Cardi B has never shied away from addressing controversy head-on, and as she prepares to release her highly anticipated second studio album Am I The Drama? on September 19, the Bronx-born rap superstar is reflecting on her ongoing feuds with younger female rappers.
In a candid conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, the “WAP” hitmaker admitted she often wonders whether drama naturally follows her or if she truly is, in her own words, “the drama.”
“It’s like, ‘Damn, does drama chase me? Or am I the drama?’” Cardi said. “I just really think I was born with an anointed light. Sometimes the light is great, but it also disturbs people’s peace. It draws people to me, and it’s not always going to be good. That light might bother people … maybe it’s too bright, it’s too loud. It’s always been like this to me.”
Cardi, 32, argued that much of the friction she faces stems from younger artists targeting her instead of focusing on their peers. Without naming names, she described herself as a “senior” in the rap game and criticized newcomers for trying to challenge her before solidifying their own place.
“Even in the industry, there is a lot of different female rappers, but for some reason, it’s something about me that these bs can’t stand,” she said. “Some bs, I feel like they’re on this class right now, they’re sophomores, and I’m a senior … You need to worry about them other sophomores before you start worrying about the f*** senior.”
The Grammy-winning rapper’s remarks appear to allude to her previous spats with artists like JT of City Girls, Akbar V, and Bia—conflicts that have frequently spilled onto social media. Cardi suggested that these rivalries are fueled more by others’ obsession with her than by anything she actively initiates.
“It’s something about [me] that it’s like, they can’t even focus on them,” she continued. “They got to focus on me … and I’m sick of it. It’s like, f*** you, f*** everybody.”
With Am I The Drama? set for release next month, Cardi’s blunt honesty signals she won’t be holding back on wax or off it.
