Cardi B Press Tour

8.11.20

Cardi B, Breakfast Club Interview 2020

Quarantine has stopped a lot of things from happening over the past few months, and music is one of them. For a while, I wondered, where else do these artists have to go besides the studio, right now? Why is there not way more new music coming out? After a while, certain artists spoke on it and took the risk, showcasing why music has been so slow. Artists are used to going on press tours, having album release parties, shooting music videos with large productions, getting their wardrobes from overseas, etc. It makes sense that all of this has been halted due to the coronavirus. However, the industry is finally finding some ways around it.

Following the release of Cardi B’s new song, WAP, she went on a virtual press tour. She spoke with The Breakfast Club and shared her thoughts on virtual interviews, why it took it her so long to put out some new music and what it was like putting out a new track and music video during this time. While many come to video interviews from the waist up wearing what they fell asleep in, Cardi B came looking absolutely stunning. The photo from above is The Breakfast Club Interview, wearing a royal blue leather jacket dress and matching Beret. I have never been a hat person, but I need this entire look.

When asked if Cardi was still having fun with the music, she had a puzzling, long pause prior to answering the question. It has been nine months since Cardi B last put out any music, which was a few months prior to coronavirus. She said that for a while, she was recording and not loving what she was doing. Whether it was her voice, the lyrics, etc. she admitted she was not having fun and had taken a step back from the studio. Though, she recently admitted to since getting in the studio with Megan Thee Stallion, she was enjoying herself and having fun again, as Meg and her entire team were so easy to work with, and the two had plenty of girl talk conversations on set. Since, Cardi B has even tweeted asking for beats saying that she feels like rapping today, so hopefully there will be plenty more new hits on the way.

Learning about how the song came about, is one of my favorite parts to any collaboration song. Obviously Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion are two superstars in the female hip-hop space. Cardi has always shown respect for Megan, but Megan went off to collaborate with Nicki Minaj, and we never got the Bardi collab. Well, Cardi shares the story of how her stylist and Megan’s stylist know each other and had met up one day. Cardi’s stylist came back and said, you two really need to get together, one email lead to another, and thus we have WAP. Apparently the two had shared beats back and forth, both fell in love with the WAP beat, and knew it had to be something dirty.

Cardi originally said she wanted to have several female artists on the song, but due to the length and the tone, she knew Megan was the one. However, she would go on to cast several rising female talents in the music video itself. Cardi shared that they had just two days to shoot because of the coronavirus, and their outfits took three weeks to receive from Europe. It sounds like overall the process was hectic and stressful, but they girls all had a great time together.

The Breakfast Club team seems to always attempt to stir up some trouble. They asked Cardi about the features prior to the video release. They asked about Cardi and her Quality Control label issues. They asked about her thoughts on Joe Biden and the presidential election, why she does not post photos of Offset’s other children, and if she had spoken to Megan after being shot in the foot. While Cardi is still totally crazy, explicit and uncensored, I was so pleasantly surprised with the way she had handled herself. She knew how to keep certain things to herself, she knew how to be respectful towards others, and she knew how to share some genuine words of wisdom or advice. When asked about how being a mother has changed her and the way she moves, she basically suggested that she even though she may be nasty on a song, she keeps it classy in person, nothing is worth messing up your career, your family, or a bag, for your baby. I truly think this showed in the way this interview went.

Of course, the crew asked Cardi when the next album was coming out. Cardi expressed she has tons of singles that she would love to drop, but the coronavirus is messing everything up right now. She wants to go on tour, record real music videos and do in person interviews. Cardi will not do anything less than one-hundred percent. So, it looks like we will be waiting on an album, but perhaps she will share with us some more singles to hold us over, in the meantime.

Cardi B, Beats 1 Interview 2020

Cardi B attends her next interview with Beats 1 Radio, looking even more stunning than the first time. She is wearing a red leather corset, with belt-like straps. It appears to be a red silky jacket or robe over the corset, and off the shoulder, to show off the details and accessories. I am super into the contrasting nails which are a turquoise color-though I wonder if her nail tech just painted her white nails, or if she sat and got these done all over again. This look took time to sit behind a computer screen and talk about your job. Extremely well done, overall.

This interview was a bit different than the Breakfast Club interview, because of the special guests. As previously mentioned, Cardi B made it a point to use her music video to give a platform to various other upcoming female talents in the hip-hop industry. Of course Kylie Jenner broke the internet with her cameo, but the others, Mulatto, Normani, Rubi Rose, Sukihana and Rosalia are all artists whom are upcoming and making some noise peering throughout the media. Cardi inquired about all of them being a part of the video, in which they all expressed tremendous gratitude and excitement over. Several of the ladies joined Cardi during her interview for a roundtable discussion about females in the hip-hop industry.

The first question asked during this roundtable discussion inquired about the idea that females in the hip-hop industry never get along, because there is not enough room for everyone. Cardi immediately shut this down, and suggested it is a stigma that the media wants to keep things interesting. Furthermore, she hired all of these girls to come be in her music video, because she thinks they are all incredible woman, and that the industry cannot stop multiple women from gaining the spotlight, when they are putting in the work and making music that people want to hear and listen to.

Each of the girls suggested their favorite moment of being on set was meeting Cardi. They said she was extremely supportive and was there cheering them on the entire time recording. Mulatto even shared a tweet outside of the interview that said:

Y’all wanna know something.. on set this lady was like ‘Y’all take a picture with Cardi. Cardi sit right here and y’all surround her.’ She was like naw ima stand up w them. That’s when I knew she was different real talk

I definitely think this shows that Cardi has not forgotten where she came from, and feels that these girls all are deserving of the place that are in during this time. She shared images from each of them on her page, and expressed and what she loves from each talent.

Again, even though the Beats 1 team said this may have been the most explicit interview they have ever held, Cardi was still extremely insightful and spreading wisdom for every topic. Rosalia FaceTimed in from Puerto Rico to ask Cardi B a question about her career, where she responded to make sure you have a proper legal team and to make sure you are super clear and safe by your contract. This is something that hurts so many artists, and likely the reason why Cardi has not been hurt by whatever is going on with Quality Control and their lawyer.

She was also asked about the stigma of women in hip-hop talking as dirty as does, especially on her new song, WAP. For me, I know the girls rap this like, and it is fun. However, I cannot lie when I say I was hoping for something a little deeper than this. I am not one for conscious rap, unless it is Royce Da 5’9, but I just figured after everything that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion just went through, that they would be more attacking the men, than coming for the men, if you know what I mean…

When confronted about this, Cardi said that people lie when they said they do not like this kind of talk. She said sure there are people who want community and unity, people being woke in their songs, but why would you come here if that is what you want? I feel like she got me here. The thing is, I know she can do more from her album. But if you love Cardi, this is what you love her for. Overall, I am not mad at it. I think she has used her platform for so much positivity for women, and is growing as an artist and business woman, overall.

Finally, Cardi B landed herself a cover on ELLE Magazine. She is wearing a head wrap full of diamonds, and a top that is gleaming with jewels as well. The look showcases just her face, her bedazzles head wrap and her labret and sternum piercing.

The magazine Editor-In-Chief, Nina Garcia, shares and Instagram post with images from their photoshoot. Her caption shares:

Although many have tired to ‘cancel’ Cardi B in the past, Cardi refuses to let anyone silence her incredibly powerful voice, not when it comes to politics, fighting for social justice, or just speaker her mind. “It’s like I have a target on my back, but it’s not because of music. Because I haven’t done music in eight month, and people still try to attack me. I feel like people are attacking me because they want me to feel the pressure of bullying, and they want me to give up, they want me to say ‘Oh I quit music’ or ‘I’ll delete my Instagram, delete my Twitter,’ and I’m not willing to do that. No one will ever have that much power [over] me.” - Cardi B

Cardi’s editorial will go deep into her thoughts on cancel culture, as well as her new music, marriage to Offset and her demand for justice.

Another amazing piece of work that Cardi B releases during her quarantine comeback to the music scene.

Cardi B for ELLE Magazine