Cardi B has responded to rumours that she is an industry plant intended to replace Nicki Minaj.
The two rappers have been involved in a highly publicised feud since 2017, and within that time, Cardi has often been subject to speculation that she was created by labels as an alternative to Minaj.
Now, Cardi has dispelled rumours in a new interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, saying that her goal has always been to find success on her own.
“People have made this whole story that I came in the industry to like take over somebody’s career,” she told host Alex Cooper. “But it’s like, I never thought that. I just wanted to become famous at what I like to do … Sometimes people just don’t get along with each other.”
“This is what I was destined for,” she added. “I was meant to become this, no matter who signed me, no matter what. I was going to be famous and I was going to be a rapper.”
She went on to say that, before she got signed, she invested her own money into her career, and added that she’s “done” with the Nicki feud.
In 2017, the two rappers came to blows over their collaboration on Migos’ single ‘MotorSport’: Cardi felt sidelined in the song’s promotion, and Minaj believed Cardi sent subtle jabs at her in her verse.
The drama escalated in September 2018 during New York Fashion Week, where the two had a physical altercation, resulting in Cardi walking away with a bump on her head. Since the event.
In 2020, however, Cardi seemed to praise Minaj for “dominating” the music industry as a female rapper.
Though she didn’t mention Minaj by name, she seemingly referenced her when speaking to Apple Music about how there had been a female rapper “drought” for years. “Then there was one female rapper that dominated for a very long time. And she did pretty good. She’s been still dominating.”
Earlier this year, Lil Yachty apologised for picking a side during the 2018 feud, saying he “inserted” himself into “something he had nothing to do with”.
“I respect both of these women, right?,” he said. “Aside from the differences – and I think they are both very talented women in the industry who have, rightfully so, are on their way to the top. I hated that I even answered that question because I kind of just inserted myself in something I had nothing to do with.”
In other news, Cardi’s new album, ‘Am I the Drama?’, dropped last week. It was given a two-star review from NME, and described as “overstuffed and underwhelming”.
“Ultimately, ‘Am I The Drama?’ is palatable enough for a one-time listen, but nothing here demands a replay,” it read. “Where ‘Invasion of Privacy’ felt fun and feel-good, its follow-up is bloated, derivative and unsure of its own identity. Cardi doesn’t just recycle her past tricks, she half-asses other people’s legacies too, and the result is a bloated, soulless shell that never finds its own voice.”
She’s been promoting the LP by recording public service announcements for the NYC subway.
