Cardi B Takes Credit For Current Female Rap Wave: ‘Labels Have Told Me This’

Cardi B knows that she opened a door in music for other women in rap to dominate the scene the way that they are now.

In her June 2024 cover story for Rolling Stone, the Bronx superstar reflected on her influence over the game since signing to Atlantic Records and taking over the world with “Bodak Yellow” in 2017.

“These labels was not believing in repping new rap artists,” Cardi said. “People from every single label have fucking told me this shit in my face. They started signing new female rappers after I got signed. Whether some bitches could be the greatest rappers [or] they just make good music — at the end of the fucking day, guess what? They’re in your playlist right now.”

She continued: “I know for a fact I’m a staple. I know for a fact that I [opened] a fucking door. I know for a fact that I [can] rap. I know for a fact I make fucking hits. Sometimes people be trying to belittle me, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m that bitch and y’all fucking know it.’”

Back in 2018, just about a year after the success of “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B dropped her debut album Invasion of Privacy and completely dominated the scene. She snagged the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards and multiple chart-topping singles and platinum certifications along the way.

Six years later, however, she has yet to produce a follow-up – but she has promised more than once that fans will see her long-awaited sophomore album in 2024.

But she walked back her promise in a since-deleted tweet earlier this week, saying she’d no longer be dropping this year and instead just enjoying her summer. However, it appears the post was made out of frustration, as she was upset about her fans hounding her for new music. Her reps have since told Rolling Stone that “an album in 2024 is still the plan.”

As for what to expect on the LP, the esteemed publication reports that, as of March, it was partially done but still needed an intro, at least three more songs, a title, features and a rollout plan.

So far, Cardi gave fans a taste of what they can likely expect from her sophomore release, with her single, “Enough (Miami).” The track arrived two weeks after she dropped the “Like What (Freestyle)” sampling Missy Elliot’s 1999 hit “She’s a Bitch.”