Cardi B’s History of Bringing Awareness to Whatever She Wants

Cardi B loves to talk. We know this, because there’s always been much more to Cardi B than just music. And though some mainstream stars stay politically neutral to avoid offending their fans, the “Tomorrow 2” rapper, 30, hasn’t shied away from being an audacious commentator. Whether in social media clips or talk show appearances, Cardi has preserved her ability to engage with political and social spheres. 

“I don’t really put a lot of political things in my music, but I use the f*** out of my platform,” the artist told David Letterman last May.

While Cardi’s music may not be politically-driven—though her 2021 single “WAP” became the center of controversy by conservative pundits—she’s invested in discussing any topic she chooses. In a 2018 GQ profile, the Bronx native voiced her “love” of political science, rattling off U.S. presidents including 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed the Social Security Bill into law in 1935. Cardi’s comment on FDR was praised by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders; she then interviewed the former presidential candidate at a Detroit nail salon the following year. Cardi would go on to conduct a follow-up interview with Sanders on Instagram Live, both in support of future President Joe Biden. She later publicized Biden during a candid Zoom sit-down via ELLE in 2020, where the two discussed healthcare, racial equality and more. 

It’s noteworthy that Cardi, a Grammy-winning artist, occasional actress and influential maven uses her stature to enlighten followers on broad topics, in a rudimentary manner that can be universally understood. 

“Cardi B willingness to partake in conversations concerning politics, the economy, and policies that impact the people she makes music for is empowering and much needed,” says Dr. Jamein P. Cunningham, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics at Cornell University. “Hip-hop has gone through various phases of political engagement and to have someone of Cardi B’s prominence, willingly and unprovoked, talk politics says a lot about her as an artist but also as someone who advocates for people of color. I don’t think she has to have everything right or even be politically correct – the goal is to get a conversation started.”

Here’s a running timeline of Cardi B’s recent use of her platform to make us all a little smarter. What she had to say on:

Cardi B has long been critical of former President Donald Trump. During the partial government shutdown in 2019,, Cardi expressed sympathy for the federal government workers who continued to work without pay while Trump tried to force Democrats to pay for his border wall with Mexico.. The “Hot S***” rapper also slammed Trump’s proposal when he was trying to make Mexico pay for it.

In March 2020, while wearing a surgical mask and a bright red wig, Cardi called out celebrities who receive quick coronavirus test results and quarantine in mansions, as opposed to “the general public” who didn’t have similar luxuries. The PSA echoed Cardi’s initial video at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak where she joked that the virus was on a “f*****g tour.”

Cardi gave voice to her feuds with right-wing trolls Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens in a scathing message about police brutality. In April 2021, the artist shared her disdain for ‘blue check Republicans’ who avoided commentary on the December 2020 pepper spraying of Black and Latino Army Lt. Caron Nazario in Virginia. Cardi also referenced the murder of Daunte Wright, 20, who was killed by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop on April 11, 2001.

Cardi has long clarified that ,despite her light skin and straight hair, she’s an Afro-Latina. The artist’s mother is a native of Trinidad and Tobago while her father is from the Dominican Republic, stressing that her features don’t dictate her race and that people in the Latinadad have diverse appearances.

Despite feeling pressured to stay neutral on political affairs, Cardi didn’t hold her tongue on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Last February, the artist denounced “world leaders” for pursuing wars while citizens endure hardships, also acknowledging global inflation and China’s critical position in importing goods to the U.S. Exercising her civic duty, Cardi gave concern to the impacted economy, although she cracked that by not “saying the right things” she “might get killed.”

When Cardi predicted the impending recession last June, some insisted that her support of President Biden partially led Americans to the predicament. Others tweeted that because of her status, that she couldn’t question the economy. Cardi followed up with an early morning rant, but later in the year, she was trolled by a Twitter user who brought up her wealth, alleging that the rapper was worth “40 million.” While making the correction that she was “worth more [than] that,” she empathized with others, saying that she still had to “work and budget” to handle “bills, responsibilities and people I have to help.”

While Cardi maintains Kulture’s hair, she also spends time on her own tresses, occasionally advising natural hair care enthusiasts to use produce and herbal remedies for healthy locks with maximum growth. In 2021, she revealed her “hair mask routine” using alkaline water after suffering from postpartum hair loss after the birth of her now-toddler, Wave. Last August, the “Up” rapper shared an interesting addition to her hair growth journey – rinsing with boiled onion water.

In early January, Cardi tackled inflation and rising grocery costs (specifically $6 per head of lettuce) on Twitter, prompting some outrage from those who pointed out that the Grammy Award-winning artist is a multimillionaire. Cardi pushed back, saying that she ‘budgets’ unlike some of her celebrity peers, also expressing that “middle class people” and “people in the hood” are more affected by sky-high costs. The Bronx rapper is trying to make sure everybody eats.