Long Beach, CA

Ja Rule, Ashanti and Fabolous have been tapped up to headline the inaugural I Love R&B Festival slated to take over Long Beach, California next May.

The festival is set to invade the Queen Mary festival grounds in Long Beach on May 27, 2023, which is the Saturday sandwiched inside Memorial Day Weekend next year.

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For those who love a heavy dose of nostalgia and enjoyed R&B around the turn of the century, this festival is for you. In addition to Ja, Ashanti and Fab, other performers on the bill include Chingy, Mya, Pleasure P, Bobby V, Marques Houston, 702, and plenty more plus another headliner yet to be revealed.

Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Thursday (October 27) at 10 a.m. local time on the festival’s website with the code: LOVE. Tickets only require a minimum down payment of $19.99. General admission is currently priced at $79 while VIP tickets are going for $199.

Tank took issue with not being invited to perform at the festival and voiced his frustration in the Instagram comment section. “All these R&B festivals and I never get invited,” he wrote.

Pleasure P responded by joking with Tank: “[That’s] cause you over there getting all the money singing at fights and [Tyler Perry] parties [and] shit.”

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Ashanti has seen her name dragged through the mud in recent months due to Murder Inc. boss Irv Gotti’s comments about their romantic history. She’s decided to keep it to music and has another single that’s arriving on Friday (October 28) titled “Falling For You.”

“I think the cool part is keeping young people around me that are in the know,” she said in July about the record. “My sister’s younger than me, she has a crew of friends. I have cousins, I have lots of different family members from all walks of life. I work with a team of people and it’s really about making sure you are up to date and current with what’s going on.”

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Meanwhile, Ja Rule has made clear he doesn’t agree with Irv Gotti’s comments about Ashanti on Drink Champs following criticism over his own behavior during the interview — or lack thereof.

Ja Rule addressed the controversy in an Instagram post, saying he does “not condone” Gotti’s remarks about Ashanti and wishes to be left out of the drama, given his long-standing relationship with both parties.

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“Brotherly love… The last few days have been very turbulent for me but it’s time to land the plane,” he wrote alongside recent photos of him and Ashanti performing together. “I love my sis I love my bro but I DO NOT condone or agree with the behavior nor the way Gotti handled things on drink champs.

“I hope y’all understand how uncomfortable this is for me being in the middle of something I wish to not be… going forward all I ask is to be left out of this please and thank you!!! Sincerely Switzerland Bennett… #ICONN #Vibes.”