Cardi B is on Elle’s September cover and, unsurprisingly, she does not disappoint. It’s so refreshing to hear from a celebrity who categorically avoids giving the same lackluster responses in order to avoid controversy—in fact, she leans into it, acknowledging her mistakes and learning from them. My favorite part of the profile, written by Marjon Carlos, arrives nearish the end when she discusses her complicated relationship with her husband, Migos rapper Offset. “I do know that my relationship has a lot of drama and everything. But there’s a lot of love there’s a lot of passion, there’s a lot of trust, there’s a big friendship. It’s always us against the world,” she says, then directing her attention to tabloid culture. “If you all are so curious to know about my relationship and blah, blah, blah, I’m going to put it in the fuckin’ music, and you can buy it, too. I’m not going to give it to you all for free.” And there you have it.
Of course, she also talks about the glorious wet pussy anthem, “WAP” (and not Ben Shapiro, who didn’t get it):
“My music is always going to make a woman feel like a bad bitch. When you make a woman feel like she’s the baddest bitch in the room, to me, that’s female empowerment... But this album is going to be really different. Of course, it’s going to have my Lemonade moments, my personal relationship moments.”
And she says she is still outraged there’s been no justice for Breonna Taylor—just as she was when her cousin was murdered. “I remember everybody waking up at 3 a.m. and driving all the way to New Jersey, to the hospital. And through all that driving, you’re crying and scared and everything,” she told Carlos, adding:
“[I saw] Breonna Taylor’s name everywhere, but I didn’t really know her story. What they did to her is really fucked up. Really fucked up. What’s the excuse? Why is the cop not in jail? Wasn’t what he did a crime? It’s a crime! And no apology. No apology. No video of the cop coming out crying, ‘I fucked up. I don’t this. I don’t that.’ Nothing. It’s nothing. I don’t even know how her mom still holds her head up. Unbelievable.
...Imagine how frustrated her mom was, crying, probably hysterical. The cops call her saying her daughter is in the hospital, and her daughter is not even there. Then the person who’s supposed to protect her is asking her mom, ‘Do you know anybody who [would] want to hurt Breonna Taylor?’ when you guys know who killed her!”
Cardi also discusses her political activism but also implies that she may enjoy a future where Andrew Cuomo is president, unfortunately:
“I want a president who makes me feel secure. I want a president who understands the pain of the people. I want a president who is going to give us answers. That’s why I like [New York governor Andrew] Cuomo. I like him because he makes me feel like he’s listening to me.” She’s been rallying her loyal Bardi Gang fan base to become more active in their electoral system, voting in elections at all levels: “You can vote for DAs. You can vote for mayors. You can vote for your district. Not everything is the president. You know what I’m saying?”
Cardi! You almost had me.
Read the full cover story here.