Cardi B: "There are plenty of female rappers out there who don't face the same level of scrutiny as me"

In late 1998, as the world was anticipating the arrival of a new and uncertain millennium, Lauryn Hill debuted at number one on Billboard with the first single from ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, which would be her debut album after a successful career with the Fugees. The song, aptly titled ‘Doo Woop (That Thing)’, was a leap towards a new era for women in hip hop, with lyrics referencing her presence in the genre not as an appendage of the men whose rhymes had held a kind of monopoly since rap’s golden age, but as an authentic artist who had made it there on her own merits. Nineteen years later, in the fall of 2017, an artist managed to repeat that feat and has since demonstrated on multiple occasions that this strength remains as active as ever, and perhaps more fertile than ever before.

“I just want to continue the tradition,” Cardi B assures Vogue Mexico and Latin America for the September cover. “I want to have quality, exactly like them.” She refers not only to the legacy of the aforementioned Lauryn Hill, but also to the path paved by other women in the universe of hip hop, such as Missy Elliot, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, and a handful of artists who managed to make female rhymes more of a standard than an accompanying accessory. “The reason they are always mentioned is because they are timeless icons, and that’s what I want to be. One of the gifts I want to give people is quality and originality.”

Cardi B is seen wearing a VALENTINO shirt, VERDURA earrings, and a Haute Joaillerie ring from CHOPARD. Her hit song “Bodak Yellow” represented her quality and originality perfectly, and her music draws inspiration from trap beats instead of the soul samples from the golden age of hip hop. Cardi B’s life was filled with discrepancies from an early age due to her Dominican and Trinidadian heritage, which she struggled to understand as a child. However, her Caribbean roots now play a significant role in her artistic personality and are evident in her music, fashion, and overall demeanor.

As an artist, Cardi B is disciplined and takes her craft seriously, working on better pronunciation and taking more time to express herself in her music. She has also expanded her career beyond music, appearing in movies and television shows and creating her own clothing line. Despite facing rejection in the fashion industry, Cardi B has persevered and earned the opportunity to wear designs by top designers. She is proud of her creative vision and expresses it through her music videos, visuals, fashion, and other projects.

Cardi B’s life has been heavily influenced by social media, which she describes as a blessing and a curse. She feels that people have become more sensitive and brutal online, and fan culture has become more intense. The interaction between artists and fans has blurred, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. However, Cardi B remains focused on her art, and her future looks promising. She plans to release a solo album soon and expand her career into the fashion and branding industries. In addition, Cardi B has been influenced by Mexican music, especially Ana Gabriel, Luis Miguel, and Rocío Durcal, and plans to perform one of Ana Gabriel’s songs during an upcoming live session. Overall, Cardi B’s authenticity and discipline set her apart in a world full of artificiality.

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