What is going on, honey?
I cannot believe it.
I mean, we've spoken via all of this with like technology doing the work.
Yeah.
I'm looking forward to the chance to sit opposite you to say thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for.
Oh, yeah.
Because you know what?
I do feel like I talk to you often, but it's never in person.
It's crazy, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's the modern world.
I don't know if I like it, but I like this.
This feels good to me.
This was good.
It does feel good to me as well.
So happy you're back with music.
Thank you.
I know you took your time.
I'm not worried about that.
And everyone worries about time because really from a good place, they want the music.
But I think it's really important when an artist like you comes back, when you want to come back, when you're ready to come back.
You teach us a lesson to like your patience is okay.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm never doing that again, but.
I'm going to come back sooner, next time around.
Yeah, yeah.
Were there moments, because there was a lot of life going on around this time as well.
It wasn't just like you were sitting on music.
You were trying to find balance, I'd imagine.
That was what was going on.
Yeah.
It was just trying to find balance in life.
And not only that, but it's just like, I don't know.
It got to the point for me that it's like nothing was pleasing me.
And it's so funny because it's like, even when I get dressed up, when I wear clothes and stuff, like it's like sometimes I'll be like, oh my gosh.
I feel like I already did this.
Oh, my God, I feel like somebody already wore something similar to this.
And that is the same way that I feel like about music.
And it's just like you'll be surprised.
I got like 80 songs that i did probably these past seven years and it's just like i just be like three weeks later.
It's like i don't love it.
I don't want it.
I feel stupid.
It sounds dumb, it's on this, and even when like, even when, like people come and try to like help me, it's like i still don't like it, like it's like i really went through a crash, that nothing was pleasing me.
That's, that's what rod is block feels right, like right.
When you're just like hang on, everyone hears something i can't feel.
Yeah, That's tough.
Yeah, like, it's like, I just didn't like it.
I just felt like, oh, it's too corny.
I don't know what it is.
Like, it's like, I just wasn't, I just wasn't liking nothing.
And I think I was going crazy.
Like, I feel like I live more in the studio than I live in my house.
So it's just never like, oh, she's comfortable.
Oh, she this.
Oh, she that.
Like it's like I feel like now that like my album is completed, now I can finally get out the studio and probably exercise and some shit, do something.
Yes.
Like probably exercise, probably go to class or something.
But it's like I was in there, in there for real.
And it's like when I'm...
These songs that are on my album are songs that I really like, because I really almost feel like I don't like nothing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like nothing.
How much was the success that you achieved with Invasion of Privacy and the songs that came from that?
And then, of course, the world opens up and people fall in love with you.
So music is the key.
And then they're like, yeah, we love the music, but we love her.
How much of that got inside your head as well a little bit?
It's not really much.
It's just like.
I don't go with the pressure of invasion of privacy because what's funny when it came to invasion of privacy, I wasn't really thinking of like oh, I need to make these numbers, I need to make these things.
I just really felt like I have to keep my career.
Because it was the first time like it's like.
I got pregnant and people were saying, like it's like.
Oh, this never happened before.
We never had an artist in the label that got pregnant, like, right at the beginning of their career.
So I just was, like, in a rush to do my deadline and deliver my album.
So that was on my mind.
Now things have changed because people like, criticize me a little bit harder, more than I feel like any other artist which I
I feel like it's not fair to me, but it's like, you know what?
They don't do it to the people.
They don't think that they're great or they don't whatever.
And it's like one of the key that I feel confidence.
That is like I'm going to be OK, because it's like
No matter what I do, sometimes I could put this fire-ass outfit and I could kill Fashion Week.
And people would be like, cool, but where's the music?
I could drop a product and people would be like, okay, but where's the album?
I could be in a drama, some controversial shit, and people would be like, we don't give a fuck.
We want the album.
That must feel good in a way.
It's a little annoying, but that is a good indication.
Because we miss it.
I said that to you before we got on camera and on the mic here.
What I've heard, I love.
And what struck me immediately, from the first second you opened your mouth and spoke and I knew I was listening to a body of work, not just a standalone song.
I was like there's only one of you.
Like there's nobody can show up, whether it's seven years, 17 years, 27 years, it doesn't matter.
I was like it is, it is Bronx, it is Cardi, it's the voice, it's the attitude, it's the honesty, it's the.
I didn't realize you were being so hard on yourself, because it still sounds effortless to me.
I be really hard on myself.
I really, I really be hard on myself but I have to be hard on myself because people be hard on me.
So it's like, wouldn't that normally afford you some grace, rather than kind of no, nobody ever for me some grace nothing, i nobody ever give me no grace.
Like it's like i'm not allowed to have a flop, i'm not allowed to have a song.
That is like i want to do, because like it's just in my heart to do.
Like it's like it's almost everything gotta be great, everything has to be amazing, and it's like That's just what it is for me.
That's what comes.
It sounds hard.
Yeah.
It sounds hard.
So it's like everything I have to put my mind, thought, foot, ass, titty, pussy on it.
You know how people use their foot?
Like grandma's be like, I put my feet in it.
Yeah, I put my whole body in it.
Put my soul in it.
So it's like.
I'm glad that you're here to be able to clear up, you know, for anybody who unjustifiably thinks they deserve an answer to this question about what you've been doing for seven years.
No one deserves an answer to that.
But you've been gracious enough to say, no, I've been in this studio.
Yeah.
And, you know, when did it, what was the breakthrough for you?
What was the moment when you were like, you know what?
I think I see something.
I feel something and it's not how it's felt the last five years, six years, whatever.
I really feel that the songs that I have on my album is things that are not out there right now.
This deserves to be out there right now.
Right now, it's a lot of trends going on.
It's a lot of trends.
It's a lot of songs without feel in it.
And I just feel like it's like it's done.
I feel like it's like there's no more.
There's no more add-ons.
Cardi, you need to stop adding on.
That's the hardest thing.
Like it's like, I need to add this.
I need to add on.
Like it's like, I'm done.
Maybe track seven.
Maybe I could do a better track seven.
Because one to six are great and eight to 12 are cool.
But seven might be a problem.
Yeah.
Oh, that's the craziness of art.
Yeah.
It is.
That's where the insanity lives, isn't it?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, insanity, that should be the word because this album was driving me insane.
People shouldn't wonder where I was at, because I always kind of post what I'm doing and where I'm at.
If I'm not in New York at home, It's because they probably sent me to Atlanta, or sent me to LA, or sent me to a state, a random state, or sent me to Miami.
And if I'm there more than a month or more than three weeks, it's because they got me in a studio, not because of nothing else.
The only time I go far away...
From home for like a week or longer is either fashion week or I'm doing press runs like this week.
I'm doing press runs for a song.
But usually if I'm away and motherfuckers like what the fuck she doing in Miami?
What's she doing in LA?
I'm recording and I'm recording every single day.
Sometimes you might sometimes I might come up with like three songs.
Fucking three bars, three words.
And sometimes I just go crazy.
What was imaginary players?
Quick?
No, it wasn't quick.
I had to.
I had to.
I had to study my lifestyle and write down my lifestyle.
You know, I love that line in between verse one and verse two where you basically kind of modernize your John Lennon quote.
When someone said to John Lennon from the Beatles like how do you write these amazing songs that change the world?
And he said, well, you just you just take what you feel and you make it rhyme.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, take what you think and you make it rhyme.
And you said the same thing.
It's easy for me to say the shit.
I love this shit.
I just got to make it rhyme.
Yeah, because it's like I'm practically rapping about what I'm living.
Like.
Everything that I'm talking about is like the things that I live or the things like my fly friends.
Because I be looking like, what this bitch wearing?
What this bitch talking about?
What this, this, and that?
And it's like I literally just have to make it rhyme, make it sound good.
But it's like this is my life.
And I just took notes of everything that I was doing.
Like it's like even in the music video, right?
In the music video...
I was really having a fitting.
I just had my hair done and my makeup done.
And the people that were fitting me are really they're really the fashion houses fitting me for a show.
All those, all those outfits that I wore, I wore them for a show.
It's not a set.
It's not a set.
And it's like, they're really fitting me couture pieces while I'm doing a music video.
Like this is my life.
This is really my life.
Like it's like, I'm wearing couture, but I'm not wearing it for a music video.
I'm wearing it because...
I'm about to wear this to a show this week.
Like, this is my life for real.
Yeah, and you co-directed that video, which, you know, congratulations.
I mean, I always think when an artist can step into their visual environment and actually see another step of the creative through, it must be really rewarding.
And you know we're surrounded by these birds and I saw in Fashion Week and obviously in the artwork there's a heavy emphasis on this kind of avian experience.
You know birds and crows and whatnot.
So where did that come from?
Well...
It just really reflects on like just everything, every aspect in my life.
Like it's like... Because it's kind of dark imagery.
I'm looking over your shoulder and that tree is pretty barren and those birds are pretty frantic.
And the whole thing feels kind of unnerving, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
And I really like to do my things very colorful.
Like I'm a very colorful person.
But it's just like this past year.
I feel like something kind of was dying in me, like my humbleness, my me trying so much to be unproblematic, my me trying to avoid, Like avoid drama, avoid the disses, avoid the bitches, avoid the talks.
It's like that shit is dying.
That's dying out in me.
Like it's like that's really dying in me.
Like I'm really about to show you, bitch, that you are not fucking with me.
Like the cockiness is like being born again.
And not only that, but it's like my, my life, my relationships, everything like it's like that shit is dying now too.
Like it's like giving chances giving chances to men, giving chances to women, giving chances to people that is like just just want to see the nice shoddy shoddy.
Like it's like oh, just ignore it, nor be the bigger person.
That shit is dying now.
It's like i'm not no, and you?
I feel like I gave y'all too much grace to think that y'all could fuck with me.
And it's like, that shit is dead, bitch.
Now I'm going to embrace that.
You wanted that, bitch.
Now I'm going to give it to you.
And I hope you can take it when I motherfucking give it to y'all.
That's how I feel, for real.
You see that I'm getting kind of angry?
I'm getting angry because it's like... That's a real emotion, though.
It's a real human energy.
Yes.
Yes, because imagine...
Imagine being in your crib, right?
You're going through so much shit, so much drama.
Like, you probably got into an argument with your aunt and your cousins and shit.
Then your fucking husband doing some bullshit.
Then, like, in your music career, like, in the studio, like, you got, like, fucking writer's block.
You have all these problems going on.
Then a bitch starts fucking with you.
And it's like, while all this is happening, you got a bitch fucking with me.
And it's like, all right, bitch, I can get to you at that moment, but I'm going to get to you now.
And you're going to get it on my time as well.
So the title, Am I the Drama, is less like, am I the drama?
It's more like, am I the drama?
Like, it's like, no, it just do feel like, damn, am I the drama?
Because it's like every single time, even when I'm silent, like there's been times, right?
There's been times I said, I'm going to take a hiatus from the Internet.
I'm not going to be in the Internet for a whole month.
For some reason I'm getting tried, even when I'm not saying nothing, even when I'm not doing nothing.
And it's just like I've been telling people, like, it's like, yo, I really be avoiding shit.
And it's like, damn, do drama chase me?
Or am I just the drama?
I'm just one of those people that is just like you're going to always have problems, because you're just you.
And it's like, that's what comes with you, with your personality, with yourself.
I'm just one of those people.
It's such a powerful statement.
I think everybody to some degree has some kind of shadow behind them that they feel they can't shake and they don't know why.
Something that just seems to be slightly preventing this kind of perfect equilibrium in their life.
And so I wanted to know, like this idea of drama, this idea of like, if I'm crouching at the bar, why is everybody standing up straight around me looking at me when I want to hide?
Has it always felt that way for you even before this entertainment shit?
Yes, even when I, you know what, even like when I was in school, like sometimes I...
I just really think I was born with anointed light.
And sometimes the light is great, but it also disturbs people's peace.
It draws people to you.
Yeah, it draws people to me.
And it's not always going to be good.
Not everybody's going to draw to that light.
That light might bother people because maybe it's too light.
It's too bright.
It's too loud.
Mm-hmm.
It could also shine on others in ways they don't want to be shone on.
Yeah, or just jealousy.
But it's always been like this to me.
I always say this, right?
Because in middle school, I always used to get into some shit.
I always say like in high school, I'm going to go in high school and I'm not going to talk.
I'm going to be mysterious.
But either way, so... Because that's self-preservation, isn't it?
In a weird way.
It's like I need to hide away, but I don't want to look like I'm hiding away.
Yes.
But for some reason, I will still get into beef with bitches.
And it's like...
And it would be maybe because my hair was dyed a different way.
My clothes were too loud.
My stomach was too flat.
It was always something that, like, it bothered bitches.
Even when I'm here, right?
Like, even in the industry, there is a lot of different female rappers.
But for some reason, it's something about me that, like, these bitches can't stand.
They can't fuck with me.
Like, some bitches, I feel like they're on this class right now.
They're sophomores.
And I'm a senior.
And it's like, you wanna fuck with the senior so bad, like you think you here with the senior.
You're not even a junior.
Like, it's like and it's like.
You need to worry about the other sophomores before you start worrying about here, the fucking senior.
But it's just it's something about it that is like they can't even focus on them.
They got to focus on me and they always got to focus on throwing me shots and throwing me slings.
No matter if you're a fucking sophomore or in motherfucking college, it's me.
And you're sick of it.
And I'm sick of it.
And it's just like, I've been avoiding too many shit.
And it's like, man, fuck you.
Fuck everybody.
I mean, not all my songs are going to be like that.
We're going to hear this on the album.
Yeah, like not all my songs are going to be like that.
I have different songs.
I have like, I mean, you heard like pop songs, funk songs, club songs.
I have a little bit of everything.
Bronx legend, you heard?
Man, imaginary players.
Jay-Z, I love how you flipped it.
You made it your own.
Only greats can do that.
How special for you was it for the idea of updating imaginary players, making it your lifestyle and getting Jay's got to hear it and go.
Yes,
So let's talk about that because we're still fans at the end of the day.
I just said it on the radio show that I was doing.
I was in the studio last year in the summertime, and I was really caught in a funk.
I ain't got my hair done.
I ain't got my makeup done in weeks.
I'm sleeping on the couch.
It was like the fourth, third day that I'm sleeping on the couch in the studio.
And I just feel so down.
Not down, but I just don't feel like my best.
I'm exhausted.
I'm pregnant as fuck.
And I was just going through some drama in my life.
And I just was so tired, so over it.
And then my engineer was like, cheer up.
He's like, come on, come on.
We got to wake up.
We got to get up.
And I was like, all right.
Then he started playing imaginary players.
And I just started...
I just started laughing because it was so random for him to play that.
And I was like, yeah.
I'm like, yo, imagine if I flip this shit, but my way.
Yeah.
Because it's like.
My life and times.
My life.
Because it's like, I got a lot of shit to brag about.
Because I really do live a different lifestyle than a lot of people.
Oh, and then you're doing the 180 because now you're no longer feeling down.
You're like, actually, let me take a look around.
I actually got some shit to talk about.
I started feeling very good.
And then it's like, that's when I started working on it.
But then I was like, wait, hold on.
What if?
It's not even like, what if?
It's like, I gotta study everything.
So it's like, when I was eating certain places, I would write it down.
It's like, these are the hot spots.
We wrote down every fire restaurant that we was eating with.
Me and my engineer, we spent a lot of time in the summertime together.
My plan was to have my album delivered in the beginning of January.
But my lifestyle changed for me like crazy, like in life, life like it just changed for me and I just needed to be outside.
So um, I was just writing, fly shit down.
Then, when I, when it was time to, was like to submit, to submit it to get approved, I was a little scared, I was a little shaky like, Wait a minute, Jay-Z got to approve it.
I mean, I always knew that he got to approve it, but it's like, how about if he don't approve it?
How about if he fucking likes it and he did like it?
And it's so crazy, like the text message of him approving it, it was at 4.44 p.m.
Are you kidding me?
Is he living like that?
Or is that just some crazy universe fucking spiritual shit?
Because I don't really think he's sitting there waiting till 444, right?
No, nobody does.
Which is even crazier because that means he is tapped into something.
Yeah.
I mean, I believe heavy in 444 and I believe heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy in 1111.
Some people think that is not a real thing.
No, numerology is real.
Shout out the Fibonacci sequence, man.
I mean, everything that goes on around us in nature is ultimately a mathematical equation.
I mean, it's real.
So it was just like, all right, this is a good sign.
And it really changed my mood.
Damn, I feel like I'm always cranky.
Because that day I was cranky, and when I got the six months of the year approval, I'm like, yeah!
I was happy.
You definitely sound cranky on this album in a very good way.
I mean, you got some shit to get off your chest for sure.
But there is also joy on this fourth coming album, which is great too.
So I know we only have limited time this time, but I'm grateful for any time.
Yeah.
But I want to wrap by asking you how your spirit is now.
I think it's safe to say without going into detail because that's not how I roll.
Yeah.
I mean, I want art to win.
So I'm like, let's just focus on the spirit.
So outside of what the internet talks about, how are you?
How am I?
Hmm.
Some days are good.
Some days are, I'm a little sad.
Some days I'm a little confused.
Like, you're still going through it though.
Does it feel like you're still processing what you talked about?
Life changing.
Are you, are you still processing or is this, is this, yeah.
Yeah.
It's like you know, like you know when you graduate high school.
And now, like you're about, you're about to go to college, you don't know what you're expecting.
Um well, not only do I like you gotta go to college, like it's like I had to move out, so it's like now you're really like in the real world and it's like I'm getting.
I feel like I'm getting that reset again, but it doesn't feel as good because I'm in my 30s and I shouldn't be having a reset at my 30s.
I should be.
It should just be almost like planned out.
Almost like this is what is coming for the rest of my life.
It's like sometimes I feel like I'm in my 20s and I don't really want to feel like I'm in my 20s.
I want to feel like I'm in my grown 30s because I got three kids and it's like I'm not like...
I like to be outside.
I like to have fun.
But it's like I like to have my things planned out.
I'm always a person that's thinking about five years from now.
You know what I'm saying?
I like to think about family.
That's just the type of person that I just am.
So experiencing that experience, experiencing the streets and stuff like that, it's just a little weird.
And then it's like going through a divorce is very, very tough because you marry somebody and the person that you divorcing is not the person that you marry facts at all.
It's like you.
You really ask yourself like who the fuck did i marry?
Like who the fuck did i marry?
Like there is no love there.
There is no love.
There is no love.
But to me, I always felt like if I ever walk away from something, I get along with all my exes.
Even if we don't talk, we never ended it on some nasty, nasty stuff.
So I never wish them bad.
I don't wish them bad or nothing like that.
It has gotten to the point that it's like, oh, my gosh.
It's like...
I feel like I really hate you.
I think I hate you.
That's hard.
And I never wanted that.
I always be wondering, why do women hate their baby daddy so much?
Why do people say that divorce is so tough?
I feel like if the love is dead, people should just go their separate ways.
I'm the same.
I've got a couple of friends who have just been through catastrophic thermonuclear divorces and I don't understand it because it feels like yesterday we were all hanging out together.
Yes, yes.
And I'm just the type of person like if something is dead and you know that it's dead and it's never going to go good, I just feel like everybody should walk away.
Walk away with what they came with.
Just walk away.
Things are going to hurt for a couple of months.
But especially when there's kids, it's like we should be able to co-parent.
We should be able to have a conversation.
100%.
We should be able to ask each other advice and just become friends.
Mm-hmm.
But it's not like that.
It's actually I'm going to something that is like kind of like very like, wow, this is very dark.
It's not even painful.
It's kind of like pain.
I feel like you will feel pain when like you still got love feelings.
I don't have I don't have the love feeling.
I went through pain last year when the love was dying.
The love is dead.
So I don't feel pain, but it's just like.
I don't know.
It's like when somebody died, like it's like you feel pain and then it's like now you got the bills of the funeral.
Now you got the bills of the funeral and it's like what the fuck?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Cardi, somehow you found the strength to come back with this album.
We have a release date.
This means lots of people.
Yeah.
And I can imagine, on September, the 20th, the day after it comes out, I can't even imagine what you're going to feel.
I feel everything right now.
I'm just very anxious.
It's like every single day, it's like, what are we doing next?
What are we doing next?
I cannot wait to just drop this album because I haven't even been myself for the past three weeks.
I have been cursing everybody out, being rude, being angry, and I feel bad when I curse as well.
Is this true loaded question for the crew.
Well handled, by the way, beautifully done.
Yes, like it's like i.
I really feel like i've been like really hard on people and everything, but that's just because i i'm really just feeling the pressure, like at first i'm, i was like okay we, we're gonna release this album and everything this.
When you're really about to release it, the pressure is so crazy that i just feel like i i wake up sometimes and it's like You think I'm waking up in a frantic because I got some other shit going on.
Your subconscious is attacking you.
My subconscious is like, I need to fuck this shit up.
Can I say something to you as we say goodbye that may help that?
Because execution is the hardest thing, I think, in the arts.
Ideation, creativity, it comes naturally to people who love it.
But finishing, to your point, can be really torturous, right?
Really tough.
And I got to quote the human being who said it because it's a great quote.
So Damon from Gorillaz, Damon Albarn said you should definitely finish, because then you get to make another one.
Yeah.
So the beautiful thing is now you've finished this one.
Now we get to get another one.
Yeah.
And another one.
And another one.
And I'm not going to wait seven years, honey.
And another one.
And another one.
And let's get 10 more.
Cardi B, you're the best.
It's great to see you.
Thank you for talking with me for a minute.
Thank you.
Thank you.
