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Is Cardi B a Case Study? Could Investment in Female Rap Be Declining?

by Diamond Brown

So much has transpired in the music industry in the past 24 hours that I, D. Music Lover Brown, almost could not keep up.

Image Credit: Cardi B | Instagram


But it’s a good thing I decided to take my time and gather my thoughts appropriately before writing this editorial. Not only that, but I had to send an email to an insider at Columbia Records to get some tea. Well, here it is: Cardi B is slowly becoming a case study for other record labels. By case study, I mean what not to do and where not to invest.


Nicki Minaj came into the industry and did what no other female rapper before her could do; she went pop and succeeded. She took female rap to another level of mainstream, and while we will always show our respect to the MCs before Mrs. Petty, we cannot deny her impact. But something else happened the longer she stayed in the industry, maintained her relevance, and grew much more successful over time—labels wanted a piece of the pie.


Not the whole pie, because Minaj already occupied half of it, and not only that, she’s done so without having to sign a 360 deal, so only a piece would do. No one imagined that Cardi B would see the success she did from Love and Hip Hop as a newcomer because no one else did, has, or ever will (let’s all be realistic here). I am not talking about the Bianca Bonnies, Steve Js, or Jim Jones and them, I am talking strictly about the newbies who think they can use Love and Hip Hop as a platform to further catapult or start their music careers.


So, after Nicki spent so much time doing pop music and a blend of pop and hip-hop, her day-one fans grew a bit bored and wanted more gangster Nicki, mixtape Nicki. It wasn’t until Cardi B’s ‘Bodak Yellow’ blew up the charts and her personality dominated on the inglorious reality show that many fans, spectators, and label execs began to perk up and pay attention.


Thus, their moment of glory came ushering itself in, and not only that, Cardi just wanted the money—not the title and not the career, which for a record label like Atlantic was perfect. It meant they could shove an advance at her; she would sign a 360 deal (no muss, no fuss), and all would be well in the world. Fast forward, and she falls in love, gets pregnant, records an album completely off-key, and the fans…love it! Now, Atlantic can confidently say that they’ve found Nicki’s replacement, a profitable replacement…but did they?


Nicki Minaj is adaptable, and so she adapted to the situation and reintroduced mixtape Nicki. We got to hear songs like ‘Majesty,’ ‘Hard White,’ ‘Barbie Dreams,’ and ‘Chun Li’ to remind us all that Nicki is still the rapper from Queens. The only problem is while Cardi B was still the people’s favorite, Nicki Minaj became the wicked stepmother, jealous that this girl from The Bronx, who just wanted to make music to make money, had become so successful.


By now, Atlantic was pouring money into Cardi B, high-budgeted music videos, ghostwriters, the works, and then the tour with Bruno Mars came to an abrupt stop, and it would seem things have since gone downhill. No tour, no new album…six years later.


A lot of Cardi’s fans have argued that it’s not uncommon for rappers or artists to take long hiatuses between albums, and while this is true, there is only one difference—this hiatus doesn’t seem intentional. One may argue that in their rush to sign the newest act topping the charts, Atlantic failed to do their due diligence in ensuring that this artist actually wanted to be an artist. She was not meant for fame; she was not meant to be a musician.


Cardi B wants the dinero, and once she got it—from music, brand deals, collaborations, and more—the music took a back seat, as it should, considering her motives from the beginning. Well, many music labels are taking note, and a few changes will take place. While Cardi B did open the door for remedial rap to become a trend, she is now starting a new trend: less investment for female hip-hop artists.


Musicians who take their craft seriously have a formula: work on the art, promote the art, tour the art, and then sneak back into hiding until award season, rinse and repeat. Cardi’s never taken a break; she has released single after single, and each time, this gets her fans' hopes up that a sophomore album is forthcoming; however, it never comes.


According to my source, the higher-ups at Atlantic are checking their bank book, and the numbers aren’t making them happy. Between Cardi and Latto, records can’t stay on the charts, which means less income for their labels, even though they have an image to upkeep. Record labels are more concerned with an artist’s maintenance versus their development, which is a key reason why many female rap artists can’t seem to score a steady hit.


Atlantic will reportedly seek to cut Cardi’s budget once again if her album is not released in September, and rumor has it that they’re loving what they see in artists Megan Thee Stallion and Glorilla. The label is heavily contemplating their next course of action, with someone even suggesting a surprise drop, but that was quickly decided against for fear that the Barbz would organize and embarrass Cardi B by purposely streaming Nicki’s album during this time, blocking Bardigang from getting CB2 to that number-one spot.


It’s unfortunate, really, because this girl just wanted to make her money and have a good time making her music. But her label had other plans, and now she’s the face of it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. With Cardi’s recent PR stunt, which has many talking, her official pregnancy announcement and divorce from husband Offset, it’s no wonder everyone is worried.


Why is this her formula? Every 3-5 business days, she announces her divorce and then drops a single; then, when she’s pregnant, she teases an album, etc. It’s tiring and too predictable at this point. Cardi does not want to make music or an album. She wants to be a mom, entrepreneur, and influencer, but to buy herself out of her contract is more likely an astronomical amount of money. It looks like the future for female hip-hop is changing, and we haven’t seen anything yet.

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