Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B said she feels it’s her “responsibility” to talk politics by using her large social media platforms to reach as many Americans as possible. However, there are critics who say the Bronx diva should not be influencing anyone at all.
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, who is known professionally as Cardi B, has been at the center of controversy multiple times in her short career. The hip-hop queen once boasted of having drugged and robbed men “in order to survive” back in the days when she worked as a stripper.
Additionally, when the New York-based rapper released her single “WAP,” a slew of critics slammed the song as “too explicit,” claiming the lyrics and video were X-rated. The contentious megahit which is an acronym for “wet a** p*ssy” also caused prominent hip-hop star CeeLo Green to publically criticize Cardi B. He said there’s “a time and a place for adult content,” while accusing the former stripper of “salacious gesturing” in the video.
After that big controversy, Cardi B switched gears to become “serious” about politics. The Grammy winner found herself interviewing Joe Biden during his 2020 presidential campaign and pushed the Democrat candidate to agree to universal healthcare and free tuition. The Afro-Latina rapper then showed up in an interview with David Letterman for his Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. She discussed feeling a “responsibility” to speak publicly about her political opinions.
“I don’t really put a lot of political things in my music, but I use the f—k out of my platform,” Cardi B told the talk show host. “And I have used my platform even when I was a dancer. Because you might think that people are not looking, but they are.” Cardi B detailed the inspiration behind her decision to speak up when it comes to politics. “I mean, I’m a hood chick, and I’m from the Bronx,” she said. “A lot of people relate to me and follow me because they want to see how I’m dressed, they want to see my lifestyle.”
The female hip-hop star continued to explain her mindset. “I feel like I have a responsibility to also share to them like, ‘Hey, while you here and you’re checking my outfit and checking my music, check out what’s going on over here in this part of the world,'” Cardi B said. However, not everyone believes the Bronx entertainer is a good influence, and that’s how she became a hot topic during a session of Congress.
Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman took issue with the rapper’s performance of “WAP,” which was televised on the Grammys. “I’ve received some complaints in my office, and rightfully so, about Cardi B and the Grammys. They wonder why we are paying the FCC if they feel this should be in living rooms across the nation,” Grothman said on the House floor. “Wake up, FCC, and begin to do your job. The moral decline of America is partly due to your utter complacency.”
Conservative commentator Candace Owens also had an ongoing social media feud with Cardi B over the rapper’s influence on young women. “Millions of young girls follow you,” Owens tweeted to Cardi B. “At your best, you are self-deprecating and humorous. At your worst, you are naked, shoving your vagina into another woman’s vagina while thrusting atop her. You were at your worst on the Grammy stage. Do better.”
Cardi B claims her political interest started in high school when she took AP U.S. Government and Politics, and the singer also explained why she believes she is qualified to speak publically about the subject. “It wasn’t studying to me, it was like a passion because I love to read about American history,” she said. “I like to know about politicians, I like to know how everything is getting ran… I went to college for this sh*t. It really gets me upset when people be like, oh, you’re dumb. I’m not dumb at this sh*t!”
“There are those who wish the hitmaker would stick to music and others who outright suggest a former stripper should steer clear of talking politics,” ET Online reported. The Dominican rapper offered up her approach. “Listen I don’t talk like a CNN correspondent and I don’t use all this fancy vocabulary,” she wrote on Instagram. “But I do give you THE REAL while entertaining you at the same time to keep your attention on what’s important.”
At one point, Candace Owens believed Cardi B was really a “conservative” and just didn’t know it yet. After noting the popular rapper was a “gun enthusiast” and an “entrepreneur who loves to make a buck,” Owens claimed the hip-hop diva just might land closer to her way of thinking. One thing is certain, Cardi B is here to stay, and only time will tell how the flamboyant singer will influence American politics in the future.
