesias, and many more.
![New Song: Nicki Minaj - 'FTCU (Sleeze Mix)' [featuring Sexyy Red, Chris Brown, & Travis Scott]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nicki-minaj-thatgrapejuice-2024-ftcu-remix-sleeze-sexyy-red-chris-brown-travis-scott-464x260.jpg "New Song: Nicki Minaj - 'FTCU (Sleeze Mix)' [featuring Sexyy Red, Chris Brown, & Travis Scott].")
Disappointed in u Janet. U don’t need the money, so why are u doing this? Ur gay fans are the reason ur still relevant today.
Chris brown and 50 cent and future are all trash personified so of cause they will take this gig.
Future needs the money cause he owes ciara and his other 4 baby mamas child support.
Janet performed there already in 2016 during her Unbreakable tour! U queens need to realize there is nothing wrong with performing in Saudi’s Arabia. 99% of y’all queens have never been there so u don’t know what u are talking about. It is a beautiful country and I go there at least once a year as well as Morocco. I love the Middle East.
Homophobic ho stay in your tenement housing and stfu. Tired of all the hate you spew in these comments
Didn’t say it wasn’t beautiful just not safe for certain people. Have you been gay in front of the police there? I Assume not since your alive.
Ahahahaha
Man you’re troll skills are getting ridiculous by the day. You’ve been exposed last year I don’t know you do you insist on keeping this fake character of yours.
It’s like your lover PedoKelly everyone knows who he really is so he can’t pretend to be innocent And no one believes in him.
First of all use google Morocco isn’t Middle East you Drag is Northern Africa. Second I doubt you ever travelled to Saudi Arabia. If you’ve done it you’d know the visa is nearly impossible to get you’ve to wait from 3 to 9 months to get it so nice try Shaniqua keep lyin!
I know where Morocco is you regard. I have family there. My father is from there. His mother is from Saudi’s Arabia and I have family there as well. I am not a troll. Since when do I have to share or validate your opinions? I make my own opinions and thoughts and if my opinion differs from yours too bad. That don’t mean I’m a troll.
Everything is. It about gay people! I am NoT homophobic! There I have gay friends and employees. Gay people need to accept everything ain’t about yall. I don’t see straights whining about being excluded from gay events. Y’all need to fix the racial divide between white gays and black gays as well as the racial divide between Mexican gays and black gays! Yeah fix that sh.it and shut it!
Everything ain’t about gay people! U don’t need to be included in everything nor should u desire that. Do u wanna be included at the kkk meeting? No. The. Why do u think u should be included in Muslim affairs? Mind ur damn business!
I’ve had dual citizenship to the Middle East since birth. It’s a great place to be. All this hate is unwarranted!
Heard they f**** camels in Saudi Arabia
They fick sand and palms in Saudi Arabia too. Next on the list for ficking is Jasmine the ho#
Yall are so FAKE. This sh.it ain’t new. Queen Janet been performing in Dubai:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yKLVBYF08X4
You mean: Peasant Janet.
Janet ain’t got to worry about sh|t. These left wing liberals need to sit the f.uck down.
And I bet you were one of them who was ripping Nicki apart when she was going to perform there..you a fcking hypocrite.
Not everyone was ripping Nicki apart for that ONE original decision. BUT it does seem to be a season of discontent for her among the general public. All artists who gain major popularity go through that period. At some point Nicki will either a) release a hot record/video and people will praise her again OR b) she will count her money and say “I don’t need this anymore”….
It has nothing to do with left or ring wing. It’s human rights dumbass
Not wondering about 50 Cent and fist brown, both are Trash and simply interested in making money. But I’m truly disappointed of Janet (and Mariah). There was a time she stood up for human rights, women rights, gay rights. And now she is performing in a country that represents the oppressions of not just minorities but women as well? Shame on you, janet!
What about Mariah?
Mariah is probably too drunk to think about it, imo.
#JanetIsOver
You over
lol ?
Why are u pretending to be a ‘Jasmine’ n|gga. Clearly u are a man that is obsessed with me. F.aggots like u can just off urself. U are a waste of space and the air u breathe would be better breathes by another deserving person. Go awf urself!
LOL?????
She is.
They pick very odd artists to perform at these concerts considering they hate blacks, gays, sexually liberated women.?? Maybe these Saudi top digs are not as religious or culturally conservative as they claim.
Janet is cancelled if she does the show
She won’t miss you
They will be fine, they are not Nicki Minaj so people will find ways to justify their actions. if people on social media do say something it’s not going to be much it’s going to be fleeting. with Nicki know even when she turns down the gig they came at her even harder because they love to show her in a bad light all the time so they were made, so like I said before this will be swept under the rug, you see the usual Nicki haters bias and hypocrites is avoiding this topic.
100%. It’s crazy cause now I see people saying “well they shouldn’t stop their bag cause of that…” or “well this line-up is better without Nicki” so were you mad cause of the Human Rights issue or because Nicki was performing?
Now that she isn’t performing y’all still trashing her saying “good, they didnt want to see her anyway” — the hold that lady to a standard higher than they hold the damn President. It’s wild.
The music industry is very nasty a very dangerous place, they will fling whoever under the bus for doing something and protect and justify others actions for doing the same thing or even worse.
Where is all that energy for Janet. Where are the human rights people at!? Y’all troll Nicki till she backed out but not Janet? Chris Brown and 50 Cent and Future have no standards so no surprise there but I’m waiting on the human rights people to call out Janet like they did Nicki
The fact that ppl seem to give Janet a pass speaks volumes. Can’t stand Onika but she at least pulled out. It’s even worse to join the lineup A F T ER the whole Nicki backlash.
Shame on Janet. Glad she’s a flop nowadays. She deserves it.
The real Jasmine loves the Middle East
The real jasmine is a homophobic and transphobic beast that needs to STFU
Janet will never flop b****
Tf u mean? She’s been a flop for almost two decades. The power of a tit.
Rashad u are spewing LIES! I have love for all kind including gays! I just strongly feel gays need to fix the racial divide amongs gays and stay the f.u k out of Muslim affairs! I never hear y’all gays talk about wanting to be treated “fairly” at the kkk meetings so why are y’all up in Muslim business? Mind your damn business. It ain’t ur business what goes on in the Middle East! If gays ain’t welcome there then stay the f.uck out of there! It’s that simple!
jasmin is Right. Saudi men prefer fûcking camels and their male cousins behind closed doors. A bunch of inbred. People with class should stay out of there.
Speaking optimistically, perhaps there is a bigger purpose than “just a check”. While the appearance appears suspect, none of us walk in their shoes so…..I just hope all artists and entourages have safe travel and a great show. After that, we can all move on. And Janet can get back to making an album or at least some new music….
Which will flop, and rightfully so.
If Madonna can get a pass for posting pics of her black children with watermelon and trump can get a pass for frolicking and doing business with those people, then Janet can do whatever the hell she wants.
It’s not just trump. All your disgusting leaders have had relationships to SA, including Obama.
And nope, Janet cannot do whatever the hell she wants. Not when her fanbase mostly consists of females and gays.
Janet’s fanbase mostly consists of females, gays, ficked sand and ficked camels from Arabia.
Janet is doing it to bring HOPE in Saudi Arabia like how WWE did with Sasha Banks.
The crowd chanted “This Is Hope” for women to have equal opportunities as the men during a WWE Womens match.
Janet is set to break yet another barrier!!!
Yeah. Like when she broke those barriers when she was married to a Muslim and covered her body for her tour? Lol ok
Madonna wants to perform Like A Virgin, Hard Candy, erotica and S.E.X. ?
So? Her songs. Whatevah.
Janet Jackson?!!!!!
The LGBT Vanguard award winner for her support of the community actually signed on for this?!
Oh that’s right.. I forgot she married and had a child in the Middle East. She likely converted to Islam for that union. Lord knows Janet NO longer wears s*** or revealing costumes on stage. She likely believes it’s none of her business what the Saudi laws dictate for women and the gay community. It doesnt affect her in the least. In conclusion, anyone has a right to perform or believe whatever they choose. Still doesnt not make her a big hypocrite as a GLAAD award winner. I love me some Janet but this is not a good look. If Nicki received pushback why shouldn’t Janet?!
Pushback for what? This has nothing to do with gays. Y’all don’t own these performers! This is just a gig. Y’all are making too much out of this. The women are treated very nice in that country. The media is lying and y’all are stupid enough to believe what the news wants u to believe!
“The women are treated very nice in that country. The media is lying and y’all are stupid enough to believe what the news wants u to believe!”
I dont argue/debate w/ anyone in opinions ONLY facts..
“Women do not have equal rights to men in the kingdom; the U.S. State Department considers Saudi Arabian government’s discrimination against women a “significant problem” in Saudi Arabia and notes that women have few political rights due to the government’s discriminatory policies. The World Economic Forum 2010 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 129th out of 134 countries for gender parity. Other sources had complained of an absence of laws criminalizing violence against women.
Under Saudi law, every adult female must have a male relative as her “guardian” (wali), As of 2008, a woman was required to have permission from her male guardian in order to travel, study, or work.
Women face discrimination in the courts, where the testimony of one man equals that of two women in family and inheritance law. Polygamy is permitted for men, and men have a unilateral right to divorce their wives (talaq) without needing any legal justification. A woman can only obtain a divorce with the consent of her husband or judicially if her husband has harmed her. In practice, it is very difficult for a Saudi woman to obtain a judicial divorce. With regard to the law of inheritance, the Quran specifies that fixed portions of the deceased’s estate must be left to the Qur’anic heirs and generally, female heirs receive half the portion of male heirs.”
The religious police, known as the mutawa, impose many restrictions on women in public in Saudi Arabia. The restrictions include forcing women to sit in separate specially designated family sections in restaurants, to wear an abaya and to cover their hair.
The religious sector of the Saudi national curriculum was examined in a 2006 report by Freedom Housewhich concluded that “the Saudi public school religious curriculum continues to propagate an ideology of hate toward the ‘unbeliever’, that is, Christians, Jews, Shiites, Sufis, Sunni Muslims who do not follow Wahhabi doctrine, Hindus, atheists and others”. The Saudi religious studies curriculum is taught outside the Kingdom via Saudi-linked madrasah, schools, and clubs throughout the world. Critics have described the education system as “medieval” and that its primary goal “is to maintain the rule of absolute monarchy by casting it as the ordained protector of the faith, and that Islam is at war with other faiths and cultures.”
“Saudi Arabia sponsors and promotes the teaching of Wahhabism ideology which is adopted by SunniJihadist groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the Nusra Front. This radical teaching takes place in Saudi funded mosques and madrasas across the Islamic world from Morocco to Pakistan to Indonesia.”
Although a Muslim woman is forbidden to marry a non-Muslim man, the reverse is permitted, although non-Muslim women are often strongly encouraged to convert to Islam. There have been many cases of foreign women marrying Arabs and discovering they are unable to endure the restrictions of local culture, deciding to divorce and finding that the Saudi father has custody in his home country.”
“Saudi is one of ten countries where homosexuality is punishable by death (the punishment of stoning to death may be applied to married men who’ve engaged in homosexual acts or any non-Muslim married or unmarried who commits sexual acts with a Muslim,) as well as fines, flogging, prison time, on first offense.”
No free, independent thinking, freedom loving person in their right effing mind should find any of this ‘very nice’ treatment.
But go awf if u like.. I’m done.
Essentially you are stating that your culture is better than the Saudi Arabian culture. That is ridiculous, idiotic, and barbaric. People need to worry about their own cultures and fixing problems with that and racial issues. I am well aware of what goes on in Saudi Arabia and how the media tries to paint a negative picture on the culture but that is all motivated by agenda. The US has long wanted control over Saudi Arabian oil reserves! people like you are unable to understand or appreciate the Saudi Arabian culture not do u see the bigger picture so why not just mind your business instead of assuming your culture is better! I find NOTHING wrong with what goes on their. Many of my family are Muslim and from there and love it there! People like u are disrespecting their culture! I am not Muslim and I have gone there several times and always treated with respect and kindness by both men and women. I suggest u go there and observe for urself instead of condemning something u know nothing about! The ‘gay’ men that have been killed were terrorists. That is the real reason they were killed and not because of their homosexuality!
Like I stated above, you replied to my comment that women are treated ‘nicely’ (whatever that means) and I proceeded to give you FACTUAL information based on actual studies disproving your statement that women in SAUDI are treated NICELY… perhaps that is true if they remain SILENT or obey men without questioning them HOWEVER you must realize not everyone will agree you. MANY Saudi women themselves feel otherwise. I listed for you all of the reasons above why they may feel the need to obtain more legal autonomy over their decision making. But that seems to go over your head when you try to distract from the real issue of women’s rights using Western culture as the ‘real’ enemy. IN REALITY they are, in fact, BY LAW treated as 2nd class citizens based on their gender, which is inhumane to tell someone what they can or cannot do based on their gender, something they have no control over.
YOU may feel they are treated ‘nicely’ but many of the Saudi women living under these conditions/ restraints believe otherwise. These women are fighting for their rights to vote and gain access to an education RIGHT NOW.. no one is making this s*** up contrary to what you believe. The conditions imposed on them and other persecuted groups are the only things considered BARBARIC in this situation.
NOW, I’m really done. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/evening.. I’m about to go see Lion King w/ my bae.. no restrictions or permission required.. b/c I’m FREE to do whatever I want to do in life… Thank God. #BLESSED
U just spew LIES the media tells u. Take ur ass there and observe for urself or shut it with ur idiotic lies! Women can vote, drive, divorce, work, own businesses m, etc there!
At least the legal age of consent is 18 in Saudi’s Arabia unlike 13 which is what it is in the UK and 13 in China. Women have many rights and the women in my family that live there love it there, have husbands that are true providers and lavish them with expensive houses and gifts. Who are u to victimize the women in family? Girl shut it!
U just spew LIES the media tells u. Take ur ass there and observe for urself or shut it with ur idiotic lies! Women can vote, drive, divorce, work, own businesses, etc there!
At least the legal age of consent is 18 in Saudi’s Arabia unlike 13 which is what it is in the UK and 12 in China. Women have many rights and the women in my family that live there love it there, have husbands that are true providers and lavish them with expensive houses and gifts. Who are u to think ur ideals and values should be pushed on other women? Who are u to victimize the women in my family? Girl shut it!
The women in your family are all slûts anyway
Welp! I know if Janet Jackson took the wheel on this one, then I know it wasn’t that deep. I trust her judgment. This issue mustn’t be all it seems. Probably more farfetched than anything.
Saudi Arabia is committing a genocidal war on Yemen. Women are not allowed out without a man’s permission. Critics of the kingdom are publicly crucified – literally! These are all facts.
Finding it really hypocrital that y’all came for ole girl Nicki but making excuses for Janet. Nicki shoild have performed and secure her bags??? cause even after she pulled out she got dragged.#doublestandards
I HAte to agree.
Double standards have been existing for such a long time, and they are here to stay with us for a while, I’m afraid :/
This is disgraceful! I never thought I’d see the day where Nicki Minaj has more of a moral compass than Janet Jackson!
Stop being so damn dramatic.
What’s disgraceful is hays sticking their nose in other people’s business! Fix the racial divide amongst gays! Worry about ur own issues! Y’all don’t own these celebs!
Other people’s business? The kingdom is committing a genocidal war against Yemenis. They are publicly crucifying people. If that’s not something to take a stand against then what is?!
The people being killed are terrorists. Again, it is none of your business!
Janet, who’s catalogue is laced with songs promoting equality and women empowerment, is performing in an area known for degrading and disregarding women. Makes sense to me!
Right. They skip over that part. You go to send a message. Nicki doesn’t have a message in her songs.
We all know what’s in Janet’s heart and we know she’s not doing it for a check. And those same gays mad at Janet don’t have an issue with Mariah performing over there.
Mariah was trash for that. But that’s most likely her white side coming out so I wasn’t surprised about it.
Janet is over. She lost a lot of her fanbase with this move.
Gurl, bye, be happy with that money…
You’re an anti white, anti gay, anti trans TGJ troll that throws bombs and starts attacking everyone who calls you out for your bs and disgusting behavior. You reenforce so many stereotypes the black community tries to overcome. And saying you aren’t homophobic when you make homophobic comments on here all the time is no different than a white person casually throwing around the n word and saying they have a black friend and aren’t racist. Girl STFU bc yuh have no right to call anyone a fa%#ot or t*****
I have never made a homophobic or transphobic comment so stop spewing LIES! I am NOT homophobic! It is perfectly fine to call a f.avgot a f.aggot and a t***** a t*****! That does not make one homophobic. When a man acts like a f.aggot he certainly can be called why he is! It is not equivalent to a white person calling a black person the N word because a black people cannot change their color but a gay man does not have to act like a f.aggot when he can simply jay be a gay man. U are trying to act like calling a f.aggot a f.aggot it racist or bigoted but it is not.
Usually that word is used in a battle of words and in a battle all gloves come off! U seem to have a problem minding ur business. Have I ever called u a t***** or a f.aggot? NO. So mind ur damn business. I get called ‘man’ and ‘Shaniqua’ on here all the time because I don’t bite my tongue and I don’t see me whining about it or pretending like it’s a bigoted attack! I have the legal right to call people what they are based on how they act and not based on their race or sexual preference.
You have a lot of sand in your dirty c*nt.
U do not get to speak to me like that. Go awf urself. The air I breathe is better breathes by somebody else more deserving. U are a waste.
U can just get lost u gutter trash
There’s no other way to speak with a turd. Go clean your sick v*****!
They will love Janet’s lip sync show in that homophobic dictatorship country.