Cardi B has reaffirmed her influence on Hip-Hop and her pivotal role in opening doors for women in the music industry.
Speaking candidly during an X Spaces session on Thursday, January 16, 2025, the “WAP” rapper highlighted her impact while addressing the challenges she’s faced, including online bullying and its toll on her mental health and career.
Contrary to speculation, Cardi dismissed claims that her marriage to Offset delayed her music career. “I’ve seen a lot of tweets saying that the reason why my album wasn’t out, why I stopped doing a lot of things, was because of my marriage. Truthfully and honestly, it wasn’t,” she clarified. Instead, she attributed her delay to the emotional toll of relentless online hate.
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“I don’t think you guys understood how much the internet bullying took a toll on me for a very long time,” she revealed, referencing her high-profile legal battle against blogger Tasha K. “When I won the case and my lawyer was saying that I was suicidal… that wasn’t just for the case. That was really my life.”
Despite these struggles, Cardi expressed optimism about her future, confirming that her long-awaited sophomore album—her next since 2018’s Invasion of Privacy—is on the way. She also pushed back against claims that she hasn’t paved the way for other women in Hip-Hop.
“Labels literally told me to my face, ‘We started signing female rappers because of the success that you have,’” she declared, noting that the success of her 2017 breakout hit “Bodak Yellow” marked a turning point for women in the genre.
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“It took ‘Bodak Yellow’ to show labels that you could really make money with female rappers; that female rappers are the new wave,” she explained. “Before 2017, no matter how talented or beautiful you were, it just wasn’t happening.”
Cardi emphasized that her influence extends beyond music to shaping the marketing, style, and personas of today’s female rappers. While acknowledging that some in the industry “would never admit it,” she confidently claimed her status as a blueprint for the current generation.
Reflecting on the adversity she’s faced, Cardi shared her renewed resilience. “I have to realize that’s why people wanted me gone so bad or bullied me so bad—to the point that I didn’t even believe in myself, so everybody else could take it from me,” she said. “Well, this year, I feel like I’m over that. Nothing can affect me anymore. And I’m throwing arrows—straight arrows—not letting anybody f**k with me.”
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