Cardi B And Mariah Carey In Conversation
Cardi B talks to Mariah Carey about confidence, collabs and why haters and industry prejudice can’t put a sell-by date on her success.
Following the release of “Up”, the second single from her much-anticipated upcoming album, Cardi B sits down with Mariah Carey for Interview Magazine. The two icons discuss feeling intimidated by celeb culture, the pressures of social media, and prejudice in the industry.
Whilst it’s hard to imagine the powerhouse behind “WAP” ever feeling nervous, Cardi B tells Mariah about being shy when meeting other celebs. “A lot of celebrities invite me to places, but I’m really shy. We’re doing this over the phone, but if it was in person, I wouldn’t be able to look you in the eyes,” she said. “That’s how nervous I get around celebrities. And sometimes my head starts talking, like, “Oh my gosh, I look stupid, I feel stupid, I’m dumb.””
For Cardi, these nerves come from fears over authenticity and loyalty. She tells Mariah, “I don’t want to get close to a celebrity and feel like we have a connection, and then out of nowhere they do some funny shit and disappoint me.” Cardi says there’s a clear distinction between celeb ‘friends’ and real ones. “You’ve got to understand that your business friends are not going to treat you like your real friends. It’s hard for me to put that in my head because growing up, loyalty was really big. But celebrities aren’t like that, and that’s something that you have to find out on your own,” she says. This is a sentiment to which Mariah agrees— “We’re all just people, but this business can make certain celebrities into different people.”
But whilst she’s shy when meeting celebs, Cardi is defiant in her stance against online trolls who try and determine her relevancy. “Last year, because I hadn’t put out music for a long time, social media was saying, “She’s over. I told you she was only going to last this and that amount. She’s so mediocre,”” she says. When Mariah asks if she reads online hate, the answer is yes, but Cardi says her relationship with negative comments has changed over time. “Two years ago, Mariah, let me tell you, every single time somebody said some crazy shit, I would flame their ass right back. I’m more calm now,” she says.
Cardi credits her fans for helping her deal with mean social media menaces. “I used to ask some of my fans, "You think it’s really over for me?” They gave me encouragement, like, “I don’t think you really understand who you are,”” she says. Cardi B and her ‘BardiGang’ have always served a united front against trolls. She tells Mariah, “I get a lot of hate on social media, so if I feel the pressure, I know my fans feel the pressure of constantly defending my ass. I feel a close connection to them because my team doesn’t always know what’s going on, my husband doesn’t really understand social media, but my fans understand. That’s their world.” It’s clear the ‘BardiGang' are a protective, loyal and fiercely supportive bunch.
When talking about racism and prejudice within the industry, both Cardi and Mariah talk of their different, yet synonymous, experiences. “I have felt prejudice. I have been involved in endorsement deals, and then I found out that certain white people got more money for their deals from the same company. I do my research. I know how much money I made that company. My fans buy my shit. So it’s like, “When you’re not paying me what you’re paying these other people, why is that?” It’s kind of insulting,” Cardi says. Mariah relates to this, saying “I’m just asking because I feel the same way. And I have it a different way because people don’t know how to categorize me sometimes, and that sucks.”
This sharing of experiences seems to unite the pair. “You’ve gotten less than other artists who are not artists of color, and yet your influence has been way broader. So let’s fix that,” Mariah says. “We’re going to do that, we’re going to do our bra line, and one of these days, can we do a song together?” she asks. Cardi is clearly more than game saying, “I would love that. I would love to do a record that touches souls. You had me heartbroken when I was 11 years old and I didn’t even have a boyfriend.”
Cardi!!! I loved our conversation! What I didn’t say but should have said is that it’s not just the fact that you’re beautiful on the outside, it is the fact that you are a real person that is also beautiful on the inside.. I’m here for it all! You made my day 💜 https://t.co/6H5goRkc41
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) February 23, 2021
Though we might not yet have a set date for Cardi B’s next album drop, the prospect of a Cardi B ft. Mariah Carey anthem is enough to keep our imaginations wilding in the meantime. And one thing is for sure— if there’s ever a Cardi B x Mariah Carey bra collab, we’ll be the first in line.
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