The agent responsible for booking the headliner for the 2024 Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival has signed a legal agreement to repay the city $37,000 for his failure to book singer Monica for the event last month, the city announced Wednesday.
Officials said that Christopher Weeks admitted he owed the money in the June 10 agreement with the city and has paid back an initial $5,000. Weeks will make 10 more payments of $3,200 from July 2024 until April 2025.
Weeks was contracted for $45,000 in January to secure the headliner for this year's Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival. Officials said that in the following months, Weeks continued to assure the city's parks and recreation department that Monica had been booked. Weeks was paid in installments totaling $37,000. A final payment of $8,000 was set to come after the festival.
As per his agreement with the city, which was obtained by WRAL via a public records request, if Weeks does not make the required monthly repayments to the city, he will receive a written notice of default and be given seven days to make the payment. In the event the payment still isn't made, the remaining unpaid balance plus interest and attorney fees will be due immediately to the city.
'Let's do it again'
Following the festival, WRAL News submitted a public records request to the city of Durham for documents related to the Bimbé Festival's artist booking involving Monica. On Wednesday, the city released a series of documents to WRAL in response to the request.
Among those records were emails between Weeks and city employees, a copy of receipts for Cash App and wire transfers related to the booking and a copy of the contract Weeks had with an agent for the booking.
The process for booking this year's festival headliner began in November.
On Nov. 2, Weeks submitted a proposal to book this year's headliner in an email to city project manager Rukea Womack.
"My passion for the City of Durham, The Bimbe Festival, and music as a whole provides me with the tremendous desire combined with unmatched skills to bring a very successful lineup to headline for the 2024 Bimbe. The theme will be 'GIRL POWER' and the combinations of artists that I will offer will be both appropriate for families of all ages and designed specifically to transport the attendees to a place in their minds where happiness lives," Weeks wrote in the email obtained by WRAL. "My services will be seamless, time-sensitive and critical, as well as provided in the utmost of professional manner."
In the email, Weeks noted that "for the past two years, we have done exactly what has needed to be done to ensure that BIMBE’s main event was steeped in the EXCELLENCE we are both know (sp) for. LET’S DO IT AGAIN."
The proposals included artists MC Lyte, Ledisi, Angie Stone, Mya, Nicole Wrap, Tweet, Faith Evans, Hi Five, Jodeci, Remy Ma and Monica with Ruff Endz.
"The Incomparable boasts 20 plus years of experience and Chris Weeks has been working in the music industry booking artists and providing live performance services since 1995. The Incomparable presented a super successful Bimbe 2023 valued well over 80,000 dollars under budget," the proposal stated.
Weeks noted that he had "20 plus years of progressive artist management and booking and tour management, including managing Robin Thicke’s Band and all associated operations for 7 years" as well as "10 years of full responsibility with Ruff Ryders live performances including the most recent reunion tours prior to DMX’s untimely passing."
When submitting the proposal, Weeks noted that Monica with Ruff Endz artist fee was between $5,000 and $7,500. Amerie was pitched as being part of a bill including Mya and Nicole Wrap with the artist fee ranging from $7,500 to $15,000.
In January, the city entered into an agreement with Weeks and his booking agency, The Incomparable LLC, for Monica and Amerie to perform at Bimbé Cultural Arts Festival on May 18. That contract was later amended to remove Amerie.
In documents obtained by WRAL via public records request, Weeks provided a copy of a contract dated Jan 23 with made with "Monica Live 24" to perform at the Bimbé Festival on May 18 for $30,000 including the performance, artist travel, sound, lights, stage monitors and the artist's rider of requirements for the performance. The contract also required six hotel rooms at a four of five star hotel while in town.
A $15,000 deposit was required to be paid via wire transfer to the bank account for Ardrae Jackson in Stone Mountain, Georgia, according to the contract. Weeks also provided a copy of three wire transfers to Jackson totaling $10,870.
The phone number listed for Ardrae Jackson is the same as Georgia-based artist booking agent Drae Jackson, of 6103MC Entertainment. On Jackson's Instagram account, he has artists such as Lil Wayne, Master P and 2 Chainz listed as available for booking as of July 2023. As of October 2023, Jackson said his company had joined forces with BMG record label. On May 6, Drea posted on Instagram to promote booking for artist Cash Cobain with a new contact phone number listed. That number was also posted again four days ago. WRAL called that number and asked to speak with Jackson but we were told we dialed the "wrong number."
In addition to the wire transfers, public records show Weeks shared with city officials copies of $20,464 in Cash App transactions to different accounts for various expenses associated with the booking - the last being on May 14 with the memo being for "Monica Good Buyout" for $261.
No Monica at Bimbé
On Jan. 24, Weeks sent over Monica's bio and press photo via email to Womack.
"Monica is going for 80K plus rider right now but I get the hook up," Weeks wrote.
As the festival date neared, the city started promoting Monica as this year's event headliner. Days before the event the artistsaid via social media that she wasn't booked to perform.
"Unfortunately, they are sharing that I was booked to perform today, which is absolutely untrue and impossible," Monica said in a video posted to Facebook on May 18. "I am about to perform here in Rochester and [Sunday] I'll be in Baltimore."
Monica said that while she was never booked for the festival, she would have loved the opportunity.
Durham paid agent $37,000 to book singer Monica at Bimbé festival. She never performed
"I want to personally apologize to anyone attending the Bimbé festival, assuming I would be there or reading that I would be there," she said. "I never like to cancel, [but] that's not what this is," she said on Instagram. "I was never contacted."
More than 3,000 people showed up to the festival last month at Rock Quarry Park. On May 21, Weeks sent an email to Womack saying he was "devastated by what transpired last week" and "baffled that Monica and her representatives took the path in which they did."
"Down to the wire, they attempted to figure out how to make the schedule work including asking me to hire a local DJ to back her versus her bringing one (despite me having already spent thousands on 5 first-class flights that were not agreed to in the contract.) Monica and her team viewed this as a 'favor' event where she was performing for a fraction of her normal ask and she definitely treated it as such. Any additional accommodations they requested all the way up to a $500 food budget 2 days prior were grounds for her to not show up, if not provided," Weeks wrote. "I have been in contact with counsel and they are preparing for all things that are soon to come in this process. We are investigating exactly who to hold liable for this debacle and are prepared to use everything we can to make it right. I am waiting for responses from her team and representatives regarding refunds for all monies that were sent as well as spent for logistical purposes and will keep you posted."
Weeks added that he had begun working with "Durham PD Criminal Investigation Unit to get them everything they need to get answers and a resolution."
The Durham Police Department told WRAL News that they have an open case in reference to the booking of Monica for the event.
Following the event, the city said it began "immediate collection efforts by sending two demand letters, dated May 23 and May 24" to Weeks.
On May 22, Weeks sent copies of the wire transfer and Cash App receipts to the Womack, noting that "They are saying that they will have the refund by Friday."
On May 23, Weeks wrote to city officials saying that he was prepared to meet the city's agreement to return the money "provided that Monica’s representative (Ardrae Jackson), provides the refund as promised."
An email dated the afternoon of May 24 from Weeks to city attorneys said Weeks was still waiting on the wire transfer.
"Drae Jackson confirmed that he was sending the wire today and requested my wire information. It has not hit my account as of yet," Weeks wrote.
After the May 24 deadline passed, the city sent a second demand for full refund with a May 31 deadline.
Following those letters, Weeks signed the repayment agreement on June 10.
“While I am disappointed that we didn’t have a headline performer for this historic and much cherished festival, I am satisfied that the City will be repaid,” City Manager Wanda Page said in a statement.
City officials said they are taking steps to determine how to best prevent a similar situation with a vendor from occurring in the future.
