Playboy announced on Thursday an expansive collaboration with Cardi B, naming her the brand’s first-ever creative director in residence.
“It is a dream come true to officially join the Playboy family. I can’t believe this is real,” Cardi said in an official statement. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt connected to Playboy. It’s truly the original platform for uncensored creativity and I’m inspired by its incredible legacy of fighting for personal freedoms. I have so many ideas already—I can’t wait!”
In addition, the Bronx rapper will serve as founding creative director of Playboy’s upcoming creator-led platform, CENTERFOLD.
“I’m also excited to launch our new creator-led platform, CENTERFOLD,” she continued. “Creators today deserve to express themselves freely and unfiltered. They deserve to feel safe in their creativity and sexuality. And they deserve to own their future. This is what CENTERFOLD is all about. For all those creators out there doing bold, revolutionary, truly culture-shifting things, come join me.”
In a press release, Ben Kohn, chief executive officer of PLBY Group, called Cardi a “creative genius,” and said he is “absolutely thrilled and honored to bring her immense talent and creative vision to Playboy.”
“Through her unapologetic commitment to free expression, her dedication to lifting up artistic voices, and her celebration of sex and body positivity, Cardi is the embodiment of the Playboy brand,” Kohn added. “I can’t wait to see what Cardi and our team develop together with our merchandise design, development, and distribution capabilities and our best-in-class content production.”
Kohn went on to speak on Cardi’s role in launching Playboy’s CENTERFOLD platform, saying, “I also can’t think of a better creative visionary to partner with us on the launch of CENTERFOLD. CENTERFOLD will revolutionize the creator economy just as PLAYBOY magazine shook up the publishing industry nearly 70 years ago—and Cardi is the perfect shepherd into this new era.”
The news arrives just two days after Cardi became the first woman rapper to go diamond multiple times. The Recording Industry Association of America on Monday announced that the Bronx native’s 2018 Maroon 5 collab “Girls Like You” surpassed 10 million sales in the U.S. market. She previously landed diamond status for her 2017 breakout single “Bodak Yellow.”
