Cardi B loves to “clapback” at haters, politicians, and various enemies by posting to-camera videos to Instagram. Like, she looks directly at the camera and addresses something that way. I respect the fact that she does it directly, with her no-bullsh-t approach. So it was this week when Jermaine Dupri seemed to mansplain why he doesn’t have a favorite female rapper. Instead of just saying “they’re all good” or “I’m not going to take sides,” Dupri made it sound like he just doesn’t like the content created by ladies:
“I can’t really say [who my favorite female rapper is]. The only reason why I can’t say is because I feel they’re all rapping about the same things. I don’t think they’re showing us who’s the best rapper. I think they’re trying to show—for me, it’s like strippers rapping. And as far as rap goes, I’m not getting who’s the best rapper. I’m getting like, ‘OK, you got a story about you dancing in the club, you got a story about you dancing in the club, you got a story about you dancing in the club.’ It’s like, ‘OK, who’s going to be the rapper?’ At some point, somebody’s going to have to break out of that mold and just show us—talk about other things, just rap about other things besides that.”
I understand the criticism of “they’re all rapping about the same things,” but… why is that specific to women? Most of the men rap about the same sh-t too, for the love of God. There’s always Kendrick Lamar, who is rapping about real-world sh-t, but like 95% of mainstream male rappers are rapping about the same handful of subjects. Anyway, Cardi had a different defense: she raps about her vadge because that’s what people WANT. She posted another Instagram video, and said this to camera:
“I have seen a lot of people sayin’ ‘Nowadays, female rappers only talk about they p-ssy and sh-t. And now that Jermaine Dupri bring it up, now I’m gonna say something about it, right. First of all, I rap about my p–sy because she’s my best friend, you know what I’m sayin’? And second of all, it seems like that’s what people wanna hear. I ain’t even gonna front, because let me tell you something: When I did ‘Be Careful,’ people was talking mad s–t in the beginning, like, ‘What the f–k is this? This is not what I expected. I expected this, I expected that.’ So it’s like, if that’s what people ain’t tryna hear, then, alright, I’mma start rapping about my p–sy again.”
She goes on to say that there are a lot of female rappers who don’t rap about sex and stripping and they don’t get support from bloggers, or the rap community or men like Dupri. Which is also very true. Even though it’s obscene, I love this quote: “First of all, I rap about my p–sy because she’s my best friend, you know what I’m sayin’.” How many of you think about your vadge like that? SHE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Treat her to some ice cream and photos of Clive Owen.
Here’s Cardi’s video – NSFW for language.
SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT pic.twitter.com/5gZQ963UdF
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) July 11, 2019
Last thing: the trailer for Hustlers drops next week, but the Hustlers social media team dropped several two-second teasers on social media and damn, this movie looks GOOD. Like Ocean’s Eight but real, and they’re all strippers. It’s amazing.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Male rappers have been singing about money, cash, hoes since forever and Jermaine hasn’t opened his troll mouth about that.
Yeah I guess he hasn’t listened to “Pole dancer” by Wale.
Every other song I hear today from the current crop of male rappers has to be bleeped out because they are referring to b@tches, violence, making it rain and sh@t.
She’s not wrong about the lack of support female rappers get from the industry and radio play when they aren’t rapping about sex or using sex as a currency.
I’m with Cardi- my pussy is one of my best friends (along with the little happy button she has, which I thoroughly enjoy).
Also, I think the idea that our pussies are obscene is related to the idea that we shouldn’t talk about our periods (or their associated impacts on our days, our emotions and our level of well being).
A lot of male rappers have thoroughly explored their experiences of spending money and assessing and reassessing womens’ body parts and keeping their money from women despite the glory of said body parts, so Jermaine should have just said he isn’t personally interested in the experiences that female rappers have and share (while he’s actively perpetuated the sharing of the generic male rapper’s experience.)
She’s right. Women in the music industry do seem get more crap for bringing sexuality into their music than men do.
Clive Owen is a finely aged snack. That’s it. That’s my comment.
@msn…
Indeed
We are quickly approaching the society predicted in the movie “Idiocracy.” Let’s just start watering the crops with Gatorade and be done with it.
You are not wrong @Mumbles.
Terry Crewes would be a far better US Pres than the current dude though…
Zero respect for both of them, although he actually does have a point. I remember the 90s when rappers actually rapped about something other than sex and their reproductive organs.
Btw, men rap about female body parts but women never rap about male body parts, why is that?
If men are reducing you to your body, why do women do that to themselves as well?
You’ll rarely hear a man rapping about his genitalia. I guess they respect themselves more than that.
Girl, bye. This comment is all kind of dumb.
Btw – you must not listen to much rap. Because make rappers rap about their dicks ALL THE F*CKING TIME.
I could find other examples but have you not heard Anaconda by Nicki Minaj? “Dick bigger than a tower/I ain’t talking bout Eiffel.”
Or “he had a big ass d*ick and a hurricane tongue”
Just no. 1.) Men in the music industry have made things about their dicks in songs and videos. 2.) This is not a self-respect issue because sexual modesty /= self respect.
“sexual modesty /= self respect”
This needs to be repeated.
I also like the fact that Cardi drew attention to female rappers who are different from her as far as content and image go. She ‘s not triggered by other women in the music industry prospering and having fans. In that one area, she’s adulting in a way that can’t always be expected in the music industry or from the acting world either (cough cough, Lilo)- even when folks are pushing 40.
“First of all, I rap about my p–sy because she’s my best friend, you know what I’m sayin’.”
you’re god damn right Cardi
He’s not entirely wrong?! They ARE essentially strippers who rap. And the male rappers of Cardi’s calibre do rap about the same three things too: Ho’s, money and all the stuff and ho’s they buy with their money.
So I take Jermaine’s critique to ecompass all of the genre of hip hop that is essentially about capitalism and sex.
Cardi’s line is pure poetry.
I was expecting the “not trying to sound sexist BUT” from him. And everything about music was better in the past, specially in the 90s, so it’s not a rap issue.
The best part of her answer is that she herself knows there’s more than sex to talk about, but people are too dumb to acknowledge it.
He is right to a degree, but he’s an ass for singling out women. Men have been rapping about money, sex, drugs, partying, etc for decades. I personally prefer music that has a story to tell or stems from personal strife, but I also like a fun bop. Cardi’s response is right on. If the masses wanted strong lyrics, that’s what radio would play. Take Minaj for example…she’s a terrible person, but she is incredibly talented. Does she use that talent to write meaningful songs? No. Because it doesn’t sell. What sells is her talking about her sex life and making videos with her ass and boobs hanging out. It’s unfortunate, but that’s what consumers want.