Cardi B has revealed she used to drug and rob men when she was a stripper, enraging people across social media.
The 26-year-old rapper has always been upfront and honest about her previous career as an exotic dancer, refusing to shy away from her past and rapping about it in her songs.
But her latest revelation has shocked many, resulting in the hashtag #SurvivingCardiB spreading across social media in recent days.
The I Like It rapper made the revelation during an old Instagram live in which she hit out at those who have questioned her success. The video resurfaced this weekend (March 24).
Cardi B called out those who said she didn’t deserve to be successful, before talking about her past career and breaking down when recalling no-one wanted to help her.
The 26-year-old then revealed what she had to do to survive, saying:
N*****s must’ve forgot, my n*****, the shit that I did to mother f*ckin’ survive. I had to go strip. I had to go, ‘Oh yeah, you wanna f*ck me? Yeah yeah yeah, let’s go back to this hotel.’
And I drugged n*****s up and I robbed them. That’s what I used to do. Nothing was mother f*ckin’ handed to me, my n*****. Nothing!
This video of #CardiB surfaced of her saying she used to “drug men and rob them for their money.” Cardi says she didn’t say, “drug,” BUT NOW everyone is going in on her & using “#SurvivingCardiB”‼️Does this video change your opinion of her?? pic.twitter.com/m0nnscUJVL
— Power 106 (@Power106LA) March 26, 2019
Immediately after the video resurfaced it caused a huge backlash on social media, with people spreading the #SurvivingCardiB hashtag in reference to the Lifetime docu-series Surviving R. Kelly.
Many called on the rapper to be ‘cancelled’, stating she should be held accountable for her actions rather than being a role model to young women.
One wrote:
#SurvivingCardiB nah honestly this is worthy of cancelling her. IF A MALE ARTIST ADMITTED TO DRUGGING WOMEN AND ROBBING THEM, THEY WOULD BE ARRESTED AND LABELED A SEXUAL PREDATOR.
call Cardi what she is. She drugged men and robbed them. Fuck that, fuck her. Cancel her.
#SurvivingCardiB nah honestly this is worthy of cancelling her.
IF A MALE ARTIST ADMITTED TO DRUGGING WOMEN AND ROBBING THEM, THEY WOULD BE ARRESTED AND LABELED A SEXUAL PREDATOR.
call Cardi what she is. She drugged men and robbed them. Fuck that, fuck her. Cancel her.
— LIL NET NEUTRALITY (@imlilcrackpipe) March 25, 2019
Another said:
I’m done with my @iamcardib commentary. I’ve been saying this since she came out she represents the worst in popular culture is a horrible example for girls and women and should not be put up on a pedestal. #survivingCardiB
I’m done with my @iamcardib commentary. I’ve been saying this since she came out she represents the worst in popular culture is a horrible example for girls and women and should not be put up on a pedestal. #survivingCardiB
— Kwesi 🇬🇭 (@thejollofking) March 26, 2019
Others defended Cardi though, saying her claims are just her reality and many other rappers have the exact same or similar past.
One wrote:
This #SurvivingCardiB hashtag is just another example of fake outrage. Do you know HOW MANY RAPPERS you would have to CANCEL based on their “street life”? Chile! Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Jay Z? Do I need to keep going? Nobody said its right. Thats HER REALITY.
This #SurvivingCardiB hashtag is just another example of fake outrage. Do you know HOW MANY RAPPERS you would have to CANCEL based on their "street life"? Chile! Tupac, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Jay Z? Do I need to keep going? Nobody said its right. Thats HER REALITY.
— ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕪 ℙ𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕖𝕒𝕟 (@PrissThePisces) March 26, 2019
Cardi B has since shared a lengthy post on Instagram in response to the furore, saying she ‘never claimed to be perfect’, and that she comes from ‘a hip hop culture where you can talk about where you come from’ and ‘talk about the wrong things you had to do to get where you are’.
She adds:
There are rappers that glorify murder violence drugs an [sic] robbing. Crimes they feel they had to do to survive. I never glorified the things I brought up in that live I never even put those things in my music because I’m not proud of it and feel a responsibility not to glorify it. I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options.
You can read the full post here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bve_d3sFet7/
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).